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Angel - Season Two Episode Guide - Season One Guide
Judgment
A dark knight in Los Angeles
Angel thinks he's helping a pregnant woman when he kills a demon who appears to be stalking her. Turns out that the demon was her protector, forcing the vampire to become the woman's champion in a joust to the death.
Meanwhile, in a downtown karaoke bar, Durthock the Childeater sings Achy Breaky Heart.
Trivia: Judgment introduces The Host, an Anagogic demon played by Andy Hallet in his first acting role. The Host's karaoke bar, Caritas is a demon sanctuary.
Angel sings Barry Manilow standard Mandy in the episode, even though David Boreanaz admits he's not a big fan of Manilow or karaoke. "I can sing a lower, bluesy kind of a note rather than the higher pitched Mandy type of a song," he told us.
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
Back to the 1950s for Angel
As the Angel Investigations team settle into their new headquarters at the diused Hyperion hotel, Wesley and Cordelia explore the building's history.
The discovery of a photograph showing Angel at the hotel in the 1950s sparks the vampire's recollection of the time he saved a woman on the run from the police - but left everyone else to die...
Trivia:Location filming took place at Griffith Park observatory, overlooking Los Angeles. The observatory is best remembered by film and TV fans for its use at the climax of Rebel Without a Cause.
"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" refers to a phrase used by interrogators during the House UnAmerican Comittee hearings of 1947 and 1951. Americans suspected of having left-wing tendencis were asked "Are you now or have you ever Been a Communist?"
First Impressions
Gunn gets an unexpected minder
When Gunn enlistst Angel's help to battle a Deevak demon, the tough street gang leader finds Cordelia watching his back.
Meanwhile, the newly reborn Darla is controlling Angel's dreams whilst he sleeps.
Trivia: Eccentric billionnaire David Nabbit makes his one and only season two appearance in this episode. Nabbit, introduced towards the end of season one, was created to be a recurring character, but the ongoing unavailability of actor David Herman due to film commitments meant that the idea was scapped.
When Darla removes Angel's jumper in one scene, the famous tatto on the vampire's shoulder has mysteriously vanished.
Untouched
Telekinetic trouble
Angel takes a confused young woman under his wing, both of them unaware that she's a secret project of Wolfram and Hart, designed to wreak havoc with her psychic abilities.
When a face from the girl's past arrives in Los Angeles, an explosive climax is assured.
Trivia: The scene where Bethany telekinetically blows out all the top floor windows of the Hyperion Hotel was acheived by the effects team filming a pane of glass exploding, then digitally mapping multiple copies onto footage of the hotel.
Darla uses Calynthia powder to keep Angel asleep when she wants to be with him.
Joss Whedon directed the episode. It's the first one he didn't also write or co-write.
Dear Boy
You've been framed
As it's revealed that Darla has returned from Hell in human form, Wolfram and Hart use her in a plan to frame Angel for murder.
Keen to see the vampire suffer for his past exploits is Detective Kate Lockley, Angels erstwhile friend in the Los Angeles police force.
Trivia: Dear Boy marks the historic return of Drusilla, once more played by Juliet Landau. The popular vamp hadn't been seen in either Buffy or Angel since the season two Buffy finale, Becoming.
Not content with massacring Manilow in the season premiere, David Boreanaz murders Wang Chung's Everybody Have Fun tonight at Caritas.
Guise Will Be Guise
Wesley plays at being boss
Whilst Angel takes time to reassess his life with the help of swami T'ish Magev, Wesley assumes the vampire's identity to act as a rich girl's bodygaurd.
Falling in love with the girl, Wesley is horrified to discover she's being prepared for sacrifice in order to further her fathers demonic plans.
Trivia: Wesley gets a girlfriend! Brigid Brannagh, who plays Virginia Bryce, previously appeared in another popular vampire series, Kindred: The Embraced.
Alexif Denisof relished the chance to play 'Angel' in the episode, although he's not sure what the props team used for the fake blood he had to drink. "I should find out," he told us. "I haven鈥檛 been feeling well ever since."
Darla
Darla's past catches up with her
Lyndsey discovers the awful truth about Darla - she may now be human, but she's also dying from a disease she contracted before becoming a vampire.
As we discover more about Darla's history with The Master, Angel, Spike and Dru, the desperate vampire turns to Angel, begging him to restore her immortality.
