Meredyth Smith Movies
- 2003
Angel (David Boreanaz) searches for information about The Beast (Vladimir Kulich) while dealing with the emotional fallout of Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) sleeping together. Meanwhile, Cordy continues to spurn Connor's affections even as she hides out from The Beast with him. Meanwhile, electrified cat burglar Gwen Raiden (Alexa Davalos) witnesses The Beast murdering one of her clients. She shares her information with Angel's crew, who soon realize that somebody is systematically destroying the five members of the Ra-tet, an ancient mystical order to which The Girl in the White Room also belonged. By the time this pattern becomes clear, only one member remains alive: Manny (Jack Kehler), a rather ordinary-looking guy who is actually the mystical entity Manjet. Cordy and Angel bunker down to protect Manny at Gwen's high-tech apartment, but he's nonetheless murdered when both of them fall hopelessly asleep; it appears that Cordy and Angel have been drugged -- an inside job that furthers suspicions about Connor being in league with The Beast. Eventually, the gang square off against their colossal foe, who uses the combined power of the Ra-tet to complete a mystical ritual that blots out the sun. Perpetual night descends on Los Angeles just as Cordelia finally gets a complete read on the vision that's been skirting the edges of her consciousness: She suddenly knows that The Beast shares a connection not with Connor, but with Angelus, Angel's evil alter ego. Originally broadcast Jan. 22, 2003, on the WB network, "Long Day's Journey" marked season four, episode nine of the supernatural soap opera. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Seeking to locate Angel's soul, Wesley (Alexis Denisof) barges into the lair of Wo-Pang (Roger Yuan), who doesn't have it. The mystic informs Wes that unless the soul remains in its sacred vessel, it will eventually make its way to the afterlife, leaving Angelus (David Boreanaz) permanently in control of Angel's body. Back at the hotel, Lilah (Stephanie Romanov) sneaks in through the sewers and attempts to enlist Angelus' help in crushing The Beast (Vladimir Kulich), whom she loathes. The Angel Investigations team interrupts, but Lilah remains at the hotel, somewhere between a prisoner and a reluctant ally. She tells them that the reason information on The Beast is so scarce is that an enchantment removed all references to him from this dimension. She also reveals the crucial piece of information Wolfram & Hart extracted from the Host (Andy Hallett) -- that The Beast is only the henchman of a far more powerful foe. As the gang digests this disconcerting news, Angelus takes the opportunity to reveal the details of Wes and Lilah's little dalliance. In the midst of all this drama, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) experiences a vision of how to restore Angel's soul. Once again a champion of good, Angel vows to remain locked up until the gang can be sure the spell is permanent. Cordelia, however, convinces him to come out of his cage. He complies, then clocks her and flees, revealing that he's actually still Angelus. As the team heads out into the demon-infested permanent midnight of Los Angeles to find him, he doubles back to the hotel to stalk Cordelia and Lilah. The women find themselves face to face in the same hiding place, at which point Cordy stabs Lilah, calls her a "stupid bitch" and reveals that she herself deliberately let Angelus loose. Originally broadcast February 12, 2003, on the WB network, "Calvary" marked season four, episode 12 of the supernatural soap opera. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Angelus (David Boreanaz) drinks deep from Faith (Eliza Dushku), then keels over. It seems the slayer and ally Wesley (Alexis Denisof) spiked her blood with a mystical drug called Orpheus, then deliberately allowed Angelus to drink it. The vampire ends up unconscious and hallucinating, while Faith falls into a coma. Soon, though, their fever dreams intermingle as Faith and Angelus watch the past century unfold through the eyes of the tortured Angel. The vampire with a soul wanders, a vagabond do-gooder, trying desperately to make up for the evil he committed as Angelus. But when his thirst for blood overpowers his nascent conscience, he takes to feeding off rats and shunning humanity. Meanwhile, in the real world, Fred (Amy Acker) enlists the help of powerful witch Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), the only person who has ever successfully re-ensouled Angel (see Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Becoming, Part 2"). In between witty repartee with Wes and a reunion with the secretly evil Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Willow soon figures out how to restore Angel's soul despite the fact that it's in Cordy's clutches. Cordy tries in secret -- and in vain -- to keep the soul encased in its sacred vessel. But she fails thanks to the timely interruption of Connor (Vincent Kartheiser), who's still blissfully unaware that Cordelia is playing him for a chump. As Angel's soul rushes through the ether, Cordy goads her lackey into killing his father. Only Faith -- suddenly awakened from her near-death slumber -- prevents Connor from dusting Angel before he can emerge from Angelus. Still ignorant that it was Cordelia whose magicks she was battling, Willow heads back to Sunnydale with Faith in tow. Just then, Cordy interrupts the gang's joyful reunion with Angel by announcing the impending birth of her and Connor's child. Originally broadcast March 19, 2003, on the WB network, "Orpheus" marked season four, episode 15 of the supernatural soap opera. It marked the first crossover between Angel and parent series Buffy the Vampire Slayer in almost two years. Although not integral to this episode's plot, the scenes between Willow and Wesley did allow Alexis Denisof to act alongside his real-life fiancée, guest star Alyson Hannigan. Faith's story line would continue on Buffy in "Dirty Girls." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Disturbed by a prophesy that Angel (David Boreanaz) might harm his own son, Wesley (Alexis Denisof) suffers from terrible nightmares. It doesn't help that he's still all mopey about the romance between Fred (Amy Acker) and Gunn (J. August Richards). Visiting one of the voodoo spirits of the Loa (who appears to him as a giant, talking hamburger), Wes learns of three portents that will signal Connor's death at his father's hands. Meanwhile, the demon Sahjhan (Jack Conley) joins forces with evil lawyer Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov), who arranges to have a sample of Connor's blood stolen from a doctor's office. Back at the hotel, a client named Aubrey (Wendy Davis) shows up and asks Wes to destroy the nest of vampires who turned her son. With help from Fred and Gunn, Wes figures out that she's actually an agent of Holtz (Keith Szarabajka), who is training an entire strike force to battle Angel. Wes confronts Holtz, who challenges Wes to save Connor from the evil his father is destined to commit. Wes gets the final signal that he needs to intervene on the child's behalf when all three of the Loa's portents occur simultaneously during an earthquake: the earth moves, the air burns (thanks to a damaged gas stove), and the sky turns to blood (when the injured Angel bleeds on Connor's sunshine-patterned blanket). Originally broadcast February 25, 2002, on the WB network, "Loyalty" marked season three, episode 15 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Now that he's back from his salt-water prison, Angel (David Boreanaz) is determined to find Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), who was ready to profess her love for him before she was summarily beckoned to a higher plane (see "Tomorrow"). A terse meeting with uneasy ally Wesley (Alexis Denisof) yields one possible avenue of investigation: an ancient relic that can locate souls across dimensions. The only problems are that the object is up for auction and that a sultry cat burglar Alexa Davalos with the power to control electricity is out to steal it. That doesn't bode well for Angel's own attempt to "borrow" the relic -- or for Gunn (J. August Richards), who almost dies during a skirmish with the thief, causing no end of anguish for Fred (Amy Acker). Ultimately, Angel does get a crack at using the object, only to learn the truth about Cordelia's ascension. Little does he know that Cordelia gazing down at him imploringly, hoping to be rescued from highly evolved tedium. Originally broadcast Oct. 13, 2002, on the WB network, "Ground State" marked season four, episode two of the supernatural comedy drama. Gwen Raiden, the electrifying cat burglar played by Alexa Davalos, receives an extensive backstory in preparation for a recurring role. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
