So I've been hating on Angel through the first two episodes and while my general attitude towards the show remains the same, this was an episode that I enjoyed. I liked the flashbacks throughout the episode. Whedon did a good job working in the race issues of the 50's without being too over the top. We see an African-American man and his family being told that the sign in front of the hotel was wrong, that there are in fact no vacancies. We also have the woman in the episode mentioning that she was fired from her job because she was not 100 percent white, and being ashamed to admit it to Angel, as if she had really done something awful.
Even more, I like how we saw the paranoia caused by the creature in the hotel slowly start to take control of everyone staying there. Originally when the man kills himself, everyone accepts the fact that he is a suicide. Later, they begin to blame one another until it is agreed that Angel is the murderer.
Very interesting story arch and establishment of characters, I feel closer to Angel and more interested in his story now that I have been provided a flashback.
6 comments:
You bring up a similar point to what I mentioned in my most recent post.
Character history really is of vital importance. One almost has to like a character more if one can witness experiences from their past and how those experiences have shaped what they are today.
Like you I'm not a fan of Angel either, but I thought that "Hero" was better than this episode. I found this episode to seem "low budget" or cheesey. However, it could also have that feel to me because the setting was the 1950's which I understand the significance of but didn't really enjoy.
I'm with Jonathan here, the past, and especially Angel's which is dark and in need of atonement for, really helps you see him as a person. When he is leaning over Judy's bed, you can think of all he has been through, and you really want to know him more.
@Michelle, I see some cheesy elements, but I tried to take it as a homage to 1950s, which makes it a little easier to bear.
I am liking Angel much better than Buffy. I do think flashbacks give you a glimpse of the character's past which helps you understand them better in the future. I thought this episode was good and had a very powerful fear element running through it. I like that you picked up on the blame game occurring that resulted in Angel's hanging...fear can get you to do some crazy things!
Yes, I also agree that flashbacks are important, especially in a "vampire" show. For someone like Angel's character who has lived so long, I think it's fascinating to see how different life was in the past. As much as we try to imagine the 50's, it's completely different to witness it brought to life. It's also interesting to see part of Angel's journey and to realize he wasn't always kind to humans.
I enjoyed this episode primarily due to the fact that it was a flashback in Angel's life. Through watching Angel's antics in Buffy and his own series so far, I've wanted to see a bit further into his past to see how he would adjust to his curse in the earlier days. Just as most of you have said so far, these glimpses into the past really shed significant light onto a character, allowing the viewer to better understand Angel's development and how he came to be.
Being a political science major, I was also sucked in with the anti-Communist paranoia that this episode alludes to. While I'm not the biggest fan of Buffy or Angel , I definitely like Angel more after this episode.
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