I love this episode. Flat out LOVE it. It's one of the most creative, interesting, fantastic episodes of the whole series. "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" redefines Angel's past, clarifying the idea that --even with a soul-- he can still be a real hard ass. It builds into the dark path he'll take later in the season and also fills in some the blank pages of his long history. Plus, it's just a cool story, filled with great 1950s touches and really fun scenes. I love vampire flash back episodes and "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" is one of my very favorites. I highly recommend it.
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" revolves around Angel's history back in the 1950s. It seems that Angel spent the Golden Age of Hollywood brooding alone in a room at the Hyperion hotel. He stumbled across the hotel again in "Judgement" and it brought up a lot of memories for him. Now, in "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been," he's determined to go back to the hotel and face his ghosts... Or demons. In the 1950s Angel wasn't the hero that he is today. Basically, he ignored the people around him and stayed out of their problems. When a woman named Judy comes to the Hyperion hotel, she's clearly running from her past. She's stolen some from money from the bank where she worked and they're trying to get it back. Angel is annoyed when Judy keeps dragging him into her problems. He grudgingly helps her out, but he insists that he just wants to be left alone.
Unfortunately, there's bigger trouble brewing in the Hyperion. A paranoia demon has infested the hotel and it's building mistrust amongst the guests. It driving one man to suicide and then convinces the rest of the hotel that it was a murder. The guests start suspecting each other of the crime. Angel realizes that a demon is a work in the Hyperion and prepares to battle it. Unfortunately, Judy is attacked by the other guests. Scared and desperate, she shouts that Angel is the killer. The Hyperion guests lynch Angel right there in the lobby. Being a vampire, he's not that easy to kill and he survives the attack. Deciding that helping people isn't worth it, he leaves Judy and the other guests to their fates. Now, 50 years later, he's back. The paranoia demon is still haunting the hotel. Angel, Wes, Cordy and Gunn work to exorcise it. Upstairs, Angel finds Judy still hiding in her room. She's dying and she asks for Angel's forgiveness. He accepts her apology, then decides to move Angel Investigations into the Hyperion.
There's just so much to like about this episode. It uses the problems of the 1950s to explore and forecast the issues that will face Team Angel this season. "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" explores ideas of paranoia, racism, and isolation. It's got the McCarthy hearings, reflecting the suspicions that will build within the gang as the season wears on. It's got Judy being ostracized because of her heritage, just as Angel is often ostracized because he's a vampire. And it's got Angel dark and alone in his hotel room in the 1950s, just as he'll be dark and alone in a lot of the episodes to come. "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" sets up so much and it really establishes Angel's bad ass side. Even with a soul, he can be a ruthless, uncaring sort of guy. I just love watching him in the 1950s. He's so apathetic and mean to everyone, that I always end up grinning. He doesn't care about the rest of the guests or mind that they're scared of him. (The guy in the next room shoots himself, and Angel just glances at the wall and keeps sipping his blood.) As the episode goes on, though, you begin to see that he's still Angel. He's just depressed and lonely. Underneath his Spike-like flat hair and chain smoking, Angel really is a good guy. He's trying to help Judy and he's so hurt when she turns on him that my heart just breaks. I also like how the episode is edited. It flashes from the present, back to the 1950s, and then to the present again. It's just really cool how the story unfolds over the two different time lines. Finally, I like Wes paranoid that people think he's paranoid.
On the down side, I wish Judy had gotten to go outside again. It's just sad that she feared going to jail so much, that she wound up imprisoning herself in the hotel for 50 years. And is Cordy crazy saying that vampires don't photograph well? Angel looks fantastic in those pictures. Also, how is Angel paying for that room in the hotel? He doesn't seem to have a job, so where's he getting money? And speaking of money, what happens to Judy's bag full of stolen cash? Is that what Angel uses to buy the hotel? Finally, the bellhop guy was kind of funny. Too bad he was executed...
My favorite part of the episode: All the fun "Rebel Without a Cause" allusions. There's Angel dressed in a red jacket like James Dean. There's the scene at the Griffith Planetarium. "Judy" is the name of Natalie Woods' character in the film and it's the name of Angel friend. Plus, Angel really is a "rebel without a cause" in this episode. He's now a "rebel" vampire, unable to continue his evil ways. But, he doesn't have a "cause" yet, either. He's not trying to be a champion or help the helpless. He's just drifting through his existence, not quite a part of anything. It's just really cool.
