Rapid Reviews - Angel Season One DVDs - Part III

Angel [1-04]: I Fall To Pieces: In a superhero roleplaying game, my husband once played a character that could detach his body parts, which then would fly off and do things under his control. This story is along the same theme, only much much creepier. It's instructive how the story built up into a feeling of true horror. This show tends to use bits and pieces of various genres to make itself work. Anyway, it was a fun one, if a wee bit icky. And it was nice to see Angel use his new police contact. This is the final episode on the first DVD.

Angel [1-05]: Rm w/a Vu: Is Cordelia just the unluckiest person alive, or what? I mean, the bugs in her apartment I can understand, but getting a haunted apartment for her second place? What I liked about this episode was the glimpses of the ghost we get at first, followed by the longer sequences of Cordelia and the ghost. With familiarity, the spookiness slowly dissipates, and you get the whole sense of the absurd that Cordelia's experiences in Sunnydale bring to the show. Doyle's subplot is very interesting, as we're finally getting to see a bit more about the most mysterious character on the show. This is the first episode on the second DVD, and also has a commentary track.

Angel [1-06]: Sense & Sensitivity: Oh my. Now that's the kind of sensitivity training I'd really hate to have. This turned out to be a remarkably funny episode, with a focus on Kate the cop... I have to wonder if Angel will be in danger from the sensitivity trainer guy later on. A strong episode with a great sense of fun.