What is This, A Lobster?

Episode 1.02: Lonely Heart. Original Airdate: 10.12.99

“Angel tracks a wormlike demon that preys on lonely hearts at a trendy nightclub.”

Zelda’s Thoughts:

• Angel, dimly lit, pensive.
• Doyle, weird shirt, crushing on Cordy.
• Cordelia, bright and excited about business cards.
• And oops the drawing of an angel might be a butterfly or an owl and maybe Cordelia should have run the art by a focus group.
• Oooh our first seizure vision.
• And as we see randos Kevin and Sharon meet, Kevin leads with “God, I hate places like this, don’t you?” (which is only important as setting up a red herring later in the ep)
• Oh hey, the bartender is Bodie from Dawson’s Creek.
• “The services our friend Angel provides might put people in mind of the V word.” // “Vampire?” // “No, vigilante.”
• IT’S KATE. HI KATE.

HI ZELDA

• I like that her first line is asking if Angel is okay. It’s the same impulse that drives Angel, I think. Looking for a way to help, to make the world better.
• Doyle calls the visions he gets his gift. Cordy: “If that was my gift, I’d return it.” WILL SHE THOUGH. (Well, yeah, I mean, she’ll try.)
• “But I’ll know it when I see it.” // “Would you?”
• The thing is, is Kate coming on like this because she thinks he might be the serial killer, or because she’s interested? Or an awkward bit of both?
• Aaaaand Doyle’s in a fight with two randos because they assumed Cordelia, handing out cards (that have, for the record, no name of the business, just a drawing), must be a prostitute.
• And Angel, looking to help people, has left Kate behind and she leaves.
• Ah, back to Kevin and Sharon, having had sex but both feeling empty.
• Kevin asks to hold her, and it’s a clever bait and switch they set up to us, with Sharon walking away and Kevin emptied out. We think Sharon is the actual baddie, not realizing it’s a parasite passing from body to body.
• I’m pleased Angel listened to me during the Pilot and got a computer for the office.
• “You can go to hell.” // “Been there, done that.” Good line, meh delivery.
• “Ugh, demons, is there anything more disgusting?” And oops Doyle’s face. Just tell her, Doyle!
• Angel’s on the case! Paging quickly through a phone book to find Sharon’s address.
• And Sharon and new rando are post-coital, still feeling nothing, and she asks him to roll over so she can spoon him. Time for another body transfer for our parasite.
• And Angel is able to burst into the apartment – not a good sign – because Sharon is already dead.
• But Angel is here in time to see it finish swiveling its way into new guy’s body, who turns and says “You’re not human.”
• GASP! Kate is a detective!
• Why are we meeting at Cordelia’s apartment instead of the office? Oh, right, Kate might come looking for Angel there, now we know she’s a detective with detective resources.
• The guys need to stop being such shits about Cordelia’s home. She has no money and they’re her guests. Also remember when Angel lived on the streets? Don’t be shits.
• Montage of Angel hunting for the demon, of Kate snooping through Angel’s office and home, and another dead human.
• So far the dead human count on this series is not looking good for our heroes.
• Demon is named Tahlmer.
• Oh and a rando approaches Kate with “God I hate places like this, don’t you.” So we think he’s the parasite, because TRICK.
• Because actually Bartender Bodie is the current carrier and he’s knocked Kate out intending to transfer to her … even though they haven’t had sex? I thought sex was supposed to happen before the transfer? I’m confused. [I don't think sex is necessary - like the guy before who I assume couldn't get it up - I think it's just the being close part- D]
• So we don’t see her die, but I guess we can assume another woman died when the parasite transferred to Bartender Bodie.
• And Angel tries to Batman grappling hook his way out of the basement, but oops the beam broke.
• It’s okay, Angel, Kate’s got this.
• Bodie’s looking worse and worse, begging women to let him hold them. 

