I get the feeling that this episode is set up to make us feel sorry for Spike. To get the "Angel" audience to sympathize with his plight and want Team Angel to help him. As we watch everyone try and save this werewolf girl, Spike begs for some attention. The audience (and Fred) know that Spike is fading into hell and I think the episode is designed to make him seem really desperate. It works because I end up shouting, "Angel, Fred, help him!" whenever I see "Unleashed." Honestly, this isn't the best episode of the season. But it does introduce Nina who will be a recurring character, so you really should see it.
"Unleashed" revolves around Team Angel trying to help a werewolf girl. She's been bitten by a werewolf and will now become one. Angel wants to help her adjust. Meanwhile, everyone is concerned that Gunn is adjusting a little TOO well to Wolfram and Hart. He's really digging his new legal brain and he's starting to settle right in. Fred is working, somewhat, on re-corporealizing Spike. He's anxious to be un-ghosted as his fading is become more frequent. He urges Fred to work on his problem, but she is busy with Nina. When, Nina is kidnapped by a bunch of people who want to eat werewolf meat and Team Angel has to save her. She and Angel flirt a little bit. Back at Wolfram & Hart, Fred promises to save Spike. Then Gunn, Angel, Fred, Wes and Lorne reconnect with a dinner at Angel's place.
There are some great parts to this episode. It really fits that Fred would be the one person Spike went to for help. It's not because she's a science wiz, either. It's because she's a woman and Spike always feels more comfortable dealing with women. (Dru, Buffy, Willow, Faith, Dawn, Anya, Illyria, even Harmony... He talks to all of them longer than with pretty much any male character in the Buffyverse except Angel. And maybe Clem.) He doesn't try to act all tough guy with women and he's much more relaxed. His ridiculous excuse about a blood vengeance with Wesley preventing him from going to Wes with his troubles is pretty funny. Fred calls it a "load of crap" and Spike sort of admits that he made it all up. But then we learn about his history with Wes's father in "Legacy," which makes me wonder if Spike wasn't telling a teeny bit of the truth, only about Wesley's dad. Also, I like Lorne reading that evil crypto-zoologist. The guy sings "Jessie's Girl," which ties in with a certain Rick Spingfield screen-saver that an evildoer has in "Shells." Personally, I like song, but in the Buffyverse, it's apparently bad news. Also, I like that Wes is jealous of Knox. Wesley's really cute. Fred must be blind not to grab him up. Plus you just have to laugh when Angel explains to Nina that he's a monster, too. "Like a Frankenstein?" she guesses. Angel's outraged, "No! I'm a vampire." is just hilarious.
Finally, the episode has some indication what's to come this season. Fred is trying to see the Hyperion out the window, but she can't and confuses it with another building. In a way, Team Angel spends the whole season losing sight of that Champions that they were back at the Hyperion. They're confused about good & evil now and the fact that they can't even see the Hyperion anymore seems to illustrate that. Nina's basically the last "real" person they save all season. From now on, all their cases are left unresolved on screen, with faceless participants and compromised solutions. It's Spike who has to go out and "help the helpelss," and Team Angel who slowly begins to just mitigate evil. It's really fascinating. And it's sort of interesting to hear Angel tell Nina that separating yourself from the people who love you will lead to badness. That's pretty much what Illayria says about Angel later in the season in "Power Play."
On the down side, we have a werewolf episode with no mention of Oz? Are you kidding me? He's a big part of seasons 2,3 and 4 of BTVS and he's been on "Angel" (season one's "In the Dark," which also had Spike in it.) Oz (mostly) cured his werewolf-ness over on BTVS season four, something that Nina might like to know. Spike, Angel and Wes all know Oz and I can't believe no one mentions him. And, did Team Angel really leave that crypto-zoologist to be eaten? How is that different than killing the evil college professor last season, which drove Gunn and Fred apart? I know they said they'd closed down the food cult, but still if they didn't save that guy, it seems... wrong. Also, I don't like Nina. Angel has two girlfriends already: Buffy and Cordy, both of whom play a big part in the season's story arc. Why introduce this boring blond woman to distract him from the women that he really loves?
