Angel (TV Series) Smile Time (2004) User Reviews

Just... genius

[benyooro · 10/10 · 27 August 2007]

The Buffy/Angel universe has never been afraid to lace horror with comedy, but it's rarely been done so perfectly…

Bear in mind that the investigation's subject itself is really nasty. Kids enjoying early morning TV shows end up being rictus-bearing comatose liabilities, shown full of tubes in hospital beds.

The script is wonderful. It's chock-full with the sort of throw-away gags they've long since cornered the market in, but is balanced by some genuinely tender dialogue between Fred and Wesley. Aaaand The Joker is even given a name check!

They even manage to squeeze in a decent explanation for Angel's transformation – as revealed by muppets!

'Angel' as a series is an astonishing achievement which rarely puts a foot wrong. This episode, without a doubt, puts two feet right.

Season 5's Best Episode

[bobm5508 · 10/10 · 21 August 2006]

This was one of the cleverest hours ever seen on American TV. Easily the best show of Season 5, it alone should have saved the show from an unwarranted cancellation. This was inspired stuff, that was great technically, laugh out loud funny and even advanced the romantic plot of Angel and his werewolf friend, Nina (and Wesley & Fred!!).

The dialog between Angel and his staff after he is turned in to a 1 foot puppet was priceless. The Muppet-like bad guys have some hilarious scenes as well. The fight scene between Spike and the Angel puppet had me in stitches. The menacing march out of the office, to do battle, with "Angel"'s eyebrows "up' was great. And after "Angel" ventures too close to the wolf-girl's cell, the stuffing really flys. "Is there a Geppeto in the house....?" And the change into the Vampire puppet!!! Come on, how clever and well executed did network TV have to get. This was adventurous, risk taking, high level writing, performed by a cast that had fun, fun fun! Me, too!

All I ever wanted was a "vuppet" for Christmas!

[alexandliese · 10/10 · 23 July 2010]

This episode is just about perfect as far as I am concerned. Who cares if it advanced the plot or explored any of the characters dark sides or introduced us to a new, more horrifying evil? I sure the heck didn't!!

The angel "vuppet" is the most adorable thing I have ever seen! When he runs and his little legs are pumping I thought I was going to die laughing. Spike poking fun at Angel is hilarious.

I love this episode so much. I love it so much that I even went on e- bay looking for my very own Angel "vuppet". Yes. They are real. Real expensive! But trust me...just as soon as I make my first million I will be the proud owner of an angel "vuppet" And just because I love The Spikester his version of the "vuppet" will be the second purchase I make.

Anyone feeling a little down in the dumps should watch this episode. The name of this episode is prophetic...I smile every single time I watch it.

"Angel, you're a bloody puppet!"

[wwmarlingrl · 10/10 · 12 October 2006]

This is clearly one of the best episodes of Buffy and Angel. Angel gets turned into a puppet and is bloody cute. Now, with his current condition, Angel tries to get around with normal life, while being a puppet. One of my favorite scenes that had me doubled over with laughter, was the fight between Angel puppet and Spike. This episode gave Spike even more of a reason to tease Angel (even more than that nancy-boy hair gel he likes so much.) I would recommend, if you ever get the DVD, to go straight to this episode, it will leave you with stomach pains from laughing so hard. So, if you're ever watching this episode, beware of the acute laughter that comes with it. :D

Angel as a puppet, what torment for Spike to deal out on him!

[tobystraser · 9/10 · 1 October 2006]

How great could this episode get? I've always loved the idea of evil children's's playtoys. Evil clowns, evil puppets, etc. And the idea that Joss Whelen's (writer, producer, creator of Buffy & Angel)father was a real Muppet puppeteer makes it even more hysterical. Imagine growing up with creepy puppets around the house! I think he must have taken those fears with him to adulthood. And what a way for Spike to continue his incessant teasing of Angel. And what can Angel do but listen to him disparage away since he is now "a wee puppet man". Their contentious relationship made for a fantastic final season. The two inflated egos at constant battle. Who is the more important vampire with a soul? Who is more worthy? Actually, watching the two of them constantly bickering makes you begin to think that neither one of them is deserving of anything since they are acting like such children. Of course the puppeteers were there to create such believable characters as well. How about the whole "let's go get the bad guys" scene that has played in the opening credits, carried over from Buffy. And there is puppet Angel leading the group, with the scowl etched on his face. The entire cast seems to have a blast trying to ignore Angel's condition as well as trying to figure out what is happening. Although the actual plot of some mystical egg looking thing seemed too strange and not very believable, the dialog makes it a classic of classics. The last of the really good times before the show takes such a dark turn having to deal with the upcoming "final" battle, the loss of Fred to Illirya and the eventual deaths of beloved friends. I guess since I consider myself a huge Buffy and Angel fan. This has resulted in my constant re-watching episodes to gleem extra nuances to the story. I've always considered the episodes that showed the sillier side of the characters greater than the more serious and dark shows. I'll mourn this dark, sinister, funny and revolutionary show for a long time. I'm hoping Joss will be able to come up with something new.

