Review of Episode 8, Season 2 "The Shroud of Rahmon" I was quite surprised by the reactions to this episode. There were a lot of people that thought there was not much weight to it and was lacking in keeping the viewer interested. Almost on the verge of boring for some fans and yet others thought is was extremely good. It’s not very often you get extreme degrees of difference so I watched it a few more times than usual and I found it quite good! This is the first return of writer Jim Kouf since last season’s outstanding Faith episode ‘Five By Five’ and proved that Jim certainly has the market cornered when it comes to going off the deep end with these characters! There was plenty to enjoy here, especially the 8 hour flashback and the twist ending! This sets up a forth coming confrontation between Kate and Angel that may finally determine their relationship's foundation. Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s director, David Grossman, makes his return to the Angel crew since his contribution last season of ‘I Will Remember You’. From a directorial stand point I felt it had some great elements; not knowing who was at the interrogation table in the opening scene, Kate’s arrival as she decks Wesley and his sudden disappearance, and the direction on the twist of Kate and Angel’s embrace was excellent. The humor is never lost in an Angel episode but I think it was the subtle infusion of hair-dos here! The WB finally felt comfortable in showing Charisma Carpenter’s new short locks (although she’s had them hidden with extensions all season) and Elisabeth Rohm dons her bold and blond look that we are more familiar with over on the Bull set. Finally, I am thankful that they gave J. August Richards something more to work with finally. This fine young actor has a lot of potential. Alexis Denisof is amazing playing the peripherally disturbed; I often caught myself wondering if he had really gone mad or was just in shock. But the commanding performance of the evening goes to David Boreanaz, and not for his DeNiro impersonation. This time we see something we have never seen before. He is not Angelus here; he is Angel on the edge of madness, fighting sanity and insanity at the same time. And struggling with power and desire and holding all emotion at bay except frenzy. Perhaps this is what we have to look forward to in his February feature film release of Valentine, if so, it has added a tremendous element to Angel. One I look forward to seeing again! NOTE: At the end of the Summary, I state that Angel ‘moaned passionately’ while drinking from Kate. These are not my words but that of the script, and I thought it poignant to the scene to include as it reflects upon his state of being. I give it...

CoA Stakes Rating Guide = Disappointing, stake it, bury it! = Not too bad, Lacking a few graves. = Typical Dark Avenger saves the day Saga. = Better still, Quality Headstones. = Outstanding! Reward it with mortality!

Wesley: I'm quite good with the ladies myself, ya know. Wesley: What happened to your head? Cordelia: Excuse me?! Wesley: Your hair? It's new... It's great! When did this happen? Cordelia: Ten days ago. Wesley: Of course, I didn't want to embarrass you by.. Cordelia: Noticing? Nice Suit. Wesley: I was just on my way out... Cordelia: Yet another glamorous celebrity filled gala with Miss Virginia Bryce? (Feigns a yawn.) Wesley: Have you seen Angel? I thought I might check on him. He doesn't seem to be doing much with his time. Cordelia: Au contraire, his schedule is packed! Brood about Darla, brood about Darla, lunch, followed by a little Darla Brooding. Cordelia: Nice posturing. Wesley: Thank you. Cordelia: Uh huh. Time to traipse off to your soul sucking Hollywood party? Wesley: Premier, actually, and I, uh, just happen to have an extra ticket... Cordelia: Who does shallow better then me? Gunn: And what am I supposed to do? Sit home and knit? Angel: I could use a sweater. Something dark. Kate: Don't suppose you'd testify against her in a blindingly sunny court of law? Angel: Don't suppose you have a search warrant? Kate: You know, I knew I forgot something. (Pulls out a very pointy wooden cross.) Angel: Hm. Darla's not here. I don't know where she is. Kate: I'm gonna find her, Angel, you can be sure of that. And when I do she's toast. Angel: She's human now, remember? Kate: Toast with life in prison. Angel: Listen, Kate, there are forces at work here that you know nothing about. Kate: Gathering storm is it? Angel: Which you don't want to get caught in. Kate: You afraid I'll get hurt? Angel: No, I'm afraid you'd get killed. I'm just telling you this so you won't. Kate: Me dead... I guess I'd kinda be like you then, wouldn't I? You think I'm gonna stand by while you and your playmate finish the game? Angel: Let's try this one more time. (Dashes cross from her hand and pins her to him.) You get stuck between me and Darla and it'll be the last thing you ever do. Angel: Cordelia, what happened? Cordelia: It's not blood, its cocktail sauce, courtesy of Mr. Star Schmoozer. Angel: I'm mean to your head...your hair. Well, it looks great! When did this happen? Wesley: Ten days ago. Pay attention! Angel: Why doesn't anybody tell me this stuff. Wesley: I spilled it on her in front of Mr. Fat Chow... Chow. Cordelia: Chow Yun-Fat! Angel: What? You met Chow Yun-Fat?! Cordelia: Yeah, it'll be just like old times, right Angel? Meeting evil face to face. Kicking evil's booty. Wes and I will crank up the research machine and you'll... what will you do again? Angel: This is such an honor. Hi! I'm a big fan! When the boss said Jay-Don was coming in, I was just like.... Wow! Hey, can I see the glasses? Jay-Don: Hey, nobody touches the glasses or the hair, doll. Angel: (Laughing) Yeah right... 