My favorite part of the episode: That food-y guy saying that there's no such thing as leprechauns. It's a running joke in the Buffyverse and I appreciate the nod to history.
"Unleashed" revolves around Team Angel trying to help a werewolf girl. She's been bitten by a werewolf and will now become one. Angel wants to help her adjust. Meanwhile, everyone is concerned that Gunn is adjusting a little TOO well to Wolfram and Hart. He's really digging his new legal brain and he's starting to settle right in. Fred is working, somewhat, on re-corporealizing Spike. He's anxious to be un-ghosted as his fading is become more frequent. He urges Fred to work on his problem, but she is busy with Nina. When, Nina is kidnapped by a bunch of people who want to eat werewolf meat and Team Angel has to save her. She and Angel flirt a little bit. Back at Wolfram & Hart, Fred promises to save Spike. Then Gunn, Angel, Fred, Wes and Lorne reconnect with a dinner at Angel's place.
There are some great parts to this episode. It really fits that Fred would be the one person Spike went to for help. It's not because she's a science wiz, either. It's because she's a woman and Spike always feels more comfortable dealing with women. (Dru, Buffy, Willow, Faith, Dawn, Anya, Illyria, even Harmony... He talks to all of them longer than with pretty much any male character in the Buffyverse except Angel. And maybe Clem.) He doesn't try to act all tough guy with women and he's much more relaxed. His ridiculous excuse about a blood vengeance with Wesley preventing him from going to Wes with his troubles is pretty funny. Fred calls it a "load of crap" and Spike sort of admits that he made it all up. But then we learn about his history with Wes's father in "Legacy," which makes me wonder if Spike wasn't telling a teeny bit of the truth, only about Wesley's dad. Also, I like Lorne reading that evil crypto-zoologist. The guy sings "Jessie's Girl," which ties in with a certain Rick Spingfield screen-saver that an evildoer has in "Shells." Personally, I like song, but in the Buffyverse, it's apparently bad news. Also, I like that Wes is jealous of Knox. Wesley's really cute. Fred must be blind not to grab him up. Plus you just have to laugh when Angel explains to Nina that he's a monster, too. "Like a Frankenstein?" she guesses. Angel's outraged, "No! I'm a vampire." is just hilarious.
Finally, the episode has some indication what's to come this season. Fred is trying to see the Hyperion out the window, but she can't and confuses it with another building. In a way, Team Angel spends the whole season losing sight of that Champions that they were back at the Hyperion. They're confused about good & evil now and the fact that they can't even see the Hyperion anymore seems to illustrate that. Nina's basically the last "real" person they save all season. From now on, all their cases are left unresolved on screen, with faceless participants and compromised solutions. It's Spike who has to go out and "help the helpelss," and Team Angel who slowly begins to just mitigate evil. It's really fascinating. And it's sort of interesting to hear Angel tell Nina that separating yourself from the people who love you will lead to badness. That's pretty much what Illayria says about Angel later in the season in "Power Play."
On the down side, we have a werewolf episode with no mention of Oz? Are you kidding me? He's a big part of seasons 2,3 and 4 of BTVS and he's been on "Angel" (season one's "In the Dark," which also had Spike in it.) Oz (mostly) cured his werewolf-ness over on BTVS season four, something that Nina might like to know. Spike, Angel and Wes all know Oz and I can't believe no one mentions him. And, did Team Angel really leave that crypto-zoologist to be eaten? How is that different than killing the evil college professor last season, which drove Gunn and Fred apart? I know they said they'd closed down the food cult, but still if they didn't save that guy, it seems... wrong. Also, I don't like Nina. Angel has two girlfriends already: Buffy and Cordy, both of whom play a big part in the season's story arc. Why introduce this boring blond woman to distract him from the women that he really loves?
My favorite part of the episode: That food-y guy saying that there's no such thing as leprechauns. It's a running joke in the Buffyverse and I appreciate the nod to history.