Review of Episode 10, Season 3 "Dad" There were a lot of things I liked and disliked about this episode. All said and done, I thought it was a decent episode. What I liked: The fact that this episode took place just after the tragic events of "Lullaby." The audience got to witness firsthand what the detectives of Angel Investigations experienced in the aftermath of Holtz (Keith Szarabajka) allowing Angel (David Boreanaz) and Fred (Amy Acker) to escape with baby Connor. Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) has come such a long way since the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Of the original cast, her character developed the most, maturing from a self-centered superficial snob into a strong-willed yet caring young woman (Could you see Sunnydale Cordy giving Fred the time of day?). The only thing that hasn't changed is her salty tongue. Her talk with Angel about sharing the responsibility of raising a son whose father cannot walk into the light of day was very poignant. Gavin (Daniel Dae Kim) and Lilah's (Stephanie Romanov) rivalry. Granted, those two don't have the chemistry Lilah and Lindsey (Christian Kane) did, but there is a connection. Gavin is more cool and reserved, not to mention he has really come into his own after his comment in "Quickening" about Lilah and the body-switched Angel having sex. I did like Lilah's comparison of Darla (Julie Benz) and Connor to MacDuff from Shakespeare's "MacBeth." The fact that there are rival gangs after the baby. I liked the scorecard they made, listing all the threats, both real and potential. Too bad they couldn't have brought the Scourge, from "Hero" in the first season one, into this, considering their deep hatred for half-breeds. It would've upped the ante in my opinion. Goodman did a good job of maintaining that hard-found delicate balance between the show's dark elements and dry humor unlike previous episodes where it felt like the creators were trying to mix the Michael Keaton grittiness with the Adam West campiness. Angel playing with his baby and finally getting it to stop crying when his face transformed demonically was priceless. Of course, where would we be without the snappy one-liners? The circumcision line was up there with Linwood's (John Rubinstein) dark baby-talk "He becomes a creature of pure malevolent evil who can rip your tiny throat out, yes he does." We can't forget Wesley (Alexis Denisoff) and Gunn (J. August Richards) comparing themselves to John Wayne and Austin Stoker, respectively, before the battle erupted. Anyone catch the Notre Dame line? They're the Fighting Irish, a tongue-in-cheek reference to Angel's Irish heritage (I would've preferred Michigan State being an alumnus but it just wouldn't fit). What I didn't like: "Dad" was somewhat predictable. We all knew that Angel wouldn't risk his baby when he left the Hyperion and was chased by those demons. It lost the momentum the past few episodes had; it just didn't leave me on the edge of my seat. If anything, I guess it was more of an epilogue to the storyline involving the late, lamented Darla's pregnancy. What is Sahjan's (Jack Conley) agenda? Once again, the creators didn't reveal what his stake in all this is. I'm not sure what to think about Justine Cooper (Laurel Holloman). She reminded me of a carbon copy of a non-Slayer-powered Faith. In all fairness, let's wait and see where the creators take this. She might become a regular next season for all we know. I must say this is the first episode I can remember having a happy ending. The detectives just named the baby and walked out with him, ending the first major story arc of the season. It'll be a long wait until new episodes premiere sometime in January. I give it Review by CoA Staff member, Ned Flanders

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!

Gunn: There’s blood over here. Wesley: Not to mention some bastard’s blown a gaping hole in the lift. Angel: Sorry, my bastard. Angel: (on the baby crying) What? What did I do? Cordelia: You don’t have a woman’s touch. (pauses) Whatever your taste in clothing may indicate. Angel: All right. So we’ve got a list. All I have to do is erase everyone on it. Fred: (excited) I can do that for you. (begins erasing the board) Cordelia: Uh, Fred. Fred: What? Oh, you meant erase in a squish and kill violent kind of way. I’ll just put that back. Sahjhan: (to Holtz) You know, you throw around a lot of big words, like death and pain and no mercy, but so far I haven’t seen bupkis. Holtz: We can find information with this box, correct? (points to computer) Sahjhan: Yes, and you won’t believe how fast my connection is. Linwood: (on the Nyazian prophecy that there would be no birth) Clever loophole. We could use some of those Nyazian scroll writers in Contracts and Negotiations. Linwood: (watching the surveillance) Now that’s a cute little baby. (in a baby talk voice) Yes you are. And your daddy’s a vampire with a soul, and sometimes he reverts to a creature of pure, malevolent evil who could rip your tiny throat out. Yes he does. (Lilah and Gavin snicker) I like kids. The senior partners took mine before I really got to know them. Turn it up. (baby starts to cry loudly) Turn it down. (walks away) Lorne: (to Angel about the baby) Look at him. He’s more than a mission, bro. Look at him. Lilah: Everything’s in there? Gwen: Right down to the baby that wasn’t supposed to be born. Lilah: How do you know about that? Gwen: I’m Files and Records. It’s my job. Lilah: (flabbergasted) That whole thing is Angel’s file? Gwen: Just the first 35 cabinets. Lilah: Right. Does China Palace deliver down here? Cordelia: Did you get any sleep? Angel: No, I was up all night watching him. Cordelia: You know, if you let us take shifts, we could… Angel: No, I wasn’t watching him like that. I was just (pauses) watching him. (Cordelia smiles) Cordelia: You can’t be everything for him. Angel: I’m the only family he’s got. My job now is to be everything for him. Cordelia: Really? OK. Follow me, come on. Angel: Where are we going? Cordelia: Come on. (heads out the doors) Angel: (sharply) Cordelia. Cordelia: We’re going outside. Where your son is going to want to go play. Where you’ll have to rush him to the hospital if he gets sick in the daytime. But, I see your point. You can’t go outside in the day like other parents because you’re a vampire, and even if you weren’t, you couldn’t do everything for him. Angel: (sticks his hand in sunlight and lets it smoke) If he has to get to the hospital at noon on the sunniest day of the year, he’ll get there. Even if I don’t. Lilah: This is impossible. 275 years of the most inane (pauses) what kind of woosy name is Liam anyway? Lilah: (on Gwen’s remarkable recitation of Holtz’s history) Wait how did you? Gwen: I’m Files and Records. It’s my job. Lilah: You mean I’ve been sitting here for 14 hours to find that you know everything that’s in this case file? Gwen: No, Ms. Morgan. Lilah: Oh. Gwen: I know everything in every case file. I’m Files and Records. It’s my job. Lilah: So what’s the skinny on Holtz then? Why the big hate-on for Angel? Gwen: Just a moment. (eyes roll and click) 1764, Angel kills Holtz, Caroline, Holtz, Sarah, and Holtz, Daniel, infant son. Lilah: Hmm. Massacred his family. That would do it. Gwen: Holtz vows to avenge their blood, May 1764. Pursues Angel and Darla relentlessly for 9 years, racking up an incidental body count of 378 vampires in the meantime. Lilah: So what we’re dealing with is a single-minded vengeance machine with a blood lust to match. That’s just (inhales) awesome. Gunn: (preparing for the assault) What are you doing? Wesley: Trying to imagine myself as John Wayne in Rio Bravo. You? Gunn: Austin Stoker. Assault on Precinct 13. (they high five) Cordelia: If we live through this, trade in the DVD players and get a life. Angel: Connor. His name is Connor. Gunn: (bringing in the stroller) I go the best one a very small amount of money could buy. Wesley: Connor. That’s a lovely name. I don’t suppose you ever considered Wesley? (in rapid succession) Fred: No. Angel: No. Gunn: No. (Wesley shrugs) Quotes by Council member Seeker.