Angel

The Good;
Wonderful reintroduction for Wes and a nice period of mourning for Doyle. Plus Cordy's audition and the Oracles again.

The Bad;
Once again, Alexis Denisoff's name is in the titles, ruining the suprise a little

Best line:
"Grass stains!" (all in the delivery). Also liked Wes "I bet you always wondered what became of your old pal Wesley?"
Angel; "Tell you the truth I never gave it much thought"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?
Barney's plans for Cordy are beyond horrible. But she teaches him not to mess with Queen C

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Cliches

Damsel in distress; nope, 2.

Inverting the Hollywood cliche;

In disguise; 3

DB get's his shirt off; 3

Cordy's tattoo; 3 yep she bares that beautiful midriff again

Cheap Angel; 2

Fang Gang in bondage:
Cordy: 5
Angel: 4
Wes: 1

Fang gang knocked out: yep, Cordy
Cordy: 9
Angel: 7
Wes: 1
Doyle; 1

Kills:
Cordy: none this ep. 3 vamps, a demon from her time in Sunnydale
Angel: 1 demon for Angel. So that gives Angel 8 vamps, 4 demons, 2 humans.
Doyle; 1 vamp

Fang Gang go evil:
Cordy: 1
Angel: 1

Alternate Fang Gang:
Cordy: 2
Angel: 5

Characters killed:
14

Recurring characters killed;
1;

Total number of Angel Investigations:
2, Angel and Cordy

Angel Investigations shot:
Angel: 5,

Packing heat;
Doyle; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
Cordy: 1?
Angel: 1;Buffy

Kinky dinky:
Wes in motorbiking leathers which are so tight they 'chafe'. He and Cordy share a second kiss, Cordy is sold as a slave for the first time.

Captain Subtext;

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages;
2

Guantanamo Bay;
Buffy characters appearing in Angel; (unless someone can correct me no original Angel character ever appears on Buffy?)
6; Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes

Questions and observations;
Another WR&H lackie but this one doesn't become a recurring character. Angel says that vamps don't sleep in coffins but Dracula does. Angel recognises talent when he sees it, Wes' translation skills alone make him invaluable.
Marks out of 10; 7/10

Wow, great episode. With Doyle dead I thought the show was just going to be bad for the rest of the season but no, they got me right back into the show by bringing Mr. Wesely Windum-Price back.



There wasn't much I didn't like about this episode. I didn't like seeing Glenn Quin in the credits, it just gave me small false hope that he would come back but he didn't and never would. The other thing I didn't like was that Cordy was getting beat up, this is when she wasn't train to fight at all so she really couldn't help herself.



Now to the stuff that made this episode good. The introduction of Wesely. Wes joins the cast in this episode and he stays on right till the last episode. Also the villian actually surprised me. That never happens. I usually know exactly what was going to happen with the villian but it surprised me. Instead of it being the big guy that attack them. It turned out to be a seemingly helpless demon who comes to Angel for help.



This is a very pivotal episode because it adds a new character to the mix who brings a certain needed thing to the show. Great episode, 9.0.

‘Parting Gifts’ isn’t exactly the way I wanted this show to continue. Doyle dead for good and replaced by a character I usually wanted to hit on the face on Buffy. But actually, the episode was pretty good and was a decent introduction to Wes and a decent moving on from Doyle.



It begins with Angel talking to the Oracles and asking them to bring back Doyle. They tell him that his friend is dead and that for every door that closes, another opens. The door that opens is for Cordy who has a vision during a commercial which was hilarious and by far the best scene of the episode. So Cordy is now pissed off at Doyle because she sees it as a curse and begins to kiss people around in the office hoping that her visions will transfer into them.



Meanwhile this demon called Barney is fleeing from someone who is after him. He goes to Angel for help. Angel goes to kill his hunter which turns out to be Wesley who has become a rogue demon hunter in leather. Wesley has improved as a character, he’s more funny and less annoying. I enjoyed him in his leather pants scratching his crotch which was hilarious.



Anyway, there is a demon on the lose that Wesley has been hunting because he thinks it’s a bad demon but it turns out that Barney was hunting it and Barney is the bad demon and he cut off the horn of the other one and killed it. Now he wants Cordy because she has the visions and he’s going to sale her.



