4x01 "Deep Down"
Reviewed by Matthew Bon | Rating: 9/10

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE ? With Angel (David Boreanaz) trapped on the ocean floor and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) stuck on a mystical plane, Fred (Amy Acker) and Gunn (J. August Richards) are frustrated at the lack of clues regarding their friends' whereabouts, especially after the only eyewitness to Angel's disappearance is murdered. After Angel is rescued by the most unlikely person, the shocking reasons behind the mysterious disappearances become clear. Alexis Denisof and Vincent Kartheiser also star. Terrence O'Hara directed the episode written by Steven DeKnight.

Overview:

While I was one of the few people that actually seemed to like last season?s finale, I was still concerned at the direction the new season was going to take as I?d hate for the show to lose viewers. I expected that the makers of the show would?ve heard the fans outcry. I expected that the show would take a different turn and I expected that Steven DeKnight would try his hardest to bring Angel back to where just about all viewers were happy with the episode. What I didn?t expect was an almost perfect episode of my favourite series.

DeKnight wrote an absolutely amazing script for his first time writing for the show and I am very glad that he is now writing on Angel permanently. He penned this with enough twists and turns to keep us on the edge of our seats, but also shoved so many emotions down our throat I was completely exhausted by the time the episode was finished.

But, DeKnight was not alone. Terrence O?Hara?s direction was some of the best I have ever in the series, providing us with plenty of visual treats. From the teaser?s hallucination-dinner-turned-watery-grave, to Marissa?s vertical climb and Linwood?s beheading I was once again amazed at the amount of things this show can pull off on such a tiny television budget.

Angel:

Angel is back with a vengeance. Brilliantly guiding us through some of the toughest scenes he has ever had to do and doing a good job with his speech to Connor at the end which had the potential to be very corny. Getting into his head and seeing what was in his mind was an experience I won?t forget. All he wants is a family, a safe and happy family and his apology to Cordelia as he drained her on the bluff was chilling.

No doubt, the extent that the 3 months underwater has changed him will be revealed in later episodes but at the moment he?s still the same Angel that we all know and love, with some hilarious dark comedy such as:

Angel: So, how was your summer? Mine was fun. Saw some fish, went mad with hunger, hallucinated a whole bunch

There?s not much to say about Angel though except he is, good old, Angel. Our lead character is still the driving force behind the series and will continue to be.

Connor:

I?m torn with this character. There?s no doubt there?s this certain aura of cool about him, and since he?s a descendent of Darla it automatically equals ?good? in my book but he?s just a character that you can?t totally like because they haven?t depicted him that way. But I don?t hate him, as he?s not evil, just misdirected. Although this line:

Connor: Even if - you still deserved it

Seems to prove that theory wrong. But observation of his body language on saying it seems he?s just trying to prove that the action he took was the right choice and make himself feel better. His manipulation of Fred and Gunn over the 3 months about knowing nothing about his father?s disappearance and only going to visit witnesses with them to dispose of them is something that I cannot forgive. It?s the worst kind of evil. I?m eagerly awaiting how they will fit the character in the series now that he is one of the regulars. One piece of dialogue involving him and Gunn stuck in my head for a long time after I finished watching the episode.

Connor: That thing is not my father
Gunn: Yes, he is

And it?s true. No matter how much Connor can tell himself otherwise, Angel is and always will be his father and it presents an interesting dynamic between the two on how they will deal with each other?s right and wrongs. A glimpse of which we saw at the end of the episode, where we see that Angel did not punish Connor for what he did, but only wanted him to listen and hope that it gets through to his better half.

Fred & Gunn:

I remember back in ?Fredless?, an early episode in season 3 where Fred was describing the dynamics of the group. She described Cordelia as the ?heart?, but she couldn?t find a place for herself. Boy, that?s definitely changed now. Fred is now the heart of this very small group that is left. She was the one this week that got to get angry, got to feel pain and got to say the cool lines such as:

Gunn: Are you okay?
Fred: No, you?
Gunn: No
Fred: It?s nice we still do things together

and

Vamp: Angel left you a little toy huh?
Fred: More than one (she dusts him)

and let?s not forget:

Fred: Like sixty times. He's lost the mission bro
Gunn: Well, we're about to loose this whole place and you know you can't say bro. - Alright. You need to start hustling up some paying clients
Fred: We will. As soon as I find Marissa. Can I say dawg?

