When I first saw this episode, I saw David Greenwalt's
fingerprints all over it. It touched on a lot of the
darkness that was originally part of the show's
pedigree. I really liked the episode in first run, if
only because of the disturbing sexuality throughout.
Obsession and darkness are the order of the day, and I
wouldn't have it any other way. (And as an admirer of
Julie Benz, this one has a ton of great moments!)

Here's my review for Angel 2.5: "Dear Boy":

http://www.entil2001.com/series/angel/season2/ang2-5.html

Overall, this episode was the first of the second
season to address the season arc directly, and it set
up many of the important plot elements in the process.
The relationship between Angel and Darla is full of
passion, good and bad, and that dynamic shines
through. This is a major step in the transformation
of the series that would be complete by the end of the season.

Entil's Reviews Blog: http://entil2001.blogspot.com/
Entil's Live Journal: http://www.livejournal.com/users/entil2001/
Entil's Full Archive: http://www.entil2001.com
Entil's Myspace Account: http://www.myspace.com/entil2001
Entil's Review Podcast: http://entil2001.libsyn.com