Cordelia gets a new apartment thanks to Doyle, but it's haunted. Meanwhile, Doyle himself must find a way to get out of a debt which is payable with his life.
There's still a feeling that this series just isn't tapping its potential. Doyle's debt remains resolutely unexplored, and the haunting of Cordy's flat is hardly the most original idea anyone could have come up with. Having said this, the solution to the haunting that brings Cordelia back closer to her true self is fantastic, and on a par with Willow's actions in this week's Buffy episode. Both characters behave as we have come to expect, and in the case of Cordelia, it's something of a relief.
The haunting effects are a little old hat but executed well, and although the ghost, when she appears, is hardly convincing as anything other than a woman with too much blue make-up on, her backstory as seen at the close of the episode is disturbing, funny and totally unexpected. The last few moments with Cordelia are also a great laugh as she keeps her resident ghost under control.
The other plotline, featuring Doyle, is a different kettle of fish, however. We never find out anything about his debt, who he owes money to and why. When at the end Angel tells Doyle that he'll have to hear the story of his life one day, it made me wonder why we couldn't at least have had some hints in this story. Knowing that he's going to be written out (presumably killed) in about four episodes, it's starting to look like we'll never know anything about him. And how come he's not much use in a fight? Admittedly he's trying not to reveal his demon side to Cordelia, but you'd expect better from him.
A welcome addition is seeing Kate again, but the scene with her and Angel comes across as desperate padding, with their discovery having no bearing on events that follow. It's another example of not enough care being taken over the characters, odd considering that Season Three of Buffy worked with a lot more of them a lot better than this series is managing.
***
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