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Angel
Episode 4.03, "The House Always Wins"
Written by David Fury
Directed by Marita Grabiak
"The House Always Wins" is the kind of episode that people either love or hate. I myself loved the crap out of it, but I can see why it has its detractors. For one, it's very Lorne-centric, and as much as I love the guy he's a very awkwardly conceived character. A karaoke demon who can read your future when you sing? I mean, it's a neat idea, but kind of hard to fit into every storyline (as we've seen time and time again when Angel &Company go out to do some deeds, and Lorne just decides to hang back at the hotel). Also, there are a hell of a lot of songs. Some people, it seems just don't like songs. Geez, even the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer left some people cold.
The episode began with Angel watching Connor kick some vampire ass, giving him encouraging advice that he knows his son doesn't actually hear (kind of odd, since it's been established before that Connor has inhumanly keen hearing). Gunn and Fred show up, saying that they're worried about the way things are going, so Angel suggests that they go on a business retreat. Where to? Where else. Las Vegas. Where is Lorne? Las Vegas. So at last, the green one is back. Sort of.
Angel & Co. go to see Lorne's show, which seems to be shown almost in its entirety from Lorne's rendition of "It's Not Easy Being Green" (rimshot), to "Lady Marmalade," because we're not sick of THAT song. Or maybe he sang it because it's the kind of cheesy lounge song you're supposed to sing in Vegas. Regardless, Fred tries to wave to Lorne during his number, but it seems to go unnoticed. Later, he brushes them off. What the hell is up with this guy? Gunn and Angel seem pretty willing to write it off as the fame going to his head, but the reality is more dramatic. Poor Lorne is being held captive by the Casino owner, and is being forced to read the audience members. Those with promising futures are then scammed out of their destinies, which are then sold on "the futures market" (another rimshot).
The episode is pretty formulaic dramatically - they get Lorne out. Great. But Angel's future is sucked into the futures market as well, because he is such a prominent figure in the apocalypse. I myself cannot help but wonder how much a role in the apocalypse goes for on the open market. It hardly seems like the kind of thing that people are dying for. Cordelia, off in her own personal Happy Phantom Zone, tries to get Angel to help his friends but doesn't seem able to connect with the real world. The best she can do (or at least, we think she can do), is make the destiny-less Angel win a boatload at the villain's casino. Since a man with no future isn't supposed to have anything positive happen to him, or anything at all really, it throws the villain for a loop, leaving him open for an attack Angel & Company. The mystical whatsit that collects people's futures is destroyed, and everyone's destiny goes back to normal. Then they get back home and find Cordelia mysteriously back, and without her memory.
A pretty straightforward narrative. It's the little things that got me. Lorne actually performing with green, behorned chorus girls was a kick, and Fred having to dress up as one of those chorus girls was pretty sweet as well. The writers don't seem beyond making poor Winifred a sex object this season - lucky for us she's able to pull it off. Her constant insistence that Angel is in Vegas to be read by Lorne also amused, since Angel so obviously didn't give a tinker's cusp about it. And Angel got to reminisce about the times he spent in Vegas with the Rat Pack and Elvis. A lot of people have been questioning this, since he was supposedly in a guilt-ridden stupor for most of the decade, but since it's basically explained that he was drunk most of the time I can buy it. I was drunk for most of the 50s as well.
What this episode did call into question for me though was the very nature of Lorne as a demon. He's one of an entire race, right? He's an empath demon, capable of reading people only when they sing. But the rest of his race can't even stand to listen to music. So, is he a fluke? Does he have powers and abilities far beyond other horned demony guys? What's up with that?
All in all, a solid ep. Hardly a classic, but I'd been jonesing for some Lorne for a while now, and this episode delivered. (Note: This episode also gets an extra half star for Cordelia's Promethea reference.)
Episode Rating: 9 out of 10
Hollyfeld wants reservations to the Happy Phantom Zone.
