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ANGEL
Episode | Conviction
Open with a dark alley and a woman being chased by a vamp. From the rooftops Angel watches and follows. She screams for help, Angel jumps down and saves the day, dusting the vamp. As she's leaving a group of lawyer types from Wolfram andHart come up, they say they got the report and were there for back up and if he needed any help, they give the girl forms to fill out to wave liability in her bing saving by Angel C.E.O and president of W & H.
Then we see a kid, gradeschool in school in class a trouble maker, named Matthew, his story unfolds later.
Back in the big W and H Office we see Fred talking to Wes, she's raving about the hugeness of her office and carrying a bunch of junk with her, Wes offers to help but she says no. Knox, another scientist walks up and helps her with her belongings, Wes seems shocked a little. Fred and Knox leave as Gunn shows up to show Wes to their offices, both nice with a nice view. Lorne is fitting right in with the vibe of the office, complete with an assistant with carpet swatches.
Angel shows up, not really digging the new set up, he goes into his office to see Eve sitting behind his desk, she introduces herself as a liason to him and thre senior partners... for irony's sake she tosses him an apple. She says most of their clients are evil, and he needs to keep them happy because thats teh only way he'll keep them in check. There's a huge conference room of files tehy go through looking at all the bad guys. They find a winner- Corbin Fries, on trial for smuggling Asian girls for cheap labor and prostitution... drugs etc. They also realize they need to check their whole staff (of vamps) to see who's with/against them.
Eve later confronts Gunntelling him he needs to revamp his image. When Angel calls to his assistant he sees its none other than Harmony... yes, we remember Harmony, she's a vamp and eager to please him, when he threatens to kill her. She said Wes hired her, a familar face is helpful in this atmosphere. She mentions Cordy, they brush it off, letting her know Cordy is in a coma.
Wes mentions the Corbin Fries trial to Angel, they both realize how low of a person he is. Corbin enters with A/H lawyer Desmond Keel. He admits his guilt but wants Angel to get him off anyway. If Angel doesn't, he'll release a bomb that'll get rid of all of California.
Lorne starts to check the company for potential bad blood by making everyone sing, while Gunn disappears to what looks like a most creepy doctor's office. Angel and Wes discuss the bomb, and how it could very well not be the explosive kind... it's to be released when Corbin says the magic word... The gang settles on the fact that this bomb would release some sort of virus. They realize Corbin will release the bomb if/when he loses his trial.. Thus they get Lorne to sit in on the trial and keep them posted on how they're doing for time while they look to find an quarantine the bomb. Harmony chimes in letting them know about Spanky a freelance mystic who's done work for Corbin.
Angel, selecting form his small fleet of expensive cars, get ready to head over to Spanky's when Hauser, a lawyer, stops him, saying its his job to do such "wetwork." "Fieldwork" Angel corrects him, and continues on his venture alone. Spanky is in his 50s, a muscle man past his prime with a weird S & M fetish. Angel says he refuses to spank a guy. After a little threating, Angel gets spanky to fess up to what he did for Corbin- built him a container to house the bomb til the magic word dissolves it. He then tries to choke/suffocate Angel, but because Angel doesnt breathe he's in the clear and ends up pummelling Spanky.
Fred and Knox continue to do research, she realizes the disease/bomb in question is called "The Black Tomorrow" Now they just need to find out where its hidden. Again, we see the boy from the beginning of the show... Hmm... They realize this will be tricking, seeing as how they dont know what strain of Corbins viruses they're looking for, and even still don't know the magic word. They think they could kill him, but fear that may trigger it too.
Angel sits in his office, distrught that Corbin has chosen to hide the virus bomb in his son (Matthew, the boy) Eve says it must hit too close to home because he gave up his son. Its obvious Connor is not someone he wants to discuss. He decides he needs to isolate the boy. Eve: "Newsflash, if every case hits you this hard, you're not gonna last a week."
Knox, Fred and some other techs continue to work out the sciencey details, while at the trial it seems the judge is mocking Keel and Corbins case. Lorne tells Angel he has some time, but not alone. Meanwhile Hauser and an Ops guy have overheard this and go to kill the kid.
Angel heads back to the office where Harmony tells him the Ops guys are already at the school. He'll never make it! ...or will he? When the ops guys get to the school, Angel is already there, another perk- a free helicopter. By this time he's already isolated the boy and the fight ensues. The ops guys with their guns, and Angel in vampface.
