Angel S3-12: The Short Review

'Provider'

Written by Scott Murphy

Directed by Bill Norton

"I just never had a life that was totally dependent on me before. But that's no excuse. [...] What's important is family - and the mission" - Angel

Y'know, I'm on the verge of wishing S3 would throw out a truly awful episode, because with episodes like this, criticism feels somewhat like trying to kick a paper bag - there's almost nothing to aim for, and even when you connect, it doesn't really achieve anything. Make no mistake, 'Provider' is not good - in fact, it's probably the worst episode of the season - but neither, I think, is it the all-time low for the series some seem to see it as. It's not stupidly bad like 'Blood Money', and it's not borderline-offensively bad like 'She'. It's mostly just dopey-bad, reminiscent of episodes like 'I Fall To Pieces' and 'The Bachelor Party'. In short, it's not bad because it fails at what it attempts; it's bad by default, because it never really tries.

Which is a shame, because it's not as if there aren't any redeeming features. There are some reasonably interesting ideas here, notably the central concept that Angel's new responsibilities cause him to lose sight of 'the mission' somewhat, and it's always nice to have an episode in which everybody gets something to do. It's not even truly filler - there's actually some advancement, however minimal, for several plot lines, presumably to make sure all the pieces of the various puzzles are in place before sweeps kick in. So, we get Wesley and Gunn stumbling towards the realisation that they're both interested in Fred (I don't think it's entirely clear whether or not they've actually realised, or just suspect); we get Cordelia establishing that whatever her demon attributes are, they're not going to manifest just because she wants them to; we find out that Holtz is sending Justine out on a recruitment drive (raising the possibility that we'll be seeing Sam again?); and we find out that AI is actively seeking information on Holtz. No mention of Sahjan, though, which is interesting; I find it hard to believe he's just given up trying to get Angel killed.

But, like a few too many S3 episodes (or so it feels), the whole affair is just too ephemeral. With the exception of the Holtz/Justine scenes, there's no intensity to any of the proceedings (for maximum effect, I'd have moved the second of those scenes to the end of the episode, to provide more contrast with the Angel/Cordelia 'moment')- even Angel's initial refusal to help Sam doesn't feel particularly shocking. This is Angel for people who liked Pylea: Comfortable and harmless. Actually, it's worse than that; at least in Pylea, there was real character development. Here, the characters are reduced to caricatures; recognisable as the people we've come to know and love, but two-dimensional. It doesn't help that Scott Murphy isn't exactly a comedy genius; too many of the jokes fall flat (although www.illneverknowtheloveofawoman.com/ was somewhat inspired), and for the first time I found Fred truly annoying. Up to now, her ramblings have been relevant - thinking out loud, formulating theories as she goes. Here, it was basically technobabble. And this isn't Star Trek

Other aspects of the execution that grated somewhat were the somewhat cheesy seventies cop-show-style camerawork, and the fact that we were repeatedly bludgeoned over the head with the theme. 'The mission' is more important than money - we get it, already. There is one possible positive aspect of this, at least; am I imagining things, or did Gunn look more than a little sceptical of Angel's commitment to 'the mission' at the end of the episode? Whilst it would be a little too obvious to have him fully recruited by Holtz, at the rate Angel's going I could certainly buy the appearance of some more divided loyalties. As for the Wesley/Fred/Gunn triangle that appears to be developing, well, I'm trying to reserve judgement. At the moment, it smacks of just giving the secondary characters something to do whilst the Angel/Cordelia romance develops; but I shall try to avoid condemning it until we have at least a slightly clearer idea of where things are heading.

Ultimately, 'Provider', for much the same reasons as 'Carpe Noctem', is a disappointment. It merely skims the surface in search of some cheap laughs, and doesn't do it terribly skilfully. The 'curse of episode twelve', it seems, lives on.