Episode Reviews   

"Epiphany," Tuesday, February 27, 2001

by Anne

Since we watched Angel fall to his lowest point, I for one am *very* glad to see him starting back again on the rocky road to redemption.

Angel told Darla in a previous episode that she never made him happy; she is beyond satisfied to think that she has proved that isn’t true. She should have known from the look on Angel’s face that he wasn’t evil – Angelus would never have looked so stricken or been so remorseful. The expression Darla has as Angel leaves is one of utter rage. I think she will be back with a vengeance; we know what they say about a woman scorned ...

Lindsey was stark raving mad! (Did anyone else see the drool fly out of his mouth as he was barking at Angel?) This isn’t about Wolfram & Hart – this is about very basic human emotions; to emphasize this, Lindsey changes into his very basic clothes. Angel doesn’t feel for Darla what Lindsey does, and Lindsey has taken care of her since he completed to ritual to bring her back to life. Yet Angel gets her.

I liked the continuity of the Lindsey storyline. After hearing Darla’s details, the silence between them is deceptive of what he is actually feeling. With only a look of disgust at Darla, he grabs his boots. I admit I had forgotten about him until he ran over Angel. Looking back, I’m sure that was the truck that Wesley saw pass by three times, and it was Lindsey’s following that made Angel warily check the side mirror. One question: exactly how did Lindsey explain his behavior to Wolfram & Hart? Lilah clearly saw him save Darla from being staked.

In the scene where Wesley and Gunn are asking why they should wait for Angel, I’m sure they are wondering the same thing in the larger sense. Why should they go back to Angel after he abandoned them? Maybe since Angel had to assist them in this case they were reminded that, although they can get along fine without him, they also work well with him.

When Angel asked the Host, "How do I get back?" he voiced what I had been wondering. I really liked the reply: "You don’t. You go on to a new place." It was so simple, yet so profound. It applies to the other characters as well, particularly to Kate and to the relationship between Lindsey and Darla. To highlight this point, Darla literally moves to a new place.

When Angel goes to the A-Team, he simply says, "I’m sorry." What else could he possibly say to make up for how he’s treated them? (Answer: nothing!) The bottom line is that he wants their forgiveness and he knows he’ll have to earn their trust again. He says that he wants to work for them because he thinks he can help. This is proved true right away when he saves Cordelia from falling on the floor during her vision. I noticed that Angel was wearing a red shirt instead of his usual all black ensemble. I think that is another way – albeit small – that he is trying to get to the new place.

I don’t believe that the A-Team/Angel relationship has been completely repaired. The episode simply ends with a little progress being made – they are working together again.

I have a few issues with the Skilosh sub-plot. Why didn’t Cordy ask the cab to wait for her? How long would it take to get the check from the Sharps? I failed to see any purpose for Cordelia’s vision of the Skilosh attacking her, since the vision occurred seconds before the actual attack. It’s as if The Powers That Be were playing a mean joke on her, showing her something that she couldn’t possibly control. Why did the Skilosh kill the Sharps when they could have used them to have four more Skilosh "rise"? The big question that I have about this storyline is regarding the timing. This episode seemed to imply that the spawn would rise from Cordelia within a few hours. However when the Sharps came to the A-Team, the girl had been infected the previous day yet the A-Team had time to do research, fight the zombie cops, admit Wesley to the hospital, and (apparently) get him out of the hospital before they cured her.

Overall, I loved the episode. I liked the smile between Angel and Wesley before Wesley remembered that he was angry with Angel. I empathized with Angel as he tried to re-connect with the others. I, too, felt the hope of a higher calling when Kate said "I never invited you in." Looking ahead, I wonder how the others will react when they learn that Angel tried to lose his soul. "Epiphany" leaves several unresolved issues. I am looking forward to seeing the new places.

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