Back in court the case is suffering until BAM Gunn walks through the door saying Corbin needs another attorney. He's all law now. He says they move for a mistrial because the judge is some hoe distantly financially connected to W & H. Turns out Gunn was injected with law degree smarts and such, he's big time now.
In the final show down, Hauser tells Angel he's a fairy, and he lacks the most powerful thing in the world- conviction. Angel lets this sink in, and says there's but one thing more powerful than conviction- mercy. He holds his shot gun to Hauser's chin. BAM. Bloody end. The other guy asks Angel what happened to mercy, Angel: "You just saw the last of it."
Meanwhile back at the office, the gang discusses Gunn's newfound law expertise. Angel then opens an envelope from his desk (delivered to him at the top of the show by Fred) and the amulet falls out and onto the carpet. The amulet spins and swirls which turns into a screaming burning Spike.
Episode | Just Rewards
Open Sunnydale CA Hellmouth... 19 days ago.
A scene fro "Chosen" right where light is shooting out of Spike/amulet. How dramatic. Back to where we left off in Convictions. Spike is wondering where he is, everyone wonders why he's there. Fred wonders who he is, period. We starts to reel off the history of William the bloody. Then Wes informs them that Spike died saving the world. Lorne says that Spike seems pretty alive now... That is, until Spike dives for Angel and goes through him. He ends up standing in, yes IN, a desk..
Bugger.
Must be a ghost. Hmm... They say he saved the world, so he must be a good vamp. Good... like Angel? Angel says he and Spike are nothing alike. They offhandidly mention Buffy, Spike insists he see her, they say she's in Europe. Harmony, still thinking she and Spike are a couple gets shocked when she hears he was with Buffy.
Spike says he must be in Hell... Lorne: No. L.A. But alotta people make that mistake.
Wes studies the amulet while Lorne studies the story behind it."The vampire slayer both men loved. Both men lost." As for Spike being a ghost. Fred comments he has the electromagnetic readings, but not the ectoplasmic matrix that makes ghosts visible. However, she is picking up a brain signal.
Angel: On Spike. That is weird.
Therefore, whatever he is is tied to the amulet. Part of his essence got trapped inside when it released it's energy... They ask him if he remembered any weird sensations. Besides the burning to the bone and exploding organs? No. How did the amulet end up there? Perhaps the powers that be?
Spike starts to disappear but reappears on the other side of the room. Spike says all this is Angel's fault because he brought the amulet to Sunnydale and chickened out. He "don't give a piss about atonement or destiny. Just cause I got me a soul, doesn't mean I'm gonnalet myself be led around by-"
Waaaait a second, Spike with a soul? This is something Angel didnt tell the others. Spike tells Angel he took a devil's bargain to take over W & H, to use it to fight evil from the belly of the beast, all the while he doesnt realize he and those he loves are being digested. So Spike isn't the only one being jerked around by higher ups.
A Grox'lar beast appears from off the elevator. Now this kind of beast is the kind that likes to eat heads off babies... After a fight Angel snaps his neck, he learns that the beast was there to talk to him as a client so they could negotiate his clan to stop eating baby's heads. But they like strong first impressions, so maybe Angel is ok afterall.
Spike takes off.
Gunn finds/lays off an employee he catches jacking a voo doo doll that looks alot like him from the voo doo division. Meanwhile another associate, Novac, appears asking Angel what happened to the grave robbing division. One of their oldest and most powerful clients Magnus Hainsley needs fresh bodies. Angel tells Novac to tell Hainsley, this service is over.
Angel and Wes discuss the amulet some more, and how Angel wonders if W &H sent him with the amulet so what happened to Spike would have happened to him. What ARE the senior partners up to? Hmm...
Spike is back... Why? Every time he goes as far as the city limits he gets yanked back to W & H... The amulet is W/H's property, and therefor so is Spike. Oh my...
A knock at the door. Novac is back from his Hainsley meeting... He's back indeed, pieces of him in 3 buckets.... :O
They start doing research on Hainsley, he’s a sorcerer who owns a lot of W & H. He’s a necromancer- power over the dead. Angel decides he wants to take him on on his own.
