Angel Review – “Life of the Party”

Angel does a Hallowe’en episode. Does it
work? The short review ahead will tell you! (It would be
longer, but I do have a mid-term tomorrow…)

Cast and Crew

David
Boreanez
as
Angel

Alexis
Denisof
as
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce

J.
August Richards

as Charles Gunn

Amy
Acker
as Fred
Burkle

Andy
Hallett
as
Lorne

James
Marsters
as
Spike

Written by Ben Edlund.

Directed by Bill Norton.

Original Airdate

Life of the Party originally aired on
Wednesday, October 29,
2003.

Synopsis

Lorne is doing everything in his power to make sure the
company
Hallowe’en party is a hit.

High Point

“The Lorne thing? Wore off.”

Low Point

Was that just a bit too Hulk for anyone else?

The Review

Remember the fourth season of Buffy? So does Ben
Edlund. I give the
originality 3 out of 6.

The effects were pretty minimal, but they were
nicely done.
I give it 5 out of 6.

The story showed a nice side of Lorne, and
expanded on the
effects that running Wolfram and Hart is having on these
people.
There was also some well-crafted dialogue to go along
with it. I give
it 4 out of 6.

The acting was nice, with some excellent
comedic moments from
Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response this produced was
laughter mixed with
mild interest in Lorne’s development and surprise at the
retread
plotline. I give it 4 out of 6.

The production was well done, with some long
tracking shots
in a crowded, active room, which isn’t easy to do. I give it
5 out of
6.

Overall, an amusing episode, but it felt more
like a decision
to do something that matched up with Hallowe’en than a
concept for a
story that worked at Hallowe’en. I give it 4 out of 6.

In total, Life of the Party receives 30 out of
42.

10 replies on “Angel Review – “Life of the Party””

  1. First Addressing The Low Point
    First off, I’ll just say that I enjoyed the episode quite a lot. I thought it worked particularly well considering the last two weeks have been on the dreary side.

    Was that just a bit too Hulk for anyone else?

    I actually laughed out loud at the fact that Lorne’s subconscious appeared Hulk-like and didn’t think it a low point at all. In terms of the character, I’m sure Lorne has thought of the Hulk in reference to his skin hue. Considering his current immersion in all things entertainment (especially if he just saw the movie on DVD) it’s not at all surprising that the violent part of his subconscious that he represses – much like old Bruce himself – would manifest itself as the ever-incredible emerald one. Remember, too, that Ben Edlund is a comic guy from way back and the description is probably in the script – “Lorne’s subconscious appears – The Hulk is a flashy suit with horns.” I can hear the giggles now when the script was first read. :)

    • Re: First Addressing The Low Point

      First off, I’ll just say that I enjoyed the episode quite a lot. I thought it worked particularly well considering the last two weeks have been on the dreary side.

      Was that just a bit too Hulk for anyone else?

      I actually laughed out loud at the fact that Lorne’s subconscious appeared Hulk-like and didn’t think it a low point at all. In terms of the character, I’m sure Lorne has thought of the Hulk in reference to his skin hue. Considering his current immersion in all things entertainment (especially if he just saw the movie on DVD) it’s not at all surprising that the violent part of his subconscious that he represses – much like old Bruce himself – would manifest itself as the ever-incredible emerald one. Remember, too, that Ben Edlund is a comic guy from way back and the description is probably in the script – “Lorne’s subconscious appears – The Hulk is a flashy suit with horns.” I can hear the giggles now when the script was first read. :)

      And frankly, I’m a Hulk fan from way back, but Lorne-Hulk looked a hell of a lot better than CGI Hulk from the movie. I liked it.

    • Re: First Addressing The Low Point

      I loved seeing more Lorne character development, especially the knowledge that he has a violent (and Hulk-like!) side in his subconscious. I also liked the way that it was accentuated subtly by his toadying to the nasty demons whose name I forget, and by his not doing something conclusive about the little side-effect earlier. Since all of the other characters, with the exception of Fred (and possibly of Gunn, as his seems to have dissolved!), have very definite dark sides, Lorne’s characterization seemed to be slipping a bit too completely into the Good Old Uncle Lorne, almost Deanna Troi with horns and without the, erm, ramparts. We knew before that he’d gotten along with all kinds of demons, but there’s a moral difference between that and active toadying, particularly now in the Wolfram and Hart context.

