Episode Reviews   

"I've Got You Under My Skin," Tuesday, February 15, 2000

by Chrystal

A creepy, but enjoyable episode. At first I thought that it was an Exorcist rip-off, but instead it turned out to be an intense story about the true evil in the world: amorality. Even the demon wanted to be saved from the emptiness and nothingness in the amoral child. I almost felt sorry for the demon. The belligerent father turned out to be a loving, perhaps misguided man who really loved his family. He had hoped that the demon was the cause of his son's evil, but in the end the boy's psychopathic nature revealed itself.

Other painful issues were interwoven in this episode, Angel calling Wesley, "Doyle" shown how much he missed his friend enough he didn't talk about him. It was good to see Cordelia calling Angel on the repression of his feelings. Strange than in the end, it isn't Buffy who forces Angel to reveal his emotions, but the usually insensitive Cordelia. Wesley's comments about fatherhood suggestively about his own father were confirmed by the demon. This explains a lot about Wesley's overcompensation as the "rogue demon-hunter." One of the things I admire about Wesley is that he never shies from doing something dangerous. Maybe his need to prove himself to his father explains why he is so gung-ho. Based on the previews for the next episode, this is an obvious build up to exploring Angel's relationship with his own father.

The darkness of this episode was played off nicely by the comedic moments. Cordelia in the magic store with the owner was funny. I thought the box breaking when the demon escaped was hysterical. The moment of bonding between Wesley and Angel in the cave was also nice. Slowly, Wesley is becoming part of Angel's crew.

I was pleased with this episode and look forward to next week's with Angel in 1700s garb. The overnight ratings were 4.7/7 (5.2/8).

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