The Season Of Meet the Feeble Muppets...

[poe426 · 10/10 · 4 May 2009]

A cross, of sorts (if you'll pardon the use of the word "cross"), of HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH, THE MUPPET SHOW, and Peter Jackson's murderous-muppets movie MEET THE FEEBLES, this episode of ANGEL is Number Two on my list of Best Episodes of. For obvious reasons. If this one doesn't leave you in stitches, hurry to the nearest hospital for an emergency Funny Bone Transplant (because, if this one doesn't crack you up, let's face it: nothing will). Seeing the arrogant Angel stomping around barking orders with his spiked hair and ear to ear muppet mouth (and all of 3 feet tall), one can't help but howl with laughter. What I wouldn't give for an action figure...

Laugh Riot

[limetalhead · 10/10 · 28 September 2008]

This was far and away one of the funniest if not the funniest episode in the whole Buffy/Angel series. Evil puppets using a show to steal the life forces of kids. And the fact that the puppets are really reincarnated demons using the show, great idea. Absolutely brilliant. Also, so many great lines. There are just too many to name. Angel when he tells the crew what happened, when Lorne finds him ripped apart, when the gang is fighting the puppets. Any fan of the Buffy/Angel series who didn't laugh their butt off at this episode clearly has no sense of humor. Even the darker edged shows like Angel have to have a funny storyline once in a while.

And best of all: WES AND FRED FINALLY HOOK UP! I waited two long years for this to happen. With the end of season 3 and the first half of season 4 wasted on Fred with Gunn and her giving Wes the cold shoulder in favor of Knox for the first half of season 5, things were finally made right.

The flexible reality of Angel

[nightwishouge · 8/10 · 10 January 2016]

Children's puppet shows always have a surreal and occasionally sinister quality to any adults who happen to catch a glimpse of them. The idea that so many parents casually trust children's programming to be completely appropriate by virtue of their marketing and thus leaving their kids unsupervised for hours at a time with the television leaves millions of children across the nation completely vulnerable to whatever said shows wish to expose them to. While Smile Time is mostly played for laughs, the idea at the core of it is an unnerving bit of social satire.

If nothing else, Smile Time illustrates what a convincingly flexible reality Angel the series (and the Buffyverse in general) have built over the course of its run. The fact that the show can go from agonizing tragedy and sophisticated exploration of moral gray areas one week to, well, Angel getting turned into a Muppet the next and be taken just as seriously in either case shows how remarkably successful and solid the universe-building has been up to this point. Kudos to the showrunners for their craft. Smile Time is bizarre and delightfully absurd and the writers have earned the right to it, not just in this one episode but over the course of the past five years (seven, including Buffy).

The absolute best moment in Smile Time: puppet-Angel vamping out. Until the moment it happened, you didn't realize there was nothing else in all the world you wanted to see quite so desperately.

The One Where Angel Turns Into A Puppet...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 6 December 2014]

I love this episode. It's inventive, funny and creepy. And a little bit disturbing.

In this episode, there are some evil puppets that have taken control of little kids. They have their own TV show and once the kids are alone, watching the program, the puppets interact with them, get the kids to put their hands to the TV, and then the puppets take their life force. When Angel finds out what's been happening, but doesn't know that the puppets are the ones doing it, he goes down to the Smile Time set to find answers. He goes into a room where he sees something, touches it, and becomes a puppet. It's hilarious and adorable. He's got a little leather jacket and everything. Spike finds it quite amusing. Eventually, the whole gang go down to the set and find the puppets. They kill all of the puppets and Angel is turned back into a normal, human-looking, vampire. It's so cute when his puppet-self turns into a vampire.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

Perfect

[mwc-00772 · 10/10 · 25 October 2022]

You can't please people at all nowadays ... even tho the show ended in mid 00s .

People are always complaining about the show is always dark but he second you give them one of the best comedy episodes ever written they'll still complain because they think it's " corny " or " cheesy " .

Y'all were complaining about the show being darker than Buffy and no funny or comedy episodes in it why on earth are you people complaining now that they actually decided to give you a funny episode ? The fact that people call this " child ab use " is actually ridiculous ... I've seen this episode countless times and I still don't get why people are complaining about it I guess people nowadays are just never pleased with anything .

Lololol

[HollisWoods · 10/10 · 22 November 2021]

This has Supernatural filler fun episode vibes all over it. Love it, hate it, this episode stands out. This was hilarious as well as unique. Had a lot of fun with this.

Why though?

