Friday, June 11, 2010

#36: Holland


If it comes as a surprise to learn that the quietly evil Wolfram & Hart majordomo Holland Manners appears in only eight episodes of Angel, it may come as even more of a surprise to realise that you might say only six episodes, as two of the appearances are posthumous. As one of those characters, thanks in no small part to Sam Anderson's masterful portrayal, whose understated performances belie real presence, the role of Holland feels more significant, and long-lasting, than those few appearances would suggest (it's also, of course, possible that the memory associates Holland with the similar character Linwood, whose 1487 words across 6 episodes places him just outside of the top 50).

Holland truly bursts onto the scene, appearing in only the final two episodes of season one yet reaching #10 on the list of Angel season one characters (admittedly an odd list, however, as season one featured a very small recurring cast and lots of one-off characters). In his first appearance, the Jeannine Renshaw-penned “Blind Date”, Holland racks up and amazing 1110 words, fully 30% of the whole episode's dialogue and a comfortable first-place finish. Surprising that the next four times we see him are in minor roles.

However, if his first episode is a #1 ranking, it's interesting that his last episode as a living being is a #2 ranking. In “Reunion”, until a newly revamped Darla kills him in his own wine cellar, Holland speaks 768 words of dialogue. As it potentially is for any Buffyverse character and most certainly is for any Wolfram & Hart employee, however, death is not the end. We see Holland two episodes later on a TV set in “Blood Money”, at 90 words his briefest appearance. However, as Lilah would also one day do, Holland serves posthumously as a kind of guide for Angel in “Reprise”, racking up 425 words and a #3 count.
  • Overall ranking: #36
  • Ranking on Angel: #18
  • Total words spoken on Angel: 3042
    • Season 1: 1211 (#10)
    • Season 2: 1831 (#9)
  • Total speaking appearances on Angel: 8
    • Ranking #1: 1
    • Ranking #2: 1
    • Ranking #3: 1
    • Minor: 5
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