Angel and Wesley go to save Cordy and they find out where she is after Cordy drew what she saw in a vision. They safe her and Cordy kills Barney with a horn that sucks out his life force.



The episode wasn’t that special but the good humor and way to move on from Doyle worked surprisingly.

Cordy kissed Angel and Barney and later also Wes who enjoyed the kiss much more than their first one.

I wasn’t so fascinated by Barney though and enjoyed watching him die.

Wesley ends up having breakfast with the gang because he doesn’t really have a place to go now that he doesn’t have a job.

The episode worked even with all those circumstances,.

Doyle's death is still weighing in drastically on the Angel regulars. The character most affected is Cordelia. It's unsurprising, since both she and Doyle admitted their love for each other around five seconds before he bought the farm. Shame.



In Parting Gifts, Cordelia discovers that Doyle's kiss at the end of last episode ensured his visions would be passed over to her, meaning she is now Angel's direct link to the Powers That Be. She discovers this at the same time that a mysterious rogue demon hunter stalks through LA, hunting down a shady empath demon who seeks shelter with Angel Investigations.



Cordelia's inclusion in the series prior to this episode didn't really have a point. Yeah she was hilarious but was that all that was to it? Cordelia as comic relief? Thankfully, due to Doyle's death, Cordelia now serves a purpose on Angel, being her vampire boss's link to the Powers That Be. Charisma Carpenter is the heart and soul of this episode. From her comedic commercial audition at the start to her running gag of kissing every man (or demon) she sees in a desperate attempt to pass over her new gift, Charisma gets the audience's attention throughout, even when she isn't saying anything, and that's one huge feat for somebody who was previously just seen as the comic relief on this show.



Parting Gifts introduces former Watcher Wesley Wyndam-Pryce to Angel and, no offense to Doyle and the excellent Glenn Quinn, but his inclusion in the show seems much more natural than Angel's Brachen demon buddy. It seems bad to say so but it's undoubtedly true. Wesley's lame efforts to prove himself tough and, in his words, "rogue" make for some moments of hilarity and his painful excuses to stay in the final scene prove him to be a sweet, kind soul. As well as a competent (if slightly slow) warrior against evil.



A story all about sadness, friendship and trying to prove your worth, Parting Gifts is a well executed introduction to the next chapter of Angel. Alexis Denisof's addition to the cast is inspired and he gels with both David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter almost immediately. A solid episode.



Director: James A Contner

Writer: David Fury, Jeannine Renshaw

Rating: B

killing doyle was not a good move and so was this episode. the whole demon selling thing was so stupid! i hated wesley too he is a nerd. what is good about this episode is cordelia who continues to grow with her visions now that doyle gave her before he died.



the episode was not only bad cordelia kissed angel and it had some funny moments with cordelia but everything else was boring and annoying.

So we find out in this episode that Doyle has passed his visions on to Cordelia. Well, this may be the first gift that Cordy has ever wanted to downright refuse. She finds out firsthand how painful the visions are and just how rough it was on Doyle. Oh, and dont let me forget the other important part of this episode: The arrival of Wes! Seems he has been sacked by the Watchers Council so he is now a self proclaimed "Rogue Demon Hunter." He is still as geeky and awkward as ever, but he looks pretty good in leather riding a bike. :) This wasnt the best ep, but it was important in getting Wes introduced (to the show) and also in establishing Cordys new role as "Vision Girl"

Fun words to learn and know: Wesley: “I'm going to thrash you within an inch of your life. And then, I'm going to take that inch.” Dialogue to lose inside the sofa in Hell: Cordelia: “I only had a vision once, and I'm pretty sure it was just something I ate!”



Life’s just full of surprises. I never liked Wesley on BtVS, yet when he popped up on Angel I actually gave a little girlish squeal of delight. I know (because I’m psychic and certainly not because I’ve seen the rest of the series -- what a preposterous idea!) there are good things in store. I’m quite pleased with this little development. I don’t mean to have it appear that I disliked Doyle in any way, nothing could be further from the truth (well, alright, that might be stretching it a little), but we hadn’t really had time to get to know and love him. This was a good, fun episode. Barney was pretty likable -- for a horrible evil monster, that is. Seriously, he had some good lines and interacted well with the others until it came time to show his true colors. Angel and Cordelia haven’t completely forgotten about Doyle (yet) and got to grieve a little. And old school Wes is always good for a laugh, though it’s even nicer to see him progress past the point of bumbling failed watcher -- but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This episode, unlike the last one, felt complete.

