Chief Seattle Review S3 E3 (Spoilers)
Linda
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Episode title "That Old Gang of Mine"
It's been a while since I posted here although I have been continuinung to
review Episodes - even if I have got a bit behind.
And at the risk of shameless spamming, these reviews are not on the old
tripod
site. They are on my new domain:
And Now...
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Divided Loyalties
One of the major failings of season 2 of ANGEL was its lack of interest in
properly integrating Charles Gunn into Angel Investigations. When we saw
him in "First Impressions" Gunn was recognizably the same individual we
first
met in "Warzone". The picture we get here is of someone carrying the weight
of the world on his shoulders. He has feelings of responsibility for those
he thinks of as his people - those who live in his neigborhood, the poor,
and the vulnerable. And because of his feelings of responsibility and
because
these are so narrowly defined he is suspicious of outsiders, accepting help
from them but only on his terms. So far so good. But from that point on,
little Gunn does makes sense in terms of the character we saw in "Warzone"
or "First Impressions". And the most startling example of this is in
"Redefinition"
where he behaves as if, like Cordelia and Wesley, he is adrift without his
own sense of purpose. His words in the teaser had a ring of truth to them:
"Hey this was just a side gig for me alright. The extra cash was nice but
Angel wants to go all commando...no skin off my nose."
But his subsequent actions tell a different story and the explanation for
his change of heart when he later turns up at Caritas is just weak:
"Hey I got a rep to maintain alright. I can't have you all seeing through
my brusque and macho exterior".
Whatever happened to his responsibilities for his neighborhood? Even in
"Thin Dead Line", Gunn approaches his former friends as an outsider - one
who had abandoned them and now belonged to a different world but who wanted
to help "for old times sake."
Still less was there any explanation as to why this singular and difficult
individual suddenly becomes a team player. During Angel's descent into
darkness
he was a peripheral figure who hardly seemed to take an interest in what
his boss was up to. But when he suddenly abandons his leadership role with
his former gang to become a member of the reformed Angel Investigations he
quickly bonds with Wesley in particular and soon settles down under his
leadership.
Indeed such was his loyalty to his new friends that despite the fact that
he had himself deserted his former associates he felt able to lecture Angel
on the subject of his own abandonment of Wesley and Cordelia. And he was
apparently totally unconscious of the irony.
It was only belatedly in "Belonging" and "Over the Rainbow" that we again
began to get a sense of someone caught between two worlds - his old gang
who were suffering and his new found friends. When he arrives back from
George's funeral pyre he is concerned about Cordelia who had gone missing.
But is caught in a dilemma:
"Last night... I lost one of my crew. I shoulda been there, but... I'm
sorry.
Wes said the trip might be one way and... I just can't. I know that makes
me... I don't know what it makes me. I just figured I owed it to you to tell
you face to face. I wish you luck. I hope you find her."
There is of course no doubt that his crew does need him. But so too does
Angel and the others. As he later said when Angel called him:
"Sounded like the captain of the Titanic gettin' ready to go down with the
ship."
Here we see Charles Gunn as someone who has divided loyalties: to his former
gang and to Angel Investigations. This raises the question: who (if anyone)
has first call on those loyalties. This is an issue that needs resolving
because Angel, Wesley and Cordelia need to know whether they can rely on
Gunn or whether they would take second place to a call from his former
colleagues.
But "Over the Rainbow" does not resolve this question. Gunn went with
Angel to Pylea because that was where he perceived the most immediate need
and for no other reason. But in "That Old Gang of MIne" the same dilemma
returns to confront him and the writers have another opportunity to address
issues they really should have resolved before.
That Old Gang of Mine
The first intimation of Gunn's problem comes when he is called to the scene
of Merle's murder. Only he would not call it a murder.
Gunn: "Hey guys, what are we doin'?"
Wesley: "Examining the crime scene."
Gunn: "Yeah, I see that. But what's our interest?"
Wesley: "Someone killed Merle."
Gunn: "No, right. I get that. Look, I didn't have a beef with Merle
alright.
I'm even sorry he got dead. But come on. Is this really the kind of thing
that we should be spendin' our time on? I mean he was what he was right."
Angel: "What's that supposed to mean."
Gunn: "Nothin'. It means what it means. Somebody killed a demon. Hello,
we do that everyday."
There is obviously a gulf of understanding separating Angel and Wesley on
the one hand and Gunn on the other over Merle. To the former, the important
fact was that he was harmless. To the latter, the important fact was that
he was a demon. But the true significance of this difference between Gunn
and the others only assumes its true significance because of what Gunn does
next. He goes and finds his old gang. It is obvious from the start that
this is the first time he had seen them since George's death in
"Belonging".
Rondell's later confirmation of the fact was unnecessary. He was attacked
by a gang member who didn't recognize him, just one of a new influx of
members
unknown to him and who have only heard of what he was. But at the same time
the connections between him and his old gang are real. When Gio sticks a
home-made crossbow in Gunn's face there is immediate recognition:
Gunn "Nice rig."
Gio: "I'm glad you like it."
Rondell: "He should. He built it."
And with Rondell the personal connection remains as strong as ever. The
mutual respect and affection remains clear:
Rondell: "There's people alive today because of something you started."
Gunn: "No man, something we started."
Rondell: "You got that right."
But over and above all of this there is something else; the idea that Gunn's
feelings of responsibility for the lives of his old gang haven't
disappeared.
After all why did Gunn choose now to return to his old haunts? The answer
there must lie in a combination of two things - the dreams about Alonna and
the unsettling questions raised by his discussion with Angel and Wesley
immediately
afterwards. The key to our understanding here comes in the following
exchange
about Gunn's decision to work with a vampire rather than his old gang:
Gunn: "What you got to say Rondell. You think I turn my back on you all
to hook up with one of them."
Rondell: "Hell, I don't know. I never even seen your back in months bro'.
I don't know which way it's facin'."
Gunn: "That's no answer."
Rondell: "Truth? I ain't heard word one from you since we spread what was
left of George in the river. Some of us were even startin' to wonder if
you were still in this world."
Gunn: "I didn't mean to disappear on you all. I didn't plan it. I guess
after George..."
Rondell: "You were gone way before George. It was Alonna man. Things, they
were never the same after Alonna."
Gunn: "I couldn't keep my own sister safe. What could I do for the rest
of you?"
Alonna had been the victim of vampires - just as vampires and other demons
had also threatened Gunn's gang. Gunn had lived in a world of "them and
us". He felt a special bond, a responsibility for those who belonged to
him. Everyone else, even those in the human world, were outsiders. And
that went double for demons. So when Gunn was faced with the juxtaposition
of such a vivid reminder of his responsibilities to the victims of vampires
as his dream of his sister and the troubling questions posed for him by
Wesley's
evident sympathy for Merle he was prompted to return to his roots.
By showing us this, the writers were reaffirming the existence of Gunn's
divided loyalties rather than (as they did for most of season 2)
conveniently
forgetting about them. That itself is a big step forward. The problem with
doing so though was that they then had necessarily to find a convincing
explanation
for why Gunn had abandoned his responsibilities in the aftermath of "First
Impressions." And for me the explanation doesn't altogether work. In that
episode we see someone for whom responsibility is becoming an ever more
crushing
burden, leading to violent and irrational behavior and even to the
suggestion
of self-destructive tendencies. It is perfectly possible to believe that
someone like that would (as was also suggested in that episode) start to
doubt himself. I find it less credible that he might flee from
responsibility
altogether. And even if he did, surely doing so would have left all too
visible marks of guilt and remorse. Indeed one might ask, if Gunn truly
did believe that he had failed Alonna and would fail his other friends then
why would he assume other responsibilities of an equally serious kind with
Angel Investigations?
But in the end these reservations are probably less important than the fact
that the writers have now finally addressed the issue of Gunn's relationship
with his old gang, Moreover they have done so in a way which is clearly
intended to create a conflict within Gunn about where his loyalties really
lie in order to force upon him a choice between that gang and Angel
Investigations.
This bring us back to Merle.
Let's Not be Speciesist About This
In the exchange quoted above between Wesley and Angel on the one hand and
Gunn on the other, we see the latter's instinctive reaction to Merle's
death.
Demons may or may not be evil but they deserve no sympathy and no
consideration.
There is therefore a gulf of understanding between him and the others.
On the other hand when he went to see Rondell and his old gang it is clear
that they do share a common view on this matter. Gio's challenges Gunn on
a very sore point:
"I heard that you were this big time Alpha Vamp killer. And now you're
workin'
with one. What's up with that?"
The fact that Angel is a vampire with a soul is of no importance. The fact
that he is a vampire is. This is not a crew that would have any qualms
about
killing Merle or any other demon. And this fact initially serves to
reinforce
the bond between Gunn and his former gang because the same attitudes we see
in them were obviously formed by the same circumstances. They were all on
the margins of society - alone and vulnerable. For them it was too often
a case of kill or be killed.
But while Rondell and his gang kept that simple faith, for Gunn things were
no longer quite so absolute. And in the dilemma he now found himself in
we see the crucible of this episode. The pull of his past told him that
Gio and the others were right - the only good demon was a dead demon. But
perhaps Wesley's words had made some impression on him:
"Charles, things are not always as simple as going out and slaying the big,
bad ugly. There are in this world shades of grey."
Perhaps it was the fact that he could see the good a vampire with a soul
could do. Perhaps in the end he just thought of the waste in killing a
creature
that could do no harm. For whatever reason he started questioning his own
assumptions. And so, shortly after taking the Rondell line with Wesley we
see him reflecting Wesley's uncertainties in discussing the death of the
demon bookie with Rondell:
Gunn: "But did it attack anybody."
Rondell: "No, we got away clean."
Gunn: "I mean before you broke in."
Rondell: "No man, we didn't give it a chance to."
Arguing both sides of a case with people who would disagree with him is the
classic sign of a man caught in a dilemma he cannot resolve. And in such
circumstances, the hapless victim does the only thing he can, tries to avoid
having to make a choice at all costs. So, he doesn't come right out and
express opposition to Rondell and instead leaves him with the impression
he is on his side. Equally he doesn't come right out and tell Wesley that
it was his gang that was doing the killing. Instead he steals an arrowhead
that might incriminate them.
But sitting on a fence is a very uncomfortable position and in the end you
have to come off it. After his talk with Rondell he knows that he has to
be honest with Wesley; perhaps he even knows but cannot admit that Wesley
is right and Rondell wrong. So he goes looking for him. But even when
he finds him at Caritas he cannot bring himself to taking an irreversible
step by betraying his gang. That is why he doesn't want the host reading
him. That is why he can't bring himself actually to go over to Wesley.
It is only when Rondell and the gang show up the decision is made for him.
And so poor old Charles Gunn is brought to the point where evasion and
obfuscation
is no longer possible as Rondell and Gio on the one side face Wesley, Fred
and Cordelia on the other. Each think they know the real Gunn. Yet each
have very different expectations of him. He has now to disappoint one or
the other. And when the Host is threatened and Gunn says he is "Ok" the
gulf between him and Rondell becomes obvious:
"He's not 'Ok'. Look at him."
With both the Host and the other members of Angel Investigations now under
direct threat, the time has come when Gunn must declare himself. And he
does:
Gunn: "You lost the mission bro'."
Rondell: "What?"
Gunn: "What you been doin'. This ain't right. None of this is right. This
isn't what we're about."
But even now he cannot turn his back on his old gang. Even now he used the
words "what we're about." Even now he tries to reach his friend to change
his mind rather than side with Wesley and the others against him. But to
no avail. Instead the choice put before him is that, having settled in his
own mind what is right and what is wrong, he must decide which is more
important
- doing the right thing of showing loyalty to his former friends.
And the really interesting thing about this aspect of the episode is the
writers' choice of issue to settle this question. Instead of some anonymous
demon (or Merle or even the Host) they picked Angel as the key to Gunn's
dilemma. At the very start the tension between them was suggested when
Angel
starts riding Gunn over being late:
Angel: "Usually doesn't take you two hours to answer a page - is all."
Gunn: "'Scuse me but did somebody put you back in charge? 'Cause if they
did they forgot to tell me about it."
And he is clearly uncomfortable when challenged about working for a vampire.
More interesting still he cannot bring himself to talk to Angel about
Rondell
and the others. So when Angel asks him what is wrong all he will say is
he needs to see "the boss". So there is no friendship and no personal
loyalty
to get in the way here at all. Gunn had already been goaded into killing
the baby eating demon by Gio taunting him that he really wanted to be a
vampire
like his sister. Now there was Angel in full vamp face, a living (if not
exactly breathing) reminder of the thing that had killed her. But in the
end he couldn't kill him. And it wasn't because Angel had a soul or was
a friend. It was because it would have been wrong:
Gunn "You think I won't kill him because he's my friend. That ain't why.
Truth is he could never be my friend. It's on account of what he is. Not
his fault really. It's the way it worked out."
Rondell: "He ain't your friend. I am. And you're gonna choose that over
me."
Gunn: "Looks like. It's about the mission bro'. He's got it and you
don't."
