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Kate Lockley
Kate Lockley
Kate Lockley
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Kate Lockley
Angel character
Elisabeth Röhm as Kate Lockley
First appearance"Lonely Heart" (1999)
Last appearanceAngel: After the Fall
Created byJoss Whedon, David Greenwalt, David Fury
Portrayed byElisabeth Röhm
In-universe information
AffiliationLos Angeles Police Department
Angel Investigations
ClassificationLos Angeles Police Detective I

Vampire hunter

Kate Lockley is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for Angel. She is portrayed by Elisabeth Röhm. Lockley first appears in the episode "Lonely Heart" as a young, skeptical detective for the Los Angeles Police Department. Gradually, she becomes more hardened as she learns of the supernatural world.[1]

Characterization and storylines

[edit]

Kate Lockley is a young police detective working for the LAPD, initially unaware of the supernatural. She first appears in "Lonely Heart", investigating a case involving the brutal murders of several patrons of D'Oblique, a popular singles bar. 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. 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.

Kate was raised by her widowed father, Trevor, who is also a police officer and taught her to put her emotions aside and to take care of herself at all costs. Through her father, she develops a complete devotion to her occupation, later on saying that being a cop is all she's ever known and that she wouldn't know what else to do. When she discovers that Angel is really a vampire and subsequently discovers his past as Angelus before his soul is restored, 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 by vampires.[2]

After her father's death, Kate's relationship with Angel becomes strained and eventually adversarial. She becomes obsessed with ridding the city of vampires and other demons. Kate is the first to investigate any calls matching the "otherworldly" profile, even if it is out of her jurisdiction. She has an intense dislike for Wolfram & Hart and the clients the law firm represents.

When a resurrected Darla frames Angel for murder and goes on a killing spree with Drusilla, Kate shows up as his arresting officer and lets him go as she believes he is the only one who can stop them. Although Angel catches them, he allows them to murder 13 lawyers, which causes Kate to distrust him again after she figures out that he not only let them murder but facilitated them by locking the doors.

Her obsession with supernatural cases becomes her own undoing: after Angel attacks a police captain who had brought back deceased police officers as zombies in an attempt to cut down on crime, along with her increasingly erratic and obsessive behavior, she is fired from the LAPD. Kate calls Angel and blames him for ruining her life, then attempts suicide by taking prescription pills with hard liquor. Angel hears her call and later goes to Kate's apartment. When she does not respond to his energetic knocks, he breaks down her door, finds her lifeless body on the floor, picks her up and holds her under a cold shower to resuscitate her. After her life is saved, she thanks him and then tells him to leave. That evening, Kate and Angel talk and she forgives him, believing there is a higher power at work and they are 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, yet he was able to break in and save her.

She never appears on the series again, due to Elisabeth Röhm joining the cast of Law & Order.[3] However, she is mentioned again in "Dead End" soon after her last appearance-Angel mentions to his friends that they no longer have a friend in the LAPD.[4]

Kate reappears in the seventh issue of Angel: After the Fall, saving Connor from a group of demons, unaware that Connor is Angel's son. She establishes an antiquities business after her departure from the LAPD, and uses her business connections to learn more about the supernatural and the occult. She stocks 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 LA 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.

In the Angel & Faith series, it is briefly mentioned by Gunn that Kate is back with the LAPD leading their new supernatural investigations unit, as the existence of the mystical world has since become public knowledge following the events of "Chosen" and "Not Fade Away".

Writing and acting

[edit]
  • Kate was originally conceived as a much darker character. In the unproduced episode "Corrupt," she was a detective deep undercover as a prostitute and addicted to drugs.[citation needed]
  • 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 Hill 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."[5]
  • 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."[5]
  • Röhm on her character's departure from Angel: "Well, I was the first season of the show, I was part of the original cast and loved doing it, but by the second season, I had my own show on TNT called Bull so I had to go back & forth between my show & recurring on Angel, and then after that I was offered Law & Order and Joss & I decided it would be impossible for me to go from New York (where I was a regular on Law & Order) to Los Angeles for Angel and we had a great opportunity for it to end dramatically, and it was very satisfying for both of us."[6]

Appearances

[edit]

Canonical appearances

[edit]

Kate appeared in 15 episodes of Angel and one unaired episode. She is only mentioned briefly by other characters after her departure in the second season.

