Angel 5.4 FAQ
What’s it called?
“Hell Bound.”
Who’s responsible?
Episode was written and directed by Stephen S. DeKnight (“Deep Down,” “Rain of Fire,” “Awakening,” “Release,” “Inside Out”).
What’s did Coax say about this one on Aug. 21?
* Eve, Angel’s hot liaison to the senior partners at the Wolfram & Hart law firm, returns.
* The episode centers on the ghostly Spike. The Grim Reaper seems to be hot to claim his hinder. There’s a feller named Pavayne lurking around the firm who seems to snack on spooks.
* Winifred Burkle grows obsessed with trying to rescue the non-corporeal vamp from hellish damnation, and reverts a bit to her Pylean self, with the hunching and wall-scrawling.
* The girls may be pleased to learn than Pavayne enjoys tormenting Spike by stripping him naked at unexpected junctures.
* Fans of “Queer Eye For The Straight Guy” may be excited to learn Pavayne makes Spike wear a pretty dress.
* Though still a ghost, Spike will learn – Swayze-like – how to move objects in the real world.
* Fred concocts something called a “recorporealizer.” “Spike, do it now!” she will call out near episode’s end. “We’ve got one shot at making you corporeal again!” But when Pavayne begins choking Fred to death, Spike has to choose between saving her and getting fleshy.
Mostly. It looks like they cut out the bit about Spike in women’s clothing.
Early in the episode, Spike learns from Fred of the prophecy about the ensouled vampire eventually turning human.
We make our first season-five foray into Wolfram & Hart's White Room.
He and Eve call Fred into his office over an $800,000 quarterly budget overrun in Fred’s practical sciences department. When Fred explains she’s been using the money trying to come up with a way to recorporialize Spike, Angel hits the roof: her mission was to make Spike go away, not to make him all fleshy.
ANGEL: I know Spike better than anyone, and he only cares
about himself.
FRED: And Buffy.
EVE: Well, this is getting interesting.
ANGEL: You're right. He does care about Buffy.
So, where do you think he's gonna run off to
as soon as his fresh, new feet hit the ground?
No Harm comes to the episode.
Longtime Buffiverse fans will enjoy the continuity porn as the episode references history spanning two series.
One quickly tires of leaden pace with which Spike’s repetitive encounters with the firm’s other spooks unfurls. And if you’re looking for any of the big laughs that attended 5.1 and 5.2, don’t hold your breath.
“I had them give you a window. Welcome to Hell.”
***** better than we deserve
**** better than most motion pictures
*** actually worth your valuable time
** as horrible as most stuff on TV
* makes you quietly pray for bulletins
Did Coax’s sources get it right?
The big news?
What else is TV Guide not telling us?
What’s going on with Angel?
Is Angel perhaps insecure about a fleshy Spike hooking up with a certain blonde former Sunnydale resident?
Since it’s a Spike-centric episode, do we see a lot of Harmony?
What’s good?
What’s not so good?
How does it end, spoiler-boy?
Herc’s rating for “Angel” 5.4?
***
The Hercules T. Strong Rating System:
9 p.m. Wednesday. The WB.
Swing the crebbil! Swing the crebbil!
