"Angel" Guise Will Be Guise (2000)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Krishna Rao

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator) &
David Greenwalt (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Angel" (1999)

Original Air Date:

7 November 2000 (Season 2, Episode 6)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

Plot:

Realizing his obsessions have climaxed, Angel embarks on a journey of enlightenment with the help of a swami...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Vampire Slayer | Redemption | Actress | Supernatural

Cast

David Boreanaz	...	Angel
Charisma Carpenter	...	Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
J. August Richards	...	Charles Gunn
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frankie J. Allison	...	Thug #1
Brigid Brannagh	...	Virginia Bryce
Edward C. Gillow	...	Vampire Hunter
Andy Hallett	...	Lorne
Eiji Inoue	...	Japanese Business Man #2
Christian Kane	...	Lindsey McDonald (archive footage)
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Paul Lanier
Art LaFleur	...	T'ish Magev
Danica Sheridan	...	Yeska
Saul Stein	...	Benny
Todd Susman	...	Magnus Bryce
Ed Trotta	...	Man
Michael Yama	...	Japanese Business Man #1

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

Mutant Enemy

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man: Hello.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Didn't hear you come in. How can I help you?
Man: Where is he?
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Angel? He is rather out at the moment. Is there something I can do for you? I'm his associate.
Man: Yeah, you can tell me where the boss is. It's kind of urgent.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: We specialize in urgent. Life and death is it?
Man: It could get rough. I need someone with his special abilities.
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: I understand perfectly. Why don't you fill me in, and as soon as we find...
Man: What about you? You got any special abilities?
[...]

Movie Connections:

References Rocky (1976)

Soundtrack:

I Got You Babe

Wesley has to impersonate Angel... Ya gotta love it

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I really like this episode. I even like the title. I just adore Wesley and "Guise Will be Guise" is really his episode. It's got Wes pretending to be Angel, which is reason enough to like it in my book. Plus, "Guise Will be Guise" is just funny, with a lot of great scenes and hilarious lines. This episode also introduces Virginia, Wes's new girlfriend, who will be a recurring character for part of the season. All in all, I recommend that you see "Guise Will be Guise" if you're watching the show on DVD.

The episode revolves around Wesley impersonating Angel. Angel, out of sorts because of Darla and looking answers, goes to Lorne for advice. Lorne sends him to a swami for some spiritual guidance. While he's out of town, though, some hoods show up at the Hyperion. They want to take Angel to their boss. Cordy tries to explain that Angel's out of town, but they don't want to hear that. They pull a gun on her. Wes steps in, quickly claiming that he's Angel. He leaves with the men, much to Cordy's dismay. It turns out that the men work for a guy in the magic business. He wants "Angel" to look out for his daughter, Virginia. She's being threatened by a rival gang. Wes agrees to take on the job. He and Virginia begin to really bond. After he beats up some guys who tried to abduct her, Virginia is incredibly impressed with him. She and Wes sleep together.

Meanwhile, Cordy wants to "rescue" Wes. She sends Gunn to get Angel. Angel's been telling the swami about his life and problems. The guy has some pretty insightful comments about Angel, but there's one slight problem... He's a fake. This guy killed the real swami and took his place. He's suppose to be keeping Angel busy so he can't help Virginia. So, when the guys after Virginia realize that there are two Angel in the mix, they're pretty confused. When Gunn arrives, the swami tries to knock him out. Angel steps in and saves him, then they head back to the Hyperion.

By that time, Wes has been exposed as a fraud. Virginia is furious at him. That night is her father's 50 birthday and, as Wes and Angel compare notes, the realize that something strange is going on. The father didn't hire "Angel" to protect Virginia because, he loves her. He hired him to protect Virginia, because he wants to sacrifice her to a demon. If he feeds Virginia to the goddess Yeska, he'll get a lot of power. Wes, Cordy, Gunn and Angel have to save Virginia. She and Wes start dating for real.

There are some great parts to this episode. I just love watching Wes impersonating Angel. He's trying to pretend that he's a vampire, but he keeps running into trouble with the rules. From cringing as he drinks a glassful of blood, to insisting that they cover up all the mirrors, to accidentally touching a cross... He's just really funny. And the scene at Karitos is hilarious. Gunn is so horrified. Not by the demons, but by the idea that Angel might sing. (He'd probably be even MORE horrified if he had to listen to "Mandy.") Also, I really like Virginia facing off with her father. The first time I saw this episode, I completely wasn't expecting her dad to be the bad guy. So, I like that she stymied his evil plan, but not being a virgin. It's just a cool twist.

"Guise Will Be Guise" is all about people hiding their true selves. Virginia, her father, Wes, the swami, Ramon the bartender, and even Angel. They're all "disguising" themselves in some way. I think that this episode is especially saying that --in a way-- nobody's really Angel... Not even Angel. Cordy pretends to be Angel, spinning around in his chair. Wes tries to be Angel, impersonating him for most of the episode. And Angel himself admits to adopting a certain persona as he goes through life. That swami guy was actually making some really astute points about Angel. He does worry about his image and how people see him. He does ride around in a convertible in LA, which is a real crazy thing for a vampire to do. He does wear black all the time, because he likes being mysterious and cool. Angel is a really complex guy. Wes, meanwhile, has it in him to be heroic, but he doesn't know it yet because he's so used to being a screw up. It's only after he impersonates Angel, (literally donning Angel's "costume," his coat) that Wes realizes he can stand on his own. The idea of Angel as a champion and hero is bigger than all of them. (Which the Angel Inc. team will learn first hand when they set up shop on their own in a few episodes.) The episode is all about identity and it just really works.

On the down side, I don't understand why Cordy stopped looking at mug shots on the computer and suddenly flipped to celebrity photos in that magazine. Did she remember seeing that bodyguard's picture in there? Or was she just bored or what? I don't get it.

My favorite part of the episode: Angel's repeated insistence that --curse or no curse-- he's not a eunuch.