[jenrave · 5/10 · 4 September 2021]

There are few things about the American culture I guess I'll never get. The non-ironic adoration of muppets by grown ass adults is one of them. I always love the lighter, funnier episodes in Angel but this... This is just farce.

Angel vs the Muppets

[Joxerlives · 10/10 · 24 April 2012]

The Good; It's all fabulous, a truly, truly great episode and I'm proud to say I do own a puppet Angel doll (unfortunately the one with him in vampface as all the rest were sold out).

The Bad; ?

Best line; Polo; "I'm going to tear you a new puppet-hole bitch!" (a line never before said on TV and in all probability never will be again) also like; Puppet Angel; "I'm made of felt. And my nose comes off!" (as above)

Jeez, how did they get away with that? The bit where the puppets make their creator 'talk to the hand', euugghhh!

Apocalypses: 5

Subverting the Hollywood cliché; Cute children's puppets are EVIL! Also like the talk between Gunn and Lorne with Framkin where he correctly points out that actually the public would invariably support him if their case ever came to trial. Puppet Angel's Jerry Bruckheimer style 'power walk' also hilarious.

In disguise; 8

DB/JM get's his shirt off; 18,

Cheap Angel; 8

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 15 Wes: 8 Gunn; 8 Lorne; 6 Fred; 5 Spike; 6

Fang gang knocked out: Angel by the nest egg Cordy: 15 Angel: 20 Wes: 9 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 8 Groo; 1 Connor; 1 Faith; 1 Fred; 6 Spike; 5

Kills; 1 demon for Angel, 2 for Gunn and 1 for Wes Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 48 vamps, 63 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 12 humans, one werewolf and one cyborg Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 15 demons+5 vamps, 5 zombies, 3 humans, 2 cyborgs Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 15 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamps+ 2 demon, 5 zombies Connor; 16 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons, Jasmine Spike; 21 vamps, 7 demons+1 human+one parasite

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 3 Angel: 3 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang; puppet Angel Cordy: 4 Angel: 12 Fred; 2 Wes; 1 Gunn; 1 Connor; 1 Lorne; 1

Characters killed: 2265

Recurring characters killed; 11

Total number of Angel Investigations; 6, Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, Spike

Angel Investigations shot: Angel: 14 Wes; 2

Packing heat; Fred uses one of Wes' 45s to good effect (maybe they've learned their lesson from Lineage?). She's a good shot but then she is from Texas. Wes; 11 Doyle; 1 Angel; 4 Gunn; 3 Fred; 4

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast Angel: 6; Buffy, Darla, The Transcending Furies, Eve Wes; 3 definite; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible, Justine Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen. Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy Spike; 3-Buffy, Anya, Harmony

Kinky dinky: Nina and Angel start to grow closer and closer. Naked Nina in her cell showing an awful lot of flesh after returning to human once more "Oh my god, I ate him!" Hmmmmm? Flora the puppet says she wants to get Gunn's 'Pretty eyes'. Fred thinks puppet Angel is cute. Nina seems to now enjoy being naked and locked in a cage. She thinks the whole vampire thing is kinda sexy although she admits that's a cliché for an art-school chick. Polo's line to the little kid 'Get over here and touch it' is a bit suspect especially the way he moans and groans when he's draining the lifeforce and talks about taking their innocence away.

Captain Subtext; Angel has been utterly oblivious to Nina's growing attraction to him but it's perfectly plain to everyone else, even soulless Harmony. He does however pick up on the Wes/Fred vibe.

Know the face, different character; 7 David Fury, writer, producer, director and now actor. He previously played the goat-sacrificer in Epiphany and the mustard on his shirt guy in Once More with Feeling.

Parking garages; 9,

Buffy characters on Angel; 17 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony. POSSIBLY The First Evil, Andrew.

Questions and observations; Especially love the way that Horatio can convey whole sentences in just a few sounds, Chewbacca style. Also you note that Groofus is beginning to be more and more won over to humanity (a common theme in Buffy/Angel), actually caring about the quality of the show in addition to their soul-sucking. David Fury is pretty good in his role. Fred shoots down Knox whom as we'll see doesn't take rejection well. It's been 4 months since Unleashed. Puppet Angel does pretty well against Spike. The last few seasons of Happy Days are referenced where Fonzie famously 'jumped the shark' (a sly joke for the Angel audience and critics who might think Angel is past it's best? Or the WB executives?) In an otherwise extremely lightweight episode we have the beginning of the fall of Charles Gunn, the senior partners having given him these new abilities he revels in and then forcing him to make moral compromises when they start slipping away from him.

Presumably the camera crews etc we see are actually the real Angel camera crews? Why no commentary?

Marks out of 10; 10/10, it's eps like these that make Buffy and Angel so special.

