Angel (TV Series) Lineage (2003) User Reviews

The son will kill the father...

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 19 April 2012]

LINEAGE

The Good; Hard boiled Wes in both terms of his negotiations and gunplay. All the scenes with Wes and his dad are excellent as is the assault on WR&H

The Bad; We tolerate a lot of dramatic licence in terms of what AI can endure but Gunn being chucked against the staircase should kill him. If WR&H have this staff that controls Angel why not use it before?

Best line; Wes (after Emil prattles on); "If I'd know this was a seminar I'd have worn a name-tag"

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Hooks through the throat! Also Wes gropes around the cyborg's guts with his bare hands?

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés In disguise; 8

DB/JM get's his shirt off; 17,

Cheap Angel; 7

Fang Gang in bondage: Gunn chained Cordy: 5 Angel: 14 Wes: 7 Gunn; 6 Lorne; 5 Fred; 3

Fang gang knocked out: Fred passes out, Wes knocked out by his 'dad' Cordy: 15 Angel: 19 Wes: 8 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 2 Lorne; 7 Groo; 1 Connor; 1 Faith; 1 Fred; 4

Kills; Wes kills one of Emil's goons and 2 cyborgs. Angel kills a cyborg. Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 45 vamps, 61 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 12 humans, one werewolf and one cyborg Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 14 demons+5 vamps, 5 zombies, 3 humans, 2 cyborgs Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 13 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamps+ 2 demon, 5 zombies Connor; 16 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons, Jasmine

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 3 Angel: 3 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang; Cordy: 4 Angel: 11 Fred; 2 Wes; 1 Gunn; 1 Connor; 1 Lorne; 1

Characters killed: 2261

Recurring characters killed; 10

Total number of Angel Investigations; 5, here Spike saves Gunn Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes,

Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 14 Wes; 2

Packing heat; Wes with his 45s, Fred with the sniper rifle. Presumably Wes uses the 13-shot model of the 45 as he fires 9 bullets when he shoots his 'father'. Wes; 11 Doyle; 1 Angel; 4 Gunn; 3 Fred; 3

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast Angel: 6; Buffy, Darla, The Transcending Furies, Eve Wes; 3 definite; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible, Justine Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen. Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy

Kinky dinky: Emil is turned on by the sight of a woman handling a powerful weapon. Well who isn't? Worked for Ripley/Sarah Connor! Wes' dad describes his mum as 'sturdy'? Spike refers to him having sex with the Buffybot and his mum trying to 'shag' him. I know the Buffybot is true but is that really true about his mum? Not from my recollection.

Captain Subtext; Lorne hints that Churchill and Richard Harris had a love child? Spike thinks Wes was grown in a school for dandies. Angel says he's not comfortable with hugging. Like CC in Spin the Bottle Spike makes great fun of Wesley being 'Head boy' (good thing he never let's on about his own relationship with his mother). Whereas the prophecy stated that the father will kill the son here we have the son killing the father (although neither turns out to be true). Angel wears a lot more grey than black this season perhaps illustrating his moral ambiguity?

Know the face, different character; 5

Parking garages; 8,

Guantanamo Bay Wes ruthlessly tortures the cyborg.

Buffy characters on Angel; 16. Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony. POSSIBLY The First Evil

Questions and observations; Emil is the guy who sold Wes his James Bond style weapons in Spin the Bottle. The ninjas are reminiscent of both the old Disney Star Wars clone The Black Hole and Snake-Eyes from Action Force/GI JOE. Note as soon as his dad shows up Wes returns to his klutzy season 1 self (just like Tara get's her stutter back in Family). Does Lorne say that Louis Gossett Jnr wants a phone party or foam party? Are the cyborgs Twilight? The Initiative? Or are they really from the Watcher's Council? Wes' dad and co stopped pre-soul Spike slaughtering an orphanage, you have to remember that the Watcher's Council were good guys who wanted to protect people. Nice ref to Lilah. Spike still fears Pavayne. Is it really Wes' dad? The impostor seems to know an awful lot about him, more so than any Watcher's files could say. Fathers as always poorly portrayed in the Buffyverse. Wes' 45. fires nine shots so presumably it's the 13 shot version rather than the standard? Angel and Spike recount the stories of killing their own parents. The story of little Wes trying to resurrect a dead bird speaks much of his humanity. Roy Dotrice holds the dubious distinction of being one of only three people ever killed on screen in The A-Team (anyone name me the other 2? Or can you name all 7 members of the A-Team?). His daughter also married the late Edward Woodward.

