4x04 "Slouching Toward Bethlehem"
Reviewed by Matthew Bon | Rating: 10/10

THE RETURN OF CORDELIA CHASE - Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) returns, but since she has no memory of who she is or that Angel (David Boreanaz) is a vampire, everyone tries to keep their demon-hunting business a secret. After rescuing Cordelia from a demon, Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) takes on the role of her protector and Lorne (Andy Hallett) reads Cordelia's future to help restore her memory but sees an approaching apocalypse involving Angel. Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards and Amy Acker also star. Jeffrey Bell wrote the episode directed by Skip Schoolnik.

Overview:

Jeffrey Bell, who has been given a new co-executive position on "Angel" is now running the day-to-day workings on the show, basically taking over the position that David Greenwalt had. So one expects that his episodes should be stronger and more enjoyable since he has a better understanding of the show. Emphasis on the "should be" there.

Jeffrey though, had no trouble living up to my expectations on this episode which was one of those "made or break" episodes of the season. Taking a risk with the amnesia storyline could have potentially turned the show into a corny day-time movie of the week (which Fred so humorously points out) or raised the bar of having a character who can't remember her identity and has such an important role in world. Thankfully, "Slouching Toward Bethlehem" was the latter of these two outcomes and this would have to be my favourite episode of all time.

The episode was small, close & personal, just the way I like it. We hardly left the hotel except for the climax of the episode, and even then we went to Wesley's and Connor's apartments so we kept that homely feeling.

Skip Schoolnik, the director of the episode, who works on the series as co-producer and has directed one previous episode brought us some fantastic visuals, especially our Monster of the Week, whose deformed mouth looked so real my jaw was dropped the whole time he was onscreen. I wish he stuck around for longer, but I suppose he did cater for my favourite plot development in this episode which is the new relationship between Cordy and Connor.

The title of the episode comes from a poem called 'The Second Coming', which in turn became a song in 1991 called 'Slouching Toward Bethlehem. (Of course, it's more likely Lorne was referring to the song, him being a singing demon and all) Here is the poem in full:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all convictions, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

So, a big evil is on the way. Could it be perhaps that same evil that has been looming on Buffy? More on Lorne's vision below.

Angel, Connor & Cordelia:

I take back what I wrote in the review for the season premiere about David and Charisma having no chemistry together. Their performances in this episode were top notch, and their scene in Cordy's room where they were about to kiss was very real and I felt totally involved. I blame the acting of the fact that it was Angel's dream and therefore the acting was over the top and unrealistic. I can totally see them together as a couple and I think that whatever happens in the future with these two, it will be excellent.

Cordelia was hilarious in this episode; her wonderings about her past life obviously hinted an ohmage to Alias with Cordy thinking she was a spy due to her different hairstyles and also her singing, which was the same song she sung back in Season One's 'The Puppet Show'. Cordelia really kicks it doesn't she? She has to be one of the strongest, and also one of my most favourite characters on television. This amnesia storyline is really allowed her to try some new things with her character, and they were all great.

It is an episode like this that really is able to give you some wonderful nostalgia about the Cordy of old and that she will always have a special place in your heart - no matter how you may feel about her development at this point in time. Thank you Charisma for sticking with this show and thank you for creating and maintaining this amazing character who can always persuade us to follow on a journey through the dramas of life.

What was an interesting turn this episode was the new triangle formulating between Angel, Connor & Cordelia. While a Connor/Cordelia relationship would be quite eww-some considering she's almost like his mother, I could see why she would be attracted to him as he is the same as his father, the one she really loves, and he did treat her better than Angel did - especially the whole trust issue.

I eagerly anticipate what will happen next week between the two of them.

Wesley & Lilah:

Lilah once again proves she is a force to be reckoned with as just when I think that her conscious is breaking and she may even become a slightly bit humane, she proves to us she doesn't care about anything in this world except herself.

Her and Wesley's relationship is so complicated I doubt anyone will be able to understand it fully. There seems to be a meeting of lonely hearts in the middle, each using each other for sex and gratification. But in this episode we saw that Wesley seems to have grown some deep feelings for her and all Lilah can do in return is spit on him (and also take his cash for being the first one saying 'relationship').

Their scene together at the end of the episode was one of the best things of the hour. I am loving every single second of their relationship (expect that phone conversation last week, *shivers*) and hope that Wesley doesn't skip back to Angel Investigations any time soon.

Fred & Gunn:

It was a nice change for Fred & Gunn to step back while Cordy, Wesley & Connor got to have more screen time, but they did also have some good stuff in this episode.

I crack up every time I think of that little wave that Fred & Angel give Cordy through the office window. So funny!

Lorne:

Another great guest-spot by Lorne, who is deservingly being credited as a 'Special Guest'. But last season Julie Benz also received that treatment before her character ended up biting the dust, is this a sign that the same thing will happen to our favourite green-skinned singing demon? Let's hope not.

His reading of Cordelia asks many questions though, and is intriguing me greatly. Is the evil that Lorne saw in Cordelia's head the apocalypse that will complete Angel's destiny? Is so, then will this be the final season of the series? Or is this just another tease, like "Blood Money" that the apocalypse is looming ever so closer. We'll have to wait and see if this vision is mentioned in the next episode, or in one of the next few to know if it will be the basis for the main story-arc this season.

Top 5 Quotes:

Cordy: I am a spy! I get it now. You're all spies, probably Russian. and-and, you've brainwashed me and want me to believe we're friends so I'll spill the beans about some, nano-techno thingie, that you want.
Gunn: So, I look Russian to you?
Cordy: Black Russian.
Angel: That's a drink.
Cordy: Says the head spy.

Cordy: Your friends here were just talking about murdering children. And, there's-there's singing and blood and pointy things, and did I mention the singing? I mean, what the hell is going on here, Angie?
Angel: Angel.
Cordy: Whatever.

Cordy: That's... everything? It all makes perfect sense now. I was a cheerleader, a princess and a warrior. And I have visions and super powers and I'm the target of an evil law firm because I've spent the last three months living on a higher plane, fighting for the forces of good, who wage a battle against demons and evil and squishy bug babies, 'cause all that stuff's real and that's the world I live in. And I think I know why I don't remember any of this, cause, hey, who'd want to!
Lorne: Umm, Seabreeze?

Lilah: I was just doing my job. You were the one who decided to take what you overheard and give it to the good 'n plenties. So, before you go all righteous fury, figure out who you're really mad at here.

Lilah: If I thought you'd ever trust me, I would never have played you like that.

In Closing:

One thing annoyed the hell out of me this episode, and that was Gunn complaining about being a sidekick. Charles my mate, you are one, get over it, and stop ruining excellent scenes ranting on about it!

The stage is set, all our characters are on the playing board, and Lorne's terrifying vision of the future is creeping closer ever so slowly. The strongest episode yet of the season gets a

10/10

Jeffrey Bell and Skip Schoolnik have brought a exhilarating new episode to the series and catapulted it in a new direction that I'm sure will please me and many others.


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