Kate Lockley
Encyclopedia
Kate Lockley is a fictional character
created by Joss Whedon
for the television series Angel
, portrayed by Elisabeth Röhm
. Kate first appears in the episode "Lonely Hearts
." She is a young, skeptical detective for the Los Angeles Police Department
.
. After encountering Angel as he leaves the site of another murder, she instantly suspects him to be the killer, unaware that Angel had actually been attempting to stop the real killer (a parasitic demon looking for the perfect host). Angel escapes, and Kate becomes obsessed with finding him to the point that she searches the Angel Investigations
offices without a warrant
. After she is attacked by the real killer and saved by Angel, she helps him to bring the killer down. Kate subsequently clears Angel of all charges, and Angel offers his services to her whenever she needs them.
Kate's subsequent encounters with Angel lead her to trust him as a helpful stranger, and she, in turn, assists him, using her position on the police force to provide him with information about some of his cases. Furthermore, she finds herself attracted to the enigmatic private investigator
, although she won't admit it, even to herself.
Kate was raised by her widowed father, Trevor, who is also a police officer, who taught her to put her emotions aside and to take care of herself at all costs. When she discovers that Angel is really a vampire, her black and white view of the world is shaken, and she delves into the darker side of Los Angeles
. On one such investigation, Kate finds her father's lifeless body- completely drained of blood.
After her father's death, Kate struggles with her relationship with Angel; she undeniably has feelings for him, but blames him in part for failing to keep his fellow vampires away from her father (despite knowing about Angel needing to be invited into a dwelling by the resident). She subsequently becomes increasingly adversarial toward him by taking her newfound hatred of all vampires out on him. Obsessed with ridding the city of "his kind," Kate is the first to investigate any calls matching the "otherworldly" profile, even if it's out of her jurisdiction. She develops an intense dislike for Wolfram & Hart
and the clients the law firm represents, but at the same time shows an equal resentment to Angel for exposing her to this world.
Her obsession with supernatural cases becomes her own undoing: after Angel attacks a cop who had brought back deceased police officers as zombies in an attempt to cut down on crime- unaware or unconcerned that the zombies use excessive force to deal with relatively minor crimes such as jaywalking-, she is eventually fired from the LAPD
. Kate calls Angel and blames him for ruining her life, then attempts suicide
by taking prescription pills with hard liquor. After he has his fabled epiphany, Angel goes to Kate's apartment. He breaks down her door and holds her under a cold shower. After her life is saved, she thanks him and then harshly orders him to leave.
That evening, Kate and Angel come to a reckoning and she forgives him, believing there is a higher power at work and they're not alone in the never-ending battle against the forces of darkness. When Angel asks her why, she replies that she never invited him into her apartment - the only reason he was able to enter her apartment was because for a brief moment she was dead and it was Angel who saved her life.
She never appeared again on the series, possibly due to Elisabeth Röhm joining the cast of Law & Order
. However, in one episode soon after her last appearance Angel mentions to his friends that they no longer have a friend on the police force.
Kate reappears in the seventh issue of Angel: After the Fall
, saving Connor from a group of demons. She is unaware that Connor is Angel's son. She established an antiquities business after her departure from the LAPD, and has been using her business connections to learn more about the supernatural and the occult. She has stocked her hideout with an arsenal of ancient to modern weapons. She is seen leaving to blow up a demon army. This actual event takes place the same night as "Not Fade Away."
Some time later, after L.A. was restored to normal, she once again encounters Angel and reopens Angel Investigations. However, there are several difficulties due to Angel's new fame status (since many clients are actually fans and admirers rather than people who need help), plus an upheaval in demonic activity. The current Angel Investigations consists of Angel, Kate, Connor and Gwen (although her status is questionable since Connor wants her gone due to her recent betrayal).
Angel
: Kate appeared in 15 episodes and one unaired episode.
Season 1 (1999, 2000) - "Corrupt
" (unaired), "Lonely Hearts", "I Fall To Pieces
", "Rm w/a Vu", "Sense & Sensitivity", "Somnambulist
", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "The Prodigal
", "Sanctuary
", "To Shanshu in L.A.".
Season 2 (2000, 2001) - "Dear Boy", "The Shroud of Rahmon", "Reunion
", "The Thin Dead Line", "Reprise
", "Epiphany
".
Angel: After the Fall
#7
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
created by Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
for the television series Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, portrayed by Elisabeth Röhm
Elisabeth Röhm
Elisabeth Röhm is a German-born American television actress. She is known for playing Assistant District Attorney Serena Southerlyn in the American TV series Law & Order, and as Detective Kate Lockley in the TV series Angel....