Marks out of 10; 8/10, nice to have a Wesley centric ep

The One Where Wesley Kills His Father, Kind Of...

[taylorkingston · 7/10 · 29 September 2014]

I enjoyed this episode very much. It surprised me in so many ways.

In this episode, Wesley's father comes to visit him, at Wolfram And Heart. Nice right? No. His father is a really mean guy. Never supportive. Nothings ever good enough for him. Etc. And when Wesley's father lets baddies into the building, knocks out his own son, steals an important and ancient artifact, tries to brainwash Angel, with said artifact, and threatens to kill Fred, then Wesley shoots him. But it turns out that his father wasn't his father. It was a hologram robot. So, we don't know where the real father is, or what will happen. And we never do.

Overall, I give this episode a 7 out of 10.

Sex with robots is more common than most people think

[SleepTight666 · 8/10 · 25 February 2007]

Sex with robots is more common than most people think - A very nice character-driven episode centering around season 5's best character 'Wesley' and his daddy issues. My only complains about this episode are 'Spike' once again proving that he's just a pointless waste of screen time and 'Wesley's dad, even though it wasn't him, it didn't make him a lot less annoying. What did work were those pretty nifty robo-cyborg thingies that wanted to make 'Angel' their pet, I loved the sound of their chains breaking someone's neck. Also, even though I was never a huge 'Wes/Fred' shipper, I admired 'Wesley's love for her and how he didn't even hesitate to shoot the thing he thought was his father when he threatened his girl. Too bad 'Knox' had to ruin the mood when 'Wesley' was going to confess his love for 'Fred' and i'm almost sure she would have returned the love. A very neat 'Wesley' episode that made him realize his dad, no matter how much he isn't fond of him, is still his dad. ANGEL: I killed my actual dad. It was one of the first things I did when I became a vampire. WESLEY: I hardly see how that's the same situation. ANGEL: Yeah. I didn't really think that one through. You should get some rest. WESLEY: So should you. SPIKE: Heard what happened up top, offing your dad and all. Don't know if you know this, but, uh... I killed my mum. Actually, I'd already killed her, and then she tried to shag me, so I had to... WESLEY: Thank you. I'm...very comforted. (8.5 out of 10)

A great Wesley episode

[katierose295 · 10/10 · 5 March 2007]

Wesley's one of my favorite characters in the Buffyverse. (Probably number three over all, after Spike and Angel, in fact.) I love the guy and this whole season is filled with great Wes moments. He's just so cool and funny, but at the same time he's tragic and romantic and tough. He's also deeply insecure, thanks to his childhood. I never get tired of watching Wes and this is one of his best episodes.

This episode revolves around Wes's horrible father, Roger, visiting Wolfram & Hart. He says that the Watcher's Council is being recreated and they'd like Wes to come back to work for them. If Wes can prove himself, of course. Wesley isn't interested in going back to England, but he does want to show off some of his accomplishments to his father. Roger has spent years disapproving of Wes and Wesley keeps messing up under his father's censorious gaze. Roger doesn't like Wolfram & Hart, Lorne, Angel or Spike and he's pretty open about it.

Plus, there are robots to deal with. Wes and Fred were attacked by them while breaking up a gun smuggling ring. The robots seem to be good guys, but they're also attacking Team Angel. When they raid Wolfram & Hart, Angel and Gunn fight them. (With a little ghostly help from Spike.) Meanwhile, Roger knocks Wes over the head, steals the staff of something or other from the Wolfram & Hart's vault and then lures Angel to the roof. It turns out the staff can be used to control Angel. Wes arrives. He and Roger face off a gun point, arguing. But when Roger grabs Fred, Wes shoots him. Wesley is horrified, but it turns out that Roger was really a robot, too. Wes's real father is alive and well back in England, but Wes still feels guilty.

There are some great parts to this episode. I love Spike's conversation with Roger. He has a soul now, but he honestly doesn't feel real guilty about his past. And Angel knows it. Roger's rants that he once met Spike at an orphanage that Spike attacked and where he killed three Watchers. Angel squeezes his eyes shut, seeing where this is going. Spike sort of nods at the memory and smiles at Roger, "Right. So, how've you been?" It just cracks me up. Plus, there's his sex with robots line, which ties into BTVS season five's "Intervention." And I like Fred smiling at the story of seven year old Wes trying resurrection spells on dead birds. Wesley looks so embarrassed and cute that you can just see Fred melting. Also, I wish I'd heard the set up to Lorne's joke about Judi Dench, a pair of pants, cherries and the cops. It sounds so pretty good. And I like that Spike finally calls Eve on her obvious badness. I just don't like her. Finally, the shoot out with Emile is very cool. Especially, since they brought up those collapsible swords again. I love it when the show remembers it's history.

