Angel, "Happy Anniversary" Review (2x13)

Brief Synopsis: “Angel and Lorne are hunting for a physicist who they fear will cause the end of the world inadvertently. However, their progress is being slowed by a group of Lubber demons who seek to use the scientist’s work for their own dark ends. Meanwhile, Angel Investigations are setting up their new office and Virginia gives them their first official case as a new team.”


"Blood Money" (2x12) quick link here                                                                                                           "The Thin Dead Line" (2x14) quick link here

Three quick notes before we get started...

1) This review will almost definitely contain spoilers for episodes after this one.

2) If you enjoy my reviews, please subscribe to the blog! Over on the right-hand side there's a little box that says "Follow Shangel's Reviews by Email!". If you put your Email address in there and click "Submit", then confirm your subscription, you will get each review sent straight to your inbox! No junk mail, no bullshit, just my reviews.

3) If you're going to be using Amazon (UK/USA) or eBay (pretty much anywhere) soon, please do so through my blog. It'll take you just a couple of extra mouse clicks, but they will pay me a small percentage of the money you spend, helping me find more time to write these reviews. Most importantly, it costs you nothing at all extra. Details of how to do this are located here (it'll take less than a minute to read!). Thank you very, very much!

With that being said, let’s get started, shall we?



“Happy Anniversary” is widely considered the weakest episode of the second season of “Angel” and for good reason. Frankly, the story-of-the-week regarding Gene and his scientific creepiness is simply dull for the most part. This isn’t a knock on Matt Champagne (great name!), who does a great job with Gene, it’s simply that the demons are uninspired, the story itself is weak, and the motives behind the story are disturbing. Your girlfriend is about to break up with you, so you decide that when you’re having goodbye sex you’re going to freeze her and yourself in time forever in a moment of ‘bliss’? That’s creepy on a level I hardly knew existed. A time-frozen alternate universe that I have dubbed ‘squirtsville’ might sound great on paper, but not when you know she doesn’t love you, that she’s about to break up with you, and without her giving her consent. More disturbingly, Gene sees this controlling, unacceptable behaviour as a romantic gesture! Why give a girl flowers and chocolates when you can freeze her in time for all eternity? I digress...while on the subject of Gene’s ridiculous plan, I also didn’t appreciate the Lubber demons much at all either. They were just...underwhelming and unneeded. Their sole purpose in the episode was to ensure that Gene’s time-freezing equipment would extend beyond the field Gene intended it to. Why couldn’t Gene’s equipment just have been faulty and done that by itself? Why couldn’t Gene have just figured the maths formula out by himself? The Lubber demons were totally unnecessary and added nothing extra to this story.

(it's as though a Gentlemen made a baby with Slenderman, isn't it?)

While “Happy Anniversary” is primarily rather boring, it does offer some great insight into Angel’s mental state through Lorneytunes giving Angel a much needed reality check. I swear, Lorne is the most wonderful, sassy, sparkly-suit-wearing, green-skinned demon I could possibly imagine. His character is one that grew from a karaoke act into one of the most interesting, likeable characters in the Buffyverse. He’s the undisputed King of sass! What I’ve grown to really appreciate about Lorne is his ability to stand up to Angel. Outside of Cordelia, a lot of characters beat around the bush (Gene certainly doesn’t in this episode...oh, snap!) when it comes to telling Angel off. They try to approach Angel with kid gloves, which never works. Angel is the type of character that needs to be outright told off in the most dramatic fashion. Secretly, he’s a drama queen. Lorne does just that in this episode and it starts Angel on his path back to his path to redemption (that’s right, Angel’s so messed up he has two paths). In addition to this, Cordy, Wesley, and Gunn have acquired new premises for the recent incarnation of Angel Investigations, and Virginia, Wesley’s girlfriend, brings them their first official case as a new team.

The episode opens with Cordy, Wesley, and Gunn establishing their new business (with the same name) at their new headquarters. The only problem is that they’re flat broke. So much so that they can’t afford to pay their phone bill or their electricity bill...I’m sure they’ll be able to bring in clients without those. The only way they can receive cases is by walk-in clients or carrier pigeon messages...