Cordelai and Angel are forced with the pain of losing Doyle to the Scourge's device. While doing quite badly in an audition for a commercial, Cordy gets her first vision. She soon finds that handling the migrane-visions is harder than Doyle made it seem. Soon, a demon named Barney comes and requests Angels help. Seeming to be innocent and helpless, Angel and Cordelia offer to help him. At having the opportunity, Barney kidnaps Cordelia, and auctions her off for her connection with the PTBs. With the help of Wesley, an old dorky, friend, Angel rescues Corelia from a terrible fate.

Parting gifts is a great episode, but would be much better if somehow Doyle was still alivein it. Wesley will never replace Doyle.

While Angel and Coredelia deal with death of Doyle Cordy realizes she has inherited Doyle's head crunching visions, unfortunately she realizes this at a very inappropriate time and she really has trouble interpreting what she see's. Meanwhile, Angel lines up a new client. A very possibly evil client who brings another old Sunnydale friend to town. While Angel and Wesley, that's right I said Wesley, sort of the details of Angel's new case and realize how it relates to Cordy's vision she herself sorts out the details of her vision. Unfortunately, it's to late. She is placed at auction for the pretty little visions that get beamed into her head. Luckily, Angel and Wesley manage to come to the resuce just in time.

After Doyle died in the episode before both Cordelia and Angel are really sad, but life must go on. And they get another case.



During an audition Cordelia finds out that doyle has passed his visions to her and hated it! It's so funny to watch how she kisses Angel try to get rid of this ability.



And then Wesley! this character is so much fun for the show at this part of the season. A Rouge Deamon Hunter?? Funny! And his leather look!



The conversation with Angel at that hotel. You can see that even David Boreanaz has to laugh in that scene. I like that they haven't done the scene again.



I love the change in Wesley's character during the whole show. At this time he is so funny to watch! He isn't Doyle, but gets his place in the team!

A little background information: I recently collected the final seasons I had been missing from my Angel and Buffy DVD collection. I have decided to watch both series through again in tandem from season 4 of Buffy and season 1 of Angel on through to the end of each. For some reason, which I think was because I was just starting college at the time, I don't remember much from the first two seasons of Angel, so it is nice to go through it again. I had already watched up until this episode before I decided to start reviewing them, so here we are.



It is apparent that the death of Doyle is hitting Angel and Cordelia both very hard, but it is a bit lightened by the fact that it was his sacrifice to save lives. While brooding, an empath demon named Barney comes looking for help from Angel because he is being pursued by an unknown force. Angel takes the case and, in the process of searching Barney's apartment, meets up with Wesley, of all people. It turns out that he is now a rogue demon hunter after being fired from the Watcher's Council for failing so badly with Faith and Buffy. It is quite fun to see the indifference that Angel holds for Wesley, but he allows him to help with the case after it turns out they are searching for the same demon, a Kungai. Upon finding the creature, Angel and Wesley find out that the demon was actually a victim of Barney, who has been harvesting demon powers and selling them at auction. Cordelia is taken by Barney as a result of her having "seers' eyes" and is sold at auction to a representative of Wolfram and Hart for $30,000. Wesley and Angel show up in time, however, and stop the sale from being finished. The episode ends with the three of the them having breakfast with, what appears to be, the unspoken resolution to have Wesley join Angel Investigations.



I really enjoyed the dynamic of the show with Glenn Quinn, but I understand now why he and his character removed from the series. Still, one can only wonder where things may have gone in regards to storylines. I think his giving of the "gift" to Cordelia is sweet in a way but horrible in another. Now she can't be too much of a slouch for Angel Investigations. At the time this episode and the subsequent ones appeared on television, I don't believe I was very receptive about Wesley joining the group. However, I now know where it will lead and look forward to the coming episodes again. The humor in this is top-notch, with such zingers from Cordelia as "what's a Rogue Demon" and her kissing all of the male characters in hope she can pass on the visions.



