Badly Dressed Superhero

Episode 1.07: The Bachelor Party. Original Airdate: 11/16/99

“Doyle receives a surprise visit from his wife, who wishes to end their marriage so that she may wed a demon.”

Daniel’s Thoughts:

• Hey, it’s Cordelia’s first date on the show. And he’s kind of a hottie, in a Dawson's Creek CW kinda way.
• Angel’s being all dad-like is cute.
• Oh hey, it’s a picture of Buffy!

Not at all a professional headshot.

• Vision! Vampire nest. Angel & Doyle are on the job.
• Of course Cordelia’s hottie date is boring AF.
• Punk vamps!!
• Haha, Cordelia bites a vampire. And her boring hottie date runs off.
• “Now I expect a guy to be rich and interesting – and it’s your fault!”
• Cordelia calls Doyle a fixer-upper. Cause…he’s totally TV ugly I guess? Blah.
• Ooh, Doyle has a surprise wife!
• And it doesn’t faze Angel at all.
• So Doyle’s wife has a new friend. He mistakes Angel for Doyle which isn’t as funny as the writers think it is. Again with Doyle not being as good looking as Angel which isn’t just subjective. Glenn Quinn is pretty. That’s just a fact.
• So Doyle is mixed and his demon side didn’t present until he was 21. Which is pretty interesting.
• This is the second time Carlos Jacott plays someone who appears human who turns out to be a demon. He played a similar role in the Buffy episode: "Anne".
• “Ethno-demonologist.” That’s a thing!
• “The Ritual Eating of the First husband’s brains” – it’s interesting they had that on the list despite all being surprised that Doyle was even invited. SHENANIGANS.
• More surprising Doyle facts: He used to teach third grade.
• Why are Richard’s brothers beating up Angel?
• They’re all like, thanks for your sacrifice and Doyle consented but he totally didn’t. It is not informed consent.
• I dunno. This whole thing seems forced. Richard says they haven’t performed this in a hundred years. And they’re supposed to be a peaceful demon sect. Then why would they consider doing this at all? And if it’s all innocent, why didn’t he tell his wife?
• Harry’s the only one who makes sense: They don’t do the old rituals because they’re barbaric – but this is the most barbaric of all – killing another human be-demon. [Am now picturing human-bee-demons. Thank you for those nightmares. - Z]
• “Who wants a wife whose knees only bend the one way.”
• Vision: Buffy!

Zelda’s Thoughts:

• Come on, Doyle. Anyone who watched Buffy knows that Angel likes to brood with a book, not go to a sports bar.
• Cordelia’s going on a date with … some dude named Pierce, and the golddigger look isn’t great on her. (though her dress looks great)
• I really do love the credits theme for this show.
• Oooh this vamp nest is full of punk rock vamps with brightly dyed hair. They seem fun. I mean evil.
• Wow, when the vamp grabs Cordelia, Pierce goes RUNNING.
• And then, in a callback to, I wanna say “Prophecy Girl,” Cordelia bites the vamp.
• And yay, Doyle to the rescue! Thanks Doyle!
• “You’re so brave.” // “You think you could say that without so much shock in your voice?”
• Aw, and Cordelia’s touched that he asked if she was okay immediately after. “That’s like, substance, right?”
• Callback to dating Xander the fixer-upper.
• And in a beautiful undermining of his heroism, Doyle is reliving it, all bravado and new bad puns.
• And this is when we find out that Doyle’s first name is Francis. Well, his second name. Allen Francis Doyle. Also that he has a wife named Harry.
• So many emotions playing across his face, such good work from Glenn Quinn.
• I know Harry’s fiancé is named Richard, but I’m going to struggle so much to not call him Ken because … IT’S KEN FROM BUFFY.
• Really, though, Harry should have come to Doyle to finalize the divorce more than a few days in advance of the wedding.
• “Can I get a side of bland with that bland?” It’s true, Carlos Jacott is really good at serving up smiling bland (WITH EVIL UNDERNEATH)
• I know Daniel already went into this, but I’ll second the ridiculousness of acting like Glenn Quinn isn’t attractive. They may dress him tackily, but he has a pretty pretty face with soulful expressions. He’s just shorter than David. They’re both pretty men. And he’s certainly prettier than Ken, not that we should actually dive into the value of physical beauty as any kind of moral or character value.
• GASP Ken’s a demon. Honestly, why did Joss cast him as the same guy three times? Seeming fuddy duddy who’s actually a baddie? (we haven’t learned he’s a baddie yet, not all demons are baddies in this universe, but I’m looking ahead)

As Richard, Ken, and Dobson. Basically NEVER trust this face.

