Trevor Lockley dies in this episode. Since I never liked him, I don't really care. But his death does send Kate down a dark, I-hate-Angel-and-all-his-evil-kind sort of path. Into next season she'll be whining about her wonderful, perfect (drug smugging) daddy, and how his death is somehow all Angel's fault. If you're going to watch any of her later hypocritical ranting, it might help to see Trevor's death in "The Prodigal." If, like me, you're just counting down the episodes until Kate goes away, "The Prodigal" might still be worth a look. It has some great flash backs to Angel's life in Ireland, back when he was human. The episode shows him turn into Angelus and gives us some more insight into his family. It's pretty cool. Either way, if you're watching the show on DVD, you'll probably want to give "The Prodigal" a look.
"The Prodigal" revolves around Trevor Lockley's job after retirement... He's become a smuggler of demon drugs. Well, he's part of a bigger operation, and he swears that he only though they were smuggling auto parts. But, he's sinking deeper and deeper. Meanwhile, demons high on drugs are causing problems around LA. After one attacks a subways train, Angel starts investigating and he soon discovers that Trevor is involved in something shady. He warns Trevor to stop. Trevor tells the head of the drug smuggling operation about Angel and the demon in charge decided to kill Trevor. Vampires attack Trevor in his home. Angel tries to save him, but he can't go into the apartment. Trevor dies. Kate is distraught. She blames Angel for not saving him and for being a vampire. Then she goes after the drug smuggler herself. Angel has to save her, and kill the bad guys.
There are some cool parts to this episode. I love vampire flashbacks and this episode has some really good ones. There's Liam/Angel as the wastrel son of a Irish linen merchant. He's shown arguing with his father, then leaving home, meeting up with Darla and being sired. (For more on that, see BTVS season two's, "Becoming Part One.") I just love Darla and it's always a treat to see her in an episode. Then there's Angelus/Liam rising, still unsure of his powers and getting used to the undead world. Then, there's full on Angelus, striking back at his father and the entire town. Killing his little sister and his parents just to prove his strength. Darla may be right when she says that Angel's father still won in the end. He'll never have a chance to approve of Liam and the weight of his father's disapproval still hangs on Angel. It's cool how Angel's relationship with his father will come to mirror his relationship with Connor in many ways. Angel is always trying to prove his worth to them, but he always seems to fall short. Fathers and sons really are a recurring theme on the show and I like how it all ties together.
On the down side, this is the episode where I start hating Kate. Pretty much everyone else in the Buffyverse just accepts that there are vampires, and demons, and other supernatural goings on. Even Joyce, over on BTVS, deals the news that she's living on a Hellmouth pretty well and her daughter is the Vampire Slayer. But, Kate just has to make this big d*nm deal over every single thing that happens. Blaming Angel, of all "people," for her own demon issues. Her father dies because he was breaking the law, smuggling mysterious packages for shady men. Of course, he wound up in over his head and murdered. What did Trevor think was going to happen? He was suppose to be a brilliant cop, but I think he was an idiot. In any case, Angel certainly wasn't to blame for his death and Kate self righteous attitude just makes me detest her. Maybe, I'm just protective of Angel 'cause he's a surprisingly sensitive guy and Kate keeps hurting his feelings. But, I can't help it. Personally, I think that Kate's a whiny, bigot who needs just shut-up.
My favorite part of the episode: Angel trying to get into Trevor's apartment to save him. He can't go in because he wasn't invited, so has has to watch helplessly as two vampires kill Trevor right in front of him. It's such a cool twist on the "vampires need an invitation" thing. Instead of protecting Trevor from a vampire attack, the rule means that he's doomed to die from one.
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