Gunn: “They better roll in through a bull horn. We’ve got no dial tone.”
Cordy: “What?!”
Wesley: “Perhaps it’s the wires...*he crawls under the desk*”
Cordy: “They said it would be on by now!”
Gunn: “One desk? We’re sharing?”
Wesley (from under the desk): “Aha! Things are looking up! I think I found the right wire...”
*all the lights go out*
Gunn: “...I’m so glad I met you guys. It’s entertaining, really.”

Do not fret, gentle readers, hope arrives in the red-headed form of Virginia...

Gunn: “How do you avoid reality?”
Virginia: “Money. It cures everything but boredom, and food cures boredom, so there you go...imported chips and packets of cheese.”
Gunn: “Thanks.”
Wesley: “We’ll enjoy them huddled around our pathetic candles.”
Cordy: “We’ll make pathetic nachos.”
Virginia: “You guys are really down.”
Gunn: “Yeah. And don’t try to tell us there’s no way to go but up, because the truth is, there’s always more down.”
Virginia: “Oh!...and that was very well said, by the way. But, I found a case for you. A client. A rich one.”

Virginia’s case leads Angel Investigations to a big payday that allows the team to not only pay off their expenses, but also to start their new business venture properly. For the first time since Angel fired them all, they’re in a position to really thrive without his influence and ability to track (read: stalk) people, which he’s had many, many years to perfect. The case itself is highly entertaining. Even though we see very little of it, what we do see is enough to keep my attention. I’ve always been a fan of ‘whodunnit’ murder mysteries. I love trying to piece together who the murderer really was. We don’t get to see enough of the case in this episode to really be able to venture an accurate guess, but the scene where Wesley hilariously reveals that the culprit was the kind old lady is masterfully handled by Alexis, who I still maintain is the funniest actor in the Buffyverse (I defy you to watch Buffy’s “Bad Girls” or Angel’s “Spin The Bottle” and tell me I’m wrong!). One of the problems with this episode is that this story doesn’t get enough time. I miss Cordy, Wesley, and Gunn! We haven’t seen a great deal of them in either “Blood Money” or “Happy Anniversary” and their presence on the show is sorely missed. Time needs to be dedicated to Angel’s story here as it’s so crucial for his character, but the episode doesn’t need as much time dedicated to Gene, which i feel isn’t the most interesting story in the first place.

Angel wakes up to an equally bad day (for him), as the sound of Lorne’s dulcet tones blast through the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel. Angel, who is so detached from humanity by this point that he doesn’t want to see anyone, resents Lorne being in his hotel and making a lot of noise, so he demands to know why Lorne is there...

Angel (grumpily): “Is there a reason you’re here?”
Lorne: “There is. What’s today, Thursday? Tomorrow night, the world’s going to end...I thought you might want to know.”
----------------------------------
Angel: “Why’d you come to me?”
Lorne: “Isn’t it obvious? You’re a champion. A unique force for good in a troubled world. Also, all the other champions I know are currently out of town...or dead. Why? You don’t want to work with me? Is this because I sent you on a couple of missions that turned out to be a little...”
Angel: “Pointless and deadly?”

There’s no need to get snippy over minor details, Angel. One of my favourite scenes of the episode is Lorne telling Angel the tale of Gene and how Gene singing at Caritas knocked Lorne out...literally. Andy’s comedic timing in this scene was as good as it always is and the directing of the scene and the cutaways were really well choreographed. Angel has fallen so far from humanity at this point that he doesn’t care at all about the end of the world. He’s lost his ties to humanity (his team) and Wolfram & Hart have succeeded in destroying his life and snatching away his hope. If Lorne didn’t sass at Angel until Angel gave in, he would have just gone back to bed and waited for the end of the world...which would have meant that he’d have been trapped in a time-frozen alternate reality where he was brooding in his bedroom by himself forever...it sounds like Angel’s wet dream, doesn’t it?

Okay, so I kind of want an Angel-Lorne spinoff show, where they tour the world fighting demons and bickering like an old married couple. Lorne’s overly-cheery and positive attitude clashes so wonderfully with Angel’s broody and dark attitude of late that I can’t help but giggle every time they’re on screen together. Like when Lorne learns to drive while driving Angel’s car because Angel is cowering in the backseat under a blanket because of the sun, or when Lorne is trying to translate the Lubber demons and accidentally says something other than “we come in peace”...comedy gold, right there. Angel and Lorne have barely interacted before this episode outside of Angel grumpily or hurriedly demanding information from Lorne, so it’s nice to see some genuine moments of bonding between these two characters...even if Angel is pissy for most of it.