Spike comes along, jumping in the driver’s seat of all the cars Angel tries to take. Spike: I could drive you completely starkers. Right outta your gourd. Yeah. And you wouldn’t be able to do a sodden thing about-
They go to Hainsley’s house where a manservant greets them. When he goes to ask Hainsley what to do with Angel and Spike they have a look around, seeing the place is adorned with posed corpses.
In Hainsley’s inner sanctum there is a large iron pentagram as a table. A blonde woman lies there, blue with death. Hainsley is commenting what kind of woman he was looking for, but then that he just settled on pretty. His hand slams into her body and into her chest. Meanwhile the servant appears and asks whats to be done with Angel an Spike, Hainsley says to kill them.
The servent returns to the room with Spike and Angel and tells them that Hainsley wants them returned to W & H, then its obvious that the servant has meat cleavers behind his back. They fight, the servant quickly realizes that he cant harm Spike. Spike cheers the servant on. Angel kills the servant.
Spike tells Angel he has it too good. Spike: And here I save the world, throw myself onto the proverbial hand grenade for love, honor and all the bloody right reasons- and what do I get? Ghosted! The two of them exchange some more words than Spike disappears.. hmm..
Angel goes to face Hainsley. The woman from before is up and moving, When Angel tries to stop her, her eyes are glowing orange and she hisses. He proceeds to ask Hainsley how much he charges to install a demon in a human body, he replies to ask why Angel would wanna mess up such a good business deal. When Angel tries solidify cutting off his business, Hainsley gets him in his telekinetic grasp, pulling Angel towards him ( a la the fat demon in the bath tub on Buffy) He starts to crush Angel when he realizes he needs to let him go, the Senior Partners have plans for him. Angel reveals his big move- freezing all of Hainsleys accounts and getting the IRS on him, Hainsley has no defense cuz Angel and co are his lawyers. Spike mocks this move, and eventually again disappears… he appears again in Hainsleys room, who says they can help each other… He’ll give Spike his freedom and power of choice and flesh and bone, if he helps bring down Angel.
Back at the office, Angel is concerned with getting rid of Spike, Wes says everyone in the dept analyzed the amulet and theres no way of releasing Spike… traditionally… Whats the non tradition way? Giving him something he asked for- eternal rest. Spike enters, but they don’t see him, he overhears them talking, but he mostly hears the part about exorcism, and when Fred says: We’re talking about killing him. Wes says letting him cross over is the most humane thing they can do. How? Amulet is protected but the magic wont hold up on hallowed ground… like a church… or a cemetary, needs to be taken there and destroyed… Angel says before they make an decisions they should sleep on it. Fred leaves the amulet on Angel’s desk, Spike disappears with a woosh.
In Angel’s HUGE bedroom that nite, Spike appears again. Spike tells him he overheard, also said the necromancer tried to make a deal that’d get him back in the flesh. Angel has the amulet and tries to convince him that staying with Angels gang for the best, but Spike says no and that Angel should be happy he’s doing him in, Circle of Death and all. Angel waves a rock over the amulet and moves to crush it, but suddenly he hits himself in the head with it. Then again. Suddenly he’s lifted off his feet and turns to see Hainsley working him like a puppet master. Hainsley says a vampire should think twice before messing with a man who wields power over all things lifeless. Angel gets slammed into the wall, Spike glares at Hainsley saying he took long enough, but Hainsley reassures him nothing would happen, cuz he (Spike) is the linchpin of the plan. Spike says he better not get used, Hainsley smirks.
Angel awakens, but Hainsley is there to greet him and slam him into the wall, saying Angel can’t touch him cuz he’s a necromancer and Angel is dead. Angel comments how the Senior Parners will wonder where he is, Hainsley says he’ll show up the next day once all of his (Hainsleys) accounts are reopened. Angel asks why he’d do that, Spike appears saying he’d be the one doing it, in Angel’s body. He’d get in and Angel would disappear to Never Come Back Land. Spike says he might even have a go at Fred.. she looks like a “goer.”
The process begins, Hainsley says this must be painful for Angel, cuz he’s never done this on a conscious dead person before. Angel groans in agony. He pulls Spike’s form to him and has his hand in Angel’s chest. As Spike spins towards him, suddenly Hainsley’s eyes open, he’s no longer in control of his arm and begins to struggle. Angel gets up. Hainsley says Spike can’t control him for long. A fight ensues… Angel throws a table, decapitating Hainsley, so its his body with Spike’s heading sticking out. Oh bollocks. Hainsley’s body falls, revealing Spike. They share a smirk.
