KarKar

I think Kate was a missed opportunity and an obvious underdog as just about everyone hated her before she was even on.

Which doesn't have to be the final factor. I hated Riley at first too but the character and Marc Blucas won me over to the point that I still say he's probably the most suitable guy she's dated.



Surprised how much I enjoyed Lonely Hearts. This is a great episode for DB. I love how he just plays the straight man, does deadpan to the nth degree and is at his bumbling best. Also he works his eyebrows and eyes like a pro. Totally blew me away after his non-acting on BtVS where he just kind of stood there and looked sad for Buffy. Really had me laughing with his little nonverbal responses.

Like when Doyle asked that he not say anything about his being demon, that sarcastic expression was priceless. And that closing scene where he says “God yes thank you” when Doyle suggests he can sit in the dark and brood? First time I saw that I knew DB could really carry the show.

I also love the brooding in the dark Angel. Really kind of crystalizes the character during that season. That and him walking with his hands in the pocket of that large black trench coat. Not the swagger of the leather but more the PI.

They had all these little details and touches that first season. Like the two or three lonely people sitting alone at tables. Can’t recall any subtle details or pointed touches like that at the Bronze. Everything had to be obvious to register in that setting.

I am disappointed that they cut out the implication that the guy thought Angel was hitting on him. They kept the wrong car scene from the pilot but couldn’t use one more Angel couldn’t be less of a player joke?

Is it me or did Glenn Quinn really hack off wardrobe that week? Usually they have at least a decent combination of loud shirt and naugahyde jacket but good grief, they found the most fugly combo’s for that one. One usually brought out his eyes but both just washed him out. Apparently hacked off hair and make up too judging by what looks like hat hair by the end.

I remember this as the intro for ER. I know a lot of folks liked her but I can’t imagine her as some coked out cop and pulling it off that was originally described. She really struggled in this one, like the bar scenes where her emotions/expressions had to be very obvious. I guess she just struck me as a very superficial in terms of portraying emotions. Contrasted to Justine who really had that behind her eyes maelstrom going on.

Plus, her delivery is just so flat and monotone. Her monologue in the apartment when she finds Angel was just so bad. Not crisp or lively while she’s throwing off cop-like comments and matter of fact flat when she needed to be ingratiating and soothing while she talked about his frustration.

Top it off with her obvious stunt double and it wasn’t her best show. She wasn’t strong in her physical performance so when they have the blatant cut aways, it didn’t flow for me.

Watching it this time I couldn’t help but wonder how the heck she found Angel’s apartment. It’s not like he’s got a last name she could index. Nor did she have a business card judging by the last scene where she couldn’t figure out the angel on the front.

And for Pete’s sake, Angel’s walking home with the sun up and roaming around Cordelia’s sunlight apartment.

And I know I’m venting but this is the episode that started the trend of not letting Charisma wear a real shirt with real support. Gimme a break.

Not that Charisma let it stop her. I loved her little sales pitch at the club. Throwing off innocent but unbelievably blunt comments like the lazy eye. Ratching up for a throw down when the jerk called her a hooker? Great. What else would you expect from *an ACTRESS*.


I didn’t remember a lot of this. Like that weird little twist of Angel’s head when Doyle talked about the three of them going out. Not sure he every endorsed C/D but he just blew the whole thing off whenever Doyle made his intentions known.

I love his failed but almost agonized attempt to get caught up in the business cards. The sudden enthusiasm and appreciation of her getting the cards. That weird little twisting while he was trying to make out the figure. Loved how she gets him squirming over nothing by the second episode.

This scene also has Angel and Cordelia looking at each other off screen a lot. Like when Doyle’s hit by the visions, Angel keeps looking at her. For reassurance from her or to reassure himself that she’s ok, I’m not sure. Strange seeing Doyle with the visions. I noticed that Angel didn’t really cuddle or sooth him during the mind numbing flailing. Even after it, he’s looking to her while talking.

I don’t really remember this much unspoken dynamic between them either. For some reason I thought it was pretty much Doyle/Angel back then but Angel seemed to include her more as a partner than Doyle. The shorter man seemed more of the scheming, scooping in approaching her than Angel.

Like when they walk down the stairs at the club. Cordelia/Angel in front with Doyle following behind like an afterthought. For some reason I thought they had her sitting at home or in the office more often than not doing her nails but that’s probably due to too much bad fanfic.