Kate appears in the canonical comic book continuation of the series in Angel: After the Fall #7.

Non-canonical appearances

[edit]

Kate appears in Angel expanded universe, including the Angel comic Hunting Ground.

Notes and references

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Kate Lockley

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from Grokipedia
Kate Lockley is a fictional character in the American drama television series Angel (1999–2004), portrayed by actress . She is depicted as a dedicated with the who reluctantly allies with the with a soul, Angel, and his team at Angel Investigations to combat crimes in the city. Introduced in the first-season episode "Lonely Hearts," Lockley first encounters Angel while investigating a series of murders linked to a demonic parasite, leading to an initial professional partnership marked by mutual suspicion and flirtation. Her backstory reveals a strong sense of justice inherited from her father, a veteran LAPD officer, which drives her commitment to the force despite the personal toll of her high-stakes work. Throughout her appearances in seasons one and two, Lockley's relationship with evolves from wary collaboration to deeper emotional connection, complicated by her growing awareness of the world. A pivotal occurs when her father is killed by vampires in season one, an event Angel witnesses but fails to prevent, fueling Lockley's , , and eventual prejudice against vampires and demons. This personal loss leads her to misuse her police resources to target beings, straining her alliance with Angel Investigations and resulting in her being fired from the LAPD. Lockley's character arc reaches its climax in the second-season episode "Epiphany," where, spiraling into depression and attempting , she is saved by , prompting a raw confrontation about redemption, purpose, and human fragility. In this episode, she bids farewell to on the steps of the Hyperion Hotel, acknowledging her need to find her own path outside the fray, marking her permanent exit from the series after 15 episodes. Though not referenced extensively afterward, her departure underscores themes of loss and resilience central to Angel's narrative.

Creation and Development

Concept and Writing

Kate Lockley was created by , , and for the television series , which they developed as a supernatural drama spin-off from . Conceived as a skeptical detective, Lockley was intended to serve as a rational, foil to the show's otherworldly elements, grounding the narrative in real-world perspectives. Her debut was originally planned for the unaired second episode of season 1, titled "Corrupt," before appearing in the first aired episode "Lonely Hearts" on October 12, 1999. Early script development envisioned a darker trajectory for Lockley, emphasizing her immersion in moral ambiguity. In the unproduced "Corrupt," written by , she operated undercover as a sex worker investigating a with ties to corruption within force, portraying her as a deeply compromised figure grappling with addiction and institutional decay. The episode's grim tone, focusing on themes of exploitation and hopelessness, led to its rejection by the network and production team before filming, prompting a rewrite into the lighter "Lonely Hearts," where Lockley's introduction retained her role but softened the personal toll. Over the course of season 1, Lockley's writing evolved from a potential one-off guest to a recurring ally for the protagonist Angel, appearing in 15 episodes across the first two seasons to explore tensions between human justice and supernatural threats. Writers initially planned a villainous turn for her in season 3, positioning her as an antagonist driven by personal hardships, but this arc was ultimately scrapped due to scheduling conflicts with actress Elisabeth Röhm's commitments to Law & Order.

Casting and Portrayal

was cast in 1999 for the recurring role of Kate Lockley on the television series Angel, debuting in the season 1 episode "Lonely Hearts" as a skeptical LAPD officer investigating -related crimes. She appeared in 15 episodes across the first two seasons, bringing a grounded presence to the show's elements. Prior to Angel, Röhm's television experience included her debut as Dorothy Hayes on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live starting in 1997, followed by a starring role in the 1999 BBC Northern Ireland miniseries Eureka Street. These early credits established her in dramatic roles, aligning with Kate's portrayal as a determined detective navigating personal and professional challenges. In her performance, Röhm highlighted Kate's evolution from a duty-bound officer dismissive of the supernatural to one grappling with its reality, emphasizing moments of vulnerability amid professional obsession and emotional turmoil. Röhm described such characters as fitting her preference for "serious hour-long dramas with very strong women." The original darker concept for Kate, from the rejected episode "Corrupt," was retooled to better suit this layered depiction. Röhm left after season 2 to join the cast of as Assistant District Attorney , appearing in over 80 episodes from 2001 to 2005. This scheduling conflict— filmed in New York, while was produced in —necessitated Kate's dramatic departure in the season 2 finale "Epiphany" in 2001.