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" revolves around Angel's history back in the 1950s. It seems that Angel spent the Golden Age of Hollywood brooding alone in a room at the Hyperion hotel. He stumbled across the hotel again in "Judgement" and it brought up a lot of memories for him. Now, in "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been," he's determined to go back to the hotel and face his ghosts... Or demons. In the 1950s Angel wasn't the hero that he is today. Basically, he ignored the people around him and stayed out of their problems. When a woman named Judy comes to the Hyperion hotel, she's clearly running from her past. She's stolen some from money from the bank where she worked and they're trying to get it back. Angel is annoyed when Judy keeps dragging him into her problems. He grudgingly helps her out, but he insists that he just wants to be left alone.
Unfortunately, there's bigger trouble brewing in the Hyperion. A paranoia demon has infested the hotel and it's building mistrust amongst the guests. It driving one man to suicide and then convinces the rest of the hotel that it was a murder. The guests start suspecting each other of the crime. Angel realizes that a demon is a work in the Hyperion and prepares to battle it. Unfortunately, Judy is attacked by the other guests. Scared and desperate, she shouts that Angel is the killer. The Hyperion guests lynch Angel right there in the lobby. Being a vampire, he's not that easy to kill and he survives the attack. Deciding that helping people isn't worth it, he leaves Judy and the other guests to their fates. Now, 50 years later, he's back. The paranoia demon is still haunting the hotel. Angel, Wes, Cordy and Gunn work to exorcise it. Upstairs, Angel finds Judy still hiding in her room. She's dying and she asks for Angel's forgiveness. He accepts her apology, then decides to move Angel Investigations into the Hyperion.
There's just so much to like about this episode. It uses the problems of the 1950s to explore and forecast the issues that will face Team Angel this season. "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" explores ideas of paranoia, racism, and isolation. It's got the McCarthy hearings, reflecting the suspicions that will build within the gang as the season wears on. It's got Judy being ostracized because of her heritage, just as Angel is often ostracized because he's a vampire. And it's got Angel dark and alone in his hotel room in the 1950s, just as he'll be dark and alone in a lot of the episodes to come. "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" sets up so much and it really establishes Angel's bad ass side. Even with a soul, he can be a ruthless, uncaring sort of guy. I just love watching him in the 1950s. He's so apathetic and mean to everyone, that I always end up grinning. He doesn't care about the rest of the guests or mind that they're scared of him. (The guy in the next room shoots himself, and Angel just glances at the wall and keeps sipping his blood.) As the episode goes on, though, you begin to see that he's still Angel. He's just depressed and lonely. Underneath his Spike-like flat hair and chain smoking, Angel really is a good guy. He's trying to help Judy and he's so hurt when she turns on him that my heart just breaks. I also like how the episode is edited. It flashes from the present, back to the 1950s, and then to the present again. It's just really cool how the story unfolds over the two different time lines. Finally, I like Wes paranoid that people think he's paranoid.
On the down side, I wish Judy had gotten to go outside again. It's just sad that she feared going to jail so much, that she wound up imprisoning herself in the hotel for 50 years. And is Cordy crazy saying that vampires don't photograph well? Angel looks fantastic in those pictures. Also, how is Angel paying for that room in the hotel? He doesn't seem to have a job, so where's he getting money? And speaking of money, what happens to Judy's bag full of stolen cash? Is that what Angel uses to buy the hotel? Finally, the bellhop guy was kind of funny. Too bad he was executed...
My favorite part of the episode: All the fun "Rebel Without a Cause" allusions. There's Angel dressed in a red jacket like James Dean. There's the scene at the Griffith Planetarium. "Judy" is the name of Natalie Woods' character in the film and it's the name of Angel friend. Plus, Angel really is a "rebel without a cause" in this episode. He's now a "rebel" vampire, unable to continue his evil ways. But, he doesn't have a "cause" yet, either. He's not trying to be a champion or help the helpless. He's just drifting through his existence, not quite a part of anything. It's just really cool.