. Kate first appears in the episode "Lonely Hearts
Lonely Hearts (Angel episode)
"Lonely Hearts" is the second episode of season one of the television show Angel. Written by David Fury and directed by James A. Contner, it was originally broadcast on October 12, 1999 on the WB network. In "Lonely Hearts", Angel Investigations looks into a series of killings linked to a trendy...
." She is a young, skeptical detective for the Los Angeles Police Department
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
.
History
Kate first meets Angel while investigating a case undercover involving the brutal murders of several patrons of D'Oblique, a popular singles barSingles Bar
Singles Bar is a 1983 studio album from Swedish country and pop singer Kikki Danielsson. On the album charts, "Singles Bar" as best finished 13th in Norway and 35th in Sweden.In July 2009 the album was digitally released to iTunes.-Side A:-Side B:...
. After encountering Angel as he leaves the site of another murder, she instantly suspects him to be the killer, unaware that Angel had actually been attempting to stop the real killer (a parasitic demon looking for the perfect host). Angel escapes, and Kate becomes obsessed with finding him to the point that she searches the Angel Investigations
Angel Investigations
Angel Investigations is a fictional detective agency run by the title character Angel previously on the WB television series Angel . It is sometimes abbreviated as AI...
offices without a warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
. After she is attacked by the real killer and saved by Angel, she helps him to bring the killer down. Kate subsequently clears Angel of all charges, and Angel offers his services to her whenever she needs them.
Kate's subsequent encounters with Angel lead her to trust him as a helpful stranger, and she, in turn, assists him, using her position on the police force to provide him with information about some of his cases. Furthermore, she finds herself attracted to the enigmatic private investigator
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
, although she won't admit it, even to herself.
Kate was raised by her widowed father, Trevor, who is also a police officer, who taught her to put her emotions aside and to take care of herself at all costs. When she discovers that Angel is really a vampire, her black and white view of the world is shaken, and she delves into the darker side of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. On one such investigation, Kate finds her father's lifeless body- completely drained of blood.
After her father's death, Kate struggles with her relationship with Angel; she undeniably has feelings for him, but blames him in part for failing to keep his fellow vampires away from her father (despite knowing about Angel needing to be invited into a dwelling by the resident). She subsequently becomes increasingly adversarial toward him by taking her newfound hatred of all vampires out on him. Obsessed with ridding the city of "his kind," Kate is the first to investigate any calls matching the "otherworldly" profile, even if it's out of her jurisdiction. She develops an intense dislike for Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart − Attorneys at Law is a fictional international, and interdimensional law firm featured in the television series Angel, as well as other extended materials in Joss Whedon's Buffyverse.-Fictional history:...
and the clients the law firm represents, but at the same time shows an equal resentment to Angel for exposing her to this world.
Her obsession with supernatural cases becomes her own undoing: after Angel attacks a cop who had brought back deceased police officers as zombies in an attempt to cut down on crime- unaware or unconcerned that the zombies use excessive force to deal with relatively minor crimes such as jaywalking-, she is eventually fired from the LAPD
Los Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
. Kate calls Angel and blames him for ruining her life, then attempts suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
by taking prescription pills with hard liquor. After he has his fabled epiphany, Angel goes to Kate's apartment. He breaks down her door and holds her under a cold shower. After her life is saved, she thanks him and then harshly orders him to leave.
That evening, Kate and Angel come to a reckoning and she forgives him, believing there is a higher power at work and they're not alone in the never-ending battle against the forces of darkness. When Angel asks her why, she replies that she never invited him into her apartment - the only reason he was able to enter her apartment was because for a brief moment she was dead and it was Angel who saved her life.
She never appeared again on the series, possibly due to Elisabeth Röhm joining the cast of Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. However, in one episode soon after her last appearance Angel mentions to his friends that they no longer have a friend on the police force.
Kate reappears in the seventh issue of Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
, saving Connor from a group of demons. She is unaware that Connor is Angel's son. She established an antiquities business after her departure from the LAPD, and has been using her business connections to learn more about the supernatural and the occult. She has stocked her hideout with an arsenal of ancient to modern weapons. She is seen leaving to blow up a demon army. This actual event takes place the same night as "Not Fade Away."
Some time later, after L.A. was restored to normal, she once again encounters Angel and reopens Angel Investigations. However, there are several difficulties due to Angel's new fame status (since many clients are actually fans and admirers rather than people who need help), plus an upheaval in demonic activity. The current Angel Investigations consists of Angel, Kate, Connor and Gwen (although her status is questionable since Connor wants her gone due to her recent betrayal).
