Hero (Angel episode)
Encyclopedia
"Hero" is episode 9 of season 1 in the television show Angel
. Written by Tim Minear
and Howard Gordon
and directed by Tucker Gates
, it was originally broadcast on November 30, 1999 on the WB
television network
. In "Hero", Angel joins Doyle
’s crusade to save a group of part-human Lister demons from The Scourge, an army of supremacist stormtrooper demons who claim "pure" blood and consequently persecute those of "mixed" blood. While Doyle goes after a strayed Lister teen and Cordelia
handles details of the escape plan, Angel infiltrates the enemy and discovers their secret weapon, a bomb-like device called the Beacon that combusts anyone with any taint of human blood. Events lead to a climactic showdown aboard a tramp freighter, where Doyle finally confesses his half-demon heritage—and his love for her—to Cordelia, and proves that he, like Angel, is a Champion in his own right.
and Doyle
bicker while working on a video advertising Angel Investigations. After talking to Angel, Doyle has a vision of a group in distress. At the scene of the vision, they find a group of Lister demons hiding from the Scourge,
an army of pure-blood demons who hate all demons of mixed blood. Doyle tells Angel about a past encounter with the Scourge.
Angel and his team arrange for the Listers to escape on a cargo ship. The Scourge find the Listers' hiding place after they have left for the ship. Angel pretends to join the Scourge, and learns they have a device, the Beacon, which can kill half-breeds from a distance. The Scourge prepares to attack the cargo ship. Doyle and Cordelia flirt while waiting for Angel.
Angel arrives, and the ship is preparing to leave when the Scourge appears. Angel attempts to sacrifice himself to destroy the Beacon as it begins to operate, but Doyle, himself a half-breed demon, knocks Angel out, kisses Cordelia, disables the Beacon, and dies from its effects.
s Supervisor Loni Peristere explains David Greenwalt
described his vision of Doyle's death as "I want him to melt to death...I want his flesh to melt off and muscle and then bones." Peristere was concerned that that effect would be too graphic for television. He shot Doyle in his demon form, and Doyle with half-burned make-up then used mat elements to digitally "chew through his skin", including an element of acetone poured on Styrofoam.
. It also appeared eight on Slayage.com's list of the top 10 episodes of Angel.
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
. Written by Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
and Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon
Howard Gordon is an American screenwriter and producer.-Life and career:Gordon was born in Queens, New York, New York. After graduating from Princeton in 1984, Gordon came to Los Angeles with fellow filmmaker Alex Gansa to pursue a career in writing for television. Both broke into the industry...
and directed by Tucker Gates
Tucker Gates
Tucker Gates is an American television director and producer. He has directed several episodes of the J. J. Abrams shows, Alias and Lost, including the very last episode of Alias...
, it was originally broadcast on November 30, 1999 on the WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
. In "Hero", Angel joins Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television series, Angel. The character was portrayed by Glenn Quinn.-Character history:Doyle was born to a human mother and a Brachen demon father...
’s crusade to save a group of part-human Lister demons from The Scourge, an army of supremacist stormtrooper demons who claim "pure" blood and consequently persecute those of "mixed" blood. While Doyle goes after a strayed Lister teen and Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
handles details of the escape plan, Angel infiltrates the enemy and discovers their secret weapon, a bomb-like device called the Beacon that combusts anyone with any taint of human blood. Events lead to a climactic showdown aboard a tramp freighter, where Doyle finally confesses his half-demon heritage—and his love for her—to Cordelia, and proves that he, like Angel, is a Champion in his own right.
Plot
CordeliaCordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
and Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle
Allen Francis Doyle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the cult television series, Angel. The character was portrayed by Glenn Quinn.-Character history:Doyle was born to a human mother and a Brachen demon father...
bicker while working on a video advertising Angel Investigations. After talking to Angel, Doyle has a vision of a group in distress. At the scene of the vision, they find a group of Lister demons hiding from the Scourge,
an army of pure-blood demons who hate all demons of mixed blood. Doyle tells Angel about a past encounter with the Scourge.
Angel and his team arrange for the Listers to escape on a cargo ship. The Scourge find the Listers' hiding place after they have left for the ship. Angel pretends to join the Scourge, and learns they have a device, the Beacon, which can kill half-breeds from a distance. The Scourge prepares to attack the cargo ship. Doyle and Cordelia flirt while waiting for Angel.
Angel arrives, and the ship is preparing to leave when the Scourge appears. Angel attempts to sacrifice himself to destroy the Beacon as it begins to operate, but Doyle, himself a half-breed demon, knocks Angel out, kisses Cordelia, disables the Beacon, and dies from its effects.
Production details
Special effectSpecial effect
The illusions used in the film, television, theatre, or entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called special effects ....
s Supervisor Loni Peristere explains David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt is an American screenwriter, director and producer.He was the co-executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-creator of its spinoff, Angel. He is also co-creator of the short-lived cult television show Profit...
described his vision of Doyle's death as "I want him to melt to death...I want his flesh to melt off and muscle and then bones." Peristere was concerned that that effect would be too graphic for television. He shot Doyle in his demon form, and Doyle with half-burned make-up then used mat elements to digitally "chew through his skin", including an element of acetone poured on Styrofoam.
Arc significance
- This is the final episode in which Doyle is seen (barring his video recording later viewed in subsequent seasons). The actor who plays Doyle, Glenn QuinnGlenn QuinnGlenn Martin Christopher Francis Quinn was an Irish actor in television and film, known for playing Mark Healy in the American sitcom Roseanne, and Doyle, a half-demon, on the 1999–2004 television series Angel, a spin-off series of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.-Early life:Quinn...
