1/20: War Zone

[Techno-bot]

Written by Garry Campbell
Directed by David Straiton
Air date: 5/9/00

While working a blackmail case, Angel encounters Charles Gunn, the leader of a gang of street kids battling a next of vampires who've settled in their neighborhood.

[Lola m]

So, title is War Zone. Talking about the war that Gunn and crew are fighting. For its main theme, this episode gives us a good, if basic, analogy about the various issues you have in a large city with impoverished inner city areas. The gang of homeless teens, fighting to stay alive - struggling to find food and shelter, facing violence, etc.

Add a vampire nest that seems to be modeled like a racist skinhead gang, up to and including speeches from their leader talking about how this neighborhood used to be theirs and how good it was before the human "trash" moved in.

Then, use the current case that Angel and crew are working on to contrast with the things that Gunn's group are dealing with. A rich white client who is being blackmailed about going to a high class demon brothel.

Of course, you have other sub themes and things that will have big conseqeunces for the future.

* The way that Gunn is presented as being too rash, almost having a death wish (both his sister and Angel mention this, so you know it is a factor we are meant to keep in mind).

* The guilt that Gunn feels over putting his sister's life at risk with reckless fighting and then having to stake her.

* Once again, we get a more complex picture of vamps than the one-dimensional description by the Watchers - Alanna seems to keep a lot of her former personality once vamped. Also, she is not bent on just killing her family, but, much like Spike, wants to turn Charles so they can continue to be together.

* Angel trapped in a big box, um, I mean in a little room. Hmmmm. Where will we see this again? (Plus we get another funny funny bit with the cell phone and get to see Angel actually babble! "I'm the boss and I say when we use the cell phone and people are gonna die and . . . I have to go!"

* We see the conflict start here between a one-dimensional way of looking at demons (Gunn's way at the start of the ep, but he's had his eyes opened a bit by the end) and a recognition that there are good ones and bad ones and in between ones and really bad ones, etc. One we will see more of in season 3, when the gang is held hostage in Caritas.

Well, I have more notes, but am running out of brain, so I will end here and perhaps come back later.

Lola

[jeff]

Love the beginning of this ep. The camara panning up to a person with a duster, then panning up and seeing Gunn "You were expecting someone else?"

That was a good introduction to Charles Gunn.

[Lola m]

jeff said:

Love the beginning of this ep. The camara panning up to a person with a duster, then panning up and seeing Gunn "You were expecting someone else?"

That was a good introduction to Charles Gunn.

Very much. I like that reminder that Gunn is a leader of his team, like Angel is a leader of his.