In the final analysis, Gunn had to chose what counted most. The call of
friendship and comradeship for Rondell and the other gang members was still
very strong. And friendship for and loyalty to Wesley and the other members
could not in the final analysis resolve the dilemma posed for Gunn by these
older and perhaps stronger ties. In the end what did was "the mission".
Of all the members of Angel Investigations, Angel himself was the one Gunn
could not relate to on a personal level. But he had the mission. And
before
that ties of friendship and loyalty had to bow their head.
There is a great deal to be positive about here. As I have already said
the writers simply had to resolve the hanging question of where Gunn's true
loyalties lay - his former gang and all they stood for or Angel
Investigations.
Resolving that dilemma on the basis of who needs him most is no resolution
at all. That will change as circumstances do. On the other hand it would
not have been credible for him to choose Angel Investigations on the basis
of personal loyalties. There was too much history there - especially with
Alonna - for that. So, turning the issue into one of right and wrong, the
mission or a killing spree was, I think, an intelligent move.
Yes, it was done in a heavy handed way. But then the point about this
episode
was never to address moral issues of whether killing harmless demons was
right or wrong. The fact that
a popular demon character was the first victim and another was also nearly
killed; another victim was a rather pathetic balancing demon; and Gio was
the instigator of the violence and was clearly seen to be in it for the
enjoyment,
all demonstrated that this episode started out from the proposition that
what Gunn's old gang was doing was unambiguously wrong. The fact that Gunn
realized this well before the end and that the most crucial decision he had
to make came after he told Rondell he was wrong also demonstrates that the
real issue here was not how people should treat demons generally or harmless
ones specifically. I think we could have worked this out with less
anvilling
but I don't mind that so much because this was not I think intended to be
some heavy piece of moralizing along the "speciesism is bad" lines. The
writers were simply establishing the moral baselines from which to
illustrate
their real point.
And they did pull off a neat trick in that while they were very clear that
what the former Gunn gang did was wrong we never saw them as evil or
themselves
monsters (well except for Gio). It was, I think, readily understandable
how someone in their situation could start on a general war against anyone
seen as the enemy. Indeed even Gunn who eventually realized the error in
that line of thought shared the same impulses. And there was a convenient
scapegoat in Gio who as an Iago type figure. His influence could further
explain the gang's excesses.
But above all I could believe in the dilemma. I could see how Gunn might
be torn and how he could react the way he did. Indeed the fact that his
ties to the old gang seemed so natural throws into sharp focus the absurdity
of his behavior in "Redefinition" and later.
And finally there was the resolution of the dilemma. This could have been
a piece of phony sentimentality along the lines of "I can't let you hurt
my friends." To be honest that was what I was expecting. So it is
refreshing
that the writers took a different approach. It is all the more interesting
that that, in doing so, they shone a very harsh and unsentimental light on
the relationship between Angel and Gunn. And I thought that this was a
masterstroke.
First it was not only believable, it had actually been foreshadowed. In
"Shroud of Rahmon", under the influence of the shroud, the rivalry between
Gunn and Angel escalates until it erupts into violence:
Angel: "Try holding up your corner, Les."
Gunn: "Who died and made you corner monitor?"
Spiny: "Are you two gonna get married or what?"
Gunn: "Same old story. Vampires always pushing people around. Think the
world is theirs."
Ugly: "From what I've seen of this world they can have it."
Bob: "Well, I visited Topkapi once."
Gunn: "Nothing but take, take, take - take your blood, take your sister!"
Because of what happened to his sister (and indeed because of a long history
of warfare) Gunn still hates and fears vampires, even one with a soul. He
would never have taken easily to anyone trying to boss him around but above
all finds it impossible to accept a vampire trying to do so, a fact of
which
we have already been reminded. And indeed in "Epiphany" Gunn was far more
hostile to the returning Angel than either Wesley or Cordelia who had more
reason to be angry.
And of course there were continual reminders throughout this episode that
Angel was not just an ordinary superhero but that he retained some very
vicious
instincts. His treatment of Merle in the first scene was a case in point.
True this was played for laughs but underneath the humor there was a
serious
point. Angel didn't seem at all sorry for his treatment of Merle and was
more interested in making a fool out of him (and indeed the others) than
apologizing. Then there was way he saw the hand of someone who enjoyed
killing
in the work of the former Gunn gang. There was some very interesting
lighting
here which turned his face very cold and hard. And of course who could fail
to notice the return of the black leather pants of evil. Not the red
leather
pants of moral ambiguity mind you. But the actual black leather pants of
evil as patented by Angelus. And because of all of this I thought the last
scene between Gunn and Angel was especially appropriate:
"No matter what else I think I proved that you could trust me when I could
have killed you and I didn't."