Mostly, though, I love this episode because of Wesley. Since season one, Wes has been terrified of his father. He's been a confident, capable, hard ass for years now, but when he sees his father, he's back to being clumsy and tongue tied. I feel so bad for him. He's never been able to live up to his father's expectations, even though its pretty clear to me that Wes is a better Watcher than pretty much anyone. I saw all those Council guys over on BTVS and none of them had Wes's ability. When Wes finally sees that his father has gone bad, he starts to stand up to him. Their argument on the roof top is really incredible. When Roger grabbed Fred and Wes shot him about eight times, my jaw just about hit the floor. Wesley emptied the gun into his father's chest, then stumbled aside to throw-up. Wes has always done what he thinks is right, regardless of the consequences, and the scene encapsulated that. Even Angel is impressed with Wesley's fortitude. He's already mostly forgiven Wes for the Conner thing, but now he's really understanding Wes's actions and sort of apologizing for his treatment of Wesley in season three. Even though Wes doesn't remember it. And finally there's Wes and Fred. When he whispers that he shot his father because "He pointed a gun at you, Fred." my heart just breaks. He's so sad and open about his love. How can she walk off with Knox after that?

On the down side, I think that having Wes's dad be a robot is kind of a cop out. Like the episode didn't want to take things to that extreme. So they added a "Hey, it's not really your father" ending that let Wes be sad... But not TOO sad. Also, I'm still not clear on who sent the robots. The season never really resolves it. If I had to guess, I'd say that it's some rouge element of the re-formed Watcher's Council, but I wish we had some resolution.

My favorite part of the episode: Spike and Angel trying to comfort Wes by relating their own tales of how they killed their parents. They're so sweet and misguided that I just have to smile.

Alexis Denisof at his finest

[clicari-74262 · 10/10 · 20 February 2022]

Lineage is one of those rare episodes where you really have a chance to celebrate the acting chops of a "supporting" cast member. It isn't just how Alexis switches between stumbling over his own two feet like the Wesley of old, and seemlessly transitions into the badass he has become, but showcases how even seasoned actors have trouble sustaining chemistry with a guest star. Not in this case. You would never know that he and Roy Dotrice never shared a stage before this episode.

The third act is a celebration of talent by Denisof. His monologues are flawless, expressions and delivery on point. It's 20 years later and I still can't take my eyes off the screen.

Wesley centric episode

[erniegarciaf · 10/10 · 30 January 2021]

What a great episode. This episode gives us a glimpse to the Wesley we first met back in season 3 of Buffy. Because of that, it really shows how much his character has developed. In my opinion, Wesley is the most interesting character in the Whedonverse.

Wesley's Daddy Issues

[Samuel-Shovel · 6/10 · 3 May 2019]

In "Lineage", in the middle of an investigation into a group of ninja robot fighters that disrupted a Wolfram & Hart sting operation, Wesley's old man shows up to pay him and visit and discuss the revival of the Watcher's Council. While Wes gives him a tour of the facility, WR&H is attacked by more cybertronic robots. The elder Wyndam-Pryce turns on his son and attacks him, stealing a precious artifact from the vault that has the capability of taking Angel's free will. Wes confronts his father as he escapes. Whilst trying to take Fred as a hostage, Wes's father is shot and killed by his son. That's when everyone learns the big twist: it wasn't Wes's dad. It was another robot the whole time.

It's interesting that we're getting a handful of episodes where the supporting cast get their own time in the sun. Last episode it was Lorne; this time it's Wes. Early on, Wes always had a bit of a inferiority complex when he was a watched on BtVS. He's definitely matured since then and is almost unrecognizable as a character. He might have the most significant character arc of anyone on the show.

Anyways, this episode isn't groundbreaking but it is interesting. After losing out to Gunn the first time around, Wes seems to be in romantic contention with Knox this time. The writers act like Wes has never professed his feelings for Fred at any point... despite the fact that he made a move and kissed her when she was with Gunn. Maybe we're supposed to believe that all memory of that was erased when Connor was removed from the equation at the end of last season. But I always assumed only memories of Connor specifically were forgotten? Regardless, I think another love triangle involving Fred and Wes isn't all that necessary and I hope it's not too major of a plot point moving forward.

These robotic minions are sort of interesting though. They remind me a bit of the henchmen in the last season of BtVS in the sense that they are faceless and seemingly endless in number. I doubt this is the last we'll see of them and they might lead us to the final season's Big Bad.