Phantom Dennis is one of my favorite "Angel" characters and "Rm w/a Vu" is his first episode. He'll share Cordy's apartment until season four. So, if you're watching the show, it's important to see this episode if only to understand his origins. But, "Rm w/a Vu" is also just a fun episode, with a lot of character development and great scenes. I really recommend that you see it.
"Rm w/a Vu" revolves around Cordelia's search for a new apartment. Unable to stand the brown water and roaches at her place, she shows up at Angels's house with all her luggage and moves in with him. Angel is at a loss as to how he should deal with her. Cordy's taking over his home, putting up her slightly burnt high school diploma and her Queen of the Winter Ball trophies. He turns to Doyle for help. Doyle has problems of his own. Some demon loan sharks are after him. He and Angel make a deal: Angel will handle the loan sharks and Doyle will find Cordy a new place to live. Soon, Cordelia is happily moving in to a beautiful new apartment. There's only one small problem. It's haunted.
Cordy refuses to surrender her new home. Even when the ghost makes it pretty clear that it doesn't want a new room mate. When Angel and Doyle come to visit her, they quickly realize that a poltergeist is haunting the apartment. Angel drags Cordy out, while Doyle promises that they'll think of a way to get rid of the ghost. After some investigating, they discover that the ghost is a Mrs. Pearson. She died in the apartment, supposedly of a heart attack, but Angel suspects that her son killed her. The son disappeared the night she died, never to be seen again. Angel and Doyle gather the supplies they'll need to exorcises her.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Pearson tricks Cordy into coming back to the apartment. When Cordy gets there, she begins attacking Cordelia. Playing on Cordy's weaknesses and hidden insecurities, and trying to strangle her. Angel and Doyle arrive and save Cody. They try to preform the exorcism, but Cordy is too upset. All she can do is cry. Realizing that they can't beat the ghost, Angel finally grabs Cordy and pulls her towards the door. Just then, the demon loan sharks after Doyle arrive and start shooting. Angel and Doyle fight them, while Cordy finally stands up to Mrs. Pearson. She beats the ghost and then becomes possessed by some force. Cordelia knocks a hole in a wall and reveals the body of Mrs. Parson's son, Dennis. It seems that Mrs. Pearson walled him up, alive, but then she suffered a heart attack and died on the living room floor. Dennis is understandably upset with his mother and destroys her. Then he moves in with Cordy as her nicer ghost room mate.
There are some great parts to this episode. Cordelia's apartment hunting is pretty funny. Every place she looks at is worst that the last. (The chanting cult with the communal bathroom is especially terrible.) No wonder she's so willing to share her space with a poltergeist. Speaking of which, I just love Cordy trying to hide the fact that her apartment is haunted from Angel and Doyle. Sisscors are flying and the word "die" appears on the wall, and still she tries to brazen it out. Angel finally has to carry her out of the house, declaring, "Cordelia, it's haunted." To which she responds, "It's rent controlled!" You just have to laugh. And I like that Doyle's loan sharks show up at Cordelia's apartment during the exorcism. So suddenly, there's a furious ghost, gangster demons, and the gang from Angel Inc., all fighting each other. Also, I like that Cordy finally finds her own strength and stands up to Mrs. Pearson. "I'm not some whiny little cry-Buffy. I'm the meanest girl in the history of Sunnydale High." THAT'S the Cordy I know and love. Finally, I'm glad that Dennis is Cordy's roommate. It's really cute that he's bringing her sodas and watching TV. I just adore Dennis.
On the down side, I wish Phantom Dennis and Spike had met up in season five of "Angel." (When Spike is a ghost, too.) Granted that's not "Rm w/a Vu"'s fault, but still every time I see this episode, I think of how cool it would've been.
My favorite part of the episode: Cordy moving in with Angel. From peeling up Angel's linoleum, to getting peanut butter all over his sheets, to leaving wet towels on his leather chairs, she's basically the house guest from h*ll. But, Angel still can't just tell her to get out. His long suffering sighs and desperate attempts to get rid of her are so cute. He's an immortal, crime fighting, vampire champion... and Cordy has him wrapped around her little finger.
