Angel

"Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith."
 Saint Francis of Assisi

When last we saw Faith the Vampire Slayer, she had just succeeded in wreaking havoc in the lives of both the Scooby Gang and Team Angel. She used Buffy’s body for fun, smacked Cordelia around and tortured a helpless Wesley. She fought Angel in an attempt to goad him into destroying her and ending her self-loathing and misery.

But Angel didn’t bite. Seeing through her mask of violence and anger, Angel recognized a plea for help. He stood up to those who were so infuriated by Faith’s actions that they were ready to put her down for good. Why would he risk his friendships with Wesley and Cordelia and his already faltering relationship with Buffy to help a woman who has worked on the side of evil on more than one occasion?

Because he, more than just about anyone, understands the need for redemption. Yes, you’ve heard it before and will probably hear it a lot more, but that’s because it is really what this show is all about.

Angel, through his kindness and perseverance, gave Faith her shot at redemption. Now it’s time for her to return the favor. She understands what is needed and proves she is prepared to take the necessary steps.

With the help of a figment of his imagination, Wesley begins to understand why Angel deserves another chance as well. Consciously or not, Wesley believed that even someone like Lilah could turn her life around. No matter how dark her past or how hopeless her future, Wesley still hoped that Lilah could be saved. Despite the vile actions she’d committed, even an evil lawyer like her deserved a chance to change.

If someone on the wrong side deserves that chance, why not someone who is usually on the right the side? It would be unfair and unjust to put Angelus down permanently and end all of Angel’s hard work for redemption. Wesley realizes that to get rid of Angelus would be giving up on Angel for all time. Maybe it’s his own need for forgiveness that helps him to understand, but he knows that more death is not the answer.

Lilah’s dead. Her chance for redemption has passed. Wesley may not have done all he could to save her, held back by the fear that she could never really love him, but it’s too late now.

Angel, in a manner of speaking, still lives. It’s not too late. For Wesley to give up and destroy him (after losing his soul in the first place) would once again be failing to do all he could. Even if it means facing the woman he failed as a Watcher - the woman who once tortured him within an inch of his life - to ask for her help, he must do all he can. The world needs Angel back, it’s true. But Angel also deserves a chance to live and to die as the hero he is.

Just When You Thought Things Couldn’t Get Ickier . . .

Cordelia announces her pregnancy! There are at least three distinct possibilities here, and I’m not sure which gets a higher rating on the scale of grody. One, the Evil Cordelia is really pregnant with her teenage boy-toy’s lovechild. Two, Evil Cordelia is pregnant with her Beast lover’s apocalyptic baby. Three, Cordelia is faking it just to get Connor back in the sack and strengthen his tether to her. Of course, these possibilities raise even more questions. First, does the Beast even have reproductive organs? Second, does Connor know how babies are made? I doubt they have Sex Ed in Hell dimensions, but maybe Holtz explained the facts of life to him.

One thing that whiney brat needed more than "the talk" was a spanking, so who didn’t love it when Faith finally gave him one? He may be The Destroyer, but he’s not The Smart Guy, so it’s about time he learned his place. If only that spell didn’t keep Lorne from smacking some sense into him . . .

I digress.

Evil Cordelia has a plan, and it’s one that didn’t involve Faith. Faith’s arrival has breathed a much-needed breath of life into the Fang Gang by providing leadership and a clear goal. Clearly, EC has been doing her best to get rid of both of these by masterfully, and subtlety, promoting discord from within.

EC is a force to be reckoned with, and she’s got something nasty up her sleeve. It may have been she who hired the prison broad to ice Faith, or it may have been the First Evil trying to force the next slayer into her calling. Either way, you can bet that EC is planning another way to take care of the meddlesome slayer. The mystery of who or what EC is as delightfully tantalizing as Charisma Carpenter’s performance. After months of doing little more than delivering speeches on morality, she is finally given a chance to show off a bit. Let’s just say that David isn’t the only one who can do evil.

And now Buffy isn’t the only Slayer whose love for Angel has been betrayed by Angelus. While Angelus really did help with the destruction of the Beast like the gang hoped (wow, one of their plans kind of worked!), he still remains an extremely dangerous wildcard. How will they bring him in without destroying him in the process?

Faith has the confidence, the skills and the power to take Angelus down. She has a chance of defeating him in a one-on-one physical fight. But what will happen when Angelus tries to resurrect her self-hatred and bring her close to the dark side once again? Will she prove she’s grown enough in her character and in her soul to resist the painful, soul-wrenching ministrations that Angelus is so famous for?

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I can’t wait to find out.

Onto the boards . . .

This episode was so chock-full of plot, quips and general goodness that it couldn’t possibley fit into one article. Sound off on all of your thoughts on the boards below. Did you think the scene between Wesley and Lilah was heartbreaking or creepy? Is Faith the baddest Slayer ever? Are the Powers That Sit On Their Behind even involved in this story anymore? What happened to the real Cordelia? Let us know what you think.

Just remember that the episode board is for speculation only - save the spoilers (of any kind) for the spoiler board. Please respect the rights of others who wish to be surprised. Thanks!