Fictional Biography

Background and Personality

Kate Lockley is introduced as a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), specializing in homicide investigations. Her professional life is marked by a rigorous adherence to protocol and a deep commitment to justice, traits deeply influenced by her upbringing under her father, Trevor Lockley, a veteran LAPD officer who raised her single-handedly after her mother's death. Trevor, emotionally distant and overly focused on his career, instilled in Kate a sense of duty but also exposed her to the complexities of police work, including his own eventual corruption involving dirty money and his role as an informant. This background fosters Kate's strict moral code, which emphasizes integrity and rejects the ethical compromises she witnessed in her father, driving her to pursue justice relentlessly in her cases. Kate's personality is characterized by determination and resilience, qualities that enable her to endure the high-stakes demands of detective work, though they often lead to emotional repression and isolation. Initially skeptical of anything beyond human criminality, she approaches her investigations with a pragmatic, by-the-book , viewing the world through a lens of and institutional trust. Her father's brutal death at the hands of vampires—revealed during an investigation—shatters this , fueling a profound that motivates her to confront threats with the same fervor she applies to human ones. This personal loss amplifies her isolation, as she grapples with betrayal and vulnerability, yet it also catalyzes her evolution into a more adaptable figure who pragmatically accepts the existence of vampires and demons. Her introduction to the supernatural occurs through repeated encounters with the vampire during overlapping investigations, marking a pivotal shift from conventional policing to a broader awareness of otherworldly dangers. This exposure, combined with her unyielding pursuit of justice, positions Kate as a resilient ally in combating both human and demonic threats, extending her detective skills to support efforts like those of Angel Investigations.

Key Story Arcs

Kate Lockley is introduced in the second episode of the first season of Angel, titled "Lonely Hearts," as a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) investigating a series of murders at a nightclub, where she goes undercover and first encounters the vampire Angel while pursuing a supernatural killer. Their initial meeting sparks a flirtatious dynamic, but as the investigation reveals demonic elements, Kate begins to uncover the supernatural underbelly of Los Angeles, leading to a tentative alliance with Angel, whom she initially views with suspicion after learning his vampire nature. Throughout season 1, she collaborates with Angel on multiple cases involving supernatural crimes, using her police access to aid him while grappling with the reality of demons and vampires, gradually building mutual respect despite her skepticism. In season 2, Kate's involvement with intensifies, but personal tragedy fractures their partnership. Her father, retired LAPD detective Trevor Lockley, is killed by vampires seeking revenge in the episode "," an event Angel witnesses helplessly from outside her home due to vampire invitation rules. Devastated, Kate becomes obsessed with supernatural threats, alienating her colleagues and fixating on vengeance, which culminates in her dismissal from the LAPD for erratic behavior and unfounded claims about the . Her downward spiral peaks in the episode "Epiphany," where she attempts by overdosing on prescription pills and alcohol; Angel breaks into her apartment, revives her under a cold shower, and later shares a profound conversation on the steps of the Hyperion Hotel, where he affirms the value of their fight against evil, prompting her reluctant acknowledgment of his heroism and her own path forward. Following the events of the Angel television series, Kate reappears in the canonical comic book series Angel: After the Fall #7 (IDW Publishing, May 2008), where she operates an antiquities business as a front for demon hunting in post-apocalyptic and rescues , Connor, from a demon attack, unaware of his parentage at the time. Her character evolves further in the Angel & Faith comic series (, 2011–2014), particularly in issue #11, "Family Reunion, Part One," where Charles Gunn mentions that Kate has rejoined the LAPD and now leads its newly established crimes unit, reflecting her adaptation to a world where the is publicly acknowledged. She reappears in the 2020 Boom! Studios series Angel & Spike (starting in issue #9), where she resumes her role as a collaborating with Angel on investigations, continuing her integration into the fight against demonic threats. Over the course of her canonical appearances, Kate transitions from a skeptical wary of and the to a reformed ally embracing her role in combating demonic forces, embodying themes of personal redemption and resilience in the face of irreversible loss and societal upheaval.

