Okay, I don't like Conner, but even I have to admit that this is a super episode. It has some great dramatic stuff in it that builds off the show's history and sets up some new problems for Team Angel. Conner is born in this episode and Darla "dies." We also get some back story on the death of Holtz's family, which I guess SHOULD make me feel sorry for the guy, but nope. I still hate him. Anyway, If you're going to watch the Conner storyline or if you're a fan of Darla, you'll need to see this episode.
Basically, "Lullaby" picks up right where "Quickening" left off. Darla's in labor in that alley way. Angel's been captured by Holtz. The Wolfram and Hart guys are dead at the hotel. Wes and the rest of Team Angel are trying to comfort Darla, but she's a wreck. She's staring to feel emotions and she's crying, screaming, talking to herself and generally out of control. Team Angel decides to leave the alley way, but before they can go they are attacked. While the other fight Holtz's demon minions, Darla drives away.
Meanwhile, Lilah shows up at the Hyperion to supervise the body cleanup and Holtz realizes that Angel has his soul back. Angel escapes. Holtz goes to confront Shejanh, claiming that Angel's soul means that he has to hunt him in a different way. There are some flashback scenes of Holtz finding his family dead and his daughter turned vampire. He had to kill her and he's holding a grudge. When Angel catches up with Darla, she admits that she's able to feel again. The baby's soul is nourishing her and she can love Conner. Unfortunately, she isn't able to give birth because her body is dead. Lilah gets hold of that scroll and realizes that it's prophesizing a death.
At Karitos, the whole gang tries to decide how to help Darla and the baby. Just as it seems that the baby will die, Holtz attacks. (How can he attack at Karitos? Well, "the stairs, and the door, and the world, and a thing" means that people can stand outside the bar and chuck stuff in.) Team Angel escapes the fire bombs and dashes into an alley way. There, Darla stakes herself, freeing Conner from her body. Holtz, seeing the baby, allows Angel to escape... He has a new plan for vengeance.
There are some really good parts to this episode. I really like Fred counting off all the horrible things that the pregnancy could mean: How the baby could destroy the world or maybe its death will trigger an apocalypse, etc... Then, when everyone just stares at her, she gives this really strained smile and says, "Or not. So... Have you thought of any names, yet?" And I like Darla's fluctuating emotions. She sobbing and screaming and pouting that no one will sit in the backseat with her, even after she promises not to throw anyone out of the car... While its moving. Really funny stuff. And I also enjoy Lilah and Holtz coming face to face for the first time. He's worried that she'll try and stop him from his criminal rampage to get Angel. "I'm a lawyer." Lilah counters. "I don't care about the law." Finally, I love all the scenes at Karitos. Lorne trying to fix the security system, while Fred and Cordy hit Gunn to test if it's working is especially fun.
Really, the emotional push of this episode is the relationship between Darla & Angel, and their feelings about the pregnancy. It's their scenes together that really drive "Lullaby." Darla can feel again, thanks to Conner's soul, and she and Angel have some really beautiful conversations about their past and possible future. Darla can finally understand the pain they caused and, in a real show of emotional growth from her desperation to regain her vamp-ness in season two, she even almost apologizes for siring Angel. She no longer sees it as a "gift" she bestowed on him, but as Angel's "death" in that long ago Irish alley way. With the return of her feelings, Darla can also understand how empty she will feel without the baby inside of her. She can love Conner because of his soul and, once he's born, her emotions will fade. The love she now has for Conner, the faith she has in Angel, the desire for some sort of atonement, her fear that the baby will die or, that if its born, she'll end up harming it, and the desire to be a real mother for Conner, has Darla sacrificing herself. She asks Angel to tell Conner that he's the only good thing that she ever had in her life. As Angel grips her hand, Darla does the unthinkable... She stakes herself, so that Conner can be born. Darla vanishes, the rain's pouring down, Angel -tears in his eyes- slowly picks up his son... It's just a beautiful scene.
