Characterization In The Buffyverse — ‘Angel’ Season 1, Episode 12
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 that have direct relation to either show in this bi-weekly series.
This week: A giant demon is using human servants. Meanwhile, Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) finds out she is pregnant.
(Warning of spoilers from this point on!)
(Trigger warning for mentions of non-consensual acts.)
Angel (David Boreanaz) does not get anything new to his characterization. Yes, he acts a little more sympathetic and jovial in this episode, but there is nothing of relevance about that except the script calls for it.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Alexis Denisof), like Angel, sees no major improvement in his overall characterization. Although, his ability to shoot a gun accurately and quickly is a new character trait that will reappear in later seasons.
Cordelia is her typical self at the beginning and ending of this episode. Yet, throughout the majority of it, she suffers from psychic possession. Thus, things like drinking blood are occurrences that one cannot consider character moments. The possession Cordelia suffers from is a form of magical rape that makes her pregnant with literal demon spawn. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, Cordelia show no signs of the trauma this presumably should cause her.
The Haxil Beast is a lot like Machida (Robin Atkin Downes) in terms of motivations and methods (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 2, Episode 5, ‘Reptile Boy’). In fact, other than appearance and displaying the ability to talk, he is pretty much a copy-paste of Machida.
Wilson Christopher (Ken Marino) and Jason (Steven Roy) are sociopathic followers of the demonic Haxil Beast. They are just variations of Machida’s frat boy followers.
Serena (Daphne Duplaix) and Emily (Louisette Geiss) are like Cordelia: victims of the Haxil beast and its followers. Yes, Serena has an inkling of wrongdoing in that she knows something isn’t right about Wilson and his friends, but that is not enough to make her a villain.
The bartender (Josh Randall), the pregnant woman (Julie Quinn), the nurse (Maggie Connelly), and Dr. Wasserman (Doug Tompos) are the stock characters we get to expand the world in this episode. The only one who is arguably non-essential to the plot is the pregnant woman.
The plot revolves around what are essentially rapes that cause mystical pregnancies. Yet, the resulting aftermath is something that the show ignores, which hurts the characterizations of the main cast.
