It took me about four viewing to really get the title of this episode. "To Shanshu in LA" or "To Live and Die in LA." (Duh. Sometimes, I wonder where my brain's at.) Anyway, this is Angel's first season finale and it's really a good one. It establishes a lot of stuff that will come into play in the seasons to come, especially Lindey's missing hand, the real meaning of the Shanshu Prophesy and, of course, Darla's resurrection. If you're planning to watch any of seasons two, three or five of "Angel," you really need to see this episode.
"To Shanshu in LA" revolves around the Shanshu Prophesy. (That's the prophesy about the vampire with a soul written on the mystical Scroll of Abergian that Angel stole from Wolfram and Hart back in "Blind Date.") Wes has been translating the scroll and he thinks that it says that Angel will die. Angel takes the news surprisingly well and Cordy becomes worried that he is disconnected from the world. She thinks that he needs something to care about. Or maybe a hobby. She decides to buy him some art supplies so he can take up drawing again. While she's out, though, a demon casts a spell on her. He opens her mind to all the people calling for help and Cordy collapses into a screaming ball. She's rushed to the hospital and the doctors can't help her. Angel is frantic... and things only get worse.
It seems that Wolfram and Hart is performing a ritual and they need the scroll of Abergian back to make it work. The demon in charge of the ritual is out to steal the scroll back from Angel and to keep him distracted by going after Angel's friends. The demon gets the scroll and blows up Angel's house, injuring Wes. After an argument with Kate, Angel goes to the hospital to watch over Wes and Cordy. While he's there, he see a strange mark on Cordy's hand and realizes that she's under a spell. He goes to the Oracles for help, but the demon has already been there too. The Oracles are dead. Well, dead-ish. The female Oracle does manage to tell Angel that he must get the scroll to save Cordy. Angel heads off to fight the demon.
The demon is busily preforming the ritual, raising something from hell. Angel shows up and kills the demon, but the ritual is completed. Angel chops off Lindsey's hand in order to get the scroll back and cures Cordy. Little does he know, that the ritual has resurrected Darla. She's back and she's human and Wolfram and Hart has her. Meanwhile, Wes finishes his translation of the Shanshu Prophesy and realizes that it doesn't say that Angel will die. "Shanshu" means both live AND die, so the prophesy really says that Angel will be reborn. That one day he will become human and have his past sins wiped away.
There are some cool parts to this episode. I think it's really sweet of Cordy to go shopping for art supplies for Angel. She's right, he really does need a hobby besides brooding. And I really like Angel wondering helplessly from Wes's hospital room to Cordy's bedside when they're hurt. Suddenly, it's obvious that Angel doesn't need a puppy to feel connected to the world. Wes and Cordy are his links to humanity. They're what he cares about and what keeps him going. I feel so sorry for Angel as he begs Cordelia to wake up. She and Wes are Angel's family, he needs them, and the thought of losing them is just breaking his heart. Also, it's cool that he goes to Gunn for help watching over them. Gunn is being drawn deeper and deeper into Angel's life. It's pretty clear that Angel trusts Gunn, since he asks him to protect Wes and Cordy. "To Shanshu in LA" really sets up Gunn joining the Angel Inc. team full time in the episodes to come. Also, the dragon drawn on the Shanshu Prophesy scroll ties in nicely with season five's, "Not Fade Away." (Personally, I'm convinced that Angel gets to be a real boy again and nobody's gonna talk me out of it.) And I like scene where Cordy puts cinnamon in Angel's blood. It's so quirky. Also, the whole "raising" ritual is fun. Holland is bored with all the chanting at the ceremony, which is pretty funny. And Darla comes back. Anything that resurrects Darla gets extra points in my book.
On the down side, I'm sorry that the Oracles died. I like them. Also, I'm still not sure it's the "becoming human" part of the Shanshu Prophesy that Angel's excited about. He was human just a few episodes ago in "I Will Remember You" and he gave it up to keep fighting. I think he's really after the "redemption" part of the prophesy. He wants his past washed away and to atone for his past. Maybe it's just semantics, but I really think he's after more than just his humanity, not matter what Cordy and Wes seem to believe. Angel's mostly hoping that the prophesy will tell him that he's finally forgiven.
My favorite part of the episode: Angel finally telling Kate to get over herself. Her attitude has been bugging me for ages now and I glad that Angel's finally standing up to her self righteous bigotry. "You want an enemy? Try me."
"To Shanshu in LA" revolves around the Shanshu Prophesy. (That's the prophesy about the vampire with a soul written on the mystical Scroll of Abergian that Angel stole from Wolfram and Hart back in "Blind Date.") Wes has been translating the scroll and he thinks that it says that Angel will die. Angel takes the news surprisingly well and Cordy becomes worried that he is disconnected from the world. She thinks that he needs something to care about. Or maybe a hobby. She decides to buy him some art supplies so he can take up drawing again. While she's out, though, a demon casts a spell on her. He opens her mind to all the people calling for help and Cordy collapses into a screaming ball. She's rushed to the hospital and the doctors can't help her. Angel is frantic... and things only get worse.
It seems that Wolfram and Hart is performing a ritual and they need the scroll of Abergian back to make it work. The demon in charge of the ritual is out to steal the scroll back from Angel and to keep him distracted by going after Angel's friends. The demon gets the scroll and blows up Angel's house, injuring Wes. After an argument with Kate, Angel goes to the hospital to watch over Wes and Cordy. While he's there, he see a strange mark on Cordy's hand and realizes that she's under a spell. He goes to the Oracles for help, but the demon has already been there too. The Oracles are dead. Well, dead-ish. The female Oracle does manage to tell Angel that he must get the scroll to save Cordy. Angel heads off to fight the demon.
The demon is busily preforming the ritual, raising something from hell. Angel shows up and kills the demon, but the ritual is completed. Angel chops off Lindsey's hand in order to get the scroll back and cures Cordy. Little does he know, that the ritual has resurrected Darla. She's back and she's human and Wolfram and Hart has her. Meanwhile, Wes finishes his translation of the Shanshu Prophesy and realizes that it doesn't say that Angel will die. "Shanshu" means both live AND die, so the prophesy really says that Angel will be reborn. That one day he will become human and have his past sins wiped away.
There are some cool parts to this episode. I think it's really sweet of Cordy to go shopping for art supplies for Angel. She's right, he really does need a hobby besides brooding. And I really like Angel wondering helplessly from Wes's hospital room to Cordy's bedside when they're hurt. Suddenly, it's obvious that Angel doesn't need a puppy to feel connected to the world. Wes and Cordy are his links to humanity. They're what he cares about and what keeps him going. I feel so sorry for Angel as he begs Cordelia to wake up. She and Wes are Angel's family, he needs them, and the thought of losing them is just breaking his heart. Also, it's cool that he goes to Gunn for help watching over them. Gunn is being drawn deeper and deeper into Angel's life. It's pretty clear that Angel trusts Gunn, since he asks him to protect Wes and Cordy. "To Shanshu in LA" really sets up Gunn joining the Angel Inc. team full time in the episodes to come. Also, the dragon drawn on the Shanshu Prophesy scroll ties in nicely with season five's, "Not Fade Away." (Personally, I'm convinced that Angel gets to be a real boy again and nobody's gonna talk me out of it.) And I like scene where Cordy puts cinnamon in Angel's blood. It's so quirky. Also, the whole "raising" ritual is fun. Holland is bored with all the chanting at the ceremony, which is pretty funny. And Darla comes back. Anything that resurrects Darla gets extra points in my book.
On the down side, I'm sorry that the Oracles died. I like them. Also, I'm still not sure it's the "becoming human" part of the Shanshu Prophesy that Angel's excited about. He was human just a few episodes ago in "I Will Remember You" and he gave it up to keep fighting. I think he's really after the "redemption" part of the prophesy. He wants his past washed away and to atone for his past. Maybe it's just semantics, but I really think he's after more than just his humanity, not matter what Cordy and Wes seem to believe. Angel's mostly hoping that the prophesy will tell him that he's finally forgiven.
My favorite part of the episode: Angel finally telling Kate to get over herself. Her attitude has been bugging me for ages now and I glad that Angel's finally standing up to her self righteous bigotry. "You want an enemy? Try me."