"Rm w/a Vu" revolves around Cordelia's search for a new apartment. Unable to stand the brown water and roaches at her place, she shows up at Angels's house with all her luggage and moves in with him. Angel is at a loss as to how he should deal with her. Cordy's taking over his home, putting up her slightly burnt high school diploma and her Queen of the Winter Ball trophies. He turns to Doyle for help. Doyle has problems of his own. Some demon loan sharks are after him. He and Angel make a deal: Angel will handle the loan sharks and Doyle will find Cordy a new place to live. Soon, Cordelia is happily moving in to a beautiful new apartment. There's only one small problem. It's haunted.
Cordy refuses to surrender her new home. Even when the ghost makes it pretty clear that it doesn't want a new room mate. When Angel and Doyle come to visit her, they quickly realize that a poltergeist is haunting the apartment. Angel drags Cordy out, while Doyle promises that they'll think of a way to get rid of the ghost. After some investigating, they discover that the ghost is a Mrs. Pearson. She died in the apartment, supposedly of a heart attack, but Angel suspects that her son killed her. The son disappeared the night she died, never to be seen again. Angel and Doyle gather the supplies they'll need to exorcises her.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Pearson tricks Cordy into coming back to the apartment. When Cordy gets there, she begins attacking Cordelia. Playing on Cordy's weaknesses and hidden insecurities, and trying to strangle her. Angel and Doyle arrive and save Cody. They try to preform the exorcism, but Cordy is too upset. All she can do is cry. Realizing that they can't beat the ghost, Angel finally grabs Cordy and pulls her towards the door. Just then, the demon loan sharks after Doyle arrive and start shooting. Angel and Doyle fight them, while Cordy finally stands up to Mrs. Pearson. She beats the ghost and then becomes possessed by some force. Cordelia knocks a hole in a wall and reveals the body of Mrs. Parson's son, Dennis. It seems that Mrs. Pearson walled him up, alive, but then she suffered a heart attack and died on the living room floor. Dennis is understandably upset with his mother and destroys her. Then he moves in with Cordy as her nicer ghost room mate.
There are some great parts to this episode. Cordelia's apartment hunting is pretty funny. Every place she looks at is worst that the last. (The chanting cult with the communal bathroom is especially terrible.) No wonder she's so willing to share her space with a poltergeist. Speaking of which, I just love Cordy trying to hide the fact that her apartment is haunted from Angel and Doyle. Sisscors are flying and the word "die" appears on the wall, and still she tries to brazen it out. Angel finally has to carry her out of the house, declaring, "Cordelia, it's haunted." To which she responds, "It's rent controlled!" You just have to laugh. And I like that Doyle's loan sharks show up at Cordelia's apartment during the exorcism. So suddenly, there's a furious ghost, gangster demons, and the gang from Angel Inc., all fighting each other. Also, I like that Cordy finally finds her own strength and stands up to Mrs. Pearson. "I'm not some whiny little cry-Buffy. I'm the meanest girl in the history of Sunnydale High." THAT'S the Cordy I know and love. Finally, I'm glad that Dennis is Cordy's roommate. It's really cute that he's bringing her sodas and watching TV. I just adore Dennis.
On the down side, I wish Phantom Dennis and Spike had met up in season five of "Angel." (When Spike is a ghost, too.) Granted that's not "Rm w/a Vu"'s fault, but still every time I see this episode, I think of how cool it would've been.
My favorite part of the episode: Cordy moving in with Angel. From peeling up Angel's linoleum, to getting peanut butter all over his sheets, to leaving wet towels on his leather chairs, she's basically the house guest from h*ll. But, Angel still can't just tell her to get out. His long suffering sighs and desperate attempts to get rid of her are so cute. He's an immortal, crime fighting, vampire champion... and Cordy has him wrapped around her little finger.