, does get a "credit-only" credit in the following episode.
Trivia
- In true Joss Whedon form, he kills off a central character during his happiest time. Doyle had just landed a date with Cordelia and was finally starting to open up to Angel. But Whedon kills him off despite this. Whedon mentions in the DVD commentary for the series opener that he wanted to do the same with Eric Balfour (Jesse from the first two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer). That is, he wanted to put someone's name in the opening credits and kill him off shortly thereafter. He later does this with Amber BensonAmber BensonAmber Nicole Benson is an American actress, writer, film director, and film producer. She is best known for her role as Tara Maclay on the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but has also directed, produced and starred in her own films Chance and Lovers, Liars & Lunatics...
's Tara in the Buffy episode Seeing Red.
Writing
- Doyle's search for atonement, his growing love for Cordy and her honesty, and his rocky road to self-acceptance come together in this episode in one immolating flash of apotheosis. The darkest, most shameful secret of Doyle's past has come back to haunt him, but he's no longer the half-demon he was, and he brings off his second chance with humor, grace and courage. Angel, to his abiding admiration and sorrow, thus learns Doyle's tale in its entirety.
- This is the episode in which Doyle passes his Powers-given-gift of vision to Cordelia, although this will not be made apparent until the following episode. This gives her character a new dimension and enhances her protagonism from now on.
Continuity
- The videotaped commercial Doyle makes with Cordelia is seen again in the season three episode "BirthdayBirthday (Angel episode)"Birthday" is episode 11 of season 3 in the television show Angel. Written by Mere Smith and directed by Michael Grossman, it was originally broadcast on January 14, 2002 on the WB network. In "Birthday", Cordelia has a precognitive vision so painful that she goes into a coma...
", and in the season five episode, "You're WelcomeYou're Welcome (Angel episode)"You're Welcome" is the twelfth episode of season five of the television show Angel. Written and directed by David Fury, it is the 100th episode of the series, and originally broadcast on February 4, 2004 on the WB network. In "You're Welcome", former series regular Charisma Carpenter returns as a...
". - Although the Scourge never reappear in the series, they are mentioned as one of the groups who may pose a threat to Connor's existence in "Dad", shortly after his birth
- Sean Gunn, who plays Brachen demon Lucas in this episode, also appears in "She (Angel)" as Mars.
Cultural references
- Patrick StewartPatrick StewartSir Patrick Hewes Stewart, OBE is an English film, television and stage actor, who has had a distinguished career in theatre and television for around half a century...
: Cordy wants to hire a well-known actor to narrate her commercial and her first choice is "that bald Star TrekStar Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
guy," although she would settle for "one of the cheaper Baldwins." - BraveheartBraveheartBraveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace...
: After Angel goes back downstairs without saying a word, Cordelia changes her mind and decides not to cast him as The Dark Avenger in her commercial, theorizing that his "larger-than-life character" would project an image that would be "way too Braveheart for Joe-couch-potato to relate to." - MaskMask (film)Mask is a 1985 American biographical drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Cher, Sam Elliott, and Eric Stoltz. Dennis Burkley and Laura Dern are featured in supporting roles. Cher received the 1985 Cannes Film Festival award for Best Actress....
: When Doyle is stricken by a vision in the foyer, Cordelia pretends to be playing charadesCharadesCharades or charade is a word guessing game. In the form most played today, it is an acting game in which one player acts out a word or phrase, often by pantomiming similar-sounding words, and the other players guess the word or phrase. The idea is to use physical rather than verbal language to...
with him for the benefit of passersby. Her next fake guess is The Man with Two BrainsThe Man with Two BrainsThe Man with Two Brains is a 1983 American science fiction comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and starring Steve Martin and Kathleen Turner....
. - Brion: The Senior Lister tells Angel they are heading for a refuge established on a small island off the coast of Ecuador. That area of the worldGalápagos IslandsThe Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
is known for its many unique species. - Carnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise LinesCarnival Cruise Lines is a British-American owned cruise line, based in Doral, Florida, a suburb of Miami in the United States. Originally an independent company founded in 1972 by Ted Arison, the company is now one of eleven cruise ship brands owned and operated by Carnival Corporation & plc...
: Until she softens up a bit, Cordelia is horrified to be sending a group of refugees on an all-AIAngel InvestigationsAngel Investigations is a fictional detective agency run by the title character Angel previously on the WB television series Angel . It is sometimes abbreviated as AI...
-expense-paid cruise. Her only consolation is that it won't be with Carnival. - The Love BoatThe Love BoatThe Love Boat is an American television series set on a cruise ship, which aired on the ABC Television Network from September 24,1977, until May 24,1986.The show starred Gavin MacLeod as the ship's captain...
: When Cordelia inspects the tramp freighter on which they've booked passage for the Listers, she bluntly tells its captain, "Well, it's not the Love Boat, but it'll have to do."
Reception and reviews
This episode was rated as one of the series' top five episodes in a poll done by Angel MagazineBuffyverse Magazines (UK)
Two magazine titles have been published by Titan Magazines in the United Kingdom for fans of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Magazine commenced publication in 1999. Angel Magazine had a limited run of 24 issues and was published...
. It also appeared eight on Slayage.com's list of the top 10 episodes of Angel.