• And as human and parasite burn to death, Kate shoots for good measure.
• And the version the police are getting, and that Kate believes, is that the bartender was behind all of it.
• Kate admits she searched Angel’s place so they can “start fresh, no secrets.” Um, good luck with that?

Daniel’s Thoughts:

• Lonely Hearts will become a theme on this show.
• The episode starts, like most, with Angel brooding.
• Doyle: we deserve a night of fun.    Really?  They’ve had one case.
• And thus also begins Doyle’s crush on Cordelia.
• Angel’s got a business card!  And it’s hilarious that they don’t know the drawing is an angel.
• And I remember this story of the week and it’s kinda cool.  It’s very sci-fi horror-esque.
• What kind of club is this?  It’s weird.  Is this what LA was like in the 90s? It’s just so quiet for a bar.
• I love Cordelia’s just giving out cards.
• “I’m an actress.”  So we’re still doing that, huh?
• And we’re introduced to Kate – someone who could have been a great recurring character if she didn’t just disappear off the face of the earth one day.
• I love that Kate and Angel are both kinda working each other for information, though we don’t know about Kate yet.
• “I’m a veterinarian.”   Weird lie, but ok.
• Kate actually looks like she feels rejected. 
• This bar looks like the Hyperion, too.

So...does every building in LA look like this or?

• This bartender reminds me of Wes from HtGAwM
• Angel’s back at the bar, as is Kate.
• Doyle & Cordelia doing book studyin’ of demons: Willow would be proud.
• “She’s with some Screech.” Really?    I guess he’s TV ugly? I mean, not even.  Ick, this episode is not good for my self-esteem.
• Omg! Dude gets Aliened!
• Ooh, but plot twist – the alien goes from body to body.  It’s kind of a cool concept and definitely unexpected.
• Oh man, the 90s looks are distracting me from this fight.   All the black over-sized sweaters.
• What?? Kate’s a cop??
• Angel: Do you really live here?  Me: Rude.
• “It’s a burrower.”  “It’s a donkey?  We didn’t see any donkey demons.”
• It’s gotta keep trying to make a connection. Do you get the metaphor yet???
• Kate’s a good detective, though.  She found out where Angel lives/works.
• Montage of death!  What is this song, though?
• Kate reveals herself to bartender Wes who is so obviously the new bad guy.  And he proves it by concocting an obviously false story that Angel is in the back.
• Parasite donkey demon’s skinsuit is falling apart and he’s having trouble making a connection.
• Continuity, I guess – Angel uses his utility belt thing, the grappling hook.
• Second bad guy to die by fire in two weeks.
• Oh man, that fake LA street is just so…fake.
• What kinda sucks is that the innocent bartender is now known as a serial killer...  What about his family, his friends?  That just really bites.

Crossfire!

"Dowdy"

Dudebro: Sharon? That dowdy chick?

Daniel: In what UNIVERSE is she dowdy?

Zelda: She didn’t wear eye makeup.

Favorite Lines:

Zelda:  “The services our friend Angel provides might put people in mind of the V word.” // “Vampire?” // “No, vigilante.” - Doyle & Cordelia

Daniel: “It’s a burrower.” “It’s a donkey? We didn’t see any donkey demons.” - Angel, Cordelia

Arc/Continuity:

First Appearance: Detective Kate Lockley

Generally Known TV Face: Elisabeth Rohm

Whedonverse Hat Trick: Lilli Birdsell and Derek Hughes (Lucy Bauer and The Amazing Mertz on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., respectively)

Stats:

Cordelia’s Hair – curled at the ends

Dead Humans – 5 (even though we don’t see the final woman’s death)

Dead Undeads – 1

Dead Flashbacks – 0

Dead Lawyers – 0

Doyle Has a Vision – 1

Lawyered Ex Machina – 0

Evil Reveal – 1 (Bartender carried the burrower demon)

Unevil Reveal – 1 (Sharon carried the burrower demon but wasn’t the actual predator)

Shenanigans Called – 0

Apocalypse Called – 0

Prophecy Called – 0