The Bachelor Party

Angel Episode Review

In which Doyle has a wife.

What Happened

Doyle's estranged wife shows up at the agency, asking him to sign the divorce papers so that she can remarry.

What Did I Think?

As per the rule, The Dreaded Ex shows up at the exact moment that Cordelia is becoming more receptive to Doyle. Just after Doyle impresses Cordelia by saving her from a vampire,his ex-wife Harriet announces her engagement to a demon. Rather than derail their relationship with a contrived reunion, however, Hari's appearance brings Cordi and Doyle just a little closer.

Doyle's always been sour and secretive about being half-demon, not to mention extraordinarily anxious about Cordi finding out about it. He finally reveals to Angel that he freaked out on first learning that he was half-Brakken demon, while Harriet was fascinated by it. That it was his reaction to his heritage that broke up the marriage seems less cliched than Harriet leaving him or, worse, him leaving to "protect" her. (That would have caused me to totally lose it on account of him not being quite that stupid.)

Cordelia's talk with Harriet reveals a lot about who Doyle was before he found out that he was a demon. It's easy to imagine him as a teacher. Easier, in some ways, than his cynical, drunken, loser routine. It's the next step in Cordelia's reassessment of Doyle as a potential love-interest, coming right after his proving that he's not completely useless in a fight.

The "twist" that Richard is planning to kill Doyle and eat his brains according to his people's tradition is hardly unique. It's really just an excuse for the fourth act fight scene, though worth it for the look on Doyle's face. It's too bad that Harriet called off the wedding, or rather the writer's need to end the show with her calling off the wedding is unfortunate. As we aren't going to ever see her again, the logic behind denying the happily ever after is unclear.

At any rate, it's just another step in the series' efforts to make us like Doyle before they drop "Hero" on us. And pretty successful at that.