Angel: Shiny Happy People (2003)

As Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) lies unconscious, Angel (David Boreanaz) and Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) pay homage to her otherworldly spawn (Gina Torres), who promptly disappears. The awestruck pair carry Cordy back to the hotel, where she remains in a coma for the rest of the episode. Wesley (Alexis Denisof) and the others express dismay at both father and son's seeming devotion to the being who manipulated Cordelia into giving birth to it. That all changes when the being itself arrives, and again, all present fall to their knees. The being, who appears to be a serene and beautiful woman and eventually takes the name Jasmine, explains that she was one of the original powers who walked the earth before demon or man appeared. She has now arranged to be reborn on this plane so she can end the madness and destruction that reign. Gunn (J. August Richards), Lorne (Andy Hallett), and the rest of the fang gang quickly become her acolytes, ridding the city of vampires and demons even as Jasmine accumulates numerous followers merely by appearing before them. After initially expressing frenzied devotion, however, Fred (Amy Acker) grows disturbed by a momentary vision in which Jasmine's face is replaced by a maggot-infested monstrosity. When Fred connects with another L.A. citizen who appears immune to Jasmine's spell, he begs her to destroy the otherdimensional guru. But Fred's assassination attempt fails and she's forced to flee, her former friends hot on her trail. Originally broadcast April 9, 2003, on the WB network, "Shiny Happy People" marked season four, episode 18 of the supernatural soap opera. Gina Torres, who played Jasmine starting with the previous episode, is a refugee from Angel creator Joss Whedon's canceled space Western, the short-lived FOX series Firefly. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi