S02.E14: The Thin Dead Line

[Joe Hellandback]

The THIN DEAD LINE

The Good; Excellent ep, lovely to see Anne again, good story, especially like the Jackson/Gunn confrontation. Also a nice little role for the desk sergeant.

The Bad; Could this really all happen without anyone knowing about it? Or should I ask without anyone caring? Doesn't anyone hear the gunshots in the police station?

Best line: Angel; "I just killed a cop" Kate; (looking around the police station) "I wouldn't say that in here no matter how immortal you think you are"

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Once again man's (or should that be zombie's?) inhumanity to man always more disturbing than the supernatural.

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés Damsel in distress; 17

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 11

Cordy's tattoo; oh yeah, we see it at the siege at the refuge 4

Cheap Angel; 6

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 8 Wes: 3

Fang gang knocked out:Wes passes out after being shot Cordy: 10 Angel: 12 Wes: 6 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1

Kills: Cordy: 5 vamps, 1 demons Angel; 22 vamps, 31 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans and 1 zombie Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 1 demon Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 5 vamps+ 2 demons.

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 6

Characters killed: 30

Recurring characters killed; 4;

Total number of Angel Investigations: 3/1? 4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot: yes, Wes by the zombie cop Angel: 10 Wes; 1

Packing heat; Wes; 2 Doyle; 1 Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast Angel: 1;Buffy Wes; 2; Virginia and the bleached blonde

Kinky dinky: No time for that

Captain Subtext; Or that!

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages; 5,

Guantanamo Bay; Merle moves and I don't blame him. The whole thing is one big discussion of The End Justifies the Means, the police Captain uses vigilante methods to eradicate the crime in his area but at what cost? Angel is happy to give the area back to the Jackson's of the world because that's human trouble rather than supernatural. Are the Captain's actions a reflection of Angel's own?

Buffy characters on Angel; 14 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, Master, Anne

Questions and observations; Nice mislead, you think Anne is going to Angel but instead she goes to Gunn. Gunn himself starts to feel removed from his old gang. Angel and Kate seem to have restored their working relationship after the Shroud of Rashamon. Love the Cordy's clothes gag. The whole ep is reminiscent of the old Maniac Cop horror film series (which also featured a vigilante zombie cop resurrected through voodoo) with hints of Night of the Living Dead, Magnum Force and Assault on Precinct 13 (the original, forget the remake even if it has Gay Byrne)

Marks out of 10; 7/10, enjoyable but a step outside the arc.