This episode was a good starting point for the new group, though not as riveting as the previous episode. I am happy with the final product, however.

Parting Gifts-Cordelia discovers that she has inherited Doyle's visions, and it plays havoc with her career. Meanwhile, Angel must save a new client from the creature that is hunting him, and a Rogue Demon Hunter comes to town.



After such a dark and depressing episode, not to mention losing a main character so early in the series, what could possibly bring Angel and Cordelia's spirits up? The answer is suprisely...Wesley! Making his first appearence during the second half of Buffy's 3rd season, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was Buffy and Faith's annoying/irritating watcher before getting fired by the Wacther's Council. Alexis Densiof makes his reappearence as the dorky former watcher on Angel and he couldn't be more hilarious! From his reuniting with Angel to his title as "Rogue Demon Hunter" to being completely embarrassing during the fight scenes, Wesley is a fine addition and fits into the cast quickly. Which is expected since all 3 characters have history and Wesley makes a great comedic partner for Cordelia. Speaking of Cordelia, Doyle left her a little gift behind and now has his visions from the Powers That Be. She is just beyond hilarious from her terrible commerical audition to her kissing ever male to get rid of the power. Also the character of Barney is funny and his empathetic powers bring some hilarity between him and Cordelia. Too bad he turned out to be the bad guy. All and All, a great episode with a refreshing new cast member and hilarious scene after scene.

I just watched this episode for the first time recently, I had missed when it aired on TV and was unable to get a hold of the first season dvd's. This episode was very entertaining and very funny. It starts off with Angel trying to get TPB to bring Doyle back, of course they refuse. Pretty soon an empathic demon comes along begging Angel for help against a monster that's chasing him all over the country. Angel agrees and goes looking, what he finds is "Rogue demon hunter" (in Cordelia's words-What's a rogue demon?) Wesley from BtVS. So, now teamed up with Wesley, Angel tracks down the suspected demon...only to find out that it's dying and it's horn (very powerful) has been stolen. The theif turns out to be none other than the empath, and he snatches Cordy and takes her to be auctioned off.

Wes and Angel show up and save the day.

At first, "Parting Gifts" felt like a boring house cleaning episode. The producers took the daring leap of killing off a main character, but now they have to step back and give us a grieving episode and find a replacement for Doyle's role. No, thank you. Fortunately, the episode does improve. The scene with the oracles in the episode's teaser was pointless--a shameful use of such intriguing characters. Not only was the scene pointless, but it effectively squashes the emotional effect of the previous episode "Hero". The oracles blatantly stated that turning back time would nullify Doyle's atonement which was made clear in "Hero" by Doyle's action and not by boring exposition.



With the introduction of the new-and-improved Wesley, the episode started to shape up to be a nice character episode. Character development has the most bearing in whether or not I like a television series. The great introduction to this character is what helped this episode earn a 6 out of 10 rather than much lower. We first met Wesley during the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Since he was a replacement slayer for the recently fired Giles, we automatically harbored resentment against him. It would have been impossible for Wesley to have become a likeable character on Buffy.



The crux of this character is that the new-and-improved Wesley is really neither new nor improved although he desperately wants to be new-and-improved. I laughed out loud when leather-clad Wesley threatened Angel, and Angel simply knocked his crossbow out of his hands. Wesley repeatedly calls himself a "rogue demon hunter. Cordelia asks the all important question, "What is a rogue demon?" Of course, a true "rogue demon hunter" would not call himself "rogue." As much as he wants to be a bad boy, the new Wesley is not that much different from the old Wesley.



In one aspect, the Wesley in Angel stands in sharp contrast to the Wesley in Buffy. Wesley entered Sunnydale sure of himself and his abilities. He enters LA fired from the Council and doubting his ability to be of any worth to anyone. That automatically endears him to us. The audience always cheers for the underdog. Watching Wesley fall to the ground during a crucial fight as he attempts to retrieve a knife he taped to his leg is comical. But there is also much more to his character: his expertise allowed him to translate the words of a dying demon that enabled Angel to save Cordelia. Wesley needs to discover for himself that he has the ability to contribute and be a hero. This leaves room for character growth and development. Wesley needs Angel as much as Angel needs him. Angel needs his expertise. Wesley needs to be needed.



