This is the first episode of “Angel” I’ve seen since December 5, at least in my own little project. (Fitting, then, that I watched it twice; once in regular mode, and once in commentary mode.) Also, accroding to David Fury in the commentary, it’s the only stand-alone of the season, “because, you know, the rest of the episodes are so arc-y”, to paraphrase. He co-comments (no, I haven’t started to stutter) it with the natural choice, which is Andy Hallett.

Because this is a Lorne episode, kinda. Or, it might be that he’s not the character in the focus — both Angel, Fred and Gunn has more screentime; the former because he is in something of a rut, directionwise, the latter two because they pretty much have to manage without Angel for a while — but he surely is the plot’s catalyst. And while he might not be the reason why Angel, Fred and Gunn go to Las Vegas, it’s because of him that their trip becomes more than a regular holiday.

As a consequence of Lorne’s almost constant presence, the episode is fun. Naturally, neither Fury or Whedon (who wrote a couple of the scenes) really needs Lorne to write funny dialogue, but he is none the less a cheerful guy, whose conversational MO basically is telling jokes, and thishas an impact on the rest of the episode. Additionally, this episode continues the trend of cutting in scenes where Cordelia is watching her friends, and calling them, and Angel in particular, halfwits and suchlike, because they don’t come to rescue her. And that’s fun, too.

As for the commentary, it was just so-and-so. Fury and Hallett had great chemistry, and they were really funny, but my fascination for which casion they shot this and that scene at has its limits. In spite of this, though, it’s always fun to get these small insights into how the show’s made.

Oh, and Wes has a small appearance too, ordering some weapons and having phone sex with Lilah. That’s by the way one of the scenes written by Whedon in this episode, because Fury, according to himself, is unable to write long enough episodes.

But what a cliffhanger! :o