Puppet Time

[Samuel-Shovel · 8/10 · 21 May 2019]

In "Smile Time" a morning kids show is secretly sucking the life force out of the children watching. Full of ostensibly friendly puppets (who turn out to be demons), the show then sells this life force to hell on the black market. While investigating, Angel is turned into one of the puppets himself. This comes at a bad time as he tries to figure out the relationship he has with the werewolf Nina. Fred tries harder to get Wes to notice her romantically. Gunn's law imprint starts to fade as he worries he'll no longer be useful or have a purpose.

This episode gets a lot of attention for it's use of puppetry. (It seems to borrow a bit from the plot of the original Spy Kids movie I noticed.) And while that is a fun bit of the plot (I never thought I'd see a vampire puppet), underneath all that, a lot of character development occurs during this one. The puppet stuff honestly takes a backseat for me.

Angel and Nina really develop a nice rapport here that I'm sure will go further moving forward. We also see Fred and Wes finally hook up after seasons of "will they, won't they". I think they make a lot more sense as a couple than her and Gunn ever did. I wish we could just retcon that relationship clean out of here because it feels a but odd looking back, especially since Gunn is still in the picture.

I think this is secretly a Gunn episode though. His character has had a renewed vigour since becoming a lawyer and he is desperate to maintain that edge that WR&H's senior partners have given him. We never actually see him make a deal with that doctor but it's heavily implied when he burst in near the end of the episode pulling up an old demon contract on file and saving the day. It's possible that Gunn sold his soul to the devil himself to maintain his newfound purpose.

Puppet show mayhem

[rcthx · 3/10 · 13 August 2006]

The most ridiculous episode of Angel ever and proof positive of why season 5 was the last - they were just running out of ideas! Basically there's a kids TV puppet show which is really popular. "Why?" you ask. This is Angel, not Murder She Wrote (bad example because thats a programme for old women and people on the dole). Well they're enchanted or something like that and there's some kind of evil going on. Up to this point the storyline is a bit iffy, but still bearable. Then the event that ruined the series and possibly all five seasons - Angel gets turned into a puppet! If you've bought the DVD and aren't too sure about this episode then please just skip to the next one before he turns into a Muppet, because its bloody stupid!! Remember how Buffy took a dive towards the end then Angel was nice and fresh and more believable? This is where all that changes! I kept expecting to see Kermit the Frog save him, or Miss Piggy get turned into a vampire.

Seriously?

[samruthericsteph · 1/10 · 29 March 2023]

This episode smack of desperation by the writers in search of some fresh plot. Angel as a muppet? Really? The whole "magical egg" concept was over the top.

I watched with my husband, who is not a fan of the Angel/Buffy genre, and he looked at me as if to say, "This is what you are watching?" I felt that it was way over the top in expectation of a willing suspension of disbelief. I'm typically a fan of the show, but this episode didn't impress me. I can see why the show ended after season 5; writers had used up any remaining ideas for the show, and were grasping at straws. This script, however, in my opinion, should have been sent to file 13.

What in the name of

[Whitneywest10 · 1/10 · 20 June 2021]

Child ab use did I just watch?! Maybe it's because I'm watching this about two decades out from when it originally aired but this was so creepy and slimy. I know we've have Harvey Weinstein and Women's gymnastics expose their team doctor now so surely this type of crap wouldn't make it on TV today. From the sounds the puppet makes in the opening scene I wanted to throw up. I checked reviews and all seemed to be glowing so I thought things are going to really turnaround. But not nearly enough. This episode was sick and gross. If I were the people involved with this episode, I'd want it permanently banned. Maybe it was a small throwback and one or two small things to advance to story but that isn't worth the reactions from puppet from kids. It's sick and it's vile. Shame on you all. Take this crap off now.

Ugh

[mraajdar · 1/10 · 27 March 2023]

Horrible. If I wanted to watch Muppets I would watch Muppets. I don't like Muppets. They're a lazy, cheesy substitute for good writing and looking at them hurts my eyes. It is annoying that they appear in random shows without warning.

As for "why do people complain that it's too dark and then still complain when it's too corny", duh, this is just one of many problems with post-internet fandoms - a fandom presented as a singular voice but saying two different things is confusing and hypocritical, but remove the fandom umbrella and you just have people. Here you have two different kinds of people who like different aspects the same thing. This is not confusing or hypocritical, it's just opinion. This should not be a difficult concept, yet here we are with a 9+ rating on what should be a divisive episode, because let's be honest it's a gimmick, and gimmicks *are* divisive, people love them or hate them and they average in the middle. Not here though. Here we have an example of a fandom that strives to be that unified voice by bullying out all dissent until there is only one type of person left watching.

Enjoy this episode, by all means, but also don't be afraid to admit that you don't, and don't take that high 9 at face value, it's biased.