Angel

Gunn : "So. Werewolf girl. Think you got a shot ?" Angel : "She gave me a look."

This episode certainly held my interest, but I wasn’t quite sure how to take it. Was it just your garden variety stand-alone werewolf episode, or is Nina Ash going to be a continuing character ? Is she intended as a possible love interest for Angel, who has described his track record with "the whole man-woman thing" as a "tragic farce ?" She’s a supernatural blonde teenager, which is certainly his type, right ?

There was a lot of fun stuff. The "you’re a monster, I’m a monster too" conversation with the forehead joke was probably my favorite scene ("So what, you’re like a Frankenstein ?"), and I also liked Fred’s attempts to explain Angel’s romantic problems to Nina. We got a lot more detail on what it’s like to actually turn into a werewolf, too — the heightened senses, the hallucinations, the craving for raw hamburger, and what garnishes are appropriate with a light truffle sauce.

Geez, I can just see Angel dating a werewolf. Perhaps he should talk with Willow. Did you notice that there was an entire episode about werewolves, and no one mentioned Oz ? Although I’ll bet the werewolf suit in the beginning of the episode was probably a recycled Seth Green costume.

The secret nighttime L.A. Scooby picnic meeting was fun. The unspeakable gourmet society was sick ; perhaps this episode should have been called, "To Serve Werewolf." At least Crane’s "bistro of the bizarre" is now out of business, or next month I would have been worrying about our other interesting guest star, John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox from "Enterprise.") I liked him at first ; I was kind of hoping he’d stick around, even though he already has a full time job on UPN. I particularly enjoyed his rendition of "Jesse’s Girl ;" Lorne’s employee screening-for-evil sessions are turning into a great continuing joke.

Everyone still thinks that Gunn may be a spy for the Senior Partners, and he’s convincingly touchy about it. Is this skillful misdirection ? I mean, it’s so obvious that Gunn may be working for the Senior Partners that acknowledging it every week will make us think that maybe he isn’t, right ? Gunn looked great with the suit and the rifle, by the way. It’s a good look for him.

Fred was key this week, trying to help Nina deflect sister Jill’s anger, and figuring out that Dr. Royce slash Phlox was a bad guy. But I was frustrated that she didn’t help poor Spike, who is slowly fading into a hell dimension. Why is Spike so stubbornly fixated on Fred ? I can understand him not wanting Angel to know about his problem ("You know that whoosh thing that you do when you’re suddenly not there any more ? I love that") but why not ask Wesley, the LA version of Giles, for help ?

Bits and pieces :

- Angel actually killed werewolf guy at the beginning. Is he killing more lately, or is it just me ?

- Gunn : "Everybody here got something out of this." Angel : "Fear, mistrust, a great motor pool..." Lorne : "I got the Nancy Sinatra collection."

- Nina Ash lives at 2315 Harvard, she takes ceramics classes (college student ?), and her car’s license number is 2ABM-543.

- Andy Hallett looked a lot thinner in the scene where he was, coincidentally, calling himself Jenny Craig for the soul. I hope he’s okay.

- Werewolf connoisseur Crane mentioned that there is no such thing as leprechauns, a standing Buffy joke. And Wesley referred to the Initiative. "An underground, monster-hunting, military organization. It’s happened before."

- Lorne : "Okay, Atlas. How about a shrug ?"

- I really liked the wrap-up with drinks and Chinese food in Angel’s apartment at the end of the episode.

- There has been a noticeable lack of quality Wesley and Lorne screen time so far this season. But it’s early yet, and there has been Spike, so I forgive them.

- In real life news, there was a royal Buffy wedding this week. Alexis Denisof and Alyson Hannigan got married. Isn’t that delightful ? Congratulations to both of them.

Three out of five stakes.

Anyway, forget werewolves. The preview for next week practically had me salivating,

Billie