Happy Anniversary
| Let's start off with the 3 plucky kids. Cordy, Gunn and Wesley have taken
on wealthy clients (passed their way by Virginia) who are being tormented by a demon. They
solve the crime with a detective performance by Wesley that looked as though Agatha
Christie had written it and business seems to be picking up. Our hero, Angel is soon to
have an active time of it too. Enter the host demon who was doing the usual, reading futures at the Caritas karaoke bar, when an “average Joe” took to the stage. He sang a sad love song (All by myself) and he knocked the host out, literally. Not only did “average Joe” have a non-existent future after 10pm the next night, neither did anyone else. Feeling this reason enough to risk a visit to a brooding Angel, he passes on the good news. Together, they set off on a search and, after trawling several karaoke bars (and having one of the bartenders blast out a few bars of “For he’s a jolly good fellow”), find out that “Average Joe” is in fact a student at the nearby university named Gene Rainey. Apparently our mathematical genius is to be shunned on his 1 year anniversary by his girlfriend and falls upon the brilliant idea of bringing time, as we know it, to a complete and utter screeching halt around them in order to keep his girlfriend from breaking up with him. Little does he know that he's the chosen one according to some Lubber demons who are helping our unwitting scientist to fulfil a prophecy and end the world. When he stops time in a bubble around him and his girlfriend, the unstable bubble will encompass the world, ending human life as we know it. After fighting his way to the main generator, Angel is able to disconnect the time machine just before it encompasses him and the moment between Gene and his girlfriend is lost. In a post-coital discussion with Angel and the host, Gene is told of the destruction he almost caused and explains that he only wanted his girlfriend to stay with him and never leave. Angel tries his best to console Gene but ends up just spooking him by turning a figurative ‘fire of love’ metaphor into a literal description of his time in Hell. Top marks for effort though. |
| Rating and Comments: An episode that brought the host more into the lime light (not a bad thing in my opinion) and shows that our hero may be turning an emotional corner. When was the last time we saw Angel concerned about someone else’s feelings? |
| Rating 7/10 |