"Angel"
Blind Date (2000)

Director:

Thomas J. Wright

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator) &
David Greenwalt (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Angel" (1999)

Original Air Date:

16 May 2000 (Season 1, Episode 21)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

When Wolfram and Hart plots to kill three mystical children, Lindsey begins to question his loyalties...

Plot Keywords:

Cult Hero | Redemption | Vampire Detective | Physical Abuse | Neo Noir

Cast

David Boreanaz	...	Angel
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Christian Kane	...	Lindsey McDonald
Thomas Burr	...	Lee Mercer
Stephanie Romanov	...	Lilah Morgan
Sam Anderson	...	Holland Manners
J. August Richards	...	Charles Gunn
Jennifer Badger	...	Vanessa Brewer (as Jennifer Badger Martin)
Keilana Smith	...	Mind Reader #1
Dawn Suggs	...	Mind Reader #2
Charles Constant	...	Security Center Guard
Scott Berman	...	Vendor
Derek Anthony	...	Dying Black Man
Rishi Kumar	...	Blind Child #1

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Trivia:

The names of the investigating officers on the arrest record for Vanessa Brewer are those of crew members who worked on the series: Will Batts - Set Designer, Sandy Struth - Set Decorator & 'David M Burns' - Assistant to Kelly A. Manners, Second Unit Director.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Angel returns from Vanessa's trial, he says there was a "hung jury" and she was "acquitted." But a hung jury results in a new trial, not an acquittal.

Quotes:

Wesley: In a sense. The human eye is only capable of registering a small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, but if Brewer was somehow equipped to see outside that range...
Cordelia: She'd be Superman. What's the diff' in how she sees, anyway? So she can look at the bars of her cell. Why are we still talking about this?

Lindsey gets an episode

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I really like Lindsey. I think he's one of the shows most complex and interesting characters. He's got a cool "gray" quality that makes him sort of sympathetic no matter what he does. A part of me is always hoping that Lindsey will succeed and, somehow, become a better person. He'll be a recurring character throughout the series and "Blind Date" is the first episode that really shows his conflicted nature. Lindsey wants to be Wolfram and Hart's evil golden boy... But, a part of him still knows the difference between right and wrong. This episode also introduces the Shanshu Prophesy, which will motivate Angel right into season five and Holland Matters, another Wolfrum and Hart lawyer who will play a bigger role next season. If you're watching the show, you really should see this episode.

"Blind Date" revolves around Lindsey. Wolfram and Hart has hired a blind assassin to kill some magical children. This woman has deliberately given up her sight as part of her mystical training as a hit-man. Holland Matters, a Wolfram and Hart big shot, puts Lindsey in charge of ensuring that she can carry out her job. Lindsey's certainly willing to to some evil things, but the idea of killing children upsets him. He goes to Angel for help.

Angel is skeptical of Lindsey sudden change of heart, but he agrees to help protect the kids. The two of them, with Gunn's help, break into Wolfram and Hart to find out more information on the children. While Angel is stealing discs they'll need, he sees an ancient scroll. It calls to him for some reason, so he takes it, too. Angel and Gunn escape Wolfram and Hart, but Lindsey is caught up in a psychic sweep. Cordy calls Willow for help and they decode the discs in time to save the children. Meanwhile, Wes realizes that the scroll that Angel stole has something to do with the "vampire with a soul's" ultimate destiny. Lindsey thinks that Wolfram and Hart will kill him, but they decide that he has potential and promote him instead. Lindsey accepts the new job, opting to stay on the dark side.

There are some good parts to this episode. I like that Cordy called Willow for computer help. It's a realistic way to go about breaking encoded discs, since Willow's BTVS's computer expert. And it's nice of Will to take time out of fighting Adam to lend Cordy a hand. Also, I really like Lindsey, so I'm glad we get to understand more about his background. And it's pretty funny watching the gang get into Wolfram and Hart. Gunn tosses a vampire into the lobby to fool the vampire detectors and starts this big show ("So, it's true. Evil white folks really do have a Mecca."), meanwhile Lindsey distracts the security guy watching the video monitors, and Angel sneaks into the vault with the help of magic demon knock-out powder from Wes. It's just a cool plan. And, even though I wish that Lindsey could join the White Hats, I do like the final scene of him accepting the job at Wolfram and Hart. The first time I saw this episode, I was expecting him to walk out the doors to the office. Instead, he closed them... with himself still inside. In a way, shutting those doors starts Lindsey's journey down a dark path. He cuts off his last avenue of escape, burns his bridges with Angel Inc. and dooms himself.

On the down side, was Lee an idiot or what? Trying to leave Wolfram and Hart and take clients to a competitor!? Geez,doesn't he know who he's working for? He's lucky he died so easy. Also, a part of me wishes that Angel had worked a little harder to keep Lindsey on the good side. Maybe things would have worked out differently...

My favorite part of the episode: Lindsey explaining his tragic childhood to Angel. He goes on and on about his brother and sisters dying because his family was so poor, his father losing the farm and his own quest to succeed so he'd never know that kind of poverty again. It's actually pretty sad. Angel just pretends to nod off, then says, "Oh, sorry. Did you get to the part where you're evil, yet?" I laugh every time I see it.