Marita Grabiak Movies

Richard (Edward Herrmann) is devastated when his mother Trix unexpectedly dies (though Marion Ross quickly returns to the series in the new role of cousin Marilyn), but this pales in comparison to Emily's (Kelly Bishop) reaction upon unearthing evidence of how truly and deeply Trix despised her. With her parents in no condition to think straight, it falls to Lorelai (Lauren Graham) to plan the funeral, right down to selecting the guest of honor's underwear. Meanwhile, Luke (Scott Patterson) finds it impossible to keep his problems to himself -- and is rapidly losing customers as a result. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Boomer is unsettled when she awakens drenched to the bone and in possession of an explosive -- moments before the fleet's water supply is drained by a sudden explosion aboard the Galactica. Meanwhile, on Caprica, her doppelganger attempts to rescue Helo (Tahmoh Penikett). ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide

Having served 40 years in prison for the murder of his wife, Louise, in 1961, Lana Lang's great uncle Dex (Tom Heaton) shows Lana (Kristin Kreuk) a photo of the man who may have actually committed the crime. The person in the picture looks exactly like Clark Kent (Tom Welling) -- leading Clark to conclude that his Kryptonian birth father, Jor-El, may have visited the earth four decades earlier. With the help of a Krypton medallion, Clark is able to straddle the years in an effort to solve the mystery -- which also involves Smallville mayor William Tate (William B. Davis). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As geeky hostage Andrew (Tom Lenk) annoys Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her army of acolytes with the cheesy documentary he's trying to film about the Slayer's adventures, Buffy learns of serious disturbances at Sunnydale High School. She explains to Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside) that the new school, like the old one, sits atop the Hellmouth, whose demonic energy sometimes seeps out, causing pent-up teenage feelings to take horrifying shape. The Scoobies hypothesize that such enchantments are on the upswing thanks to the blood sacrifices that were recently used to unleash the Turok-Han through the mystical Seal of Danzalthar hidden beneath the school. Because Andrew helped open the seal by murdering best friend Jonathan (Danny Strong) at The First's behest, Buffy decides he'll be the one to help close it. As Wood and Spike (James Marsters) stave off the ensorcelled hooligans who are rioting in the halls, the Slayer and her would-be biographer make their way into the bowels of the building. There, Buffy forces Andrew to come face-to-face with the horrible acts he committed -- and the made-up stories he's been telling himself to assuage his guilt. Terrified that the Slayer plans to close the seal with his blood, a tearful Andrew admits his sins. In doing so, he finds the real way to shut the portal down, thereby returning Sunnydale High to about as normal a state as it ever achieves. Originally broadcast February 25, 2003, on UPN, "Storyteller" marked episode 138 of the cult-favorite series. In addition to providing humorous flashbacks and references to numerous earlier episodes, this installment also offers a sort of unified field theory about the creature-of-the-week episodes that characterized Buffy's first season. Flashbacks and Andrew's stories once again allow Adam Busch and Danny Strong to appear as the other now-deceased members of season six's nerdy supervillain triumvirate. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

The dark spell Angel (David Boreanaz) cast to force Sahjhan to materialize (see "Forgiving") has unexpected repercussions at the Hotel Hyperion. A client who visits the premises soon perishes after becoming grotesquely dehydrated and downing inhuman amounts of liquid. It turns out he's been infected by slug-like interdimensional parasites who impel their hosts to drink, drink, drink. When the incandescent little slitherers blanket the hotel, it's up to the gang to contain the contagion before all of Los Angeles becomes infected. As usual, it's Fred (Amy Acker) who falls prey to the monsters, leading boyfriend Gunn (J. August Richards) to make a difficult decision to save her. He enlists the help of the alienated Wesley (Alexis Denisof), who advises Gunn to cure Fred by simply feeding her a good, stiff, dehydrating drink of alcohol. Continuing to manifest new powers as a result of her half-demon transformation, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) helps vanquish the slugs for good. Just then, another threat arrives through the vestigial interdimensional portal -- a teenaged warrior known as The Destroyer (Vincent Kartheiser) who calls Angel by an unexpected name: "Dad." Originally broadcast April 29, 2002, on the WB network, "The Price" marked season three, episode 19 of the supernatural comedy drama. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Clark Kent (Tom Welling) befriends a Native American girl named Kyla Willowbrook (Tamara Feldman). Exploring a cave near Kyla's home, Clark comes across ancient tribal paintings depicting the prophecy of Naman, who like Clark himself descended from the sky with awesome superpowers. While the almost filial relationship between Clark and Kyla is complicated by the possibility that the girl's grandfather (Gordon Tootoosis) is a werewolf-like "skinwalker," Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) plots to use a strange design appearing in the cave paintings for his own economic advantage. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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