      Fred and Knox are cute, and oddly enough, don’t arouse my usual response to cuteness, which is along the lines of “shoot them now.” I refuse to consider that I’m mellowing.

      Just like the Hulk thing, I can imagine the giggles when the script writers said, “And Gunn marks his territory by peeing on everything.” (That said, I hope I’m not being overly PC when I say that I’m not 100% comfortable with associations of black men with animals or animal behavior. It did bother me a bit.)

      Good pre-Hallowe’en fun!

      • Re: First Addressing The Low Point

        Lorne’s characterization seemed to be slipping a bit too completely into
        the Good Old Uncle Lorne, almost Deanna Troi with horns and without
        the, erm, ramparts.

        So, instead of making us horny, he’s just horned? I feel cheated! ;-)

        That said, I hope I’m not being overly PC when I say that I’m not 100%
        comfortable with associations of black men with animals or animal
        behavior. It did bother me a bit.

        Yes, yes you are being incredibly WAY too politically corect. Even racist.
        He wasn’t a black man acting like an animal, he was a man acting like an
        animal because of mild mind controll. Funny how you don’t have an
        issue with Angel acting like an animal in heat…he’s not black,
        so its not an issue?

        You certainly aren’t colour blind…

        P.S. That said, I have had issues about that very thing. Like, the black
        vulcan just happens to be the violent vulcan…the black commander/
        captain just happens to be the violent one who punches Q (oh, yeah, he
        has the power to wipe out humanity and you PUNCH him? Real
        enlightened, really civilised, yeah)…They were being insidiously racist
        while at the same time casting these actors for obvious PC reasons (like
        the whole “its time to have a woman captain” thing…I wish they’d picked
        one that didn’t have an annoying munchkin voice at least).

  2. Lorne Smash!!!
    When I Saw The Hulk Lorne, I Actually Told My Sister That I Knew It Would Be The Low Point On Bureau42 Today.

    Also, I Didn’t Double Check, But I Wouldn’t Doubt Anyone Who Told Me That Lorne’s Hulk Side Was Played By Lou Ferrigno.

    FYI, My Guess For highpoint Was ‘You Two Go Get Lorne’s Sleep, You Croud Control, You, Keep Having Sex With Me.’

    • Re: Lorne Smash!!!
      [My Sister] So, Lorne Would Envision Himself As The Hulk, he Wants To Be Useful, And A Big Monster Would Be Able To Help Everyone out!

      ——————

      Or:
      [My Sister] So, Would My Alter Ego Be The Opposite Of Me?
      [Me] No, It’s Be Hulk-TaJa.
      [My Sister] So, My Subconcious Is A Monster?
      [Me] Everyones Subconcious Is The Hulk. Especiall Bruce Banners, His Just Got Let Out by Gamma Radiation.

    • Re: Lorne Smash!!!

      My guess for highpoint was ‘You two go get Lorne’s sleep, you croud
      control, you, keep having sex with me.’

      Kinda agree with ya there : )

      Laugh out loud funny, even when sleep deprived!

  3. High point
    I think the high point was most certainly spikes reaction to gunn peeing on angels chair. Thats just my 2 cents

  4. High Point
    Since no one else has mentioned it yet, I am compelled to plug my vote for “High Point”:

    “It’s not like this is the first time I’ve had sex under mystical influence. I went to UC Santa Cruz.”

    hee hee!

    • Re: High Point

      Since no one else has mentioned it yet, I am compelled to plug my vote
      for “High Point”:

      “It’s not like this is the first time I’ve had sex under mystical influence. I
      went to UC Santa Cruz.”

      hee hee!

      I still don’t get it…

Comments are closed.