"This is one of those moments I wish working homicide meant you got to do the killing." Hale is probably my least favourite of the main/side characters, but he does have his moments :-D Him "selling" Kenzi, and the way they talk afterwards, is a lot of fun.
The reason the lich couldn't really experience Bo's power is that her power is so intertwined with her life; it's her chi. The others were great artists, scientists, etc., none of which is really tied to their life force.