• Oh wow, Harry’s an ethnodemonologist? What university offers degrees in that? Does she work with the Initiative?
• And oh man, she wanted Doyle to accept his demon half. That wasn’t why they broke up. Or it was, but it was his inability to handle it, not hers. “Harry didn’t leave because of the demon in me. She left because of me.” And he signs the divorce papers.
• Angel’s office has a copier? That’s not cheap!
• Man, I hope he has insurance on the place for when it goes boom at the end of the season.
• Ken to his family about Doyle: “He’s really very sweet. I think you’re all going to enjoy him.”
• GASP they plan to eat Doyle’s brains GASP
• Told you Ken was evil.
• Cordelia’s blown away by what she learns of Doyle’s past, including the fact that he used to be a third grade teacher, and volunteered at the food bank. It is interesting to see how much has changed, how much he’s been damaged by his own self-loathing once he learned he was part-demon.
• Also the show is working overtime to get Cordelia emotionally invested in Doyle in time to write him off. They probably intended a slower burn on all this.
• We really should track the number of times Angel defenestrates. It’s happened twice this episode. The opening credits include a shot of a beautiful slow motion swan dive defenestration.
• Wow, They moved quickly from Doyle giving his consent to INTO THE MAGIC BOX WITH YOU.
• That needle BARELY touched him. How is that sufficient anesthesia?

• Aaaaand they’re putting on lobster bibs.
• And back at the bachelorette party, “Well they’re certainly not going to eat your ex-husband’s brains … For instance.” A+ delivery.
• BLAM Angel busts open the pretty double doors, and that’s an iconic credits shot if ever there was one.

• “You brought a vampire to my brother’s bachelor party?”
• I wonder if Doyle’s face spines are spiky or squishy.
• Aw man, Cordelia in defense of Doyle, unknowingly smashes up demon-faced Doyle, and Angel rushes to stop her because oops.
• Harry’s more mad that Ken was going to start their marriage with deceit, rather than starting their marriage WITH MURDER AND BRAIN EATING.
• Okay, she seems upset about both parts.
• “Nice guys don’t always finish last.” // “You think I’m a nice guy?” // “I think it, I say it. It’s my way.” Iconic Cordelia moment.
• GASP Doyle had a vision of Buffy in a fight! Luckily he saw her photo earlier so he knows who it is.
• Ah, right, after this episode Angel runs off to snoop on Buffy’s Thanksgiving plans.

Crossfire!

Ken to his family about Doyle: “He’s really very sweet. I think you’re all going to enjoy him.”

D & Z:  *share a knowing look*

Favorite Lines:

Daniel: “I think it. I say it. It's my way.” – Cordelia

Zelda: “Well they’re certainly not going to eat your ex-husband’s brains … For instance.” – Aunt Martha

Arc/Continuity:

Generally Known TV Face: Kristin Dattilo, Carlos Jacott, Chris Tallman, Lauri Johnson

Whedonverse Hat Trick: Carlos Jacott (Richard Straley here, Ken in Buffy ep “Anne”; Lawrence Dobson in Firefly ep “Serenity”)

Buffy crossover: a black and white photo of Buffy tucked into Angel’s book

Stats:

Cordelia’s Hair – half-up in a clip, wavy curls

Dead Humans – 0

Dead Undeads – 2

Dead Flashbacks – 0

Dead Lawyers – 0

Doyle Has a Vision – 2

Lawyered Ex Machina – 0

Evil Reveal – 1 (Ken and his family want to eat Doyle’s brains)

Unevil Reveal – 0

Shenanigans Called – 1

Apocalypse Called – 0

Prophecy Called – 0