Cast and Crew

David Boreanaz as Angel
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce
J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
Amy Acker as Fred Burkle
Andy Hallett as Lorne
James Marsters as Spike
Written by Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft
Directed by Skip Schoolnik

Past TV reviews can be found here.

Original Airdate

Underneath originally aired on Wednesday, April 14, 2004.

Synopsis

Angel decides it's time to take an active role in fighting the upcoming apocalypse.

High Point

"You've already lost two soldiers." I count a few more than that. Does the speaker know more than we do?

Low Point

The Illyria scenes. They just didn't go anywhere this week, and felt like they were there to remind us the characters were around.

The Review

This felt like a set-up story, much like previous set-up stories. There wasn't a lot here that hasn't been done before on this series. (Apart from the basement scene, what haven't we seen?) I give the originality 3 out of 6.

The effects were well done, but nothing new. I give it 4 out of 6.

The story was well plotted, but didn't really feel like a full hour, leaving Wesley's scenes to feel like a time filler. I give it 4 out of 6.

The acting was well done. We had a chance to see some range from Amy Acker, as well as some significant changes for J. August Richards, Christian Kane, and Sarah Thompson. It's also great to see Adam Baldwin in a different role than Jayne. I give it 5 out of 6.

The emotional response this produced was a bit limited. There were funny moments, but until the final act, nothing really hit home. I give it 4 out of 6.

The production was well made, although limited by the lack of a full 44 minutes worth of script. I give it 4 out of 6.

Overall, it's a decent episode, but not as earth-shattering as the last few. I give it 4 out of 6.

In total, Underneath receives 28 out of 42.