Angel Review – “Lineage”

So, who wants to see the Watchers Council reform?

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 Drew Goddard.

Directed by Jefferson Kibbee.

Original Airdate

Lineage originally aired on Wednesday,
November 12, 2003.

Synopsis

The gang’s research into attack cyborgs is interrupted by a
visit from
Wesley’s father.

High Point

Spike had some great moments (“Shh! No talking.”) but
I’m most
pleased to see more work with Wesley’s father. He’s
always been on
the other side of the phone before, but this looks like a
set-up to
bring him into a more prominent position.

Low Point

It takes more than a glammar to fool people who’ve been
touching it.

The Review

The original aspects include Spike’s
conversation with Eve,
the inclusion of a team of good guys fighting against Angel
and
company, and Wesley’s relationship with his father and
immediate
regression toward the Wesley we saw in
Buffy‘s third season.
I give it 5 out of 6.

The effects were the spark and combat effects
we’ve seen a
lot in the series, along with the oddities from the wand.
Pretty
limited and used often, but well done nonetheless. I give it
4 out of
6.

The story was well written, including a couple
of twists I
wasn’t expecting. I give it 5 out of 6.

The acting from Alexis Denisof was excellent.
I think Wesley
has had more change and development than any other
character on
television, and Denisof has been responsible for how well
it has
worked. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response this produced was
strong throughout.
Spike’s humour (“Percy here used to be known as head
boy!”), Wesley’s
discomfort, Fred’s self-reproachment, Mr.
Wyndham-Pryce’s attitude and
Wesley’s ultimate resolution of his personal problems all
worked
extremely well. I give it 6 out of 6.

The production was very well done. The
one-shots in the
elevator scene were at odd angles, but that may have
been a
restriction of shooting in that space. I give it 5 out of 6.

Overall, an episode well deserving of its place
in Sweeps. I
give it 5 out of 6.

In total, Lineage receives 35 out of 42.

12 replies on “Angel Review – “Lineage””

  1. Bit of a Cop-Out, actually
    I thought it would have been much better had it actually been his father at the end. I still enjoyed it, but I think that it just would have been that much better.

    Also, having given it a bit of thought, does the bit in the prophecy referring to the father killing the son have to refer to Angel and Conner? Isn’t Spike Angel’s ‘son’ too, as he sired him? (Or was that Dru? and even if it was, wouldn’t Angel still be the ‘sire’ as Dru is female?)

    • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

      Also, having given it a bit of thought, does the bit in the prophecy referring to the father killing the son have to refer to Angel and Conner? Isn’t Spike Angel’s ‘son’ too, as he sired him? (Or was that Dru? and even if it was, wouldn’t Angel still be the ‘sire’ as Dru is female?)

      Hmmm. I’m a little hazy on the whole Connor stroyline, as I couldn’t catch every ep back then. Wasn’t there some indication made that that prophecy had been purposely messed up, and wasn’t acurate? Like maybe it was the son killing the father, and not vice versa? Anyway, If we keep with the father killing the child, and assuming the rest is vague enough, Connor himself(does he qualify as a vampire? He’s more than human, anyway…) killed his daughter, the touchy-feely goddess of maggots. Although Eve keeps bringing up the whole Connor thing, I was thinking that he’s out of the picture, and the real point is to split Angel from the rest of the team. Reminding Angel of Wesley’s betrayal seems to lead that way.

      Now, the whole Spike/Angel/Amulet thing seems fishy to me. Seems that maybe Wolfram & Hart intended Angel to use the amulet, and had some kind of spell put on it to trap him when he did. Spike used it instead, and now they have to deal with a fully embodied Angel. To that end, I think Eve was bluffing in the elevator. Trying to distract Spike from learning whatever it was W&H had originally intended for Angel.

      BTW, did anyone else see the whole “Wesley’s daddy’s bad, oh, I get it, he’s a robot, too” thing coming from a mile off? They need to be a little more subtle. Other than that, though…Great ep!

      • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

        Hmmm. I’m a little hazy on the whole Connor stroyline, as I couldn’t catch every ep back then.

        Who’s Connor??

      • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

        BTW, did anyone else see the whole “Wesley’s daddy’s bad, oh, I get it, he’s a robot, too” thing coming from a mile off?

        I didn’t see it coming at all. Besides, it makes no difference if it was his father or not. It had the same emotional effect on Wesley.

        Anyway, who is Conner?

        • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually
          You know, somehow, I should have seen the “Who is Conner?” comments coming….

      • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

        BTW, did anyone else see the whole “Wesley’s daddy’s bad, oh, I get it, he’s a robot, too” thing coming from a mile off? They need to be a little more subtle. Other than that, though…Great ep!

        I confess, I didn’t pick it up until he beat Wesley over the head in the vault, though I knew somebody was coming for something when he made a fuss over the books.

    • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

      Also, having given it a bit of thought, does the bit in the prophecy
      referring to the father killing the son have to refer to Angel and Conner?
      Isn’t Spike Angel’s ‘son’ too, as he sired him? (Or was that Dru? and even
      if it was, wouldn’t Angel still be the ‘sire’ as Dru is female?)

      IIRC, “The father will kill the son” was a bogus prophecy planted by a
      time travelling non-corporeal demon to mess with Angel (same guy that
      had the deal with the man who raised Connor…can’t remember his
      name).

      Angel sired Drew who sired Spike: Angel his Spike’s grandsire (I think
      “sire” is gender neutral btw).

      • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

        IIRC, “The father will kill the son” was a bogus prophecy planted by a
        time travelling non-corporeal demon to mess with Angel (same guy that
        had the deal with the man who raised Connor…can’t remember his
        name).

        Right-o. That was in the season that I didn’t watch, as I didn’t have a television (or, at least regular access to one). I’m getting it in reruns right now – it’s pretty good (I just finished watching the portal episodes where Cordy became Queen in Lorne’s home dimension and Fred still had the southern accent)

        • Re: Bit of a Cop-Out, actually

          I just finished watching the portal episodes where Cordy became Queen
          in Lorne’s home dimension and Fred still had the southern accent

          I missed one or 2 of those…

          I know I missed the one where Joss danced, and the one when she
          actually becaume queen. They might be one and the same.

  2. Some quick thoughts…
    Does anybody but me think that we are heading into and epp where the gang has to beat Wesly with a cluebat about the meaning of “team” and the draw-backs to his current, isolationist behaviors?

    There will be more but I have to jet.

    • Re: Some quick thoughts…

      Does anybody but me think that we are heading into and epp where the gang has to beat Wesly with a cluebat about the meaning of “team” and the draw-backs to his current, isolationist behaviors?

      There will be more but I have to jet.

      I think we’re far more likely to be heading toward an episode in which the whole team finds out about Connor and resents the hell out of both Angel and W&H for tampering with their brains a la Tara on Buffy. Either that, or we’re going to find out that a fully known and knowing Connor is vital to averting some disaster which the Senior Partners knew was coming and wanted to come. Either eventuality could be prompted by someone outside of W&H’s influence going after Connor to get at Angel – maybe even the cyborg group using that option to control Angel instead of a magic wand.

      Leaving Connor where he is, living the good life, is just WAY too happy an ending for the Mutant Enemy crew to leave intact.

  3. Alexis Denisof
    At the end of this episode, I was going “wow, they really know how to run Wesley through the ringer”, and I’m very impressed with the way Alexis is able to carry it off.

Comments are closed.