Blood Money

Angel Episode Review

In which Angel messes with Wolfram and Hart.

What Happened

Angel has an "accidental" meeting with Anne, a young woman who runs a teen runaway shelter. He knows that Wolfram and Hart are hosting a charity event for the shelter and plan to make off with most of the proceeds. He tells Anne that they can't be trusted, but she doesn't believe him.

Arranging for Lindsey and Lilah's new bodyguard to betray them, Angel crashes the party. Guessing that Angel has given Anne a tape exposing them, the lawyers try to stop her from playing it for the guests. It turns out to be home movies of Cordelia and Wesley, but while everyone's rushing about, Angel takes the money and splits.

What Did I Think?

Angel really messes with Anne, and seemingly without any remorse. He pulls that soulful, "I can't lie to you anymore," routine, but that's only to get her to go along with his plan with the video tape. He used Anne and not in a doing-it-for-your-own-good way.

This was totally about his vendetta against Wolfram and Hart, and Angel didn't waver in his plans. Despite using the damsel-in-distress outline, Angel's agenda makes the episode more interesting and furthers the season arc. Even though he technically does save Anne, what Angel did to her was definitely not a heroic act. It drove him deeper into his little descent into darkness, but his malice was still being directed in the right general direction: towards Wolfram and Hart.

Thankfully, they didn't try to convince us that Angel actually had taped Lindsey and Lilah in the park. He was right when he noted that W&H would weasel out of any revelation. A definite threat can be handled and then forgotten, humiliation lasts forever.

Speaking of humiliation... Cordelia got off easy, but poor Wesley. I wonder if Angel maybe didn't know what was on that tape or if he was being deliberately cruel. It's a fine line between not being a hero and turning your former hero into a jerk. More than anything, I am impressed that the writers managed to create this rift between Angel and his friends without resorting to the rather obvious ploy of depriving him of his soul.