Angel/Tropes F-J: Difference between revisions

** This is actually an averted trope since Kate was handed the sketch by Angel, who can [[Super Identikit|draw anyone from memory]].

* [[Failed a Spot Check]]: In "Sonmambulist", Wesley enters Angel Investigations' office with their mail -- a transparent pretext for Wesley to start trolling for work. He remarks on how he, Angel, and Cordelia make a great team:

'''Cordy:''' This isn't our mail. }}

* [[Failed Attempt At Drama]]: Illyria taunting Angel by asking if, since he values humans so much, he's willing to defend {{spoiler|Knox}} -- the man responsible for {{spoiler|Fred}}'s death. Angel sets his jaw and prepares a [[Patrick Stewart Speech]].

** Speaking of Wes, this trope would often befall him in his early Season 1 episodes (as he was still getting over his status as [[Butt Monkey]] on [[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|Buffy]]). This could prove [[Hilarious in Hindsight]] ([[Funny Aneurysm Moment|or Harsh]]), when one considers how, by the end of the show's run, he becomes one of the more [[Kick the Dog|tragic]], [[Character Development|developed members]] [[Ensemble Darkhorse|of the ensemble]] {{spoiler|culminating in his [[Heroic Sacrifice]] in the [[Grand Finale]]}}.

* [[Failure Is the Only Option]]: Angel's quest for redemption. As he tells Faith, "[[The Atoner|Our time is never up]]."

* [[Fake-Out Make-Out]]: Angel and Fred do this while trying to avoid Jasmine's followers. [[Oh Crap|It doesn't work]].

* [[Fake Static]]: Calling his old contacts in order to locate Angel ("In the Dark") has the added consequence of stirring up Doyle's creditors. Eventually, Doyle starts resorting to the 'wrong number' trick.

* [[Fake Defector]]: Angel earns himself a spiffy S.S. unform by pretending to murder Doyle, thus allowing him to join the ranks of the Scourge.

** Wesley is confronted in a bar by his former colleagues from England, who approach him with an offer to rejoin the Watcher's Council -- if he helps apprehend Faith. Wesley seems to go along with the plan, but later reveals that he's going to try and undermine their efforts.

* [[Finish Him!]]: The audience in "The Ring" chants "KILLING BLOW" when a contestant is on the ropes.

* [[Five-Finger Discount]]:

'''Angel:''' Police car. }}

* [[Five-Man Band]]: Lampshaded by Fred in "Fredless", right down to naming Wesley as "the brain", Gun as "the muscle", and Cordy as "the heart". Later [[Deconstructed Trope|deconstructed]] by an incresingly-embittered Gunn ("Guise Will Be Guise"), who resents being the dumb muscle of the group. This gets inverted in Season Five with Gunn's [[Neural Implanting|neural implant]], then [[Double Subversion|doubly subverted]] {{spoiler|in the series finale, when he rejects those abilities and returns to his old streetfighting persona}}.

** Kate Lockley is implied to have an attraction, as well.

** And then there was that time Angel and Eve had sex behind a couch.

** Angelus and Faith. He's disappointed when the Slayer he hears about in LA is her, but he quickly gets over it.

* [[Foot-Dragging Divorcee]]: Doyle's wife shows up with her new fiancé so that she can finalize their divorce. Doyle is naturally mopey, since the only reason she left him was because he found out he was half-demon. {{spoiler|Except that it turns out the new guy is ''also'' a demon, forcing Doyle to confront his own personal problems}}.

* [[Game Face]]: Vampires and other part-demon creatures tend to have one. {{spoiler|Even Puppet!Angel has one.}}

* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: Upon discovering that Cordelia has suddenly turned heavily pregnant, Angel instructs Wesley to take her for an ultrasound to see exactly what they're dealing with. Wes misunderstands this.

'''Wesley:''' I BEG YOUR PARDON?" }}

** Cordalia toys with the idea of becoming David Nabbit's wealthy mistress for a while. "I like David. It's such a-- strong, masculine name. It just [[Freudian Slip|feels good in your mouth.]]"

** Wesley provides several synonyms for "private investigator," including dick. Gunn tells him to never use that term again.

** Season 4 also has Cordelia's quip in 'Spin the Bottle', upon hearing that teenage Wesley was "Head Boy" at academy.

*** In the same episode, Fred shares her theory of aliens, and doing "whatever they wanted to [her] naked helpless body". Cue [[Something Else Also Rises|Wesley's wrist blade spontaneously extending]].

