"Angel" Long Day's Journey (2003)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Terrence O'Hara

Writers:

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

TV Series:

"Angel" (1999)

Original Air Date:

22 January 2003 (Season 4, Episode 9)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

Plot:

The Beast continues its rampage through LA. While Team Angel tries to figure out what its next move might be...

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
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Andy Hallett	...	Lorne
Alexa Davalos	...	Gwen Raiden
Jack Kehler	...	Manny
Michael Chinyamurindi	...	Ashet
Vladimir Kulich	...	The Beast

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Trivia:

This episode is dedicated to Glenn Quinn, who played Doyle in the first season. Quinn died on December 3, 2002.

Quotes:

Gwen Raiden: [describing the Beast] Demon, okay? The whole nine. Cloven feet and horns and teeth and...
Gwen Raiden: [she sees Lorne] He wasn't wearing lamé though.
Lorne: Yeah. The evil ones can't pull it off. It gets camp.

The Beast's plan is revealed

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Okay, right around this point in the season things start getting really confusing for me. Why does the Beast want to blot out the sun? What does that have to do with the whole Jasmine thing? Why involve Angelus? What's the point? Just to distract Angel? I honestly don't know, but I really like the story line that this episode sets up, so I'm willing to cut it some slack. Bringing back Angelus is a really terrible idea for White Hats in town. Anyone whose seen season two of BTVS knows that. But I am so, SO glad that Team Angel does it anyway because it completely makes the season for me. Anyway this episode sets-up the next part of the story arc and you really should see it.

"Long Day's Journey" revolves around the Beast's plan to blot out the sun. It's killing all these mystics who control light, or whatever, called the Ratet. The Little Girl in the White Room was on of them. Gwen, the electrified thief, has a client who is another Ratete member. When her client is killed by the Beast, Gwen goes to the Hyperion for help. Team Angel tries to protect the remaining Ratet member, a guy named Manny. They hide him at Gwen's house, but somehow Manny is killed on Cordy and Angel's watch. Everyone suspects an inside job. Especially after what the Little Girl said last episode about the answer being among them. Conner is the number one suspect.

Meanwhile, the Beast shows up at Conner's place. For some reason it needs to preform the anti-sun ritual there. Team Angel and Gwen try to stop the Beast, but it's too late. The sun is soon blocked by a black swirly cloud thing. Cordy has a vision of the Beast standing on a field of dead bodies and realizes that it's really a memory. She's remembering that Angelus knew the Beast sometime in the past. Angel doesn't remember that happening and Team Angel decides there's only one "person" to ask: Angelus.

There are some good parts to this episode. I like Gunn and Gwen talking at her apartment. The two of them are actually cute together and it's interesting that Gwen saw the longing that Wes has for Fred. Also, the blotting out the sun thing is fun. I'd be interested to now how it works exactly. (What are the exact geographic limitations of the darkness? Is there like a twilight are round the edges of town? Or is there just sharp division between light and dark at the LA city limits?) Anyway, I'm willing to go with it. It sets up some really neat story lines to come. Also, I think Cordy being all b*tchy to Gwen is sort of funny. I especially have to snicker when she calls Gwen "Super Tramp."

On the down side, okay, the sun is out over all of LA. Why don't the folks in Sunnydale ever hear about it? We have a lot of crossovers this season, but no one mentions that LA's shaded in perpetual night over on BTVS. All I ask is one scene with Spike or Buffy saying, "So, did you hear about the sun bein' gone?" and I'd be happy. I know that it's not "Long Day's Journey's" fault. It should have happened on BTVS season seven. But it bugs me that I don't even see a news report about this on Sunnydale TV and I need to vent.

My favorite part of the episode: I kinna like Manny. Too bad he got ripped apart.