User Reviews

This is a very important episode for the rest of the season. It finally reveals Darla's presence to the rest of the cast, it reestablishes Darla and Angel's history with Dru and it shows Darla and Lindsey's deepening relationship. "Dear Boy" is all about Darla and Angel's long and tangled romance. For centuries, they traveled the world together. Angel might have killed Darla and she might be plotting to bring him down, but there are still strong feelings between them. Angel is furious at Darla, but her still cares for her. Darla is furious at Angel, but she still wants him. They are drawn to each other and will be into next season. It's a cool, complex relationship that really shows itself in "Dear Boy." If you're watching the season on DVD, you can't skip this episode.

This episode revolves around Angel discovering that Darla's still alive. After weeks of torturing Angel in his sleep, Darla makes her presence known to him. Angel catches a glimpse of her walking on the promenade (between the clown and the big, talking hot dog) and he freaks out. Wes and Cordy are skeptical when Angel tells them that he saw Darla. They remind Angel's that he's been acting strangely for a while now. Besides, Darla died back in the BTVS season one episode, "Angel." But, Angel insists that Darla's real. He's determined to find his sire and discover what she's up to. When he spots Darla at a local hotel, Angel grabs her and tries to make her talk. Darla insists that he's made a mistake. She cries that she isn't Darla. She's Dietta Kramer. She dashes out into the sunlight, proving that she's a human. Angel still isn't convinced and decided to track her down.

Flash backs show Angelus and Darla in the 1860s. Angelus drives Drusilla insane and finally turns her into a vampire. His cruelty impresses Darla. In LA, she and Lindsay are growing closer and they're determined to bring Angel down. But, Darla still wants Angel. Knowing that he'll find her, she stages an attack. One of Wolfram and Hart's vampires kills her pretend husband and Darla tells the police that Angel did it. Kate instantly believes her and heads to the Hyperion to arrest him. Angel kidnaps Darla and forces her to finally admit the truth about her identity to him. Back at the hotel, Wes, Cordy and Gunn clear Angel's name. They point out to Kate that he couldn't have entered Dietta Kramer's house and killed her husband without an invitation, like Darla had claimed. Kate is far from happy, but she finally leaves. Darla and Angel argue. He tells her that she has a soul now and she retorts that she doesn't care. She's still happy being a Black Hat and refuses to change. Darla runs back to Wolfram and Hart, leaving Team Angel to deal with the news of her return.

There are some really great parts to this episode. I love vampire flash backs and it's really great to see Drusilla again. Before she became a vampire, Dru was a sweet, pious little thing and Angelus made her completely insane. I feel so bad for her in this episode. I also enjoy Angel Investigations "alien abduction" case. A man comes to them and explains that his wife keeps getting whisked off to other galaxies. It turns out that she's having an affair. Angel hates handling domestic cases, because "It's crass." It's funny to see him lecture the woman and her boyfriend, while Cordy fumes that he's messing things up for their only paying client and Wes tries to hide behind a newspaper. Also, I like Darla and Angel's scenes in the underground water tank, or whatever. Darla may be human now, but she still sees herself as a vampire and she has several hundred years of evilness to draw on. She has no intention of being "good" and she wants Angel to join her on the Dark Side again. When he tells her that their relationship never made him happy, Darla is really offended. She spitefully brings up Buffy, which is cool because Angel originally killed Darla to protect Buffy. Darla is clearly holding a grudge. I also like Gunn's reaction to learning that sometimes Angel turns into Angelus. "Wait, he goes EVIL?!" You just have to laugh. And I love Wes and Cordy refusing to cooperate with Kate. They're not even convince that Angel's right about Darla. "Angel, vampires don't just come back from the dead." Wes argues. "I did." Angel retorts. (So will Spike. Angel's right. Death isn't always the end in the Buffyverse.) But, when Kate starts questioning them, Wes and Cordy cross their arms over their chests and won't talk to her. Even when they think Angel is going off the deep end, they're still loyal to him. It's sweet.

On the down side, where does Kate get off lecturing Wes, Cordy and Gunn about "innocent victims." Angel IS an innocent victim. He's done nothing wrong. Wolfram and Hart are the one's hurting people... Especially poor Angel. How dare Kate blame Angel for any of this! I just can't stand her. Also, how did Darla know that Angel would be at that hotel? And what exactly is Wolfram and Harts ultimate goal in this episode? Just to have Angel arrested? To make him crazy and then evil again? Why put Darla in his dreams? Why have her pretend to be Dietta Kramer? It seems like a really complicated plan and I'm not sure what the point is.

My favorite part of the episode: Angel singing "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" at Karitos. It's such a ridiculous song choice for him. So peppy and un-Angel-like. He doesn't even know the words. At the end, he just says, "I'm very sorry" and hurries off stage. It cracks me up every time.

