Angel: Eternity

Rebecca: "You're not a killer."
Angel: "I gave that up."
Rebecca: "Well, there is a support group for everything in this town, I guess."

Angelus is back! He's a fascinating side of Angel's character, David B. does him very well, and any television team worth their salt would do their best to get him in there somehow. The temporary nature of "synthetic happiness" didn't completely ring true for me, but what were their options? Having Angel turn evil again permanently and flying Willow in from Sunnydale to redo the curse? Any way that they can work Angelus in works for me -- as long as they don't play the Angelus card too often and squeeze the juice out of it.

I really thought at first that Angel was faking it to scare Rebecca off. It was easy to feel for poor Rebecca. Certainly she's beautiful and talented, but Hollywood is a killer and she's only as good as her last movie or TV show. It's gruesome that anyone who isn't disfigured should have to consider having plastic surgery at 24. *shudder*

The Angel Powers That Be have really turned the volume down on Wesley. It isn't just the different hair and clothes; they're showing his vulnerability. And it worked; I wanted to hug him during this episode.

One last thing -- Wesley brought up the Angel "happiness" issue again, saying that he thought Angel only turned because he had a moment of perfect happiness with Buffy, the only woman he ever truly loved. This was how I thought it should be all along. Maybe because I'd hate it if Angel never got to have sex again.

Bits and pieces:

-- If Cordelia did so well faking out Angelus with the un-holy water, how come she faked her Doyle-vision so poorly?

-- The shackles showed up again, with lots of extra chains for company. "You're not going to untie me, are you?"

Quotes:

Angel: "And I thought I knew eternity."

Cordelia: "Okay, so I was loud. But was I any good?"
Wesley: "You took the role and made it your own."
Cordelia: "Really? Thanks. Angel, was I good?"
Angel: "I wouldn't say it if I didn't think so."
Cordelia: "Thanks." You didn't say it."
Angel: "Hey, you know, it was a night in the theater I'll never forget."

Cordelia: "It was a seminal show. Canceled by the idiot network. I was going to picket them but I didn't have any comfortable shoes."

Wesley: "The person who needs help here is Ms. Lowell."
Cordelia: "Right. He could be helping us both. Think of the karma."

Angel: "I'm not what you think."
Rebecca: "You're not? Because, no reflection, dark, private office, instantly knowing those letters weren't written in blood, I guess what I would think is vampire."
Angel: "Then again..."
Rebecca: "Which is impossible. Bela Lugosi, Gary Oldman, they're vampires."
Angel: "Frank Langella was the only performance I believed."

Wesley: "Angel's moment of true happiness occurred because he was with Buffy. You realize how rare that is? True happiness? And what are the odds he's find that with an actress?"
Cordelia: "What's that supposed to mean?"

Angel: "Cordelia, you're here. And you brought a cross."
Cordelia: "Along with three double half-caff, non-fat, skinny lattes."
Angel: "And a cross."
Cordelia: "Well, judging by the outfit, I guess it's safe to come in. Evil Angel never would have worn those pants."

Cordelia: "So she went to lunch and just left you here to rummage through her things?"
Angel: "No, I told her that I was a vampire, and that daytime patio dining was out."
Cordelia: "Did you just make a joke?"

Rebecca: "According to those, I've slept with Ernest Borgnine, and I'm bulimic."
Angel: "I hear Borgnine is a very skilled lover."

Cordelia: "You must have a ton of friends you could have asked."
Rebecca: "Yeah, but none of them would know what to buy a 200 year-old vampire as a thank-you gift."
Cordelia: "Oh god. He's impossible to buy for. What on earth does he need? More socks?"

Rebecca: "Well, I may have given him something to help loosen him up, and now he's..."
Cordelia: "Loose?"
Rebecca: "Yeah."
Wesley: "What did you give him?"
Rebecca: "Does it matter?"
Cordelia: "Well, if he's all homicidal, I'm thinking, yeah!"

Angel: "So we're okay then?"
Cordelia: "I'm too big of a person to let something so petty get in the way of our friendship."
Angel: "I appreciate that. (long pause) You're not going to untie me, are you?"

Three out of four stakes,

Billie