Angel: Belonging (2.19)

In setting up the last run of episodes this season, the Angel writers do a decent job of dumping on all the regulars. Cordelia is left humiliated during a commercial shoot and reduced to some token hot girl in a bikini. Wesley is once again criticized and bullied by his father during a simple phone call wishing him a happy birthday. Gunn is outcast from his one-time LA crew, and loses one of them to vamps. Angel is generally frustrated with the world. While Belonging feels a lot like part one of a long arc, it's a fun hour which gives everybody great material to work with.

Lorne is becoming one of the strongest characters on the show, and the insight into his home-life on Pylea was genius. He's ostracized for daring to see the gray area in people, and wanting to pursue a life where it's okay to sing and enjoy music and have fun. There's something almost profound about the idea of Lorne escaping through a portal to our world because he loved the sound of it. At the same time, it was interesting to see Angel be intrigued by the black and white moralizing of Pylea, where everything is either good or bad. But where would he fit in there? Does he think it'd stop his broodiness and general torment?

One of my favorite scenes here was the opening restaurant moment, if only because I love the four-piece ensemble at the heart of Angel just hanging out and conversing. I mentioned it more at the start of the season, but the writers have truly done some wonderful things with the four of them this year, and they have a ton of chemistry together. Compared to Buffy, where a lot of my love for some of the Scoobies is faltering a little, and Angel is worthy of considerable acclaim right now. B+

Credits
Guest stars Andy Hallett (Lorne); Amy Acker (Winifred 'Fred' Burkle); Jarrod Crawford (Rondell); Darris Love (George); Brody Hutzler (Landok)
Writer Shawn Ryan Director Turi Meyer