Relationships and Alliances

Kate Lockley's primary relationship with began with professional tension rooted in her role as a detective and his status as a , first evident when she suspected him of involvement in murders at a in the episode "Lonely Hearts." This friction evolved into romantic tension during collaborative investigations, such as the pursuit of a in "Somnambulist," where subtle attraction emerged amid shared dangers. Feelings of betrayal intensified after Angel concealed his vampire nature and connections to figures like Darla, culminating in her confrontation with realities that strained their . Ultimately, mutual respect developed following Angel's intervention during her in "Epiphany," where he saved her life after an overdose and they shared a profound conversation affirming their shared purpose despite irreconcilable differences. Her centered on a complicated bond with her father, Trevor Lockley, a fellow LAPD officer who raised her after her mother's death and instilled a rigid in his policing approach. Trevor's , involving ties to drug traffickers, was exposed during an investigation in "The ," where vampires killed him after he invited them into his home, an event that deeply catalyzed Kate's emotional unraveling and deepened her aversion to the supernatural. Kate formed alliances through casework collaborations with the Angel Investigations team, including Cordelia Chase and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, as seen in joint efforts to resolve supernatural crimes like the possession cases in "I've Got You Under My Skin." These partnerships provided her access to resources beyond standard police procedures, fostering occasional trust despite her institutional constraints. In the post-television comic continuation "Angel: After the Fall," she assumed a protective role toward Connor, Angel's son, by rescuing him from demons during the apocalyptic events in Los Angeles and establishing a fortified safe haven for survivors. This evolved into her integration into broader supernatural law enforcement efforts, leveraging her detective skills against demonic threats. Conflicts arose from her antagonism toward Wolfram & Hart's influences within the LAPD, notably when the firm's lawyers coerced her precinct into mandatory in "Sense & Sensitivity" after she arrested a mobster client, exacerbating her isolation as her anti-demon prejudices led to professional repercussions. This tension peaked in her suspension and personal crisis, alienating her from both colleagues and initial allies.

Production and Reception

Writing Evolution

Kate Lockley's role evolved significantly during the production of Angel, transitioning from an initial into a across 15 episodes in Seasons 1 and 2, driven by the compelling dynamic between her and . This expansion allowed writers to explore her as a key ally and foil, with episodes emphasizing the chemistry between and , which enriched 's investigative narrative. The character's writing integrated elements into her grounded background, particularly in episodes like "Sense & Sensitivity," where she undergoes mandatory that exposes her emotional vulnerabilities and hampers her professional duties amid a threat. This arc highlighted her struggle to reconcile her with the emerging reality, culminating in moments of breakdown that humanized her tough exterior. A planned villainous arc for Kate in Season 3 was ultimately scrapped; she was slated to return in a darker role, allying with time-traveler Daniel Holtz to antagonize , including actions like slitting Wesley's throat and attempting to drown . This storyline was abandoned due to Röhm's scheduling conflict after joining as a series regular, leading writers to repurpose the concept for the new character Justine Cooper. Thematically, Kate served as a bridge between the world of and Angel's battles, offering a mortal perspective on the that grounded the series' fantastical elements in real-world consequences and ethical dilemmas. Her arc underscored themes of grief, redemption, and the search for meaning, as seen in her final exchange with Angel, where she grapples with existential purpose amid chaos.