Writing and acting
- Kate was originally conceived as a much darker character. In the unproduced episode "CorruptCorrupt (unaired Angel episode)"Corrupt" was originally intended as the second Angel episode, but the production was abandoned, and instead "Lonely Hearts" was written and produced.-Summary:...
," she was a detective deep undercover as a prostitute and addicted to drugs. - Elisabeth Röhm said "I thought Kate was this incredibly powerful young woman who is fantastic at what she does, but at the same time, just a girl. There's a great line in Notting HillNotting Hill (film)Notting Hill is a 1999 British romantic comedy film set in Notting Hill, London, released on 21 May 1999. The screenplay was by Richard Curtis, who had written Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was produced by Duncan Kenworthy and directed by Roger Michell...
when Julia Roberts says 'I'm just a girl wanting a boy to love me.' I think that's a part of Kate and a part of everyone who is really great at what they do. They're actually just the girl or boy who's real and has the same problems as everybody else. She's this tough, smart cookie, but she just wants to be loved and she doesn't know how to do it." - Röhm on the relationship between Kate and Angel: "I think that Kate and Angel are kind of meant for each other but in a way, you can see them become best friends."
Canonical appearances
Kate has appeared inAngel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
: Kate appeared in 15 episodes and one unaired episode.
Season 1 (1999, 2000) - "Corrupt
Corrupt (unaired Angel episode)
"Corrupt" was originally intended as the second Angel episode, but the production was abandoned, and instead "Lonely Hearts" was written and produced.-Summary:...
" (unaired), "Lonely Hearts", "I Fall To Pieces
I Fall to Pieces (Angel episode)
"I Fall to Pieces" is episode four of season one of the television show Angel. Pressed beyond her limit, Melissa comes to Angel Investigations seeking protection from a stalker, Dr. Ronald Meltzer, a renowned neurosurgeon who once operated successfully on Melissa's optic nerve...
", "Rm w/a Vu", "Sense & Sensitivity", "Somnambulist
Somnambulist (Angel episode)
"Somnambulist" is episode 11 of season 1 in the television show Angel.-Plot:The episode opens on a girl fleeing down a street from someone. She stumbles, allowing the pursuer to catch up. The figure holds her and runs a finger with a metal claw over it down her cheek, carving a cross into it. Once...
", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "The Prodigal
The Prodigal (Angel episode)
"The Prodigal" is episode 15 of season 1 in the television show Angel. Written by Tim Minear and directed by Bruce Seth Green, it was originally broadcast on February 22, 2000 on the WB network. In this episode, Detective Kate Lockely learns her father has been spending his retirement as a mule for...
", "Sanctuary
Sanctuary (Angel episode)
"Sanctuary" is episode 19 of season 1 in the television show Angel. Co-written by Tim Minear and series creator Joss Whedon and directed by Michael Lange, it was originally broadcast on May 2, 2000 on the WB network....
", "To Shanshu in L.A.".
Season 2 (2000, 2001) - "Dear Boy", "The Shroud of Rahmon", "Reunion
Reunion (Angel episode)
"Reunion" is episode 10 of season 2 in the television show Angel.-Plot synopsis:Angel tells his associates that Drusilla has returned and, working with Wolfram and Hart, has made Darla a vampire again. Wesley and Cordelia investigate the law firm's plans for Drusilla and Darla as Angel prepares to...
", "The Thin Dead Line", "Reprise
Reprise (Angel episode)
"Reprise" is episode 15 of season 2 in the television show Angel. Written by Tim Minear and directed by James Whitmore, Jr., it was originally broadcast on February 20, 2001 on the WB network. In this episode, Angel learns that during the impending Wolfram & Hart 75-Year Review, the firm is...
", "Epiphany
Epiphany (Angel episode)
"Epiphany" is episode 16 of season 2 in the television show Angel. Written by Tim Minear and directed by Thomas J. Wright, it was originally broadcast on February 27, 2001 on the WB network...
".
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall
Angel: After the Fall is a comic book published by IDW Publishing. Written by Brian Lynch and plotted with Joss Whedon, the series is a canonical continuation of the Angel television series, and follows the events of that show's final televised season...
#7
Non-canonical appearances
Kate also appears in Angel expanded universe. She appears in the Angel comic Hunting GroundHunting Ground (Angel comic)
Hunting Ground is a trade paperback collecting comic stories based on the Angel television series.-General synopsis:A murderer is leaving corpses across L.A. sewers, and the evidence found by Detective Kate Lockley suggests Angel is responsible. Angel does not know which demon or monster is trying...
.
See also
- "CorruptCorrupt (unaired Angel episode)"Corrupt" was originally intended as the second Angel episode, but the production was abandoned, and instead "Lonely Hearts" was written and produced.-Summary:...
"