Trivia: Although perfectly watchable on its own, Darla is really designed to be seen after the Buffy episode Fool foor Love, as both episodes explore the origins of Spike and his subsequent adventures withru and Darla during the Boxer Rebellion.
The village used to recreate turn-of-the-century China was later redressed and used as the town square on Pylea.
The Shroud of Rahmon
Angel and Gunn go undercover
Angel and Gunn infiltrate a gang of demons intent on stealing an ancient artefact from a Los Angeles museum.
The artefact, a mystical shroud, has the power to affect those around it, prompting all kinds of unexpect behaviour fronm the Angel Investigations crew.
Trivia: Tony Todd, who plays a demon in this episode is perhaps better known for playing in Star Trek: Deep Space 9 and therole in the Candyman series of films.
Apparently a vampire is needed to break into the vault because its lack of body temperature won't trigger the heat-sensitive alarm. Surely the room temperature would change by merely by opening the door, regardless of who is in there?
The Trial
A testing time for Angel
With Darla close to death, Angel embarks on a series of tests in order to save his former love.
Despite his valient efforts, however, Angel fails, leaving an old enemy to restore Darla's immotality.
Trivia: In a flashback Angel/Darla scene, reference is made to a vampire hunter named Holtz. Although not seen in this episode, Holtz features in a big way throughout the course of season three.
Darla gets to sing Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good) at Caritas. The song has previously be recorded by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holliday.
Reunion
Bad girls hit the town
Angel races against time to prevent Darla from rising as a vampire once more.
He's too late, leaving Darla and Dru free to embark on a killing spree that ultimately leaves the Wolfram and Hart staff somewhat depleted. Angel has a chance to save the lawyers - he simply walks away and fires his team.
Trivia:Julie Benz allowed herself to be buried in real topsoil for the scenes where she rises again as vampire Darla.
Why does Darla take so long to rise again? In some Buffy episodes, such as Helpless, the transformation takes mere minutes.
Darla sired Angel, who sired Dru, who sired Darla again. Does that make Dru Darla's 'granddaughter' or her 'mother'?
Redefinition
Angel lights up
As Cordy Wesley and Gunn reel at their unexpected dismissal, Darla and Dru begin recruiting vampires and demons to aid their cause.
Meanwhile, Angel turns to the dark side in order to destroy them once and for all, leading to a firey conclusion end to the girls' plans.
Trivia: Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn succeed in sounding even more tone-deaf than Angel. Their rendition of Queen's We Are The Champions surely set the late Freddie Mercury spinning in his grave.
Far more enjoyable is Andy Hallet's performace of Lady Marmalade - his favourite track. Andy often performs Lady Marmalade at Buffy/Angel conventions to a rapturous reception.
Blood Money
We help the homeless
Anne Steele, former vampire groupie and friend of Buffy has unwittingly become involved in the illegal plans of olfram anfd Hart as she tries to organise a fund-raising event. Angel has a plan to help - but will she trust him?
Meanwhile, a figure from Angel's distant past returns to settle an old score.
Trivia: Call her Chanterelle, call her Lily or call her Anne, the wannabe vampire turned waitress is back. This time she's helping the homeless. Co-writer Mere Smith considered having Angel recognise Anne, as the two had met briefly during the Buffy episode Lie to Me.
She ultimately decided not too, explaining that she had trouble remembering people shet met three days ago, let alone three years.
Gunn calls Weseley by the nickname "English" for the first time in this episode.
Happy Anniversary
It's about time
A scientist studying time travel theory resorts to extreme measures in order to keep his girlfriend after she unexpectedly dumps him on their anniversay.
Angel and The Host find themselves battling Lubber demons in a frantic race against time to prevent the end of the world.
Trivia: With the rest of Angel Investigations setting up on their own, Angel and the Host team up for the first time.
The conspicuously green and horned demon explains his appearance out on the streets of Los Angeles as make-up for his job as a children's entertainer. It's also revealed that he can hold a note indefinitely.
Angel uses the alias Leonard Taubman in this episode, but foregoes the Hawaian shirt and hat he sometimes wears when going undercover.
The Thin Dead Line
Zombie cops on the loose
When people at Anne's shelter for the homeless report that the local police are victimizing them, Wesley, Cordy and unn discover the police are actually the reanimated corpses of officers killed in action.
The trio find themselves under siege at the shelter as the zombie cops fight to protect their secret.
Trivia: In a break from primetime American TV tradition, when Wesley gets shot in this episode, he doesn't miraculously recover until a good few weeks afterwards. He even spends some time in a wheelchair.