I wonder why she only handed Angel the cards, not Doyle. Kind of weird like he’s not even there. I noticed that Angel didn’t even question it but dutifully took the cards.

Which was a good thing. When he’s at a loss of words he looked down and aped her slogan on the cards. Reminds me of when she ghost-wrote his apology to Merle. And frankly that conversation needed it. I know it was supposed to be intentionally fumbling and awkward but boy, it was for more than plot reasons.

Reminded me of the Lilah/Angel meeting later on when you immediately got a sense of attraction and a large dose of tension.

Later on it’s really obvious how C/A’ve already got their interdynamics down when she immediately looks for Angel when the brawl starts. How she’s watching him and whimpering “Angel” while Doyle’s the one getting hurt.

Then he talks to Cordelia, not Doyle while they’re commiserating at the table later. Talks about Doyle in the third person even though he’s sitting there. The masks are already starting to fall while they talk about loneliness and their lack of social activity.

I love that little smirk and light in her eyes while he’s pouring out his heart about his days as Liam. You know she’s imagining him hitting the taverns and wenches. Not just the usual blank look someone else would’ve done.

Not to mention her attempt to be sympathetic to him. That little monologue where she tries to empathize with him. That alone was not something you expect from Queen C. But I love his reaction ranging from defensive to almost laughing at her bluntness. He sounds gruff when he asks her why but by the end he’s smiling at her and some of it is genuine. That wry little comment on how he appreciates her viewpoint. But on her side it really is genuine.

I love how he’s left sputtering with Doyle while she’s twirling off, literally. And really, does anyone believe her concern was purely vocational about having a homicidal maniac for a boss?

Another thing that was pretty common thru this was his patience with her. He’s still working on basic social skills and she’s really pushing him with her lack of computer skills and mishearing things. By season 2 he doesn’t even break stride but now he’s making a concerted effort to be calm. Like the borrower/donky comment.

For instance when she’s searching for the news. Number one, they’re doing it in the office, not breaking into the library. I’m sure that was her initiative to get a computer and internet. But I love that little look they exchange when Doyle finds the two bodies in the news. How they’re confirming their opinions with each other. Then she notices him starting to leave and wants to know where he’s going.

There were a couple of high school references again like the pilot. Like when the possessed girl was talking about dating is now by a different set of reference points (that don’t include Buffy). Also, when Cordelia talked about dating in Sunnydale was partly cuz they were all monster food. Little shared history between them as he WAS the monster hunting him and he reacts with his knuckles on the table. I’m sure that’s always somewhere on his mind at this point.

I love how she knows who “me” is when he shows up at her apartment. Her immediate response to his less than obvious bruises. Even the cut on his forehead was gone by then. That little pause and firm voice when she asks if he’ll be good wasn’t really a kidding tone. I suspect memories of Angelus are always in her mind at this point too. It’s an obstacle for their friendship but it’s not stopping it.

I love how her apartment cuts into his tight focus over the demon. Brings him up short. I thought it was laughter in his eyes the first time but it looks more like disbelief in that expression.

She’s also more affected his comments than Doyle’s. She pretty much blew him off but with Angel she went into the maid babbling, she couldn’t even meet his eyes. And he knows it by the way he drops his head.

I firmly believe that they had Cordelia paired with Doyle up front but her obvious reactions to his touch and any claims by him like in the club were pretty aggressive. Not the adversarial tension like with Xander but almost disgust.

Kind of like Angel’s reaction when he came back to the apartment and found them sleeping on the couch. I don’t know if he was just hacked off that the door was unlocked or that they were defensive less. However it’s certainly not an endorsement of them.

Love the little scene where she’s concerned about him calling Kate and going back to the club. He’s been spotted and she’s worried. I love that comment about being lonely and what lonely people do. He keeps her eyes while he says it with all his vulnerabilities and personal loneliness out there. She drops her eyes realizing how much of that is her as well.

I really love how both DB and CC have these genuine, warm little smiles/expressions. Like in the end where Angel’s pushing himself to invite the others out. Funny how he keeps looking at Cordelia but hey, can’t quite keep her eyes so he ends looking at Doyle. Look at him when he talks about going out for fun.

But I love her knowing, warm smile that’s almost sultry cuz she knows how hard he’s trying not to be him.