Review of Episode 10, Season 4 "Awakening" There’s nothing like watching an episode of Angel that rips the rug from right under you and let me tell you, I was lying face first on the Oriental by the end of “Awakening”. Veteran Buffyscribe David Fury and Steve DeKnight are the guys responsible for pulling off this tricky tale which ends in a mind-bending fourth act “Gotcha!” Of course, the age-old bait and switch ploy is nothing new in storytelling, but it takes talent to make it seem fresh and genuinely surprising. The duo created a seamless and incredibly plausible narrative replete with adventure, team bonding, and emotional resolutions only to yank it all away with the coda being the reawakening of absolute evil - Angelus. Way to go Mustard Guy and Pants-less Steve! Right down to the Indiana Jones ref: “Stakes. It had to be stakes!” Considering the focus of the show of late has been the group dynamic, it was great to get back to exploring the inner Angel. Much has been wrong in Angel’s world for sometime now and “Awakening” explored the failures and desires smoldering inside of him. Angel is desperate to reconnect - with his friends, with his love (Cordelia), his son (Connor) as well as with the champion within. And yet for all the warm puppy feelings and resolutions in his Wu Pang induced dream, his happiness only leads him to the one thing that will only cast him from his desires - becoming Angelus again. David Boreanaz did a great job carrying the episode, he reminded us what a multi-faceted character Angel has become - be him hero or monster. The Beast (Vladimir Kulich) is also developing nicely, proving to be a more diabolical adversary with each episode. I for one can’t wait to see Angelus and The Beast square off! Connor on the other hand was completely irritating - dream sequence or not. I’m starting to think Connor and Dawn need to be set adrift at sea together. For all the strengths of this episode, I was under whelmed with the means to the end of triggering the reversal of the gypsy curse that returned Angel’s soul. Let’s face it, that pesky curse has always been a bit hazy especially in determining exactly what constitutes ‘a true moment of happiness’ for Angel. Doing “the deed” with Buffy was pretty cut and dry but since then I can count at least five instances (i.e. the birth of his son Connor, finding out Buffy was brought back from the dead, etc…) which I figured would have met the criteria for a moment of true happiness. To have the return of Angelus so easily rigged by a shaman with a strong aptitude for suggestion seemed a bit cheap but that’s my only complaint in an otherwise, strong offering. Gunn perfectly summed up the episode when he remarked in the last act, “It was all a set-up”, and that my friends, is the delicious truth. I give it... Review by CoA Staff member, Phoenix

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!

Cordelia: We just gotta find a way to bring back the sun. Fred: Working on it. Failing miserably, but working on it. Cordelia: (to Connor with contempt) Believe me, you’ve never met Angelus. Connor: You’re the reason my life sucks. Angel: Get over it. Lorne: Uh, not to be a buttinsky, but could we get back to the pep talky thing? Fred: I’m not one to turn down a little pep, but I’d much prefer we had a plan. Angel: You have no idea what Angelus is, Wesley. All you know is what you’ve read is books. You’ve never had the pleasure of his company. And you’re not going to. Cordelia: I just came to say that I’m on your side. Angelus is the jumbo, family-sized bad of bad ideas. He’d be a danger to all of us. You made the right call. Wesley, the others, they don’t get it. Angel: But you do. Cordelia: Well, if I didn’t when Angelus was loose and killing in Sunnydale, then reliving his past horrors in visual wide-screen sensurround during my stay in floaty-ville pretty much makes me an expert. Angel: Do you think Connor’s right? That I’m being used by the Beast without even knowing it? Cordelia: No. Angel: Are you just saying that? Cordelia: (begrudgingly) Yes. Cordelia: What is it about evil that jacks up the IQ points? Lorne: Listen, Angelcakes, if it’s all the same with you, I think I might sit this one out upstairs. You know how dark magic releasing unspeakable evil gives me the heebies. Angel: Connor. Connor: What? Angel: Look, I know you like to think that I’m the enemy, but if this works, I will be. I’m going to become the one thing you were raised to believe I was. The thing I never wanted you to see. Connor: Yeah. I can handle it. Angel: Uh huh. Well, just keep in mind, that whatever Angelus says, whatever he does, he’s not your father. I am. No matter what happens or (pauses) happened. I love you. (Connor turns to go) Look, one more thing. Since I’m going to be out of commission for a while, I want you to, you know, take care of everybody. Keep them safe. That means if anything should go wrong with Angelus, you’re gonna have to kill me. Connor: (immediately) Okay. Angel: (emphatically) If anything goes wrong. Cordelia: Angel. You don’t have to do this. Angel: Now she tells me. Lorne: (re: looking at script found on the Shaman's body) Is there any part of this guy that doesn't have writing all over it? Scratch that. I don't want to know. Gunn: So that's why we couldn't find anything written about Beastie-boy in the books. These jokers are walking around with it on their asses. Angel: Easy. . . Easy. . . Cordelia: What are those? Holiday decorations left over from some. . . S&M bondage party? Angel: (re: Angel sets off a bell and wooden spikes close together) Wood. Why did it have to be wood. Wesley: We have to pass through the corridor without ringing any of the bells. Cordelia: (sigh) (looks down at her chest) I knew you two would get me in trouble some day. Angel: (re: after falling on the sword) No, no. I'm good. Ahh. I'm good. See? I missed the pointy end. Lorne: Is that it? Cordelia: The sword of the Bosh M'ad. Wesley: Slayer of The Beast. Gunn: Ohh! Can I play with it? Lorne: Well, most of my connections have amscrayed to dimensions a little lighter on the stomping your entrails out. All I could Kolchack was a rumor of bad mojo risin' down in the warehouse district. The Beast: We could rule this world. Why do you oppose me? Angel: Rain of fire. Blocking out the sun. And you just kinda piss me off. The Beast: The boy joins the father in death. Connor: No, in kicking your stony ass! The Beast: Such arrogance. So much like Angelus. Connor: His name is Angel. Angel: Consider your ass kicked. destroys the Beast Quotes by CoA Council member, Seeker