** Gunn shifting uncomfortably in his seat after a kiss with Fred. His face is ''priceless''.

** In ''Waiting in the Wings'', while Angel and Cordelia are trying to get out of a mystical room that's making them fool around:

'''Cordelia:''' Kinda noticed. }}

** And then when they finally get out:

'''Angel:''' Yeah. ''(Takes off jacket and folds it in front of his pants)'' }}

** Pretty much every other thing Angelus says is this.

* [[Ghostapo]]: "Why We Fight" details the Nazis' foray into building a vampire army.

* [[Gigantic Gulp]]: Demon!Cordelia chugging Angel's fridge blood.

** Another demon possessee, in the form of one Philip J. Spivey, attacking a slushee stand.

* [[Gladiator Revolt]]: The ending to "The Ring".

* [[Grumpy Old Man]]: Trevor Lockley. "In my day we didn't need any damn sensitivity."

** Angel veers into this at times, which is understandable given the weird locale he's in.

* [[The Guards Must Be Crazy]]: [[Exploited Trope|Exploited]] by Wesley in "The Ring". Wes dodges a security guard at XXI with the help of Cordy, who pretends to have gotten lost on the way to the Ladies Room.

* [[Guns Akimbo]]: Wesley, on occasion.

* [[Half Truth]]: Wesley's myriad of excuses for why he can't return to England.

** Angel and Wesley grasping for positive things to say about Cordy's acting debut.

'''Cordy:''' Thanks! [beat] You ''didn’t'' say it. }}

** Cordelia getting caught out in trying to dupe Angel & Wesley into taking on a divorce case. "According to the husband, the wife's a ''real witch''!"

** Boretz demons are a species known for their bad odor and poisonous mandibles. They have a habit of dressing up like transients to prey on homeless people ("Power Play").

* [[Hoist by His Own Petard]]: Wesley tranquilizing one his Watcher associates with the syringe they entrusted him with in the first place.

* [[Hollywood Exorcism]]: The episodes "Rm w/a View" and "I've Got You Under My Skin" are centered around exorcisms targeted at a ghost and [[Demonic Possession|possessed child]], respectively.

** The latter episode turns out to be a subversion, as the demon in question wasn't responsible for the boy's crimes and in fact held no control at all; the kid was already a psycho from the start.

* [[Hope Spot]]: If people are ever smiling on this show, brace yourself.

* [[Hopeless Auditionees]]: In the wake of {{spoiler|Doyle}}'s death, Cordy auditions for a laundry detergent commercial, investing her lines with way more pathos than is called for.

* [[Horny Devils]]: When females of the Vigorie come of age, they goes through a period where their "ko" supercharges their sexual urges, which manifests as [[Playing with Fire|intense heat]] and super-strength. At first they can't control this power, and need to be cooled constantly in baths of ice.

** The demon hookers in "War Zone" come with fuzzy tails.

** Gunn and Angel bond over their mutually-grim existence at the end of "War Zone", standing side-by-side on a roof overlooking the city.

* [[Hypocritical Humor]]: Cordelia quite often, especially in season one.

** Doyle himself often said one thing and a moment later did the opposite.

*** In the pilot he tells Angel that the world needs men like them to show that there's still love and compassion left then he tells off a homeless person asking for change.

** In "Eternity", Angel plays down the news article reporting on his rescue of Rebecca Lowell. "We ran into an actor. It's Hollywood. It happens." When Wesley remarks that there's no mention of Angel, however, the high-minded vampire suddenly does a double-take. "''What?!''"

* [[Hypothetical Casting]]: Cordy's pitch for an Angel Investigations TV spot. "Maybe [[Patrick Stewart|that bald Star Trek guy]], or one of the cheaper Baldwins."

** A few weeks into running the firm's Entertainment Division, Lorne finds himself doing this constantly. He suggests selling a script based on the Buffy/Angel/Spike love triangle.

** How does ''[[The Grapes of Wrath]]'' <small>[[Recycled in Space|IN SPACE]]</small> grab ya?

* [[I Always Wanted to Say That]]: Cordelia, while queen of Pylea, says "Off with their heads!" when asked what to do about her captured friends. She quickly says "Just kidding" and sheepishly admits she's always wanted to say that.

* [[I Can't See Myself]]: Marcus Roscoe's reaction upon [[Body Surf|bodysurfing]] into Angel.

* [[I Lied]]: Griff, after promising Doyle another day to cough up the money.

* [[I Surrender, Suckers]]: Angel chases and corners Spike in an alley blocked by a [[Chain Link Fence]]. Spike doesn't even attempt to leap the fence, instead turning around and surrendering with an air of smugness. Angel takes the bait, and is garroted by Spike's henchman, Marcus. Whoops.