This episode seemed to be missing the series's characteristic dark comedy. Scenes that might have otherwise been funny such as the auction were laced with too much Tim Burtonesque macabre for me. "Parting Gifts" started out as a mundane house cleaning episode, shaped up to be a nice character episode, and surprised me by ending with a compelling plot about a demon harvesting powers and auctioning them off. Although the exact mechanics of the story--the damsel being captured, the bad guys dramatically postponing her death, and finally the damsel being rescued--were as cliché as they come, it still held my interest and kept the episode going.



-Matthew Miller

Find this review and more at tv.swingthesickle.com

While I should probably be mouring the death of Doyle in the last episode, I am not. His death does not have a lasting effect on me. Why? While Doyle was a likable character with potential, I guess 9 episodes have not been enough to get attached to him in a way that I think he is irreplacable.



So I was cheering when Wesley Wyndham-Price, now "a rogue demon-hunter" arrived on the scene and in my living-room, as bumbling as ever. I kinda liked Wes on Buffy, but he is way better off on AtS. He is just great for comedic moments.



The plot is quite entertaining with Cordy realising that Doyle left his visions to her. So she kisses every available male in reach to get rid of them.



Great episode.

S1x10 - Parting Gifts



The episode they should just have re-run after "You're Welcome"



I believe this is one of the last times we see The Oracles, so I should enjoy them more. First, I wonder what Angel brought them as a tribute. Secondly, what a bitca that boy oracle is, huh? "Do not come to us again on so self-serving an errand."



And I really think we ought to take our cue here on how generally point-free and not-big-picture those Visions must in fact be. The attitude of the Oracles was way too flip about their deposition in a self-centered womanchild who can't appreciate them, let alone carry them. Sure, Cordy grows up a lot while carrying the Visions as she becomes St. Cordelia of Kyrumption, but she's still only about a dozen episodes removed from mourning her lot in life as a sales clerk.



It was a great opportunity for Cordy to float about kissing everyone, of course, which in general was just fun.



The timeframe in which "Parting Gifts" takes place was an odd juxtaposition of events -- Doyle leaves, and a friendly empathic demon shows up and gets all personable. Apparently pursued by Wesley, Rogue Demon Hunter.



This is the unfortunate reality about the life of the show. Doyle was still in the opening credits but otherwise didn't even feature in a flashback. But it would've given far too much away to include Alexis. Generally I think these slow burns tend to be ineffective -- misdirection is usually short-lived and pointless -- but in this case it kept us guessing -- and laughing.



The Rogue Demon Hunter seemed like a great Monster of the Week, chasing down a harmless little mouse demon who's going to replace Doyle by being all insightful and charming. And then it turned out to be Wesley, channeling his inner Hell's Angel and ... chafing. :P



I enjoyed his moment of insight about being fired, and sharing his Buffyside news. And I liked Angel's very mild character development in the course of the episode -- he has to work alone because of what happened to Doyle, and by the end, he not only accepts but admits he needs the help Wesley's offering.



As for Cordy, she's still all about getting rid of the Visions, but she came to terms with them, because they were a gift from Doyle, the best thing he had, his connection to the Powers That Be.



Too bad about those ice cream headaches. Cordy's dismissal of them as "so vague they need closed captioning" was good, and again we have the narrative problem. If the Powers That Be had just come out and told her she was in danger, to run away from Barney, she would never have had to be in that auction, and Angel wouldn't have had to look up "Maiden With Jar" or whatever (side note: Angel is a vampire who knows his art, huh?) and no one would've needed to know demonese.



The Powers are a puzzle. Did they mean to draw Angel and Wesley together? Barney and the Kungai demon are incidental to that path. Wes is chasing demons because it's more interesting than serving frogurt at TCBY. Cordelia's vision really just gives them the tools they need to save her, so she ends up as Vision Girl and damsel-in-distress. Way to empower the heck out of Cordy, Joss! (although to be fair, she is mostly comic relief at this point).



When Barney shows his true colors as to just how empathic he is, ripping into Cordy's psyche with her own guilt and loss, it's too late. But it's a character lesson Joss has learned and used again and again with Skip and Demon Doc and Cathy and Jasmine -- evil can be charming and even friendly.



