Once More, With Angel

Everyone wishes at some point in their lives they could just kick their respective boss out of a window and he/she burst into flames. How bad ass of an image is that? It's such a quick and simple solution to frustration. I mean, I hope none of us would actually kick people out of windows (unless they were evil vampires), but Joss Whedon knows the inner turmoil of our souls and helps us exact our retribution vicariously through Angel.

What made this episode interesting was the introduction of the soothsayer Irishman. Not only is he an instrument cleverly used to further along plot, but he's also a great addition to the bubbling pot of characters. When Angel is channeling Eeyore, Irishman bounces in with quick quips of humor to balance the awkward air. Whedon is essentially carrying over the Buffy formula, opting for the "if it ain't broke..." methodology, but injecting a gloomy lead into the equation makes for a more dramatic and fresh experience. It's an interesting idea because Buffy fans just get more of what they love and perhaps even additional viewers who just learned about the awesomeness of Buffy, but hadn't watched the previous Buffy seasons, can check out the formula with a new male lead. People who may have been turned off by Sarah Michelle (for whatever reason, crazy people) can watch a brooding 30-something year old man save women all over LA from nefarious demonspawn. Life's tough when you're undead.