Angel: Blind Date (1.21)

Wolfram & Hart has already become one of the greatest inventions of the Buffyverse. It works not only because it's a law firm comprising of folks who are completely batshit, but there's also that element of believability about the whole thing. Lawyers are evil. That's generally accepted. But tie that in with mass corruption and the partnering of various forms of the supernatural, it creates something genuinely chilling. At the heart of the arc are the lawyers, each given vibrant personalities in the last couple of episodes.

Lindsey's rebellion is beautifully played, granting him an obvious form of humanity with his desire to protect a bunch of innocent children, but still maintaining that sense of ruthless cool. Christian Kane is really, really impressive in the role and I love his chemistry with Angel, both of them unable to stand one another but forced to work together here. You also can't help but admire the show giving Lindsey some cliched poor-kid back story, only to have it immediately undermined by a snarky Angel.

The power play within Wolfram & Hart was also a lot of fun, with the introduction of Holland Manners, the brutal demise of Lee Mercer, and the various security ideas that floated around, from the vampire sensors to those badass-looking mind readers. Vanessa Brewer wasn't a totally interesting villain, but it was quickly made apparent that the writers weren't interested in exploring that particular element of the story.

Blind Date is undoubtedly Lindsey's episode, but it also continues to help the show evolve and grow into something ambitious, morally ambiguous and fascinating. At the same time, Gunn continues to impress, we're given hints toward the season finale, and the characters in this elaborate Angel Inc/W&H chess piece begin to take their places. Angel is getting better by the week. A

Credits
Guest stars Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald); Thomas Burr (Lee Mercer); Stephanie Romanov (Lilah Morgan); Sam Anderson (Holland Manners); J. August Richards (Charles Gunn)
Writer Jeannine Renshaw Director Thomas J. Wright