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2011-02-08 Entry: "Angel - "City Of""

So, on to the spin-off, which I've seen slightly fewer times than Buffy's opener...

Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Audio: Again, I forgot to check... stereo?

Cast:
Angel - David Boreanaz
Doyle - Glenn Quinn
Cordelia Chase - Charisma Carpenter

Oooh, creepy stalker guy gives voice-over. And he's drunk at a bar. Or at least, he's faking being drunk at a bar so he can keep an eye on the two vampires playing pool behind him so when they leave with the two girls, he can go deal with them. He's got a really awesome coat here. And does that lead vampire look familiar? If I'm interpreting IMDb right, it's Josh Holloway from Lost. Okay, Angel can fight, and he's got those handy spring loaded stakes in his coatsleeves. And he clearly hasn't quite got his thirst for blood under control.

So Angel's got his underground apartment-cum-Batcave. And he's got Doyle, a half-demon sent by the "Powers That Be". And we get all of Angel's backstory in a 1 minute monologue which I guess works as an introduction for new viewers. Doyle gets visions from the Powers - mind-splitting images that show him who Angel should help.

Doyle's vision is of a girl - Tina - who Angel's supposed to help. He offers to provide a friendly ear, but she thinks he's been sent by some guy called Russell, and considering she pulls pepper-spray on him, I'm guessing Russell isn't a nice guy. Tina wants to be an actress, and she's going to a "fabulous Hollywood party" but foolishly takes Angel with her (well, he offers her a ride and then gets to stand around looking confused). Angel manages to get an agent, and meet an old friend, Cordelia Chase... who's still coming across as shallow as ever.

Tina, however, isn't having such a good time. Stacey, one of Russell's men, arranges to have Tina grabbed in the parking lot, but trapping Angel in an elevator with two guys isn't really going to end well for the two guys. The joke with the two identical convertibles is kind of fun though. Cordy's fabulous acting career clearly isn't going as well as she made out at the party.

When did Angel learn to use a computer? How is Russell in Tina's apartment? He does say he owns the building, so is the whole building fitted with necro-tempered glass? Angel gets there too late to save Tina... which isn't going to help his conscience very much. Russell has a lawyer (Lindsey) from Wolfram And Hart, who's happy to cover for Russell's murder. Unfortunately, Russell's decided to pick up something else for a snack, and he's decided on Cordelia.

The bit where Cordelia works out where Russell is a vampire is really well written. I guess it's a good job Angel's about to break in as at least someone's in with a chance of saving her from being alone in his fortress-like home. The guys with guns aren't exactly part of Angel's plan though. And those are some really good gates that Doyle tries to ram with the car!

Russell clearly thinks he's untouchable, especially with Lindsay in the room. But Angel doesn't exactly endear himself to the law-firm by pushing their client out of a very high window! So Angel ends up with a firm that helps people, and an employee in Cordelia.

Vampire Checklist: See Buffy, but add that they clarify the mirror thing, and vampires don't appear in them.