Angel: Dear Boy (2.5)

Darla is bringing out the spectacular in Angel's writing team. One of the major themes this year seems to be Angel's conscience, and how it can alter and change. During one of their many fascinating conversations here, Darla insists that his 'true' self is itching to get out, and how his natural instincts are just being restricted by his silly little soul. At the same time, Angel's obsession with Darla has been affecting his mindset. He's far more reckless and aggressive when he's around her, not so concerned about doing the right thing or upsetting the apple-cart in his pursuit of her. It's an interesting idea to play around with, getting to the root of Angel as a character.

Darla's elaborate mind-game was crazily entertaining. How could you not gasp at the dozen twists thrown at you here? From that great scene where she insists that she's a woman named DeEtta Kramer, to the moment where she runs into the sunlight. It's the show firing on all cylinders, and the script for Dear Boy unfolds wonderfully. You end up feeling kind of sorry for Darla, too. Yes, she's nuts and yes, she's way too hung up on Angel to be at all rational. But there's that sympathetic sense that she's been passed over for Buffy, the awkward 'first wife' casually dispensed in favor of 'something new'. They were together for hundreds of years. It must hurt. Julie Benz adds so much flare to her performance, and her reading of 'God doesn't want you - but I still do' is intense to the supreme. Love that girl.

Kate appears for the first time this season, and I liked the new interpretation of her character. She's now considered the nutty black sheep of the LAPD, and I always enjoyed her more as the distrusting foil for Angel Investigations than as the flirtatious love interest she was initially pitched as. Her interaction with Wes, Cordy and Gunn really sparkled, more so than any of her scenes with Angel. Speaking of character interaction, the aforementioned Hyperion supporting characters are still working really well together. I just love their dynamic this year.

Dear Boy continues season two's newfound drive, working so well in exploring Angel's mindset, as well as delivering the show's finest villain yet in Darla. I'm in awe of how far the show has come since those 'blah' episodes which made up so much of season one. A+

Credits
Guest stars Elisabeth Rohm (Kate Lockley); Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald); Andy Hallett (Lorne); Juliet Landau (Drusilla); Julie Benz (Darla)
Writer David Greenwalt Director David Greenwalt