Characterization In The Buffyverse — ‘Angel’ Season 1, Episode 5
by Benjamin Hall
This is part of a bi-weekly series concerning the characterization of Buffyverse characters. The first installment in this series can be found here. Arguably the best place to begin reading this series is at the beginning, but that is up to each reader. As a reminder this column will cover major and some minor characters from the shows Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003) and Angel (1999-2004). Other Buffyverse media, such as the graphic novel Spike: Into The Light (2014) are not pertinent to this series. Also there will be no referencing real world events in this bi-weekly series.
This week: Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) goes apartment hunting with Allen Doyle (Glenn Quinn). Yet, not even Angel (David Boreanaz) can save Cordelia from the supernatural pest that shares her new residence.
(Warning of spoilers from this point on!)
Angel goes back to denying his consumption of human food (Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 3, Episode 20, ‘The Prom’). Which is an obvious lie due to his drinking coffee in the previous episode of this series (Season 1, Episode 4, ‘I Fall To Pieces’). This will definitely remain inconsistent in future episodes. Unfortunately, the only real growth Angel has here is in the minimal detail that even vampires have to bathe. All of this means that he is arguably just a generic, supernatural hero in this episode.
Allen Doyle only gets to be a reckless sidekick to Angel and a potential love interest to Cordelia this week. He sees no growth, but continues his habit of knowing and owing sketchy individuals (Season 1, Episode 3, ‘In The Dark’).
Cordelia Chase starts this episode lacking confidence thanks to bad luck and various circumstances that are mostly out of her control. By episode’s end, she stops being a damsel and returns to acting like either her pre- or post-Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon) self (Buffy The Vampire Slayer Seasons 2 and 3).
Detective Kate Lockley (Elisabeth Röhm) is very much an extraneous character in this episode. She really only serves to verify information that Angel already knows.
Maude Pearson (Beth Grant) and Dennis Pearson (BJ Porter) are the two ghosts haunting Cordelia’s new place. Maude is a one off-villain. She is also a cautionary tale of feeling too protective of one’s child and the need for mental health care. Phantom Dennis is, at best, a recurring plot device. Yes, he is arguably a silent and invisible character, but he gets no real character growth in future episodes. Thus, Dennis is somewhat the equivalent of the bricks that encase his body.
Disgusting Man (Lyle Kanouse), Vic (Denny Pierce), Griff (Markus Redmond), the Manager (Lara McGrath) and the Young Man (Corey Klemow) are all stock characters. Each one of them makes only the barest impact on the narrative, and they are just slightly above being plot devices.
This episode focuses less on characterization than on changing where Cordelia lives. Though no growth truly happens for anyone, Cordelia sees a return to form in being her overconfident self.