God doesn't want you, but I still do - A flashback-filled episode with lots of 'Angelus' and 'Darla' and how they turned 'Drusilla', what I most love about the second season are the flashbacks, I wish the entire series would have had more of those, plus it was great to see Juliet Laundau as a human and how she got turned into a vampire. Meanwhile 'Angel' is being restless, he's tired all the time and getting off his game, until he sees 'Darla' at a fair who is just trying to drive him mad. I loved the scene when 'Angel' went sniffing on 'Cordy's hair - Pursonal BUBBLE!. When 'Angel' figured out that 'Darla' was human he realized that she was the one that was brought back in that box, only as a human. But everyone else just thought he'd gone crazy. I love Julie Benz' acting in this episode, especially during the last scene when 'Angel' brings her to that demon-church -The b!tch is you have a soul now. Pretty soon those memories are gonna start eating away at you. What a fabulous episode, you can already see that 'Angel' is starting to go dark. ANGEL: You're gonna feel it, you know. What you did, that man you got killed. DARLA: Please, He was an actor. ANGEL: I'm serious. DARLA: Yeah, like a heart attack, and just about as much fun. ANGEL: Darla, you hurt anyone else and I'll kill you. DARLA: Will you? Isn't that against your cub-scout code? ANGEL: I'll make an exception. (10 out of 10)

This episode is so fantastic.

In this episode, Darla is constantly spying on Angel. When he sees her, she tries to convince him that she is not Darla. She even goes so far to have a house with a fake husband, to lure Angel in. No one other than Angel believes that it is Darla. But, despite that, he knows it is.

Eventually, Angel finds Darla and kidnaps her, where she finally fesses up to being herself and tries to seduce him, hoping it will lead to him loosing his soul. But Angel refuses.

Overall, I give this episode a 9 out of 10.

DEAR BOY

The Good; All the Angel and Darla stuff and the Kate stuff. Love the cheating wife subplot too.

The Bad; ?

Best line: "God doesn't want you, but I do"

Jeez, how did they get away with that? Awful scene between Darla and Angelus whilst driving Dru mad. She is a virgin and a saint, how different her life could have been. Darla grabbing/killing the actor.

Apocalypses: 4

Angel Clichés Damsel in distress; 17

In disguise; Whilst surveiling the cheating wife in the hotel so 6

DB get's his shirt off; 10

Cordy's tattoo;3

Cheap Angel; AI jump at the chance of a paying client Cordy noting he has Mastercard etc. Angel asks Wes if he has any money he can lend him for Caritas 6

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 8 Wes: 2

Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 10 Angel: 12 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1

Kills: one demon for Gunn Cordy: 5 vamps, 1 demons Angel; 17 vamps, 18 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 1/2 a demon Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 5 vamps + 1 demon.

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 6

Characters killed: 3, the actor, the Lord and the Streetwalker 26

Recurring characters killed; 4;

Total number of Angel Investigations: 4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot: Angel shot by the cops who respond to the call Angel: 9,

Packing heat; we have the first appearance the tranquliser guns. Wes; 4 Doyle; 2 Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 2 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast Angel: 1;Buffy Wes; 1 bleached blonde according to Angel and to the amazement of Cordy

Kinky dinky: Angel forces himself on Darla but being Darla she revels in it. "You're hurting me, I like it". Angel tells Darla she can 'Scream all she wants'. Darla says she's pretty familiar with the international sign for 'enough' whilst Angel says what they did together 'blew the top of my head off'. Angel has 'a thing for convents', hmmm? The nuns or the teenage schoolgirls in uniforms? Darla kills the streetwalker even though she was one herself. Angel smells Cordy's hair, the first hint of Cangel. When Angel refers to his love Cordy thinks he's talking about Buffy. Cordy's 'Pet me I'm a whore' outfit certainly fits the bill. Angel observes that Wes has recently had sex with a bleach blonde, probably the girl from 'Judgement', much to Cordelia's incredulity. Buffy the cheerleader gave Angel a happiness Darla couldn't give, maybe Darla should get the costume and some pompoms?

Captain Subtext; In fanfic the bleach blonde Wes had sex with is often Spike. Lorne refers to his bartender Ramon as a 'treasure'.

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages; 4,

Buffy characters on Angel; Dru for the first time 12 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru

Questions and observations; Angel is 247 years old and now a coffee addict contrary to what was stated in The Prom. Great ep, the renewal of the Angel/Darla relationship and it's terrific on all levels, great things to come. Angel seems to have established a reputation as a PI for the supernatural, AI's spying on the cheating wife is quite professional with listening devices, mini-camera's, the works. In the Buffyverse there appear to be no aliens (what about the Queller demon from season 5?). Kate is now a pariah in the LAPD but is still loved by her friends and colleagues. Lorne is back for the first time in a while. Some great satire on Hollywood actors. Gunn has a long and colourful record with LAPD.

Marks out of 10; 9/10

Dear Boy is about Darla trying to drive Angel over the edge.

See God doesn't want you, but I still do. Great line. The plan to get Angel fixated on Darla quite effective and the scene with the two of them at the convent excellent. There's also important and quality flashbacks, always welcome. The fight scene there earlier on is extremely careless though, Angel and Gunn just run in leaving Cordy and Wes to fend for themselves. Charisma Carpenter's splendid here and also extremely beautiful. Kate though, at an all-time low. The character was so likable and had such a promising beginning. Strong episode, but also just a lead-in of things to come.

"Dear Boy" finally brings Angel and Darla back together in modern times. Darla and Lindsey lure him into a trap that gets Kate and the cops on his trail. Meanwhile Cordelia and Wesley investigate a woman who keeps getting abducted by aliens.

Not a lot of action happens in this one but its more of a setup of things to come. A battle between Darla and Angel seems imminent and it will take all of Angel's self-control to make it through the other side.

Conclusion: Not an extremely memorable episode but we get to see the chemistry between Angel and Darla firsthand.