"No, you'll prove that I can trust you when the day comes that you have to
kill me and you do."
I thought that was an especially powerful scene because of all the members
of Angel Investigations Gunn is the one who would be least likely to let
sentiment get in the way of doing what needs to be done.
All in all this episode gives us an entirely new perspective on the
Gunn/Angel
dynamic. We will have to watch the exchanges between them more carefully
in future to try to guess just how their difficult relationship does
develop.
That can only add interest. But above all, by stripping away the personal
element so that it does not become a factor in Gunn's decision to make his
choice in favor of Angel Investigations, the real meaning of his choice is
made clear.
Crazy Fred
I will be brief with Fred because I found the sub-plot about her more of
a distraction and an annoyance than anything else. Normally I would say
that it was intended to illustrate a further stage on her path to
rehabilitation.
She is now out of her room and that is a step forward when compared to
"Heathrob".
But she is still afraid of her own shadow and at the beginning of this
episode
she is not reacting at all with the other members of Angel Investigations.
Instead she talks to herself and reads her books. So the fact that
Cordelia
takes her out to Caritas and that she seems quite willing to go (albeit with
some hesitation) and sing karaoke seems intended to be another step forward.
And of course the most significant moment came when she fooled Rondell and
Gio into thinking she would kill Angel. As a plot device to raise tension
this was a complete failure, It was incredible from the start that Fred
would have bargained Angel's life for her own. Not only did she have a big
old crush on him but she had already demonstrated her courage in Pylea,
especially
with the Angelbeast. But that was not, I think, the point. The point was
that she had enough wits about her to pull off the deception so
successfully.
She might have been a little crazy but obviously not so crazy that she
could
not plan logically enough to do this.
The real problem with this is that the Fred we saw in "That Vision Thing"
actually seemed to have passed the stage she reached here already. There
she was able to baby sit for Cordelia when she was ill, she seemed quite
at ease walking home with Gunn and she was certainly able to grasp the
"science"
behind the visions. So what was this sub-plot about if it wasn't about
Fred's
continued development?
Plot
This was an episode that started out very much like a standard murder
mystery.
The fact that Merle's attackers were carefully hidden and that he was
linked
to the second victim initially suggested the plot would turn on detective
work to unmask the killer. But this mystery didn't survive Act 1 when we
saw Gio kill the demon in the sewer with his crossbow and then saw the
arrowhead
embedded in a wall in the second victim's apartment. I suppose that could
have been a red herring but there is only a purpose in having one of those
to point away from the real killer and there were no other candidates. I
have to say though I loved the tongue in cheek way that Cordelia suggested
Angel was a suspect and his offended rebuttal.
But the very resolution of this mystery reveals very clearly to us where
the real story now lies. And that story lies in how Charles Gunn resolves
the dilemma facing him. The problem here of course is that if the
resolution
of the dilemma becomes too predictable then the interest in the plot largely
disappears. Fortunately, however, this is never really a problem because
it is never obvious what Gunn will decide to do. Stage by stage we were
taken through his voyage of self discovery. This is what creates the sense
of movement in the plot, the idea that we are being carried along behind
Gunn as he tries to decide what to do. We saw his initial comfort with the
idea of killing demons; his discovery of his friends' involvement and the
self-questioning that prompted in him. At each stage we asked what comes
next because it was never obvious. It is, as I have already said, perfectly
believable that would sympathize to some extent with his former friends'
actions. And in any event the pull of his past is real. Even if he were
to accept they were wrong could he disown them? It wasn't so much that we
were asking what was the right thing to do as we were trying to predict what
he would do. And given the track record of this show it was never out of
the question that he could have created a serious rift between himself and
the other members of Angel Investigations that could have compromised his
position with the firm. Indeed the fact that he did seriously overstep the
line by stealing evidence to hide his gang's complicity in murder and was
on the receiving end of a sharp rebuke for Wesley for that shows just how
real a possibility this was. And in this context not the least of the
virtues
of the episode was that it made me at least care about Gunn's success in
resolving his dilemma. It became important that he lied to Wesley and that
this would have consequences for him. And it also became important that
he finally did the right thing.
If creating a real dilemma was one key to the success of this episode then
the timing of the resolution of that dilemma was another. As I have already
said the moral choice Gunn had to make was a straightforward one. So the
writers could not keep Gunn in a state of paralysis over the choice for very
long. The audience would simply have become impatient waiting for him to
make up his mind. Yet once matters had become resolved in Gunn's mind the
tension in the plot also disappears.