Wes and Angel later discuss that was all Spike’s idea when he found out he was being used by the bad guy. Fred goes to her lab and sees Spike there he starts asking her about science and magic, then his conversation becomes allusive to sexual things. Saying he’s slipping…It’s like the ground under me’s splitting open. And my legs are straddling both sides of a… chasm… getting wider… pulling me in. But then she asks is that why he’s disappearing.. He says yes, he’s not getting pulled to the place heroes go, he’s being pulled to hell, and he’s scared. BAM. Help me.
Episode | Unleashed
In act two, Angel & Co. have Nina all locked up while waiting for her to turn into a werewolf. There's a character named Dr. Royce there, a "cryptozoologist". He talks for a bit on the process of turning into a werewolf. They observe her as she is pacing about in the holding cell.
Angel asks Dr. Royce what to do, and Spike pops up and says that they wait for the show. He makes some crack about it, and Angel gets annoyed, asking why Spike is there. Spike says what? He cares. Dr. Royce says that the transformation thing won't be pretty, and talks about how some werewolves injure themselves. Angel thinks they should tranquilize her. Royce says that will work for the night, but is not a good idea in the long run, and suggests familiar scents might help her. Spike gets flippant again, saying that getting her blankie isn't going to make any difference. Fred tells him he's being rude. Spike says the girl is a killer, and eventually she'll get out of the cage. Angel says no, not if she doesn't want to, but Spike ignores him and goes on about how when she's not a werewolf, she'll be dealing with all the guilt, being that she has a soul and all. Angel snips that it never seemed to bother Spike. Spike starts to say something in retort, but winks out, and Angel says he loves it when that happens.
There's a scene where Fred is grabbed violently, and some masked men capture Nina and shove her into a van. An elegant character named Jacob Crane instructs them on the phone to bring it around the back. End act two.
In act three, Nina is being chained to a wall. She's hosed down, and Jacob steps out of the shadows.
Cut back to W&H, where Royce is singing "Jessie's Girl" for Lorne. Lorne gives Angel a "he's clean" thumbs up.
Angel, Wes, Gunn, and Fred are still trying to determine who the kidnapper is. Fred thinks it's her fault.
Fred's apparently following Spike, grumbling to herself about how he slips through walls. She sees some vial that signifies to her that Royce is a bad guy. Royce stumbles in on her, and she chats aimlessly before hitting him with a lamp.
Angel grills Royce violently, asking Nina's whereabouts, while Fred, Gunn, and Wes search Royce's office. Wesley confirms that whatever was in the vial was calendula, which stopped Lorne from being able to read Royce. Gunn asks how Fred found this out, and she says that Spike led her there. Gunn finds a secret panel.
Royce is cowering on the floor, and says that he can't tell, it's a secret, this guy is not like Angel, Angel's a good guy. Angel asks if Royce wants to bet, and vamps out on him.
You can hear the screaming in the hall, as Gunn, Wes, and Fred look in horror at a knife and a piece of parchment.
They rush to Angel's office. Angel says he knows where Nina is. They show him the parchment. Apparently it's a menu.
Nina is being rolled into a supper club. Elegantly dressed dinner guests look on and clap. She's chained to a garnished serving table, and Jacob Crane turns to the guests, and says that in a few minutes, when the moon rises, dinner will be served.
Act four:
Angel, Wes, and Gunn break in, using Dr. Royce as a front. Gunn says he enjoys kocking some guy out, even though he's all lawyerly now. Royce whines, and Gunn says he just better hope Nina is alive. Wes points out that she has to be, because werewolves revert to human when they die. (So, yeah, the people are going to eat her alive.)
Jacob spots them, fighting ensues. Angel unties Nina, and Nina says to just let them eat her. Angel tells her she's not giving up.
End of a conversation where Fred is telling Spike that she's going to find a way to bring him back, *really* bring him back. Spike looks at her for a minute, and then tells her she doesn't need to get dramatic, and composes himself.
More fighting, there's a standoff. Angel says they aren't leaving without Nina. Crane says he's willing to let his men die. More fighting, Angel gets shot, Nina transforms and breaks free. The werewolf kills a "trophy wife", and Gunn shoots it with a tranq before it can attack them.
Another standoff as one of the guards gets a gun to Gunn's head. Angel says they're taking Nina and leaving, and Crane says no, these are paying guests, and he promised them a werewolf.
The werewolf lunges up and bites Royce in the leg. Angel says to crane that in about a month, they'll have one. Crane nods and they drag Royce off as he screams.
Episode | Hellbound
The episode has a Halloween-theme, with what seems to be several spirits trapped at Wolfram and Hart coming out to play. Their interest seems to be mainly in Spike, who himself is obviously a spirit in the material world.
The episode opens with night falling on Wolfram and Hart, where a few associates grumble about 'Mr. Good Fang' and Fred heads to her lab. It appears that she's investigating the amulet. The next bit is Spike in the offices, hearing a woman crying somewhere. He finds the spirit of a young woman from the turn of the century (err, not Y2K). She asks Spike to hold her because something is coming and then passes through him and vanished.
There is another scene, where Angel confesses that he liked Spike's poetry. In this scene, Spike is being haunted by the spirit of a hanged man. But, much like Angel's visions in 'Amends', Spike is the only one who can see him.
Later, the 'Fang Gang' has gathered in a conference room confused because the can't find any ghosts (except for Spike). While they are discussing this, Spike is being taunted by the spirit of an armless woman. She tells Spike that "it's" coming for him. Spike begs Fred to help him, as he vanishes once again.
Spike ends up, where else, in the basement (even he's not surprised). He's followed one spirit, only to discover another. It's a young woman with a shard of glass through one eye. She tells him that the Reaper's going to come for him. That takes the glass shard out and slashes him across the cheek with it. It actually cuts him.
We then turn to Fred's lab, where she's furiously researching. Spike is there, but Fred can't see him. Spike must do something that Fred recognizes, because later Angel is insisting that Spike is gone. The mystics at Wolfram and Hart also can no longer detect him. Fred disagrees, stating that she knows what she felt, and she's trying to find a way to contact him before he's gone for good.
Cut to an office later that night. Eve has brought in a psychic, Claire, who's going to conduct a seance. Spike is in the room, at while at first it seems she's made contact with him, she's actually discovered something much worse. What's behind Spike's torment, the Reaper. It possesses Claire and ends up killing her. There is some brief consideration that Spike might have been behind that, but it's quickly dismissed.
Fred heads off to take a shower (her outfit fell victim to Claire's bloody demise). Spike appears in the bathroom and is able to concentrate enough to write the word 'Reaper' into the steam on mirror. (and I'm going to be honest, it really does appear that they are looking to pair up Spike and Fred). As Fred notices it, the mirror cracks and a shadowy form rushes at Spike and pushes him through the wall.
Spike appears in the lobby, He sees a lawyer, but it turns out to be another spirit. Spike begins to undergo attacks ala 'Hellraiser'. Nails, Stakes, lots of pain. As it reaches a climax, Spike's tormenter appears. It's a creature that calls itself Pavayne.
Elsewhere, the 'Fang Gang' seems to have a handle on what's going on. Something exists in Wolfram and Hart that feeds on spirits. That's why they couldn't detect any spirits other than Spike, and Wolfram and Hart should be overflowing with spirits of the dead. Essentially, Pavayne is the cleanup crew for the building. He cleans up the loose spirits, sending them to hell. There is an extensive scene with Pavayne showing that he can distort reality, with the various spirits (illusions of Pavayne) taunting and tormenting Spike, and Spike coming to a realization of what Pavayne is and what lies ahead for himself.
Fred is driving herself to the edge with her research, making the others wonder if she's gone Pylea-mad again. She hasn't, but she's determined to do whatever it takes to save Spike. Not only that, but she's managed to figure out a way to make him corporeal. In the meantime, Spike has begun to understand a bit of Pavayne's power. He's not just a janitor, he's a spirit himself, who figured out a way to stay out of Hell. As Spike and Pavayne spar, Fred activates the device that will bring Spike back. Unfortunately, Spike has momentarily left the room and Pavayne goes after Fred.
As Pavayne strangles Fred, Spike reappears. He has a difficult decision to make, he can either save Fred, or he can become flesh again. He pushes Pavayne away from Fred, and into the area of effect for the machine. Which explodes as Pavayne becomes flesh and blood, and the 'Fang Gang' steps in to clean up. Spike warns Angel not to kill him, as it will only make Pavayne a spirit again.
As the show wraps, Fred and Spike are talking in her lab as she disposes of the remains of her gadget. Spike's acting as if it's all right that he's still a ghost, learned a few things, like how to pick things up with some effort. Fred makes a comment that he's worth saving (and I don't think there is any denying that they are playing up Spike/Fred).
The episode ends on a very dark note, as we discover that Angel has caged Pavayne in much the same way Connor caged him. Locked away in the basement, Pavayne will spend eternity in a metal box, unable to do anything but look out through a small peephole. Fade to black
Episode | Life of the Party
The episode begins with Lorne doing his phone thing, walking down the halls of W&H, pushing a new movie concept he describes as Grapes of Wrath in outer space. (Nod to Firefly, perhaps_?) He's juggling phone calls and cell phones, his assistant Van at his side, nodding to various employees as he passes. He reaches Harmony's desk and they exchange cutesie-poo greetings. Where's Angel_? Returning from a mission, and he didn't sound happy. Which makes more sense as he appears on the scene, roughed up a bit and covered in green goo.
Wes asked him how their new techie weapon worked, and Angel tosses it to him, saying it didn't. Wes says he'll take it back to Fred and the drawing board. Lorne moves in to try and talk to Angel and follows him into his office, but Angel tells him he's tired and gooey and wants a shower before he deals with anything else. Lorne moves off, now looking at draft promotional materials. His office door is covered in post-it notes. He dismisses Van and collapses into a chair in front of a large mirror, head in hands. Suddenly, the Lorne in the mirror looks up at him and starts trying to give him a pep talk. Lorne throws something at the mirror, shattering it. Undeterred, his reflection starts singing, and Lorne dances out of his office, now singing himself.
Angel, wrapped in a towel from the waist down after his shower, emerges to discover Eve waiting for him. She explains she had a key -- which Angel promptly takes from her. She comments on the long shower -- was he taking care of other things_? She reminds him they had a meeting scheduled. They go to the lobby together, where there are Halloween-type decorations scattered everywhere. Angel asks what's going on, and Lorne tells him it's for the Wolfram & Hart annual Halloween party. He's sent Angel numerous memos on the subject. That's what the meeting was about. Lorne is concerned because the most important guests seem to be giving it a miss. Angel asks where's the bad in that -- the clients are all evil to begin with, and he doesn't want to be doing this party anyway. Lorne gets upset_; then calms down and asks Angel to meet him at Angel's office in 25 minutes.
Wes, Fred and Knox are discussing their defective weapon hybrid, and what might have gone wrong. Lorne walzes in, giving Halloween greetings, and telling them he needs their help with the party. Fred and Wes confess they hadn't really planned to go. They want to work on the defective weapon. Lorne pleads with them -- surely someone else can work on that_? -- and he really needs them. Knox offers to work on the problem, and they agree to meet in Angel's office.
Lorne then goes after Gunn. Tells him he needs his help to get Angel on the party parade. Tells Gunn he needs to assert himself more, stake out his territory. Gunn, who is reading a legal file this whole time and not paying much attention, agrees -- once he finishes his work. Lorne tells him about the meet in Angel's office.
The meeting. Angel is there, along with Eve, Gunn, Fred and Wes. And Spike. Spike is griping about how no proper demon would be going out on Halloween --it's for the posers and wannabes. Lorne comes in, reiterates how important the party is. Gunn backs him up. They have to keep face -- show who's in charge and that the new team is not going away. Eve points out the party is also for their employees, who need some decompressing. Reluctantly, Angel agrees to work the party.
Angel goes with Lorne to convince Sebassis to attend. Sebassis is kind of demon royalty -- if he comes, everyone will come. Lorne says he'll do the talking. Sebassis, flanked by demons and demon slaves in speedos, isn't impressed by Angel -- he preferred Angelus. As offered, Lorne does the talking, asking Sebassis to reconsider -- and Sebassis does, much to the surprise of his number two, Artode. Thrilled, Lorne hustles Angel out of there before he can gum up the works. Artode expresses concern that they will be in danger, and Sebassis assures him they will come prepared to deal with any threat or treachery.
The Halloween party is NOT going well. Disco playing, but no one is dancing, except Harmony, by her lonesome. Guests are keeping to themselves. Employees are bitching about how much worse this party is then last year's. Lorne moves among them, encouraging folks to have a good time.
Wes and Fred are hanging out near a food table, looking miserable and uncomfortable. Wes is nursing a beer_; Fred is munching on a few veggies. They watch Lorne, across the room, surrounded by a group of guests, making them crack up at something he said. He notes how good he is at this party stuff, unlike them. Lorne comes over to them, chides them to get into the spirit of things. He sees how uncomfortable they are -- and latches onto the problem_: it's Halloween, and they're sober. They should be drunk by now_!
Lorne moves away as another demon, Devlin, calls him over to see his costume -- he's dressed as a human *bean*, complete with uncomfortably realistic looking human face. Devlin asks where the head honcho is -- Angel is not at his own party. Lorne goes off to fetch him, get him to the party.
Spike is at the party, and Harmony is urging him to dance with her. He says he'll go to hell sooner than dance. He's still griping about being there. Angel and Lorne show up, and Angel and Spike both wonder what the other is doing there. Spike snarks about the party, and Lorne suggests that he might try to be a wee bit more positive.
Their attention is taken when Sebassis arrives, oohs and ahs running through the crowd. Angel is whining -- does he have to be nice to him_? Lorne says yes -- he does. So Angel goes over and greets Sebassis very enthusiastically -- rather to Sebassis' surprise. Lorne, meanwhile, is greeting Artode and complimenting his jacket. Artode explains rather nastily that it's made from a Pylean he hunted down himself -- anyone Lorne knows_? Not so happy now, Lorne keeps his happy face on and makes pleasantries. Angel is still telling Sebassis how great he looks, and thanking him profusely for coming.
Meanwhile, Fred and Wes are swaying their way around, looking very drunk. Harmony warns them to watch their step -- someone peed on the floor. Gunn is chatting with a client when Lorne comes over_; they express pleasure at how well the party seems to be going now.
Spike is talking to a demon by the bar. His mood has changed 180 degrees, and he's bouncy and exuberant. He's showing off his latest skill -- using his ghostly powers to move a swizzle stick around. Isn't that cool_? The demon gets his drink, and get the heck away from the weird ghostie. Spike remains excited -- great party_!
Sebassis and Artode are meanwhile watching for traps, when Artode excuses himself to visit the little boys room. I guess even demons gotta go -- some of them anyway.
Eve is chatting with Angel. She's really impressed at how he handled Sebassis -- never expected that of him. They're teasing each other when Lorne walks by and makes a joke about the sexual tension between them -- he tells them to get a room. They look at each other blankly. And then...
Angel and Eve are macking it up bigtime in Angel's office. They agree it's a bit sudden -- and neither of them even knows the other's last name -- but what the hey. Let's get it on...
Artode, unfortunately, is not having nearly so good a time. He's still in a stall in the men's room, when he hears a growl. He's reaching for a weapon when he is confronted by a huge figure (we see the shadow, not the reality). And then we see blood -- lots of it.
Party is still going gangbusters. Sebassis is wondering where Artode has got to. Fred and Wes are still weaving their way unsteadily around. They realize they are drunk. How much did they have_? Fred -- well, nothing. Wes -- oh, must be a few sips. That's odd. Odder is when Gunn comes up to them and pees on Wes' shoes. Positively alarming is when Spike comes up to them beaming and joyful and excited about the great party. Now they know there's something wrong. Gunn asks Spike when he started to be so cheerful. Spike thinks on it, says it was after he spoke with Angel and Lorne -- Lorne told him to be more positive. Lorne comes over to them, and they all turn wary eyes on him (except Spike, who is too upbeat to be concerned about anything).
The gang reconvenes in Lorne's office. Lorne has done something to them -- Spike is positive, Wes and Fred are drunk, without the benefit of having imbibed alcohol -- and Gunn is peeing all over the place. Spike is making rapturous comments about Angel's desk. Gunn suddenly realizes that Lorne told him to stake out his territory, and he's been *marking* -- that's what the peeing is all about.
They figure out that it's because Lorne had his sleep removed. There weren't enough hours in the day for Lorne to get everything done and sleep too, so he arranged to get rid of it. Problem is, that's apparently a bad thing for an empath demon. Angel orders Wes and Fred to find Lorne's sleep and figure out how to put it back.
Meanwhile, Sebassis and his slaves have found what's left of Artode. And they are not happy.
