On Fathers and Other Horrors.
By Anthony Karcz
November 13, 2003
Continuing Angel's B-Movie marathon we're treated this week to Angel Inc. vs. the Cyborg Death Ninjas.
In one of the more interesting openings this season, we get a taste of good ol' ass-kickin Wes, he of the torture and mayhem, he of the sneering and posturing. He and Fred are trying to bust open a weapons ring when the aforementioned Cyborg Death Ninjas (Only $9.99! Complete with Grappling Hook and special Self-Destructo action! Buy yours today!) bust onto the scene and are quickly dispatched by Batm- ah, Angel, that is.
Fred is injured in the fight and the ensuing dressing down of Wes by Angel fits right in with his continuing transformation from Dark Knight Angel to Big Boss Angel. Actually it's a quite a fitting scene, seeing as it plays more like a father scolding an errant son for acting on his own accord without permission. However, Eve's subsequent scolding of Angel only proves one thing — despite whatever arc-a-licious purpose she serves, she's in the here and now for only one reason — to bring the newbies up to speed. Her "Wes Betrayed You! You Don't Trust Wes!" speech is an exercise in the obvious that bogs down the scene. If Eve is going to act as Angel's conscience, fine, I don't mind that. But we already know that Wes acting on his own is part of his character, that he does whatever needs to be done to finish the job. We don't need it pounded into our heads yet again.
Cut to Wes' office as he moans about not protecting Fred (insulting her in the process), underlying the building tension between them as Wes struggles to be Fred's alpha male. Of course, just as things come to a head, who walks in but dear old Daddy — Roger Wyndham-Price. Unfortunately, this is one of the rougher parts. We've seen the bit over and over again: Son laments that Daddy was unfit to raise him, wails that he was mistreated and unloved. But when Daddy shows up, it is all that the Son can do to try and please him, falling over himself (in this case, literally) to prove that he's a success where the Father only sees failure. I was actually hoping for a cooler reception from Wes. After all, it's been well established that RWP treated him pretty horrifically (waaaay back in Season 1) and if Season 3's Halloween ep is any indication, his father's attitude towards women is positively medieval (which is where I really, really hope Wes got that bit of nastiness from). Mr. Wyndham-Price is not a nice man. He's not a fair man. He's a bullying, stubborn man who is only interested in what people can do for him. So, having been set up for a father figure that is practically demonic, I was quite let down that Wes still feels the need to jump through hoops; practically blowing up a cyborg in Fred's lab trying to prove his worth while Spooky Spike pushes beakers around (and postulates on robot/human coupling...a nice geeky reference for you Buffy fans). Though credit must be given to Wes for turning down RWP's invitation to the (New and Improved!) Watcher's Council, insisting that, with W&H under their control, they can affect real change (though Lorne does a brilliant job of inadvertently trying to disprove that point).
Unfortunately, the cliché marches on as RWP tells embarrassing and somewhat endearing stories about young Wes (although it does lead to Spike's hilarious "report" to Angel about Wes once being "Head Boy"). Then comes the stern, yet loving reprimands about the way Wes is leading his love life and watching after his "toys." And, while I was screaming at the screen, knowing that the pseudo-loving father bit always comes before the act of betrayal, Wes buys it, hook-line-and stuffy scone. I don't know, maybe he really is that desperate for his father's attention; but someone as battle hardened as Wes should have known, before the claxons went off, that things were going all too well.
More on the claxons and ninja deathmatch in a minute — the "blink and you miss it" confrontation scene between Eve and Spike is tucked nicely within the plot this week. Like I said in my "Cinco" review, Spike obviously knows a lot more than he's willing to let on, and it's obvious to him that Eve is doing the same. While we've known from the get-go that All About Eve is more than just a Jiminy Cricket to Angel's Pinocchio, her hint that W&H really was shooting for Spike with the pendant opens up some interesting possibilities. After all, as Spike found out last week, the prophecy doesn't specify which vampire with a soul is needed — maybe they're trying to collect an ace in the hole?
Back to the action. Once the inevitable Father/Son betrayal has taken place and it's revealed that it was RWP behind the cyborgs in the first place, it's a simple by-the-numbers routine as he fools Fred and dispatches Angel (the cyborgs' objective from the beginning, it seems). We do get some solid scenes in here. Wes' torture of the 'borg is a great reminder that, emotionally, Wes has gone through an amazing amount of hardship (although, since the Conner retcon, that's been lessened a bit) and he still has his edge. Spike's punching out of the 'borg is good as well (and a precursor of things to come if the previews for next week are to be believed). But it's the final confrontation between Wes and his Da that really busts things apart, reminds us that Angel is not a show where simple and pat resolutions are tolerated. Once RWP's evil (Eeeeevil!) plan to enslave Angel is revealed we take a few more turns of the cliché — Father and Son face off, Son (in typical roof-confrontation fashion) moves to the edge so that his death will still foil dear old Dad's plan, Dad grabs Winifred as his lovely hostage...
And Wes kills his father.
There isn't even a second's hesitation and it takes what was becoming a drab end game and turns it into something completely unexpected and shocking. It's not just that Wes kills him, it's that he empties an entire clip into him to make sure he's dead. There's no remorse (besides a little vomiting); and when it's revealed that RWP is just another cyborg ("with a fancy glamour"), it's hard to say if Wes is relieved or disappointed. Thankfully, the mood is lightened by Angel and Spike's attempts to console Wes with their own "I killed my parents too!" stories (though Angel does do a good job of reminding Wes that he is the guy that he can count on to do what needs to be done, no matter what — possibly in an attempt to come to terms with his, now hidden, betrayal). But it's Wes' that brings us back to the fact that the act was done without a thought for the consequences. Fred was in danger, he killed the parties responsible for that. Of course the scene is shattered by the floppy-haired plot device of a lab tech and we end up with Wes making a guilt-inspired call home instead of the reconciliation between him and Fred that we're waiting for.
It's a strong episode; the best this season has offered so far. I can only hope that strong character studies like this will help lock this new generation of viewers so that we can get past the Cliffs Notes and down to the real meat of the season (oh, I know – they say there's no arc; but no way am I believing that).
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