Mark Watches ‘Angel’: S01E06 – Sense & Sensitivity

In the sixth episode of the first season of Angel, what. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Angel.

Well, that was fucking weird, wasn’t it? I spent the forty-odd minutes of “Sense & Sensitivity” either grinning from ear to ear or scratching my head in confusion. At heart, I think there’s a rad story about Angel’s stoicism in this episode, and I adored the chance to explore Kate’s past with her father. These are good things! But like my feelings towards “Earshot” in season three of Buffy, I was left feeling all weird inside by the constant switch between SUPER SERIOUS DEPRESSION MODE and THIS IS SO FUNNY THAT I SHOULD AVOID WATCHING IT IN PUBLIC.

I’m confused by what this episode is saying, basically. I think that using a police station to explore the concept of emotional maturity is kind of brilliant, but then I wonder if this is saying that no men experience emotional foresight at all. I mean I AM VERY EMOTIONAL. Can’t you tell from all of my italicized and bolded CAPSLOCKING????? Did it also strike anyone else as a little bit odd that after Kate genuinely pours out her soul to her father for the way he treated her, the episode turns into a comedy? The comedy is funny, for the record, especially any scene with Angel caring for Cordelia, but the tonal change is just so jarring.

Well, I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with some questions I desperately need answered, and then I have some nice things to say:

These Questions Were Unanswered and That Isn’t Fair

• I don’t understand the case that Kate was working on at all, so: what? Was Papazian a mob boss or just meant to invoke one? Was he behind the actual murder or did he just order it? How on earth was Angel able to find Papazian in a few hours just twenty minutes from the precinct and the LAPD couldn’t find him after months of searching? Why is Papazian hiding from everyone if he has lawyers as powerful and asshole-ish as those at Wolfram & Heart?
• Did someone hire Angel Investigators for the giant squid/calamari thing, or was that just a side job that they did?
• Isn’t sensitivity training for cops who say or do extremely fucked up things? Are you telling me that Kate was the first cop in the entirety of the LAPD to be somewhat rough with a witness or criminal? I’m sorry, it’s the LAPD. They eat police brutality for breakfast there AND I KNOW THIS FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.
• Why didn’t Kate win a gold medal or something for her flying kick through the air? God, that was beautiful.
• What was in Spivey’s duffel bag?
• Why didn’t David Boreanaz win an Emmy solely for his scene as the shitty tourist? PERFECTION.
• Did Mercer really say “the court of public opinion” and assume a jury would totally side with a wannabe mob-boss over the police? What?
• What or whom are Doyle’s sources? He seems to have so many!
• Was no one at all concerned that Allen Lloyd went straight for the ultra-personal questions in a seminar with cops?
• Seriously, was every LAPD officer in one building? I swear I realize I am complaining about the logistics of a SPELL CAST BY A WARLOCK, but my god, this was not pretty.
• How come no one at the end of the episode is at all concerned that a police man was shot by Little Tony?
• Trevor, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, YOU BIG MEANIE?

THESE ARE VERY NICE AND WONDERFUL THINGS

• In Whedon’s world, characters ask for things, and then he grants them in the most fucked up way imaginable. In this case, Cordelia wishes Angel was more courteous, and Whedon makes Angel almost impossible to be around. But still very courteous, I might add.
• I really dig the way Angel and Kate’s relationship is portrayed. It’s professional, but they clearly trust and respect one another. MORE PLEASE.
• No, for real, Angel acting like a lost tourist is one of my favorite things ever.
• Doyle noticed Cordy’s shoes. THEY WERE VERY PRETTY, FOR THE RECORD.
• Even if the tonal changes are odd, I won’t fault Elizabeth Röhm, who did a fantastic job with her emotional monologue to her father. In general, I think she’s displayed such a vast scope with her character. I have to remind myself of how she acted when we first met her in the bar in “Lonely Hearts.” THIS IS THE SAME ACTRESS. I love it.
• Okay, I laughed when Kate started analyzing Papazian after Angel told her that he might come after her.
• HIS PARENTS TASTED LIKE CHICKEN. whyyyyy am i laughing at this whyyyyyy
• emotional. whiplash. oh my god.
• Look, if you take Angel’s scenes as a ~sensitive guy~ away from this episode, it’s no fun at all. They are the absolute highlight of everything. I only wish he had been affected by the spell for a lot longer so we could have gotten more from him. He was concerned about vandalism!!! He didn’t want to use violence!!! IT’S JUST SO ADORABLE.
• Okay, so Wolfram & Heart will be a series long arc, won’t it??? It’s come up far too many times to ignore. CALLING IT.
• Amidst the absurdity of this episode, the final scene hits hard. It’s far more believable that Kate’s father wouldn’t just turn over a new leaf and become the perfect dad after what she said to him at his retirement. A great story choice at the end of a really fucking weird episode, no?