Wes and Fred start looking in the W&H storage area for Lorne's sleep, which has been deposited in a vial. As they look, Fred says they should do this kind of thing more often -- be friendly and hang out and tell each other stuff. Wes wholeheartely agrees. Fred asks Wes what he thinks of Knox. Crash.
Sebassis and his folks burst into Angel's office, ready to kill him for betraying them. Lorne tries to play peacemaker. Meanwhile, Wesley has found some disturbing information_: if sleep- deprived, empath demons can start directing destinies instead of interpreting them. And if the condition continues, their subconscious can physically manifest.
Down in the lobby now, Lorne is weakly trying to explain that he is the one responsible, and that it's all an accident. Sebassis' response is to threaten to kill Lorne first. Suddenly, they are interrupted by a roar -- from a huge *monster* that jumps from the balcony to the dance floor. It's Monster-Lorne, over-sized and out to kill_!
The crowd of partygoes scatters as MonsterLorne steps forward. It starts attacking Sebassis' people, and when Lorne tries to intervene, it tosses him aside as well. MonsterLorne moves in to kill Sebassis, but Angel intercepts the blow and tells Sebassis to run. Gunn and Angel take on Monster Lorne, and get tossed around the room. Wes and Fred burst in on the scene. Fred has a very odd-looking gun, which she fires at real Lorne, just as MonsterLorne was about to pulverise Angel. Lorne collapses, falling asleep, and Monster Lorne disappears.
Next day. Employees are talking about what a great party it was. Knox, seeing the destruction, is really sorry he missed out, but he thinks he's fixed their malfunctioning weapon. He can't imagine why he offered to do it that night, and Fred notes she wished he was at the party. He suggests they go have coffee together.
In Angel's office, Lorne is dozing on the couch. Wes is talking to Angel, and Spike is perched on the desk. Wes and Angel are trying to make sense of what happened with Lorne and his subconscious. Eve passes by, and Angel says he supposes they should talk. Eve remarks it's not like it was the first time she'd had sex under a mystic influence.
Wes leaves, and Gunn arrives. He's smoothed things over with Sebassis' people. They're actually okay with what happened -- they enjoy a little blood and guts at their social gatherings. He also warns Angel not to sit in his chair. He's already called the janitor. What_? Oh. Spike thinks it's hilarious that Gunn peed in Angel's chair. Gunn asks Spike to please turn off the good cheer. Spike says the Lorne thing wore off awhile ago_; he just thinks it's funny. Angel chases everyone out of the room so Lorne can sleep. And he does.
Episode | Night of the Luchadors
The episode revolves around the sole surviving member of a team of professional wrestlers, who back in the 1950's defeated a powerful Aztec warrior. Number Five, as he is named, works in the mailroom at Wolfram and Hart and has been for many years.
Number Five overhears Angel talking about the return of Tezcatcatl, the Aztec warrior whom the brother's slew, at the cost of all their lives but Number Five's. Interesting thing about Number Five, not only does he not have a name, but he has no face as well. He wears the wrestling mask that he wore in the ring.
Figuring that Angel is going to recruit him to fight the warrior, he attacks Angel at Wolfram and Hart and then runs off. Angel tracks him down at his house, and explains that wasn't his intention to have him help then, but it is now. There is a short scuffle, the old man is surprisingly strong. After things settle down, the old man weaves his tale, along with multiple flashbacks to the Luchadors heyday. The flashbacks also revealed that even back then, the Luchadors never removed their masks.
Back in the day, the Luchadors were much like Angel Investigations. They helped save people from supernatural creatures, demons and vampires. The showdown with the warrior was their greatest battle. After the warrior was defeated, and Number Five was the only one left standing, he couldn't get back into the champion groove. One day, a representative from Wolfram and Hart showed up, looking for some muscle. After doing a few jobs here and there, Number Five was relegated to the mail room.
Number Five also reveals why he doesn't care to help anymore, because the tale of their greatest battle is being played for comedy in local wrestling arenas. All he wishes is to die like his brothers, so he can be at piece.
Near the end of the episode, Angel is looking for Number Five because he has a talisman that the demon is after. He finds him in the cemetery, waiting for the demon warrior. Angel demands that he give him the talisman. Number Five wants to make sure the demon finishes the job, so he's swallowed the talisman.
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