Angel S4-06: The Short Review

'Spin the Bottle'

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon

Let's get one thing straight, right off the bat: 'Spin the Bottle' is not a rip-off of Buffy's 'Tabula Rasa'. If it shares lineage with any Buffy episode, it is with the third season's 'Band Candy'.

I say this firstly and most importantly because I think that 'Spin the Bottle' is a significantly more coherent and intelligent episode than 'Tabula Rasa', and I think it is done a disservice by the comparisons. Bluntly, the spell in 'Tabula Rasa' made no sense; its effects varied according to the needs of the plot, and it told us nothing new about the characters. Indeed, in the case of several of the characters, it told us nothing at all: Randy Giles bears only a passing resemblance to any past, present or future incarnation of Spike.

In contrast, the spell in 'Spin the Bottle' has a clearly defined effect, taking the characters back to the teenage years. In Fred's case, it means seeing a side of her we've never seen before. For Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley it means that the episode acts as a waystation, highlighting how far each has come in the past few years. And the strength of the Connor/Liam confrontation surely speaks for itself.

None of these aspects are covered in any great depth, perhaps, but that's not the end of the world. This isn't intended to be a searing character examination, it's intended to be fun, and on that level it works very well indeed. That it delivers the occasional moment of insight along the way is simply an added bonus.

Let's look at what we got. First up, Wesley. He's gained the main thing his teenage self lacked: Confidence in his abilities. Gained it, in fact, to the point where he feels quite comfortable making decisions on behalf of other people, as we have seen several times in the recent path. The contrast between the two version of Wesley is startling, and you're forced to ask: Why show us this now? Why remind us of what he was now? Perhaps because there is some of that insecurity left in him; or perhaps because he needs to regain it, to achieve some kind of balance.

Gunn, on the other hand, has become much more insecure than he ever used to be, and that's maybe because he now has much more to lose. He's questioning his worth; he's not quite sure where he fits into Angel Investigations, and he's not quite sure why Fred is with him and not Wesley. Gunn takes out his aggression on Wes, but it seems clear that his real insecurity is that Fred would willingly choose the former watcher.

It's hard to write much about Cordelia. Yes, we get a glimpse of full-on Queen C (imagine my joy...), but it's hard to say why, since there is already a discontinuity since the last time we saw the complete Cordelia, in 'Tomorrow'. Amnesiac Cordelia now seems to have been a peculiarly pointless exercise; why tell that part of the story at all? Just to get her living with Connor, away from Angel?

Meanwhile, in the episode's most effective scene, Connor gets to see yet another side of his father, and perhaps inches a little closer to understanding him. And the use of Lorne to provide a framing story is an effective tension-generating mechanism, and engenders some real unease about whatever apocalyptic event is currently slouching towards LA.

It's the humour that stays with you most after the episode, though. For whatever reason, although the original pratfalling Wesley annoyed me no end, here I found him hugely entertaining ("Nobody move!...Or touch my arms.") And Liam's terror and wonderment at his predicament is nicely played, from his mysteriously absent brogue to his fascination with the tiny minstrels. If, as seems likely, all hell is about to break loose, 'Spin the Bottle' may be the last showcase for the lighter side of Angel for some time - and as such, I for one will remember it with fondness.

The Council of Watchers rating: