"Angel" Inside Out (2003)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Steven S. DeKnight

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Angel" (1999)

Original Air Date:

2 April 2003 (Season 4, Episode 17)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

Plot:

Team Angel finally realizes that Cordelia's body has been taken over by some sort of demon. Before they can get any answers though...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Vampire Slayer | Redemption | Actress | Supernatural

Cast

David Boreanaz	...	Angel
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
J. August Richards	...	Charles Gunn
Amy Acker	...	Winifred 'Fred' Burkle
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Connor
Andy Hallett	...	Lorne
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Gina Torres	...	Jasmine
David Denman	...	Skip
Stephi Lineburg	...	The Girl
Julie Benz	...	Darla

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Quotes:

Gunn: The final score can't be rigged. I don't care how many players you grease, that last shot always comes up a question mark. But here's the thing, you never know when you're takin' it. It could be when your duking it out with the legion of doom, or just crossin' the street deciding where to have brunch. So you just treat it all like it was up to you, with the world in the balance, cause you never know when it is.

One Of Season Four's Greatest!

I LOVE Steve Dekinght! He has worked on my favourite shows including: Buffy, Angel, Smallville etc and they're usually my favourite episodes! He is awesome and has a brilliant creative mind! (Not to mention he has the same first name as me!)

But this episode basically tries to explain away the previous four seasons of the show and explain how every decision that the gang have made has led them to this moment. I love those kind of plot devices - something that has a big scope to it, and dares to explain major plot details even as much as the entire show! Just like season Three's, "Birthday" did, with the crossing of their paths. I enjoy that kind of concept immensely.

The Skip Interrogation scenes made this episode for me - but I really wish Skip had explained Wesley's part better. Instead of "Sleeping With The Enemy" I feel it should've been "Stealing His Kid" or something like that. I mean How does sleeping with Lilah affect things? Taking Connor would've been far clearer as then Connor grew up quickly in a Hell dimension and thus could be the Father of Jasmine. Doesn't that make much more sense?

I was quite moved actually by the performance of both Vince Kartheiser and the young innocent victim that was sacrificed by Connor and "Cordevlia". It was very well executed (excuse the very weak pun) and made me feel for the victim - much more than any other episode has ever done (which is saying something as nearly every episode deals with murder and death!)

Also, I have this crazy idea (I love tying Buffy and Angel shows together) but what if Darla was really The First?! Trying to self-preserve itself as if Jasmine was born, there would be an end to The First's power source (Evil, Hatred etc). I mean, Darla is certainly dead enough! I dunno, just seemed like a great way - and very much plausible - way of tying the shows together. (Especially since season 4 of Angel and 7 of Buffy were made at the same time, so The First was around at that time).

This got me to thinking, was it actually Jasmine that released Angel from Hell over on Buffy in season 3? Many things have claimed credit for it, such as the PTB and The First, but if Jasmine had so much power, as she has affected and coerced so many other events in the character's lives, that it most likely was Jasmine that returned Angel to Earth....But even though I like to find ways of tying things together, I don't particularly like to believe that theory and I'll stick with "it was the PTB", lol. Sort of like it was his destiny to return and thats that. Not Jasmine, not The First just simply, Fate.

Overall, this is one of my favourite episodes of the season AND of the series as a whole and why I felt compelled to review it. (For some reason, Season One's "I've Got You Under My Skin" is another of my all time favourites). Some people may feel it was a cop-out or by explaining the series away ruined the show yadda yadda yadda. But I actually enjoyed this concept and is part of why I loved this eppy so much.

P.S. Love your reviews KatieRose295!