Angel: Billy

The man Angel released from his Hell prison has a special affinity for making men be violent towards women, and among his targets are the Angel Investigatiosn team. Will Angel turn bad again?

This is the best episode of the season so far, and among the best Angel has ever done, let's get that clear right off the bat. Now, some people might have problems with the subject matter and how it's handled. This is one of the most violent episodes yet, mainly because it has to be, and it shows our heroes in a whole new light. It's not easy viewing as Wesley is affected by Billy's powers and, after holding in a romantic interest in Fred, he begins to stalk her.

It's something the production team couldn't have pulled off in the first year of the show before Wesley's character evolved, but Alexis Denisof proves how far his character has come by making Wes convincingly menacing as he wanders about with a large axe after Fred. His dark jokes are scary, as is his attitude, and his remorse afterwards is superbly played, even though he knows that it wasn't really his fault. Even Gunn's gradual change, short screen time though it

Meanwhile, it's the girls who really get the material. Charisma Carpenter's performances are getting better and better, mainly because the writers seem to really be exploring her character and her attitude to life. The training she starts with Angel is long overdue and sees her finally becoming more capable in the world she finds herself. Her closeness with Angel is being explored more than before, and they're much more friends now than they were.

*****

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