'doll.' You got it! That's cool. OH... I was supposed to ask you something, oh, what is it? Oh, god what is it? Oh yeah! What's the password? Jay-Don: There is no password. Angel: Oh. (Angel stakes him) Just checking. Vyasa: Jay-Don? Angel: You think I'm traveling in luggage? How you doin? You look sharp. That, uh, plastic surgeon, he give you the big rebate. Vyasa: Let's go, cars over here. Angel: Yeah the trip was fabo. I love flying coach and what is that piece of junk? Vyasa: You're funny, vampire. Angel: I hope I don't see anybody I know. Angel: Don't tell me. You must be Bob the security guard. And you're a great big monster aren't you? Vyasa: This is Jay-Don. He talks too much. Angel: I'm a people person. Like the shirt! Where'd you get that? Ed's big and spiny? Menlo: Oh, he's funny. You're funny. You'll be even funnier when I crush your head. Angel: Funny ha-ha or funny peculiar? Angel: Thought I told you I'd handle this? Gunn: Told you I don't take orders Vyasa: Something wrong? Gunn: Depends. Do we all have to wear these ugly ass shirts? Is this, you know, like a team thing? Cause, ya know I got my pride! Angel: Guess that's where I come in, huh? Gunn: Oh, no body heat thing. I guess that comes in handy with the no soul thing, huh? Wesley: Click on recent acquisitions. Right there, right there! Cordelia: I've got it, jeez! Back-seat surfer. Gunn: Don't hit me again. Angel: I was trying to protect. Gunn: I appreciate that. (Elbows Angel) Don't do it again. Menlo: You're taking too long! Gunn: Spine man, chill. This is Nitro, last thing I want is my body parts mixed up with yours. Menlo: We should have been in the vault by now! Vyasa: Shut up! (He accidentally drops the flask of Nitro) Angel: No! (Angel catches it with his shoe) ... Allow me. Cordelia: Why is it always virgin women who have to do the sacrificing? Wesley: For purity, I suppose. Cordelia: This has nothing to do with purity. This is all about dominance, buddy. You can bet if someone ordered a male body part for a religious ceremony the world would be atheist like that! Wesley: Ohh. Cordelia: I hate it when you do that. Wesley: Once in 1803, the shroud was removed from its casing. Cordelia: And yuckiness ensued? Wesley: Well, yes. The entire population of El Encanto went insane. Mothers and children hacking one another to pieces... Men roaming the streets like rabid dogs... Cordelia: I get the picture. So in order to take his mind of the torment that is Darla, we send Angel after a box that makes you crazy? Wesley: Worst case scenario, we warn Angel off it before they steal the shroud. Cordelia: Just as soon as he comes back... Unless, of course, their stealing it right now. Angel: I like it when they're scared. Makes em taste, ya know, kinda salty. Menlo: Did I ask for your opinion you overgrown leech? Angel: Jeez! Altoids, aisle four! Gunn: You about to turn or something? Angel: No. Gunn: Don't look 'no!' Angel: Shut up and lift, Lester. Gunn: Don't give me orders, Elvis. Wesley: So it is tonight. They must be somewhere inside. Oh... Sorry. I'm feeling a little... Cordelia: Me too. I think its the altitude. Wesley: Right, the altitude here at sea level. (They both laugh) Let's not loose focus. Cordelia: Maybe we should split. Wesley: Uh, no, too dangerous. We'd better stick together. Wesley: Right. (They split off in two directions) Angel: You know, I'm getting pretty sick of this 'vampires killed my sister so I'm all entitled' song. Don't you know anything else, let's say, uh, McArthur Park? Gunn: Get your hands off my throat. Angel: A-a-ah, you gonna play nice? Gunn: I'm cool. Bob: Well, alrighty partners it's roping time! Tonight I'll be playing the part of the poor defenseless calf. Who gets to be the cowboy? Just make it tight, okay, cowboy? It's gotta be tight, it's gotta look real. I'm the not the bad guy, I'm the good guy! Angel: I'm the good guy, no wait! The bad guy! Vyasa: Pick it up. Bob: Wait! You gotta hit me! Somebody's got hit me! Come on, man, you gotta hit me! Do it, come on! Make it real! (Laughs hysterically) Menlo: (Rips off Bob's head) Looks real to me. Wesley: Your hair! Kate: You're here to warn Angel about my hair? Wesley: It's blonde! Cordelia: My teeth are sooo big! I... am... pleasant. Cordelia: Oh! Hello plastic person! You're all by your lonesome in here. So... I guess you won't be needing this, Hmm? (steals necklace off dummy) Angel: Wow, look at you! Rushing in here all by yourself. You're the best cop ever! Menlo: Too many humans. Angel: Excuse me, this is my girl. Kate: Stay back! Angel: Okay, you got me! My life of crime is over. I'm going down. First, a little impression. I'm a cop with a mission to protect the innocent and rain on everybody's parade and obsess about my father's death and bother people who are about to steal things... Wesley: Angel? (Angel throws Wesley down.) Angel: Oh, Katie. What are you so afraid of? Is it this? (vamps) Is it the part where I kill you, cause I gotta tell you I love that in a woman! Angel: Fellas, fellas! Cool your jets. There's enough here for... all of me. Wesley: I don't think he's coming down. Cordelia: Hmm. Wesley: I don't think recent events did him a lot of good. Cordelia: Again, a hearty hmm. Wesley: We had every good intention of course. Cordelia: Right, sending him in the path of a crazy-making, one way, evil-making death cloth. Good plan! Wesley: It's not the shroud's effects that worry me. Cordelia: What, my stealing? I returned everything, I swear! Wesley: Angel drank human blood from a living person. Something he hasn't done in a very long time. Cordelia: So... on top of everything else we may have reawakened his bloodlust? Wesley: Yes. Cordelia: Hmm. Full day's work then. Wesley: I think so.