Angel : Season One, Episode Nine : Hero

Grade: A+

Lacking any official business, Doyle agrees to help Cordelia shoot a commercial for Angel Investigations, a step both he and Angel disagree with but which she hopes will raise clientele. With Angel still depressed after Buffy's visit to Los Angeles, Doyle determines to speak to him, explaining that he understands why seeing Buffy would throw Angel off his game, but that a five-minute visit isn't worth pining over. Deciding to confide in his friend, Angel tells Doyle the truth about Buffy's visit, leading Doyle wonder at Angel's selfless in contrast to his own self-absorbed nature. Soon afterward, Doyle experiences a disturbing vision which leads him and Angel to a dingy apartment complex, where they discover a terrified family of half-demons, similar to Doyle, possessing minor demon characteristics but otherwise ordinary people. They explain that they are being pursued by the Scourge, a group with which Doyle has himself had past encounters; pure-bred demon, they despise all those who possess human blood and are committed to annihilating them. In the past, Doyle was given a chance to aid a group of demons like himself who were being pursued by the Scourge, but refused to endanger himself, and the family died as a result. Hoping to redeem his past failure, he determines to save this group from the Scourge whatever the cost. Enlisting Cordelia's aid, Angel is able to transport the entire group to a freighter leaving Los Angeles, but the process is held up by the departure of the family's half-grown son, who has become too cynical to believe that his people can be successful in escaping the Scourge. Doyle goes after the boy and talks to him on a personal level, empathizing with his inability to fit into either the human or demon world. At that point, however, the Scourge makes an appearance; an army of brutal, militarized pure-blooded demons, they come close to capturing Doyle and the boy before Angel intervenes, pretending to offer his services to the Scourge in exchange for acceptance into their ranks. Though distrustful of vampires, they accept, buying Doyle time to get the boy to the freighter. Doyle arrives to find that Cordelia has learned of his demon heritage, and fails to understand why he would have kept it a secret from her, declaring that it doesn't matter to her what he is. Thrilled by her acceptance of him, Doyle is about to formally ask her on a date, when Angel arrives, fresh from the Scourge headquarters and bearing grim news; the demons have designed a new kind of anti-half-breed weapon, a massive light which will vaporize anyone of "impure" blood. Directly on his heels, the Scourge arrive with their weapon, a treacherous mate of the ship having sold out the family's whereabouts. They begin loading their weapon onto the freighter while Angel attempts to fight them off; however, he is unable to stop them from lowering it into the cargo hold where the family is stowed away. Going below decks, he determines to disable the weapon, despite the fact that it is already bright enough to kill him if he goes near it. Finally seeing an opportunity to prove his own merit, Doyle shares an affectionate moment with Angel before shoving him into the belly of the ship, rendering him incapable of disabling the weapon; turning to Cordelia, he kisses her and then deliberately shows her his demon face for the first time, before approaching the weapon and beginning to disable the controls. Despite Angel and Cordelia's cries, he persists, while his skin begins to melt away, revealing muscle and then bone as he finally neutralizes the device and melts into nothingness. Later, Cordelia and Angel sit forlornly in their office, watching the tape of Doyle awkwardly promoting Angel Investigations.


Observations:

• Okay, I'll admit it; Doyle's death is wrenching. The first of Whedon's trademark tragedies, he dies only nine episodes into the show's run and his billing as a main cast member. The knowledge that the actor also died shortly afterward only enhances the sadness of the episode, assuring us that Doyle, in contrast to the assortment of sci-fi characters for whom death tends not to be permanent, is actually gone for good.
• On a more lighthearted note, Cordelia's vision for a Angel Investigations advertisement, reproduced so lovingly onscreen at the start is the episode, is one of the humorous high points of the show so far. "...'Cause I'm the Dark Avenger."
• Definitely a downer episode, but nevertheless, the best and most emotionally resonant of the series so far. The story is understated and visually well-designed, nicely done but not eclipsing the tragedy at the end. Best of the season to date.