[SPOILERS] Angel Episode 1/28/2004: "Damage"

[RatPunk]

I'll weigh in and say VERY good episode. Not the best ever, but it was very solid, and offered much to think about.

• Spike and Angel: many people have been wondering about why Angel still feels tortured and Spike's sorta "over it" with getting his soul, and this last five minutes of Angel and Spike talking really emphasize it: Angel had a LOT invested in his victims, where Spike did not. I thought this interaction was quite cool. The line that sticks with me was:
  "She's a monster now, herself."
  "Spike, she's an innocent victim."
  "So were we, once upon a time."
  
  Anyone catch what Angel said back after that?

• 
  
  I believe he just repeated "Once upon a time...", but I would have to go back to the tape to check it.

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

"She's a monster now, herself."
"Spike, she's an innocent victim."
"So were we, once upon a time."

Anyone catch what Angel said back after that?

Angel repeats spike's last line, "once upon a time."

Thanks to video tapes and cap text.

 

[Hand of Evil]

No, the FIRST one, where he said "Give me another" was "In a mellifluous manner."

Mellifluous, 7 letters, ending in "Y"? How about "sweetly?"

Otay, that works, heard the word wrong.

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

And Idiot Guy - completely over the top, over-acted, and just plain not funny. His double-cross was pretty telegraphed, and the speech was just plain corny, like something I would have written. I expect better from professional writers.

The thing is, Andrew talks like that. His entire frame of reference is lines taken from uber-geek culture: anime, comic books, star wars movies, and so on. 90% of the time he acts like he's the lead actor in a bad action flick. That's his character. It's also entirely possible he was playing that up a little to make sure the Angel gang would underestimate him.

As for why use Angel when he has a dozen slayers... My guess is he was pretty aware of Angel's resources, and they would be better able to do the tracking than a dozen tough but fairly inexperienced slayers. The slayers were also there to bail Andrew out if he needed it, I would imagine.

As for Buffy not trusting Angel, just imagine if there were a season of Buffy going on, with cross-overs. Most of the Scoobs would be arguing that Angel is gone or going bad - I'm sure Buffy would be willing to give him some benefit of the doubt, but they'd be on their toes about it.

 

[Henry]

The thing is, Andrew talks like that. His entire frame of reference is lines taken from uber-geek culture: anime, comic books, star wars movies, and so on. 90% of the time he acts like he's the lead actor in a bad action flick. That's his character. It's also entirely possible he was playing that up a little to make sure the Angel gang would underestimate him.

[FAERUN GEEK MOMENT]
In a way, I'll be glad if Andrew ever DOES die, because then we could refer to Johnathan, Andrew, and Warren as the "Dead Three."
[/FAERUN GEEK MOMENT]

Rumor has it that those three Buffy Characters were designed as a "geek monument" to all of the geeky and nerd-y fights and references that the writers have in their offices at work. I think (unsure) it was Joss who said that one episode's whole "don't destroy the collector's edition Boba Fett" spiel was taken from an in-house argument one day.

Some people don't like the way Andrew's character pokes fun at gamer stereotypes, but in Andrew's case I see it as the writers poking fun at themselves as much as anyone.

Makes me wonder if Tom Lenk (LOVE THAT NAME! ) sympathizes with any of Andrew's ramblings or not.

 

[RatPunk]

I can see them not capturing her or anything, after all, they have no proof...
But, they don't seem to be investigating her either. And why the heck haven't they contacted the Senior Partners or something of the sort?

Gunn pointed out last night what I've been saying all along: Eve works directly for the Senior Partners (even if she does have her own agenda now). They can't really make a move on her without pissing off some VERY powerful "people". Angel admitted this last night also when they were discussing it at the beginning of the episode. That's not a fight any of them are prepared to undertake just yet.

 

[Pielorinho]

Sweetly. That works. Thanks! I sorta hoped the answer would cast relate to the episode, but if it does, it's too subtle for this boy.

Daniel

 

[LightPhoenix]

Andrew's name was mentioned at the very beginning -- when Spike came in and said "Andrew!" He also had his name written on his lunch bag (along with the British flag)

I wouldn't say that a real crazy person would have offed Spike right away -- I don't think you can expect predictability from someone who is insane. It's just as believable that she wanted the guy to suffer first, and then off him.

My bad, I wasn't paying too much attention during that part since I personally felt whoever acted... well, no, whoever directed needed to tell him to tone it down. He was alright later on, when he wasn't overacting so much, but that scene in particular was just blah, and mostly because of him. But you're right, I didn't notice his name either of the two times they said it during that scene, and that was my fault.

As for people who are insane... Dana shows no mercy throughout the rest of the episode for anyone else, except Andrew (contrived). But people who are traumatized by someone usually need to regain a measure of safety and power over their attackers... I would more expect a sane person to not kill Spike (because of mercy) than an insane one. Especially once she was cleared up about what he was - she should have dusted him immediately. Oh right, Deus Ex Angelus.

I thought the whole premise was flawed. Why wasn't this girl moved to a high security, strongly contained area one she showed signs of super-strength? How did the medicine even get messed up? I have friends who work in psych wards and that just does not happen, especially with people who have been in there a while.

 

[Wolf72]

"... we already knew all that ..."

lol, not a bad episode ...

I liked the last scene with Andrew, he was still scared but stood his ground anyway (wonder who he was more afraid of, Buffy or Angel).

 

[Henry]

...(wonder who he was more afraid of, Buffy or Angel).

Watching last season of Buffy, I would have to say...

...DEFINITELY Buffy.