Review of Episode 7, Season 3 "OFFSPRING" After the last several weeks I’ve been hard pressed to find any number of new adjectives to describe how well this season is going. It has far exceeded all my expectations and each week I cringe in fear that this week will be the one to finally falter, yet again my fears are put to rest! Recently, after Billy Episode 6 aired, David Greenwalt, Offspring’s author told CoA, “We have set a very high watermark for ourselves with this one, but we’re extremely happy with the season so far.” That may be true but last nights episode proved they are not buckling under the weight of their own standards! Another marvelous story told, acted, and directed with few flaws if any. I’ve always enjoyed the period segments of the series but for the first time I am fully convinced that they could produce an entire episode set ‘back in the day’ and fulfill any critic’s need at keeping an audience totally enthralled. These scenes just get better and better! We have a chance to see Holtz a bit more as his presence slowly develops but it’s Darla once again who rescues her man in timely fashion in the opening teaser. There is an impressive sense of film quality here that I found my mouth hanging agape at times. Greenwalt certainly knows how to weave a story. With so much going on in the dialogue alone that you want to rewind and play the scenes over before it’s even finished. He has an amazing grip on how to make Angel’s human side come through with quirky humor and just the right pacing so when you think you’re in his groove he pulls the rug out from under you. Great stuff! One down play, if only for a moment, is seeing Wesley back as the bumbling idiot at the mansion especially after having left him in such a state of despair last week. And Gunn is miraculously healthy as well. I don’t mind seeing the more human side of Wes but the transition seemed a bit off here. The act breaks between 2 and 3 seemed a bit weak but just when I thought things were turning for the non better, Whoa! Darla kicks it in! I was wondering how long she was going to let Cordelia baby her but then if you talk ‘hunger and drinking’ to a vampire for very long, they will eventually want to drink! But Cordy has been doing the ass-kicking trainage as of late and I trusted that she would come back fighting. So, is the baby really Angel’s or a figment of the Prophecy? The return of Holtz promises to be interesting and with Wolfram & Hart always looming around the corner I’m sure they’ll want to get in on the baby shower! This episode is outstanding if only for the multitude of questions it raises. The subtle one-liners and the innuendo between characters all make for an exceptional episode in a long run of winners so far. I give it Review by CoA Council member, Swoop

CoA Stakes Rating Guide = Disappointing, stake it, bury it! = Not too bad, Lacking a few graves. = Typical Dark Avenger saves the day Saga. = Better still, Quality Headstones. = Outstanding! Reward it with mortality!

Gunn: (while breaking and entering) I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Wesley: We’ll figure something out. It’s just a vault. Gunn: Actually, my bad feeling is more about the man standing behind you with a large revolver. Angel: We’ve been through so much together, you and me, as friends. You’ve seen the good, and the not so good. Cordelia: Just like you have in me. And for the record, the good I’ve seen far outweighs the bad. Angel: Thanks. You too. Cordelia: Hey, what are friends for? Darla: You ask me, they’re for knocking you up and leaving you high and dry. (to Angel) Hello, lover. Long time no see. Fred: Who’s Darla? Gunn: Angel’s old flame from way back. Fred: Not the one who died? Gunn: Yeah. No, not that one. The other one who died and came back to life. She’s a vampire. Fred: Do y’all have a chart or something? Cordelia: Are you going to take some responsibility her, (pauses) Angel? Angel: Oh, me? Of course I am. Wes, let’s get on this right now. Wesley: What do you suggest? Angel: I suggest you use your books and find out what’s going on. What, do I have to think of everything? Wesley: (picks up a book and says sarcastically) Oh, here it is. It says, I have absolutely no idea what’s going on. The Host: (on Darla’s baby) This goes way beyond my ken (pauses), and my Barbie and all my action figures. Fred: Can I say something about destiny? Screw destiny. If this evil thing comes, we’ll fight it, and we’ll keep fighting it until we whip it. Because destiny’s just another word for inevitable, and nothing’s inevitable as long as you stand up, look it in the eye, and say you’re evitable. Well, you catch my drift. Wesley: (on Angel going to kill Darla) why does he think he has to do everything alone? Fred: I think he just can’t bear to have us see him do it. Wesley: Kill Darla? She did try to kill Cordy. And she’s a vampire. Fred: Who’s carrying his child, the one thing he can never have, even if he lives forever. Darla: Oh. I love children. I could just (pauses) eat them up. Angel: You’re not alone in this anymore. We’ll deal with this together. Darla: (sarcastically) Gosh, I’m just the luckiest vampire girl in the whole world. Quotes by Council member Seeker.