Acting Performance

Elisabeth Röhm's portrayal of Kate Lockley received acclaim for capturing the character's emotional depth, blending toughness with vulnerability in key episodes. In "Sense and Sensitivity," Röhm's performance during Kate's breakdown at her father's retirement party was described as fantastic, delivering a heartbreaking yet sympathetic depiction of bottled emotions without overplaying the moment. Similarly, her work in "Epiphany" highlighted Kate's redemption arc, showcasing a powerful from grief-driven antagonism to renewed purpose, which contributed to the episode being regarded as one of Angel's strongest. Fans appreciated this nuance, warming to the character once it became clear she was not positioned as Angel's primary romantic interest, allowing Röhm to emphasize Kate's resilience amid personal turmoil. Critics and viewers noted some shortcomings in the utilization of Röhm's performance, with Kate often seen as underutilized despite her early potential as a recurring ally. Her arc was criticized for feeling rushed and incomplete, particularly after her father's death, leading to a prolonged vendetta against that some found pathetic and one-dimensional, limiting her role to primarily serving as a foil to the . Online discussions reflected fan disappointment in this narrative constraint, questioning whether Kate's purpose extended beyond highlighting Angel's isolation. Röhm's depiction of Kate influenced perceptions of tough-female archetypes in the Buffyverse, though her season 2 departure was widely viewed as a missed opportunity for deeper integration into the ensemble, potentially enriching future storylines with her detective expertise and emotional complexity. In post-Angel interviews, Röhm reflected on the role's intensity, describing herself as a sentimental person deeply inspired by the Whedonverse, which allowed her to connect emotionally with Kate's struggles. She credited the part as her first major break, expressing gratitude to for launching her career trajectory, and noted satisfaction with Kate's redemptive ending despite the abrupt exit due to scheduling conflicts with .

Appearances

Canonical Appearances

Kate Lockley is a in the television series Angel, appearing in 15 episodes across its first two seasons from 1999 to 2001. Her debut occurs in "Lonely Hearts" (season 1, episode 2), where she investigates murders linked to a demonic parasite at a and forms an uneasy alliance with . She plays a prominent role in "Sense & Sensitivity" (season 1, episode 6), during which a magical seminar compels her to confront her prejudices against the while aiding against a . In "The Prodigal" (season 1, episode 15), Kate grapples with her father's vampire hunting legacy upon discovering 's nature, leading to a tense confrontation at her family home. Her arc culminates in "Epiphany" (season 2, episode 16), where grief over her father's death orchestrated by Wolfram & Hart drives her to despair and a , only for to intervene and save her life in a moment that inspires his renewed purpose. In licensed comics continuing the Angel canon, Kate Lockley appears in Angel: After the Fall #7 (June 2008), a flashback story in which she rescues Connor from a demon attack in the chaos following Los Angeles's descent into Hell. She returns for multiple issues of the Angel & Faith series (2011–2014), including key roles in season 9's "In Perfect Repose" arc (issues #1–5) where she arrests Angel for harboring Faith Lehane, and season 10's "Approaching" (issues #1–5) and "United" (issues #16–20), establishing her as the head of the LAPD's specialized demon crimes unit and collaborating with Angel on threats like the paranoid vampire Spike and magical crises in London.

Non-Canonical Appearances

Kate Lockley appears in the 2001 Dark Horse Comics trade paperback Angel: Hunting Ground, which collects issues #8–9 of the Angel series written by and Tom Sniegoski, with art by Eric Powell, Paul Lee, and . In this story, Lockley investigates a series of murders where bodies are dumped from sewers, with initial evidence implicating as the perpetrator; she ultimately aids him in confronting the demonic entity responsible for the killings, set within a supernatural ritual. This portrayal draws on her canonical role but adapts it for the comic's self-contained narrative. Beyond the comic, Lockley receives minor mentions and cameos in Buffyverse role-playing games, such as the 2003 Angel Roleplaying Game Corebook by Eden Studios, where she serves as an example of an LAPD investigator navigating supernatural cases alongside characters like Angel and Gunn. She also appears briefly in official fan guides and sourcebooks, such as the Angel Investigator's Casebook (2004), which references her alliances in expanded universe scenarios, though these do not feature major roles or dedicated storylines. No significant appearances occur in video games or additional novels within the Buffyverse expanded media. These non-canonical depictions often simplify Lockley's initial skepticism toward the , presenting her as more readily accepting of otherworldly threats to facilitate standalone plots, in contrast to the gradual emotional development seen in her television arcs.

References

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  27. https://www.douxreviews.com/2002/06/angel-season-one-essay.html
  28. https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/buffy/angel/characters/page16.shtml
  29. https://screenrant.com/angel-hated-characters-buffy/
  30. https://www.myfanbase.de/angel/interviews/?pid=7960
  31. https://www.cvlux.com/covers-1/2015/12/31/joyful-noise-an-interview-with-elizabeth-rohm-axpr2
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  33. https://buffy.fandom.com/wiki/Hunting_Ground
  34. https://theslingsandarrows.com/angel-hunting-ground/
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