Angel: Hero (1.9)

Unlike Buffy, where the cast chemistry was pretty much instant, it took what seemed like a while for the Angel cast to reach that working dynamic. The problem probably lay with the fact that there wasn't as much of a groundwork on Angel as there was on Buffy, Buffy's groundwork being Sunnydale High, which practically forced the ensemble together. Here, there's definitely that feeling that Angel, Cordelia and Doyle were working together because the script demanded it, not so much because of reasons that were organic or particularly believable. However, over time, the dynamic shifted, Cordelia and Doyle were better fleshed-out (helped by the reduction in screentime for the at-one-point ubiquitous Kate) and you could actually understand why the three of them shacked up together. The show still has some issues with storytelling (most of season one's episode are generally pretty 'blah'), but the chemistry is absolutely keeping the series afloat.

Which is why Doyle's death is so unfortunate and affecting. I don't know if it's also the fact that Glenn Quinn himself is no longer with us, but there's so much poignancy to his sacrificial demise at the end of Hero that remains really sad to this day. Nobody knows for sure why Doyle was written out, but it seems so strange to me. The cast are finally clicking, Cordelia and Doyle have the bones of what could become a major relationship, and then he's gone. While his replacement eventually becomes one of the series' greatest characters, I still don't understand the purpose of removing him from the show. Glenn Quinn was great in the part, wonderfully natural and quick-witted, and served well as an emotional bridge between the angst of Angel and the superficial comedy of Cordelia.

But while Doyle's death is beautifully done, the rest of Hero is a major dud. The Nazi imagery was too heavy-handed, Angel was more of a spectator than anything else, and Doyle's involvement felt a little contrived. Obviously there should have been more time to delve deeper into Doyle's psyche, but they killed him, so...

The first and last acts of Hero are funny, emotional and especially poignant, but the acts in between are pretty awful. And I'm sad over Glenn Quinn during this re-watch. He was such a charming actor. Ah. C

Credits
Guest stars Tony Denman (Rieff); Anthony Cistaro (Trask); Michelle Horn (Rayna); Lee Arenberg (Tiernan); Sean Gunn (Lucas)
Writers Howard Gordon, Tim Minear Director Tucker Gates