You may recognise the bartender that Angel and Lorne talk to while on their quest to find Gene. He’s played by Mike Hagerty, who also plays Mr. Treeger, the superintendent of the building where most of the characters reside in “Friends”. Who knew Treeger could sing? Man’s got pipes!

After spending a few scenes with Gene, it’s apparent that Gene is a man that has taken his relationship and girlfriend for granted. He’s always working because he’s so passionate about science, but it’s at the expense of his girlfriend feeling unappreciated, which has resulted in her falling out of love with him. Why stay in a relationship where you feel like you’re second best to science? I understand and can appreciate Gene’s enthusiasm for his job, but it’s not counteracted with a loving passion for his relationship. Look at how he kisses his girlfriend before they break up! It’s so awkward and lifeless that if it were a person I’d demand it received C.P.R. immediately. Nothing in the world seems to exist for Gene outside of his job...until he overhears a conversation between Denise and Val, where Denise confides in Val that she’s going to break up with Gene. After this revelation, Gene decides to use his scientific prowess to freeze himself and Denise in time forever before she breaks up with him. How sweet.

While working together and trying to find Gene, Lorne calls Angel out on his refusal to accept guidance or help from anyone since Darla returned to his life. He ignored his friends’ advice before firing them, he ignored Cordelia’s messages from the PTB, and he ignored Lorne’s warnings about the path he was heading down in “The Trial”. Simply, while I can empathise with Angel’s situation, he’s in the position he is now because of his own choices. Sure, Wolfram & Hart have been trying to destroy his life and turn him dark for months. Sure, they did a lot to mess with his head and isolate him from his friends. However, Angel didn’t have to go down that path. He didn’t have to fire his friends or ignore their advice. He chose to do that and now he’s reaping the rewards (or lack thereof) of those choices. Lorne has never had more screen time than he does in this episode and boy does he shine! He offers insights into Angel’s mental state that haven’t been addressed before this episode and he even gets Angel to open up about his feelings a little bit(!!!). THAT NEVER HAPPENS! The only issue with Lorne’s character thus far is that we know absolutely nothing about him apart from the fact that he’s an empath demon that can read people’s thoughts and journeys while they bear their soul and sing. Who is he? Where is he from? What does he do when he’s not hosting at Caritas and looking fabulous? Why does he feel so obligated to help people along their journeys? WHAT’S HIS NAME?! At this point in time, he’s not even called ‘Lorne’, he’s simply known as ‘The Host’. Most of these questions will be answered during the Pylea arc at the end of this season.

Lorne: “If the world were to end tonight, would it really, in your heart of hearts, be such a terrible thing? (*Angel stays silent*). Now, sweetie, is that a fun place to be?”
Angel: “I think you should shut up now.”
Lorne: “I’m The Host, have you met me? I never shut up. You pushed your friends away, you went from helping the helpless to hunting down the guilty. Blood vengeance is a luxury of the lesser beings. You’re a champion, Angel.”