So, this is where the scene in Caritas comes into its own. First of all
Gunn is put on the spot not once but twice. As I have already said, when
he arrives at the bar he has already probably decided that Rondell is wrong
and that he will have to tell Wesley all about what he has been doing. Of
course he has trouble bringing himself to do that but he has no choice.
The bar is invaded, customers are shot, the Host is threatened. This forces
a resolution of sorts. Matters are taken out of Gunn's hand. Not only is
the involvement of Rondell and the gang in murder revealed to Wesley, but
his complicity in it as well. Gunn is left with no choice but to openly
declare his real views on the matter. But this is a resolution which solves
nothing. Instead it simply creates a further level of complication with
Wesley, Cordelia and Fred held as hostages and Gunn and Rondell at odds with
Gunn in particular still feeling very unsure about where he does stand.
He is caught in a classic dilemma. Does he obey the dictates of his own
conscience or swallow his doubts for the sake of fellowship? You can see
the pressure mounting on him and his judgment and resolution becoming more
and more uncertain until he cold bloodedly shoots the demon baby eater.
Then Angel entered the scene and for me the tension just vanished. As I
have already indicated for me the confrontation between Gunn and Angel
worked
thematically. But in terms of drama it was anticlimactic. Lets face it
no-one would ever believe that Gunn would actually go through with killing
Angel. The fact that the reason given was something of a surprise helped
rescue the scene from being a total waste but the denouement was just too
predictable. And things were not helped by Fred and Cordelia. For the
reasons
I have already given Fred's intervention also fell flat. And the scene
between
Cordelia and the three sisters who cast the sanctuary spell at Caritas
should
have really ratcheted up the tension to the point where we were wondering
would the spell be lifted in time or at all. But the slightly weak humor
worked against this. And when the spell was lifted and battle joined, it
was truncated far too early to give any sense of our heroes fighting for
their lives.
On the plus side there were serious efforts made to keep our interest with
a lot of twists and turns. Merle's death right at the start was a shocker.
The shapeless demon who made the strange sucking noises was very amusing
and the timid creature who kept on going "Oh God, Oh God" then turned into
a huge and ferocious killer was also a big surprise. But these last two
were really only for decorative effect. Much more effective were the
revelation
about Gunn's real attitude to Angel and the way Wesley treated him
afterwards.
I expected the sympathy but not the cold, hard dressing down he got. That
was sharp and all the better for being unexpected. Unfortunately, however,
he most important plot twists - that Gunn's old gang were the killers and
that they would pay a visit to Caritas while Gunn was there - were just
a bit too easy to predict.
There were also a number of significant plot holes. For example, how in
a residential building did a death by such violence as we saw in the case
of the demon bookie escape the notice of the police and the other residents?
And why would anyone have a sanctuary spell that only worked with demon
violence when Caritas was frequented by humans as well? Indeed if there
was such a spell why doesn't everyone who knows about demons have it,
especially
Angel Investigations? It would make the Hyperion impregnable.
Overview
B+ (8.5/10): This episode had the courage to tackle a big problem in the
Angelverse head on and resolved it really very satisfactorily. And for that
it deserved high marks. The relationship we saw between Gunn and his former
gang here preserved continuity with past episodes such a "WarZone" instead
of simply ignoring them. But at the same time the writers were able to
offer
an explanation of sorts for his absence from them and create a dynamic
whereby
he was caught in a dilemma between his old friends and his new colleagues.
Importantly the resolution of that dilemma seems to place Gunn firmly in
the Angel Investigations camp without in any way downplaying the ties of
the past. And this in turn meant that Gunn himself was able to reclaim a
lot of the identity he lost over the course of season 2. Indeed one
important
dimension has been added. The potential for tension between him and Angel
has been further strengthened and that can only be a good thing. In all
of this the "racism is bad" metaphors were a little heavy handed and if
these
had been the real focal point of the episode I would have marked it down
on that ground. However as these were merely a means to a much more
interesting
end I think we can ignore them. The plot itself was well structured, and
kept us wondering what Gunn would do next and how things would be resolved.
The pressure cooker type approach of forcing all the protagonists together
in Caritas and then allowing the tension to build until it spills out in
violence generally worked very well as a way of bringing things to a
conclusion,
although as I have already said there was quite a serious failure at the
end to turn build up of pressure into the requisite explosion.