Angel
"Happy Anniversary"

Airdate: February 6, 2001

Andy Hallett as The Host, our new favorite character. Also our new favorite character who really needs an actual name.

The world is ending again. I tell ya, if it isn't one thing, it's another with these guys. And if it's not one recurring demon-y character, it's another. Most often, this season, it's The Host.

I think I love that guy.

Now, it might be because I have a passion for karaoke that is both spiritual and spirit-induced. It's possibly because he just makes me laugh, or the way he laughs at Angel. Perhaps it's the horns. There's just something about a guy with horns... uh. Never mind why I like him, I just do. And I like it even more when he shows up and actually has a purpose in the episode, rather than to just be some fa-aa-bulous comic relief.

In this case, The Host has a vision of the future... not being there anymore. A lonely soul, singing his lonely song, comes on in to the demon karaoke bar one Wednesday night (does anyone know if that bar has a name?), and reveals that he has no future past Friday. Neither, it seems, does anybody else.

So The Host goes to Angel. As y'all may have noticed, our soulful vamp has been monosyllabic and broody just lately. He's cantankerous. He's just so... Typical Angel right now. So, naturally, he's not really into the bad guy hunt. But stopping world ending, it's kind of his gig, y'know? So he does some investigatin' (though he doesn't seem especially good at it since he ceased operating under the career-affirming banner), and it turns out that Lonely Guy with No Future is a science nerd. And his name is Gene. And he wears glasses. Unfashionable clothes. Bad haircut. Doesn't have much of a way with people. Clichés, people! Come get your clichés while their fresh! (Or not, as the case may be.)

Brilliant physicist, shy geek, dump-ee. Oh, and also the guy who almost screwed over the world.

Anyway, as Angel and The Host Simon-and-Simon their way into thinking that the dork is a Mad Scientist of the Baxter Stockman, James Bond-nemesis, Legion of Doom variety, he's actually just a lowly pawn in the whole world-ending thing. 'Cause dull Gene (a dig at Roddenberry, dost thou think?) didn't figure out the time-stopping equations that will do it, at all, that plagiarizing loser. It was all the work of the inevitable -- rather pedestrian -- demons. Which is not to say that I could have done the Math (as far as I'm concerned, Maths is its own evil, and an improper use of parentheses), but still. Plus, why exactly did the Odo-looking people with the Spock ears feel the need to use ol' Gene to work their science-y mojo, when they obviously knew the formulae themselves? Why was he their "Golden Child" (my favorite Eddie Murphy movie), when he had no real idea how to do the space-time freezing deal, and they did most of the hard work anyway?

I know, I know. There had to be a metaphor-y, moral-ish thing. And in this case, I think it was, hey! Don't be such a smarty-pants, Dull Boy, or you'll have some demon-types worship you, subvert your work in order to destroy the world, and then you'll get dumped by your pasty-faced girlfriend. (And do you, too, think she was having an affair with that unseen Jack guy?) To wrap up, Angel fights off the Odo-Spocks (who dress exactly like the Gentleman... how weird is that?), puts a stop to their machine-driven insanity, and then bonds with Lonely Guy Gene over the way they both nearly destroyed the world for love. (Sounds like the title of a Bryan Adams song, doesn't it?) All's well that ends with beer, as they say.

You go, Sherlock.

Over in the other show called Angel, meanwhile (let's call it Angel-B), Gunn smites, Wesley Poirots -- and Cordy eats -- their way to a big bucks bonus from some rich-as-hell friends of Wes-girlfriend Virginia. (Oh, I like that Virginia. There needs to be more of her.) They kill a demon, solve a crime, and throw themselves a huge party... and also decide to keep the "Angel Investigations" tag for the nonce. After some early moping, Gunn is extra-cool, Wes is extra-suave, and Cordelia is suddenly looking ultra-fab, if a little Jem and the Holograms-ish. Still, I like it all.

I liked it more than the other part of the episode. The Angel-A part. However, I am quite fond of Angel's rant on just how hard it is to be him right now. It made up for all of the "so, Gene didn't know about demons, even though he visited a bar full of them the other day?" questions. In fact, it would have made even the most horrible of mid-season one's disasters tolerable; even "She." (Yes, I know. Big call. But added to the existing Angel-dancing factor, and it would almost be re-watchable.)

Other episode bonus points awarded for The Host's nicknames for Angel: Mr. Get-to-the-Pointy-Pants; Angel-face; Sour-pussy. Also enjoyable, his mention of Angel's current predilection for "getting lawyers killed and setting girls on fire", which brings up an interesting point: where are those two Cajun-crispy-fried lady-is-a-vamps?

And what's the bet that, after two episodes of being no-shows, they'll be back with a vengeance next time out? (I have seen no previews, and know no spoilers, so tell me no tales.) Hey, maybe we can get Gene to freeze that instant the next time Angel sets Darla and Dru on fire, so it'll be captured for all eternity. Though I guess it doesn't matter so much if we can't.

After all, that's what the pause button's for. Here's hoping Angel'll soon give me another reason to use it.

-- Rachel Hyland

Angel airs at 9/8c, Tuesdays on the WB.

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