Lorne saying “lesser beings” immediately made me think of The Oracles from the last season and now I miss their blue and gold faces. Do you see how perfect Lorne is here? He doesn’t just call Angel out, he doesn’t just make Angel think about his behaviour (for the first time since firing his friends), but he also builds Angel up at the end. Angel is a champion, a hero, someone who’s dedicated his time in Los Angeles to helping the helpless. He hasn’t done this for a reward, he’s done this because he wants to help and make amends. Wolfram & Hart succeeded in their mission to turn him dark. It’s understandable that Angel went down the path he did, but now it’s time to readdress the situation. Enough time has passed now that Angel isn’t running off of blind rage and hatred. What “Happy Anniversary” succeeds in doing is explaining Angel’s side of the argument. Angel is in a lose-lose situation. He’s desperately trying to atone for hundreds of years of murder and misery that Angelus caused, but he can never succeed in doing that. He’s never going to erase that pain. He can never make it right or rebalance the scales. Now, on top of that knowledge, Wolfram & Hart have been dedicating themselves to turning Angel dark. As I mentioned before, they brought his former lover and sire back from the dead as a dying human just to mess with him. Why is it so surprising that Angel has snapped under this combined pressure? Because Angel is a champion, everyone expects him to just be able to shrug all of this off and keep fighting. Newsflash! Life doesn’t work that way! Angel, like everyone else, can only bend so much before he breaks. The conclusion of “The Trial” was Angel’s breaking point. Angel was forced to sit and watch Darla be turned into a vampire again by Drusilla. Darla, who he loves and wants to help. Darla, who had just finished telling Angel that she was ready to die as a human and didn’t want to be sired by him anymore. This drove Angel to want revenge, understandably so. The desire for revenge outweighed his desire to help people (which, again, is understandable), so Angel fired his staff because he knew that they weren’t dark enough to accompany him on this journey of vengeance. All of this makes sense! Was it the right thing to do? NO! Should Angel have listened to his friends instead of turning his back on them? OF COURSE! But, is Angel’s behaviour justified? ABSOLUTELY! 

Lorne: “You kind of left them in the cold.”
Angel:” It’s a lot colder in here.”

BOOM! That’s why Angel fired his staff. He knew he was going down a dark path and didn’t want to drag them down with him. It still doesn’t excuse his actions or treatment of them, but it does explain his behaviour. However, Lorne helps Angel realise that he’s made a lot of mistakes recently, the most significant of which being firing his friends. By the conclusion of this episode, Angel wants to be a part of the team again, but he knows that he can’t be. He gave up that right when he fired them all and stopped communicating with them for months. They’ve moved on without him. They’ve got new premises, new cases, and new lives. While he’s skulking around in the shadows feeling miserable, they’ve moved on without him. Lorne’s tough love speech to Angel has prompted Angel into action finally and he’s realised the error of his ways. It’s because of this that Angel (after stopping the Lubber demons and the naughty science from freezing the world) tries to comfort Gene over the loss of his relationship with Denise...

Angel: “Well, you know, love...it’s a fire.”
Gene: “You’ve been there?”
Angel: “It burns you alive, down to the bone, and then it turns the bone to ash...”
Lorne: “I think what my chipper friend is trying to say here, Gene, is the wheel keeps on turning. You can’t stop it. Sometimes things get worse, sometimes they get better.”
--------------------------------------
Lorne: “You’re connecting to a human, that’s a start...although, I’d go easy on the bone and ash metaphors for a while.”
Angel: “Well, the guy is a disaster at love and nearly destroyed the world...I can relate.”

...You can say that again, Angel. Acathla, anyone? Buffy, anyone? Points for effort for trying to cheer Gene up though. I know I’ve given Gene a hard time in this episode...mostly because his actions are selfish and gross...but I can empathise with his position. He’s losing someone that he loves dearly that doesn’t love him back. Sure, he didn’t help matters by being obsessed with work, but it’s one of those cases of not appreciating what you have until it’s gone. I can understand the desire for things to stay the same, but acting on those desires by taking away the other person’s freewill is unforgivable.

The episode ends with Angel on the outside looking in at his former life. He gave everything up to go after Wolfram & Hart and the consequences of that are that he’s miserable and alone, while his friends are succeeding together without him. They’re celebrating a big payday, celebrating their new lives, and remarking that ‘Angel Investigations’ is “just a name” now, while Angel is tragically looking at everything he lost in the war with Wolfram & Hart. Was it all worth it, Angel? Was it worth not listening to your friends and turning your back on the mission?

Quote Of The Episode

This is simply too beautiful to not be the ‘Quote Of The Episode’...


Lorne: “It’s like a song. Now, I can hold a note for a long time...actually, I can hold a note forever. But eventually that’s just noise. It’s the change we’re listening for. The note coming after, and the one after that, that’s what makes it music.”


FINAL SCORE: 3.5/10

What are your thoughts on "Happy Anniversary"? Did you enjoy this episode? Dislike it? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments section below!

If you've enjoyed this review, please use the conveniently placed buttons just below to share it on Blogger, Google+, Twitter, Facebook, or email it to a friend! It is greatly appreciated!