Episode Reviews   

"Long Day's Journey," Wednesday, January 22, 2003

by Anne

Episode Summary

As Angel broods in his room, Lorne arrives, urging Angel to join the others downstairs. Angel refuses, and Lorne reveals that he knows about Connor and Cordelia - he picked up a vibe. As Lorne reminds Angel that there are other fish in the sea, we see Gwen Raiden meeting with a client. As they talk, her client is suddenly impaled by The Beast, who pulls something from the man's chest before disappearing. At the Hyperion, Cordelia arrives to speak to Angel about her latest vision of TB. She apologizes for hurting him, but tells him that he has to get over it *now* because people need him. The gang's discussion of the death of the White Room Girl leads them to a possible connection between two of TB's victims. When Gwen arrives with news of her client's death, the gang is sure: TB is killing the members of a powerful group called the Ra-Tet. Gwen and Angel go to protect one of the group's two remaining members; they're too late to save him, but they find the group's last member, Manny. He reveals that TB wants to use the Ra-Tet's power to blot out the sun. To protect Manny, the team takes him to a steel-lined panic room at Gwen's posh apartment. However, someone spikes Angel's and Cordelia's drinks and they fall asleep during their watch. When the others wake them up, they discover that Manny's been murdered. Cordy theorizes that it must've been an inside job, and the evidence supports her theory. Recalling the White Room Girl's line that "the answer is among you" the gang goes to question Connor. TB arrives at Connor's place first. Connor tries to fight him, but TB easily gets the upper hand and throws Connor out the window. TB begins the ritual as the others arrive. They rush in and try to stop him. Outside the sun begins to darken. Cordelia has the same vision she had earlier, but this time she sees all of it and hears what is said: in the past, TB is talking to Angelus. In the present day, TB completes the ritual and reminds Angel that they need not be enemies. TB vows that he'll see him soon and he departs. Outside, with Cordelia's help, the team realizes that TB knows Angelus. Recalling that Manny's death looked like an inside job, Wes expresses concern that TB may have some power over Angel. Cordy observes that TB must be planning something bigger; Angel insist he doesn't know what that plan is. Wesley declares that they need Angelus if they're going to defeat TB.

Episode Review

Oh, sure - blame the guy with the evil past! (Have these people learned nothing from those old murder mysteries? The guilty one is never the most obvious suspect.) This is one of those episodes that I would like to have seen before I knew what happened; I don't think I would've believed that Angel was guilty, but I'm not sure. If you look at the evidence he is the most likely candidate.

On the other hand, Lorne had just reminded Angel - as he often does - that Angel is a champion. Would a champion be susceptible to being unwittingly controlled by the Beast? Perhaps, but it's still pretty interesting that the others lose trust in him every time he falls under the slightest suspicion.

Cordy's theory that TB has a larger plan was a good one. Darkening the sun is a major feat, but the real question is: what's in it for him? The same question remains about the rain of fire; it didn't destroy the city, so what was the point? I thought that his destruction of Wolfram & Hart was merely a by-product of his quest to get to the White Room Girl, but perhaps there's more to it. Maybe next he'll go after the Senior Partners, or maybe he needs an army of lawyer zombies for something . . .

I thought this episode rocked. (Of course, I think that about a lot of the episodes lately.) Sure, it left us with nothing but questions, but everything was put together well. It had a fast pace, too, which added to the confusion of the new events that were happening.

Miscellaneous Thoughts

* Suddenly Connor is concerned about what Angel thinks?

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