Angel Investigated - 2.1 Judgment

Posted by Jason Chamberlain on 10.20.2009

The Fang Gang returns as Angel fights for an expecting mother and covers 'Mandy'! Check out the full review of the season two premiere!

2.1 Judgment
Writer: David Greenwalt
Director: Michael Lange

Whedon Speak

Lorne: My question first, and tell the truth because you know I'll know. Why "Mandy?
Angel: I know the words. And, I think it's kinda pretty.
Lorne: And it is you big softie! There's not a destroyer of worlds who can argue with Manilow.

Lorne: Hey how about that, a performer. Why don't we just call him Angel, the vampire with soul.

Case Files

This was the first episode of Angel to be broadcast in the widescreen format... Eliza Dushku is not listed in the opening credits so as to preserve the surprise of her appearance... J. August Richards is added to the opening credits.

Jason Chamberlain has the full review!

What’s better than a great first season of Angel? An even better second season! And it starts here.

Everything that was great about the first season is here in spades. Our gang is a well oiled machine as we see right from the start. Cordy’s still pursuing her acting dream but it’s clearly a distant second place to her mission with Angel. Wes is showing newfound confidence and who can blame him, with a hot blonde grooving on him at the pub! And Angel is, well, Angel.

What a great Whedonish twist to start the episode on. What could be the haunting visage of a new villain, only for it to become the hip, crooning Lorne that we would all grow to love so much. The addition of Lorne and his bar are one of the biggest reasons why this show would go from great to damn near perfect this season. Lorne is just an all around fantastic character and one of the show’s best moves ever.

That said, it’s sad to watch now, with Andy Hallett having passed away...

We get some Darla action, and the first hints of Lindsey’s infatuation with her. Just a hint of what the law firm has in store for Angel this season, and it’s going to be good.


The weekly story, of Angel killing a good guy by mistake and taking his place to protect an expecting mother is pretty cool. The mother herself is pretty generic, but it’s a good showcase for the difficulties Angel has in his quest for redemption, especially after being so recently rejuvenated by the promise of the Shanshu prophecy.

Visiting Faith at the end of the episode was a very nice touch. While it originally gave me hope she would be coming on full time, it is nice to see her and know that Angel is still keeping tabs on her.

I like the way Gunn was worked into the episode. His integration into the group is gradual and that’s the best way to handle it.

Oh, and Angel sings. You just can’t beat that.

Ronny Sarnecky	The second season starts off like the first season of “Angel” began and ended, with another really good episode. Not a surprise. What was a surprise was to see Angel singing “Mandy” at a karaoke bar. That was hysterical! I forgot how funny that scene was. Even better was the closing credits where we got to see more outtakes from David Boreanaz’s musical performance. The addition of Lorne and his club was a terrific addition to the second season of “Angel.” The bar became a place, where despite the drama going on, you knew that you would get a laugh. One of the key points to this episode was that Angel killed a “good” demon because he thought he was bad. This reminded me of Buffy’s third season episode when Buffy and Faith accidentally killed the mayor’s assistant, as well as the episode “Ted,” where it appeared that Buffy killed her mom’s boyfriend. Like Buffy in those situations, this was the first time we saw Angel have to deal with the fact that he killed an “innocent” as Angel, and not Angelus. Yet another layer of guilt to add to Angel’s skin. Having him visit Faith in jail was the perfect ending. They are both being punished for past sins, and are both paying their debt to society in order to get the redemption they desire.	8.5
Jeremy Thomas	After the excellent Season One, the bar had been set for Angel. The first season was a pleasant surprise for me; could the second season live up to that? The answer is, "damn right." From the opening sequence where we first meet Lor--sorry, "The Host" in Caritas, singing "I Will Survive," there wasn't a doubt he was going to become a fast favorite of Angelites. Andy Hallett's impact on the show was immediate and sudden, and he would quickly prove himself to be one of the highlights of the show, even this early. Meanwhile, you have Angel coming to terms with the fact that he killed an innocent. An innocent demon, sure, but still an innocent. One of the things I've always said I liked about Angel was the moral conflict and the shades of grey, and the prevalance of good and bad demons is another way to muddy the waters. It also sets the stage for an ongoing descent into something darker for Angel this season. Meanwhile, we have the return of Gunn in a very good way, and of course the episode-ending surprise appearance of Faith. The second Slayer's appearance was kept completely secret--no promotion, no Eliza Dushku in the opening guest star credits--and it works in spades. The final moment between Faith and Angel is exceptionally well-done and just another example of how good a show this is. The first episode of Season Two may not knock it right out of the park, but it's certainly a solid triple.	8.5
Shawn S. Lealos	The second season of Angel starts out with a bang as Angel once again proves that he is only (relatively) human and prone to great errors. The main storyline involves a pregnant woman who is standing trial before a Tribunal. She must face the Tribunal with her Champion who is to fight for her life. Unfortunately Angel kills her Champion when he mistakenly believes the demon is evil and a danger to her. Angel must spend the rest of the episode atoning for this mistake. It is a theme that runs through the series. Angel must always atone for something and this is tied up nicely at the end when he visits Faith in prison. Everyone on this show is fighting the uphill battle for redemption and, while Angel seems to be more at peace with his role as “Champion” (a title used in this episode, as well as for the rest of the series), he knows he has a long ways to go. The episode also has a lot of great additions. Cordelia and Wesley are both more self assured, evident by the opening battle. Gunn is now a regular cast member and starts his integration into the group. We also get to know Lorne (known here only as The Host), and it is bittersweet to watch Andy Hallett after his untimely passing this year. The biggest turn in this episode is the appearance of Darla, brought back to life by Wolfram and Hart. Season 2 begins with a bang and the show is really about to hit its stride.	8
Mike Gorman	Discovering at the end of last season that he may be prophesied to become human, Angel apparently spent the summer treating his duties like a check list and not like a true calling. This is exemplified in the almost militaristic manner Team Angel adopts in the episode opener. They move in with precision to stop a sacrifice from occurring at a gym. Angel seems to see his work as a race with a definite finish now and this premiere does its best to knock him down a peg or two. Here we see Angel make poor decisions and deal with the consequences. The story was actually not that interesting but it served its purpose. Angel kills an innocent demon and must assume its role as protector of an unborn child. By the episode's end, Angel's head is back on straight and he realizes that he is on a journey that must be honored. To hammer this home we get a Faith cameo as Angel visits her in prison to see how she is adapting. The highlights of this week for me are the introduction of the Host (aka Lorne) who would quickly move from cameos to beloved cast member and the return of Darla, Angel's sire. A lot of dominoes were set up during this episode and we are certain to see where they will fall as the season progresses.	8

GRR!!! ARGH!!!

The 411: A great start to a great season. Lorne is in the house, the gang is better than ever, Darla is waiting in the wings... things are about to get really good!

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]