It's Cordelia's birthday, but her biggest present appears to be yet another debilitating vision. During the out-of-body experience that follows, Cordy (Charisma Carpenter) receives a visit from Skip (David Denman), a demon advisor who tells her that her human form was never intended to withstand the visions of The Powers That Be and that she'll die if she remains on her current path. Given the chance to live an alternate life in which she's a famous actress who never even worked for Angel Investigations, she reluctantly agrees. But circumstances conspire to reunite her with Angel (David Boreanaz), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Gunn (J. August Richards), and she regains her memories of having been the conduit of the Powers. Ultimately, she convinces Skip to make her part-demon so that her body can withstand the visions and she can keep helping Angel. Cordy returns to the hotel and amazes the gang with her pain-free visions -- and her apparent ability to levitate. Originally broadcast January 14, 2002, on the WB network, "Birthday" marked season three, episode 11 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Months after being rescued from the demon dimension of Pylea, Fred (Amy Acker) still acts like a shell-shocked recluse. Taking a rare break from scribbling equations on her bedroom walls, she hangs out with Gunn (J. August Richards), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter). Since Angel (David Boreanaz) is off reuniting with the newly resurrected Buffy, Wes and Cordy poke a little fun at their boss' doomed romance with the Vampire Slayer. Just then, an unamused Angel returns and enlists Fred's help in hunting a Durslar Beast that's on the loose. While they're gone, a middle-aged couple turn up seeking help in locating their daughter, who disappeared without a trace five years earlier. As it turns out, they're Fred's parents, and they've tracked the girl to Angel's hotel. Far from being delighted to reunite with her folks, though, Fred hightails it into hiding the moment she sees them. Eventually, after a long search that involves another demonic run-in, Angel and the gang catch up with Fred and she confesses what's bothering her: The sight of her parents has brought back all of the repressed pain from her long years as a demon slave. Now finally allowing herself to feel the joy of seeing her family again, Fred prepares to move back home with her parents -- until yet another skirmish with the supernatural convinces her that her place is by Angel's side. Originally broadcast October 22, 2001, on the WB network, "Fredless" marked episode five of the supernatural comedy drama's fifth season. Because of the WB's refusal to allow crossovers between Angel and its network-hopping parent series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the reunion between Angel and Sarah Michelle Gellar's Buffy Summers is alluded to rather than depicted here. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Gunn (J. August Richards) get on with the business of running Angel Investigations without its founder, taking time out only to squabble about what they should now call the agency. Meanwhile, Angel (David Boreanaz) himself investigates a Wolfram & Hart plot to defraud a shelter for Los Angeles runaways of huge sums of money during a charity event. To foil their plan, Angel pretends to befriend Anne Steele (Julia Lee), the institution's manager, and convinces her that lawyer Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) isn't the kind benefactor he seems. Eventually, with the help of an old adversary, Angel tricks Lindsey and Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov) into revealing their plans to the rich guests they're in the process of bilking. The vampire hero and his accomplice make off with the money, but Angel eventually makes sure it goes to Anne's shelter, though not before alienating her with his high-handed methods and apparent immorality. Originally broadcast January 23, 2001, on the WB network, "Blood Money" marked season two, episode 12 of the supernatural comedy drama. Although it's only hinted at in this episode and never revealed to Angel, the character of Anne actually appeared in two episodes of Angel's parent series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode "Anne," she was a homeless girl named Lily who befriended Buffy while the Slayer was hiding out under her middle name and eventually took over that selfsame alias: Anne. And in another Buffy installment, "Lie to Me," she briefly used the name Chanterelle when she joined a cult of wannabe vampires. The character would recur again on Angel in "The Thin Dead Line." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Angel (David Boreanaz) undergoes a punishing regimen of physical and mental training in preparation for his inevitable showdown with Darla (Julie Benz) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau). He shadows the terrible twosome as they haunt the demon lairs of Los Angeles, inviting would-be villains to attend their impending tryouts for the formation of a fearsome vampire/demon posse. Meanwhile, it turns out that Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) and Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov) were spared during Darla and Drusilla's massacre (see "Reunion") so that one can serve as a scapegoat at Wolfram & Hart and the other can continue liaising with the vampire women. Angry at having been manipulated, Darla tells the lawyers she doesn't care who gets axed and who lives to scheme with her another day. In the end, the senior partners kill neither Lilah nor Lindsey, instead allowing them to take over from the slain Holland Manners as acting co-vice presidents. As for Angel's newly fired associates, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Gunn (J. August Richards) nurse their hurt feelings with the Host (Andy Hallett) at Caritas. Drunkenly resolving to carry on Angel Investigations with or without its founder, they respond to one of Cordelia's visions and successfully save a girl from a demon. Elsewhere, Angel arrives at Dru and Darla's audition space and slays the assembled would-be minions. When the vampire vixens themselves arrive, Angel sets them on fire. They escape the reaper by knocking the top off of a fire hydrant, but are horribly burned nonetheless. Originally broadcast January 16, 2001, on the WB network, "Redefinition" marked season two, episode 11 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Immediately after the events of "Belonging," Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) makes her way through the Host's home dimension, Pylea, a multiracial, medieval society where human "cows" are enslaved and forced to perform menial labor until they die. Abducted and sold to a miserly wench, she communicates illegally with an escaped "cow" who turns out to be Fred (Amy Acker), the student physicist who disappeared five years ago from Los Angeles. Back on earth, Angel (David Boreanaz) and the Host (Andy Hallett) search for ways to save Cordelia. Although Loren is loathe to return to his home world, a psychic friend (Persia White) convinces him it's his destiny. Gunn (J. August Richards), too, has issues about heading to another world from which he may never return. His neglect of his old street crew has left him guilt-wracked, especially after one of them died. In the end, he and the Host both pitch in with Angel and Wesley (Alexis Denisof) as they hop in Angel's car and open another portal. When they get to the other side, Angel is delighted to discover that on this world of two suns, neither one burns him. Unfortunately, the realization that the group's magic-tome ticket back to earth didn't make the journey with them puts a damper on any celebration. Captured by demons, the visitors are brought before the queen of this realm, Cordy, whose visions have convinced the populace that she is the messiah for which they've been waiting for generations. Originally broadcast May 8, 2001, on the WB network, "Over the Rainbow" marked season two, episode 20 of the supernatural comedy drama. This four-part saga continues in "Through the Looking Glass." In a brief subplot, two new Wolfram & Hart lawyers, including uber-bureaucrat Gavin Park (Daniel Daye Kim), are introduced. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2000
When Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) suffers one of her visions, Angel (David Boreanaz) and his crew discover the existence of Bethany Chaulk (Daisy McCrackin), an emotionally disturbed young telekinetic. Even after her out-of-control powers impale Angel with a metal spike, he extends an offer of help and sanctuary. As it turns out, though, Bethany is actually living with evil Wolfram & Hart associate Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov), who plans to manipulate the young woman into being an assassin for the firm. In a moment of distress, Bethany accidentally injures Lilah, and, wracked by guilt at having hurt her supposed friend, heads to Angel for advice. With the help of Gunn (J. August Richards), who has recently become a paid employee of Angel Investigations, Angel figures out what's really going on and attempts to warn Bethany about Wolfram & Hart. Then Lilah brings out the big guns, staging an impromptu reunion between Bethany and her abusive father (Gareth Williams). Now fully in control of her powers, Bethany teaches her father a lesson, and with Angel's help, starts a new life. Meanwhile, Darla (Julie Benz) continues her nocturnal visits to Angel's bedroom, disrupting his sleep patterns and leaving him obsessed. Originally broadcast October 17, 2000, on the WB network, "Untouched" marked season two, episode four of the supernatural comedy drama. When Angel gets impaled on a reebar in this episode, it prompts a crack from Cordelia about a similar injury she received on Buffy in "Lovers Walk." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
