Angel’s investigation into a blackmail operation leads him into a confrontation with a group of street kids who are taking on vampires and demons on their own.
After a nicely tongue-in-cheek opening, things start to simmer slowly in this episode, occasionally exploding but ultimately leading to some tense scenes that don’t need a fight scene to make them work.
I was a bit unsure what to make of this story at first, as I was singularly uninterested in the fate of the kids taking on the vampires. Although I didn’t feel a lot different by the end, it was good to see a different approach to Angel’s soul-saving work alongside getting the chance to see how others deal with vampires.
It’s a bit of a hit-and-miss episode. The brothel investigation, while providing one good comedy moment (and David Boreanaz has got a lot better at playing comedy), isn’t very interesting and the vampires who are warring with the kids aren’t the most exciting group in the world, either. What does work, however, is Angel’s first encounter with Gunn and his gang. As a stake suddenly appears, just millimetres away from his heart, we realize he really is in serious danger, even more so when he is delivered straight into the heart of Gunn’s lair, full of traps. The filming of this is superb, incredibly fast-paced as Angel narrowly avoids arrow after arrow, only to show his true colours by letting one strike him through the hand to save the life of Gunn’s sister.
David Boreanaz gives good value once again as he threatens people and makes peace merely by his powerful presence. His all-too-real concern is beautifully played as he realizes what these kids are going through. The final face-off is an unexpected end to the story, but the powerful scene before when Gunn has to confront his sister is even better. Overall then, a flawed story but with enough highlights to make it well worth a look.
***
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