And the woman with Wolfram & Hart, one wonders if they were just still looking for Lilah at this point and only knew that she wasn't her. Her "Three guesses who" is frankly silly. Angel can hardly be on their radar. He's only done a few things and they've only involved W&H once or twice. Surely an evil multidimensional corporation would've had a few more nemeses than this upstart who barely has a phone.



Unless this is the first hint of the Prophecy, that he's going to matter to them someday in a way they know about but he doesn't yet and neither do we. That makes a little more sense, but without context, her bitterness just seems trite.



Well, Doyle, you may not have a special mug. But you've got a doodle. And a tape with a cold read on some ad copy that survives explosions and a couple of different moving days and every possible unforeseen thing so as to make one last appearance in "You're Welcome."



And a goofball mantle Wes seems more than willing to pick up and shrug on.



And a place in our hearts.



Thanks for playing, and enjoy your "Parting Gifts."



P.S. -- Joss, if you're listening, this is how you follow up the death of a character. Not "Why We Fight." Never "Why We Fight." You might as well have flushed Cordy out an airlock. Except for how beautiful "You're Welcome" was, the aftermath was a lot like the caveman funeral from "History of the World Part 1." Feh!



* swats him with a newspaper * Bad Joss. I'd give you a pass except that "Parting Gifts" and "The Body" and "Forever" basically proved you knew how to say goodbye to side characters, at least, and it would've been nice to see some of that love for, y'know, a woman who'd been with the series from Day One.



Enough of that and enough of me. Much love for "Parting Gifts." It's interesting, especially in the tattered gaping hole that Doyle's death leaves in the middle of everyone's lives -- so much so it barely registered with me that Wesley joined the show and shared one of the best kisses I've seen Cordelia plant in eight seasons. Great work, everyone. Nice.

Parting Gifts is a very solid episode that follows up on the death of Doyle and introduces one of the most important characters on Angel- Wesley. After the excellence of Hero, it does fall a bit short, but as a standalone it is very good and definitely worth a watch. It has good character development and ties up Doyle's storyline nicely, whilst also furthering the Angel vs. Wolfram & Hart slightly, at theme that will be explored much more in depth in later seasons. The story begins at the offices of Angel Investigations with Angel and Cordelia in a slight lull, still in pain over Doyle's death. Cordelia is worried Angel is pushing her away and lamenting the fact Doyle left nothing behind to rememeber him by.



Cordelia's audition was amusing whilst also starting up a storyline that has a huge impact on Angel- she is now bearer of the visions. She is angry about this as they are extremely painful and now she is indebted to the Powers That Be, and also to Angel. Angel is clearly missing Doyle and seems to be deliberately pushing Cordelia away, as well as Wesley. "I had a guy at my side. He's dead. I work alone". This quote tells us Angel feels partly responsible for Doyle's death, wishing he had done more and is extremely unwilling to let anyone else work beside him in fear that they die. Wesley adds light-heartedness and deliver classic one-liners. He is a great new dynamic to the show and I am glad that the show's producers carried him over from Buffy, as he is better used on Angel. He's sucha dork and changed Angel and Cordelia's relationship for the better.



Barney the demon was a good villain- kidnapping Cordelia and selling her eyes at an auction! He was played well and was suitably deceptive and evil- I was extremely surprised of his villainous ways. Parting Gifts is a great episode that ties up the loose ends of Doyle's departure and introduced Wesley excellently. A very good episode.



Line of the episode:



Wesley: These pants tend to chafe one's... legs.

Parting Gifts was a perfect episode to Angel because it said goodbye to a loved member of Angel Investigations while welcoming the start of the main crew. Angel is approached by a demon being hunted down, by none other than Wesley Wyndam Price the now Rogue Demon Hunter. I thought this was a great story especially to introduce Wesley into the fold. It was a great sub plot to have Cordelia's eyes put up for Auction now that she has Doyle's visions from The Powers That Be. I think this episode really marks the begining of the trials and tribulations the gang will go through. Angel Investigations is truly established in this episode as it brings the main characters together, with two more yet to join. I can't wait to watch the stories unfold and enjoy the next episodes!!!!!!!