* [[I Was Beaten by a Girl]]: As Wesley and Cordelia compare bruises from the previous night's tangle with Faith, Cordy says, "If it's any consolation, it really does look like you were tortured by a ''much larger'' woman."

* [[I'll Kill You!]]: In the Victorian-era flashbacks of "Five By Five", Darla reacts to Angel's newfound soul the same way a human would to a vampire -- by recoiling in fear and trying to kill him.

* [[I'm Not Afraid of You]]

* [[I'm Standing Right Here]]:

** When Cordelia starts fretting over Angel possibly having sex with superstar Rebecca Lowell (and losing his soul), Wesley reminds her that Angel's curse hinges on him experiencing true happiness. Besides," Wes says, "What are the odds he'll find that with an ''actress''? -- before realizing his mistake.

** Groo's compliment to Cordelia that she is "a goddess":

'''Lorne''': ''(offended)'' Hey! I'm standing right here. }}

** "Bachelor Party":

'''Angel and Doyle:''' ''Hey!'' }}

* [[If I Wanted You Dead...]]: Angel often has to remind others of this, particularly when they accuse him of being Angelus in disguise.

** The entirety of season 5 consists of Angel rejecting his own from the episode ''Epiphany'' in season 2. In the end he {{spoiler|essentially retries his suicide mission against the Senior Partners from the second season, he just has better information and the rest of the team with him this time.}}

* [[Imagine the Audience Naked]]: Angel's advice to Kate before taking the mic at her father's retirement bash.

* [[Imagine Spot]]: Angel being asked if he wants to [[I Can't Dance|dance]]. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCYlsFagq_k Ho boy].

** "Sanctuary" picks up where the previous story left off, with Angel tucking Faith into bed in his apartment. Faith imagines herself springing up and slashing Angel's face with a knife.

* [[Implacable Man]]: This is Hamilton and Illyria's baseline combat strategy.

* [[Inherent in the System]]: The theme of Season Five.

'''Gunn:''' You know, when you say it out loud, it sounds really naive. }}

* [[Internal Reformist]]: The main cast's plan for season 5.

* [[In the Past Everyone Will Be Famous]]: Angel likes to name drop. In addition to hanging out with Charles Baudelaire and the Rat Pack, Angel was also (somehow) at the first taping of ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]].''

* [[Indy Ploy]]: Angel's preferred strategy. And Gunn's. And Groosalugg's. And Spike's. In fact it's probably safe to say that the only member of the team to ever think a plan through was Wesley, and he still came up with plenty of horrible plans.

* [[The Informant]]: Merl.

* [[Informed Attribute]] : Angel is told that he's quite attractive. Since he can't actually look in the mirror, he takes their word for it. Also, in the episode 'In The Dark', while wearing The Gem of Amarra and walking around in the daylight, Oz claims Angel is paler than most people. This time it's the audience that takes his word for it.

* [[It's All My Fault]]: In exchange for being given legal knowledge, Gunn signs off on a document allowing Illyria's sarcophagus to pass through customs, {{spoiler|which eventually leads to the death of Fred}}. Naturally he is devastated and reluctant to tell anyone about it, and is even stabbed by Wesley after he finds out.

* [[It's Been Done]]: In "Soulless", Angelus finds more humor in his son's dalliances with Cordelia than his alter-ego did.

* [[It's a Long Story]]: Subverted in "I Will Remember You" as Buffy is busy taking the piss out of Angel.

'''Angel:''' [beat] Okay. Maybe not that long. }}

* [[It's Personal]]: After Angel telephones Giles to learn what horrors Faith inflicted on Buffy, Wesley notices that Angel is absolutely fuming ("Five By Five").

* [[It's a Wonderful Plot]]: "Birthday", in which Cordelia witnesses a vision of her life had she never crossed paths with Angel during the pilot episode.

* [[Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique]]: Wesley has no qualms about sticking a few blades in people for information. Or if he's pissed off. And this is ''before'' his [[Darker and Edgier|gritty makeover]] -- he's torturing people as early as Season One, which gives us this gem not long after Wesley's dorky, incompetent arrival on the show:

* [[The Juggernaut]]: Illyria, The Beast, Hamilton and Jasmine, to name a few.

* [[Jumping Off the Slippery Slope]]: Angel knows the evil things Faith had done, perhaps even more than Buffy as he had witnessed at least Faith's attempted rape and murder and it's never shown he shares this. Despite this he offers Faith sanctuary when she is so disgusted at how evil she had become she wants Angel to kill her. Buffy on the other hand is more than happy to honor that request, enraged at what Faith had done and enraged that Angel wants to reform her.