ANGEL- EPISODE 3.2 'THAT VISION THING'

Lilah development, my idle thoughts + ramblings… enjoy… oh, by the way they're in no set order…

• The key theme in this episode is control, and more importantly Lilah has the control. Wolfram and Hart have never had the upper hand in this way before so she's going to see this as a victory. Another key theme is the balance of power. Before this ep Angel and Lilah on their respective sides have pretty much been 50/50. Neither of them has 'won' as such… after all… they are still both alive. But in the episode the balance shifts which links in to control as a theme. There's also a question of loyalty. Angel proves his loyalty to Cordy by having no choice and having to free the prisoner but at the same time has to prove his loyalty to Lilah by doing what she wants. In return Lilah proves her loyalty to Angel by refusing to help Gavin get to him through his 'paperwork' scenario… partly because she knows Angel so well and she knows it'll never work.
• One of the first things I noticed on the first watch through was the strong parallels between Lilah and Darla just after she's been turned in season two- particularly in the ep 'Redefinition.' First question how is this parallel conveyed? Two main ways. Sex is used as a weapon. Lilah uses touch and the scene with Angel in her office comes off as sexy and dark and full of UST. It is strongly reminiscent of a scene between Darla and Lindsey in 'Redefinition.' At the end of the episode Darla will use sex in future episodes as a way to blackmail Angel. The second way is by the use of similar speech patterns. In 'Redefinition' Darla accentuates syllables and words to get a point across (I *loathe* being used) in the same way Lilah does this episode (No *you'll* do this because *I* tell you to.) So why is Lilah turning to Darla-isms to get what she wants? Darla had amazing power over both Angel and Lindsey. This is a power Lilah wants and at the end of the episode she gets- all through being like Darla.
• The use of continuity is shown through Gavin and Lindsey not through Angel. In the 'previously on Angel…' montage none of Lilah and Angel's previous history is shown. Her previous character and status is shown through a Gavin voice over introducing her as the head of special projects and her history is conveyed in a nutshell when she talks about Lindsey- how he earned his office and how she did too. Why? The idea of time moving on- time has healed her. And time has also changed her. She has come into her own a separate person away from Lindsey.
• The idea of obsession comes into the storyline even more so than it has before. Lilah feels the need to make her presence known to Angel by any means possible- even if that means using a shock tactic by destroying those that mean the most to Angel… or her 'competition.' Cordy is her only real competition when it comes to Angel with Fred still being relatively new in his life. She feels the need to get under his skin. Note this is the first time she initiates touch. Previously it's been him that initiates the touch. The way she runs her fingers over his shoulders is a flip round of the touch he initiates in 'Blood Money.' The flip around idea is also conveyed by the idea that Angel was once obsessed by getting to Wolfram and Hart through Lilah ('Blood Money' through 'Reprise.')
• Connection to Lindsey- no matter how weak or how little there is left it is still there. She's quick to defend him against Gavin but the impression given is she no longer has any contact with him… but maybe she did previously post 'Dead End.'
• She likes to know exactly what's going on in her division. She's annoyed that Gavin knows before she does that he's getting moved to Special projects. There's a feeling of the intense paranoia Lilah has that was first conveyed in 'Blood Money.'
• The fact that she talks to herself at two separate points throughout the episode conveys a certain sense of loneliness. Previously Lindsey was always around to listen to her and maybe she's still not used to him not being there.
• There's definitely softer speech patterns for Lilah in this episode. Despite her paranoia her way of talking to Gavin is certainly a lot softer than she's spoken to others previously in the past. The line 'You don't have any' which she speaks to Gavin is this episode also appeared when she spoke to Lee about Faith in 'Five by Five.' The mannerism is the same but the actual way the line is delivered is softer- in a way more dangerous and more threatening to convey her raised status.
• The rivalry hints between her and Gavin are no where near as vicious as she was with Lindsey. Could the rivalry with Lindsey have been a cover of true feelings or her own twisted way of flirting with him.
• The use of colour conveys the key idea between good and evil. Lilah wears black clothes against pale skin representative of her ideas against good and evil. Things are clear cut for her. There's black and there's white. Good and evil and no grey. Also black to represent black mail.
• There's also a use of shape to get across a theme. The triangle pattern of the cars in the last Lilah scene represents three things. The first of which is a triangle is a typical holding pattern. She's got Angel right where she wants him she's made him play her game. (Which is against Lindsey's advice to Angel in the last scene of 'Dead End.') A triangle is also a typical defensive pattern used in many sports (e.g. Zone defence in basketball.) The triangle is a way of defending herself against Angel's wrath. The triangle is also an unbalanced shape. Wolfram and Hart form the base, the support- they are in control of the situation.

• Lilah knows she shouldn't feel anything towards Angel. He is her enemy and she knows she should hate him. If she does hate him it comes from the passion she feels for him. The fact she has emotions, that she can feel things proves after all she's only human. There's a parallel between this and the Buffy/Spike interaction in 'Crush' the passion comes from the hate.
• There's a link between her fear and her lust- a connection. The more he scares her the more she wants him. It's a vicious circle- him hurting her and caring her is what she craves- a closeness and connection with him.
• Fez guy says 'I think she got the message' referring to Cordelia. This can be interpreted as 'the message' was back off. Lilah wants Angel for herself.
• When Angel tells Skip 'It involves a girl' it's unclear who he's talking about- Lilah or Cordy.
• Lilah and Cordelia are seen as direct opposites- Cordelia being good and Lilah being evil. They are the two extremes. The only thing they have in common is the incredible strength and devotion to their cause- both maybe trapped in situations they'd rather not be in.
• Lilah gets the exact impression she wanted. Angel knows instantly who's been sending the visions.
• Gavin helps Angel- just like Lindsey did.
• The word 'business' is repeated between Lilah and Angel. It shows they both have a public profile (as a business woman and man) and a private face (they're both human and they're both people.) Business- has slow, lazy sounds- slips off the tongue. It's as if there's nothing else to say.
• Lilah's line to Angel 'We're just getting started.' Full of innuendo and subtext. Foreshadowing?
• She makes it clear that this 'mission' isn't about Wolfram and Hart… it's about her for the first time.
• The hurt he initiates is a sharp contrast to the closeness she craves.
• Wesley is now aware of Lilah's name. Angel needed to be able to think about her to be able to tell him- Lilah got what she wanted- Angel thinking about her.
• Angel has done Lilah a favour (through blackmail but still a favour.) And Lilah will see this as such. She now owes him. Their business won't be finished- she wants to draw it out to be close to him.
• Lilah is still nervous and jumpy. This is conveyed by her use of pacing and looking at her watch, the shadows falling on her face and the dark incidental music.
• There's a certain element of a dark, gangster Tarantino movie to it- something 'Reservoir dogs.' Violence is used as a central theme.
• She tells him she has faith in him- this is reciprocated. He knows just how dangerous she can be- the lengths she's prepared to go to just to do her job. There must be a line for her- a detachment, not to feel emotional when it's 'just business.'
• Angel deliberately throws the rebar past her- he had no intention of killing her. He needs to feel a connection a closeness through her fear. Why? He craves a power. He is no longer in charge at AI and he misses the power he had as Angelus. Maybe there's a hope element there. Redemption. Angel said in Sanctuary 'We can't decide whose soul is worth saving and whose isn't.' A 'second chance' element. There's a link to 'This is your only chance' in 'The Ring.' But of course it's not- he will always call the shots with her.
• The last point- he's the second man to have just walked away from her in as many episodes…