On the downside, I think this is the last episode with Karitos, which makes me sort of sad. I loved that place. Also, I really, really wish that Darla had "lived" and Conner had died. I like her so much more than that kid.
My favorite part of the episode: Lilah highlighting the important parts of that ancient scroll. "In yellow."
Basically, "Lullaby" picks up right where "Quickening" left off. Darla's in labor in that alley way. Angel's been captured by Holtz. The Wolfram and Hart guys are dead at the hotel. Wes and the rest of Team Angel are trying to comfort Darla, but she's a wreck. She's staring to feel emotions and she's crying, screaming, talking to herself and generally out of control. Team Angel decides to leave the alley way, but before they can go they are attacked. While the other fight Holtz's demon minions, Darla drives away.
Meanwhile, Lilah shows up at the Hyperion to supervise the body cleanup and Holtz realizes that Angel has his soul back. Angel escapes. Holtz goes to confront Shejanh, claiming that Angel's soul means that he has to hunt him in a different way. There are some flashback scenes of Holtz finding his family dead and his daughter turned vampire. He had to kill her and he's holding a grudge. When Angel catches up with Darla, she admits that she's able to feel again. The baby's soul is nourishing her and she can love Conner. Unfortunately, she isn't able to give birth because her body is dead. Lilah gets hold of that scroll and realizes that it's prophesizing a death.
At Karitos, the whole gang tries to decide how to help Darla and the baby. Just as it seems that the baby will die, Holtz attacks. (How can he attack at Karitos? Well, "the stairs, and the door, and the world, and a thing" means that people can stand outside the bar and chuck stuff in.) Team Angel escapes the fire bombs and dashes into an alley way. There, Darla stakes herself, freeing Conner from her body. Holtz, seeing the baby, allows Angel to escape... He has a new plan for vengeance.
There are some really good parts to this episode. I really like Fred counting off all the horrible things that the pregnancy could mean: How the baby could destroy the world or maybe its death will trigger an apocalypse, etc... Then, when everyone just stares at her, she gives this really strained smile and says, "Or not. So... Have you thought of any names, yet?" And I like Darla's fluctuating emotions. She sobbing and screaming and pouting that no one will sit in the backseat with her, even after she promises not to throw anyone out of the car... While its moving. Really funny stuff. And I also enjoy Lilah and Holtz coming face to face for the first time. He's worried that she'll try and stop him from his criminal rampage to get Angel. "I'm a lawyer." Lilah counters. "I don't care about the law." Finally, I love all the scenes at Karitos. Lorne trying to fix the security system, while Fred and Cordy hit Gunn to test if it's working is especially fun.
Really, the emotional push of this episode is the relationship between Darla & Angel, and their feelings about the pregnancy. It's their scenes together that really drive "Lullaby." Darla can feel again, thanks to Conner's soul, and she and Angel have some really beautiful conversations about their past and possible future. Darla can finally understand the pain they caused and, in a real show of emotional growth from her desperation to regain her vamp-ness in season two, she even almost apologizes for siring Angel. She no longer sees it as a "gift" she bestowed on him, but as Angel's "death" in that long ago Irish alley way. With the return of her feelings, Darla can also understand how empty she will feel without the baby inside of her. She can love Conner because of his soul and, once he's born, her emotions will fade. The love she now has for Conner, the faith she has in Angel, the desire for some sort of atonement, her fear that the baby will die or, that if its born, she'll end up harming it, and the desire to be a real mother for Conner, has Darla sacrificing herself. She asks Angel to tell Conner that he's the only good thing that she ever had in her life. As Angel grips her hand, Darla does the unthinkable... She stakes herself, so that Conner can be born. Darla vanishes, the rain's pouring down, Angel -tears in his eyes- slowly picks up his son... It's just a beautiful scene.
On the downside, I think this is the last episode with Karitos, which makes me sort of sad. I loved that place. Also, I really, really wish that Darla had "lived" and Conner had died. I like her so much more than that kid.
My favorite part of the episode: Lilah highlighting the important parts of that ancient scroll. "In yellow."