Both characters have definitely grown over the 3 month break and their relationship has changed dramatically. I am glad that the lovey dovey speech between the two is over, which I personally didn?t have a problem with, but many did. Both characters are now totally and utterly in love and the tough world that they live in and that harsh situation over the last 3 months has only made their relationship stronger. I await anxiously for more growth in Fred?s character. I love her more and more as I view each episode and to see her play the hurting character (for example with Connor near the end of the episode) is a joy to watch.

Wesley:

Wow, check our scruffy Wesley! It?s hard to imagine that used to be the pompous watcher from Sunnydale who sacrificed others to safe his own hide. The dark side of Wesley is shining through, the biggest surprise of the episode being Justine locked inside his closet, but Wesley is still a good guy at heart. Why exactly did he save Angel if he doesn?t care about him? Does he really want to re-join the gang? Has he forgiven Angel? The questions are endless and fulfilling just to think about and I can?t wait to see how it pans out.

Justine:

Justine has always been a character that I have liked, while others haven?t. She?s emotionally torn in all different directions. Her need for revenge and her love for Holtz drove to her to some stupid things, locking up Angel in box probably being the worst. But this episode she was different. Maybe spending all that time locked up in a closet got her thinking about her actions and how much pained they caused to others. She seemed that she may be on the verge of changing, but her pride is stopping her from saying sorry. She had some fantastic scenes with Wesley
Justine: The great Wesley Wyndham-Price, the shining beacon of all that's good and pure. But wait, no! That's before he started banging the enemy and keeping slave-girl in his closet.
Wesley: You were always a slave, Justine. You just couldn't see the chains.
and though whether or not she will be back is unclear, I would gladly welcome her return.

Lilah:

Justine wasn?t the only one getting action with Wesley this episode. Lilah was getting quite a bit, and now we know that their one night stand wasn?t just?a one night stand. There seems to be a meeting of lonely hearts between Wesley and Lilah. They both have no real friends and both have families that can?t connect with. One thing that Lilah is that Wesley is not is EVIL! The first time we see her at work during the episode it seems that sleeping with Wesley has made her lose her touch. She is driven into the ground by Linwood and Gavin (who?s now been proven to be a even bigger pathetic loser, hiding behind Linwood and sucking up to him to get ahead). But my favourite evil bitch will never disappear into the night without a fight. With this one evil act of cutting of her bosses head, she is now in control of the Special Projects department at Wolfram & Hart and the damage she can do from there with her relationship with Wesley and her unique way of dealing with Angel is potentially fatal.

and Cordelia:

Oh our fair Cordelia. Thank you so much for putting to rest the worries of so many viewers. With one short, simple line of dialogue you have showed us how no matter how much you grow; no matter how much you may mature, you can never escape your roots. You are, and will always be, our Queen C. (rather like Giles? line to Willow in the Buffy premiere wasn?t it?)

Top 5 Quotes:

Wesley: I?ll take away your bucket

Lorne: Well, there goes that encouraging hug I was planning. Snap to, buckaroo. The only one turning to ashes is that patricidal pup of yours. Hell, I'd take him out myself if I wasn't just a crappy hallucination

Lorne: You wanna bitch-slap sour-puss over there for practice? I'm your cheering section

Linwood: This is outrageous! Are you actually telling me that you went over my head?
Lilah: Just under it, actually

Cordelia: God I am so bored!

In Closing:

There was one scene that I found too forced though, and that was the Angel?s hallucination of him and Cordelia on the bluff. I found that there was no chemistry between them whatsoever when performing this type of love scene and I only hope that the reason of it is because it came from Angel?s mind and therefore the performances were over-acted and dreamlike.

Don?t get me wrong, I?m all for an A/C relationship. I really think that these two need to move forward with their feelings for each other, but if this is the sort of stuff I have to put up with for them two to be together then I?d rather them be apart and find new people to love.

The pleasant return of Lorne for this episode only makes me more hopeful that he will return in the future and end up moving back to Los Angeles and speaking of which, who/what the hell is fluffy anyway?

Also special mention has to go to the amazing score from Robert J. Kral, my favourite moment of his music being that addictive beat as Angel is pulled out of the water by Wesley and Justine

The writing, visuals and especially acting were all first class in this episode and despite the Angel/Cordelia issue I?m hard pressed to find anything wrong with the episode. So with that, I?m giving the season premiere a

9/10

Season 4 is off to a truly brilliant start now under the leadership of Joss and Jeffrey Bell. Let?s be glad that they got rid of that Simkins fellow before he could cause any damage and hope that every episode of the coming season is as, if not stronger than this brilliant piece of television.


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