"Angel"
Conviction (2003)

Director:

Joss Whedon

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator) &
David Greenwalt (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Angel" (1999)

Original Air Date:

1 October 2003 (Season 5, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

Angel and the gang adjust to life at Wolfram & Hart, while Angel lets loose the shocking contents of a package from Sunnydale. |

Plot Keywords:

Cult Hero | Cult TV | Redemption | Attempted Murder | Neo Noir

Cast

David Boreanaz	...	Angel
James Marsters	...	Spike
J. August Richards	...	Charles Gunn
Amy Acker	...	Winifred 'Fred' Burkle
Andy Hallett	...	Lorne
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Peter Breitmayer	...	Desmond Keel
Chris Eckles	...	Special Ops Guy
Jordan Garrett	...	Matthew
Jacqueline Hahn	...	Judge
Keli'l	...	Sam
Daniella Kuhn	...	Notary
Mercedes McNab	...	Harmony Kendall
Dane Northcutt	...	Agent Hauser
Rodney Rowland	...	Corbin Fries (as Rod Rowland)
Susan Slome	...	Cindy Rabinowitz
Marissa Tait	...	Woman
Sarah Thompson	...	Eve
T.J. Thyne	...	Lawyer
Marc Vann	...	Doctor Sparrow
Michael Shamus Wiles	...	Spanky
Jonathan M. Woodward	...	Knox (as Jonathan Woodward)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Trivia:

Character Corbin Fries is the name of Joss Whedon's nephew.

Quotes:

Automated voice: To sacrifice a loved one or pet, press the pound key.

Movie Connections:

References The Godfather (1972)

The start of my favorite season

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This is my favorite season of "Angel" and possibly of the entire Buffyverse. It's got some of the best episodes, greatest characters and most creative plots that I've ever seen. Season five reunites my favorite two characters in the Buffyverse: Spike and Angel. I'd rather watch the two of the bickering about who saved the world more times and which of them really deserves the Shanshu Prophesy than anything else, EVER, in the history of television. (No, I'm not exaggerating. I'm just flat-out addicted to this show.) Really, this season gives all the characters some of their best material. It's Gunn and Fred's best work. Wes steals the whole second half of the season. Lorne's character is finally deepened. And Cordy's episode has me in tears every time I see it. The fact that this is the show's last season breaks my heart. But I truly believe that "Angel" went out on it's best year, and nobody can take that away. "Conviction" sets-up the season to come and you really need to see it.

"Conviction" revolves around Team Angel's first days at Wolfram & Hart. They are overwhelmed and stressed about their new jobs. Most of their clients are evil and a lot of the employees are plotting against them. They also meet their liaison to the Senior Partners, Eve. And Angel has a new assistant: Harmony, who was last seen in season two's "Disharmony." Team Angel's not sure of the best way to do help the helpless or do good in the Big Bad's citadel.

One of their first cases revolves around evil human. If he doesn't get free of his current legal troubles, he's says he'll detonate an mystical, virus bomb. And he's hidden the bomb in his little boy. Angel takes that personally, because of his own son. Only he and Eve can remember Conner now and he's even more broody than usually about it. When Wolfram & Hart's security force tries to kill the little boy, Angel kills them instead.

Meanwhile, Gunn gets a complete knowledge of the law implanted into his brain. He heads down to court and gets the evil client free on legal grounds. Back at the office, Team Angel tries to come to grips with all the new problems they'll face. Angel insists that they'll get the hang of defending evil clients, so that they'll help the greater good. When he opens an envelope left on his desk, that pendant from season four's "Home" falls out. There's a weird little tornado thing and suddenly Spike is standing there. Un-un-un-dead.

There are some great parts of this episode. I just love the beginning, with Angel saving that woman in an alley. He's acting all mysterious, killing the vamp and trying to walk away with his "helping the helpless" reputation safely secured. Then all these guys from Wolfram & Hart show up with legal wavers, a SWAT team and a camera crew. Angel's confusion just cracks me up. Also, I love that Harmony is Angel's "assistant." Spike and Angel both get so frustrated with her nuttiness and endless chatter. But they also have too much of a soft spot for the Littlest Vampire to actually fire (or stake) her. Plus, I always laugh when Angel visits that Spanky guy. The scene of him selecting which of his 12 new cars to drive to the interrogation is just hilarious. "They're all so beautiful" And the end of the episode is interesting. Angel says that they'll learn to control Wolfram & Hart. Then Wes adds, "Or kill ourselves with it trying" which has a sad sort of foreshadowing to it.

I also really enjoy lawyer Gunn. I think that it adds a lot of dimension to his character. Through a lot of season four, he was worried about just being the muscle. Now, he has a chance to grab onto a new, "brainy" identity. Rather than work at his new legal career, though, he lets Wolfram & Hart just jack it into his mind. It's the first of a lot of questionable decisions Team Angel makes at Wolfram & Hart. The law firm clouds things for everyone, making terrible options seem suddenly... Normal. Things that Team Angel never would have done a year before, they slowly begin to accept as par for the course. It's a slow insidious process and I think it's one of the most creative plot lines the show ever produces. What if an apocalypse wasn't an epic battle with some demon or one clear cut fight of good v. evil? What if it was a thousand tiny steps into shades of grey, until you couldn't even remember the point of standing up for the helpless anymore? Until you forgot what it means to be a Champion? God, it's just a brilliant concept.

On the down side, I really do wish Cordy had been there with the others when they walked into Wolfram & Hart. I miss her. Really, her very absence becomes a plot in and of itself. Without her to anchor him, Angel looses his way. Season five might not have much Cordy, but her continued importance is shown over and over as the season wears on

My favorite part of the episode: Spike arriving. Love him, love him, love him.