Anne's homeless shelter seems to have changed completely since Blood Money, the previous episode it featured in.
Reprise
Going down to Hell
The Wolfram and art staff are getting nervous as they prepare for for a 75 year review by the firm's senior partners.
Meanwhile, there's an unexpected development in Angel's journey to the dark side, as the corpse of Holland Manners takes him on an elevator ride to Hell that leads him to a potentially soul-destroying encounter with Darla.
Trivia:We finally get to meet one of Wolfram and Hart's senior partners - a Kleynak demon able to travel between dimensions by means of a magical ring, the Band of Blacknoll.
One of the people sacrificing the goats at the beginning of the episode is Buffy writer/producer David Fury, later to acheive greater fame as the singing 'Mustard Man' in the Buffy musical.
Epiphany
Angel's still got soul
Despite a night of passion with Darla, Angel discovers that his soul remains intact. Post-ephiphany, can the vampire save his former workmates and prevent Kate from taking her own life?
Trivia:The opening scene, reprised from the previous episode, is an almost shot-for-shot restaging of the moment lost his soul after making love to Buffy in Surprise. Despite making love 'professionally' before she became a vampire, Darla fails to turn our hero this time.
Kate, dismissed from the LAPD, tries to end it all, only to be saved by Angel. As Kate, admits, however, she's never invited him into her apartment. Were higher powers at work here?
Disharmony
Girls just wanna have fun
Cordelia is delighted to discover old High School chum Harmony is in town. Little does she know that that the former Cordette has been a vampire for quite some time.
When a vampire cult adopts pyramid selling techniques to swell their numbers, it's up to Harmony to infiltrate their secret meeting. However, can Angel rely on the ditzy blonde hell-beast, or will she betray him?
Trivia: Mercedes McNab, fresh from a successful stint over on Buffy, makes her first appearance on its sister show. Harmony apparently doesn't drink pig's blood - because it goes straight to her hips!
Marvel at Harmony's quick change towards the end of the episode. One minute she's in Caritas sporting a light grey jacket, the next she's magically switched to wearing a burgundy one.
Dead End
You have to hand it to Lindsey.
Lindsey gets a new hand to replace the once Angel chopped off last season. Only problem is that the hand is possessed.
Trivia:This episode marks Christian Kane's last appearance (to date) as Lindsey. Apart from working on various film projects in recent months, Kane has been recording and touring with his band.
Caritas has a sign stating: "Eating the Clientele is strictly prohibited".
Belonging
Relative problems for the Host
When a Haklaar demon breaks into our dimension, hotly pursued by one of The Host's relatives, the karaoke king turns to Angel for help.
Although the Angel Investigations crew win the day, their victory is soured by Cordelia's disappearance as she is sucked through a portal to the Host's world.
Trivia:Amy Acker is seen on screen for the first time as missing physicist Winifred Burkle. Acker had previously worked alongside Star Trek god William Shatner on the yet-to-be-released UFO film Groome Lake.
The Host's name is finally revealed to be Lorne (or Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan). He left his home world of Pylea because nobody sang there.
Over The Rainbow
Portals to Pylea
Trapped in an alien dimension, Cordelia is none to pleased to be treated like a cow and sold off as a slave. She meets Fred, a physicist trapped on Pylea for the last five years.
Back in Los Angeles, Angel works frantically to create a portal and get her back. As Gunn considers leaving the group to spend more time with his neglected posse, the rest of the gang prepare to leave for Pylea.
Trivia:Cordelia bartered for a pig and a pint of flib liquor. Quite a bargain.
The portal through which Angel drives to get to Pylea is situated at the gates of Paramount Studios, where Angel is filmed.
Through The Looking Glass
Dance the Dance of Joy
Cordelia's visions mean that she's now the ruler of Pylea - and destined to do the Com-Shuk with the Grooselugg. Sounds messy.
Meanwhile, Angel gets to meeet Lorne's family, and discovers the return of Pylea's prodigal son is not a joyous occassion and Wesely and Gunn try to start a revolution.
Trivia:Joss Whedon gets to have fun in front of the camera for a change - playing the Host's cousin Numfar. The cameo came about during production meetings, where Whedon would demonstrate the Dance of Joy he envisaged the character performing.
Eventually fellow producers David Greenwalt and Tim Minear suggested Whedon play the role himself, much to the shock of Andy Hallett, who had no idea who was under the green make-up until filming had been completed.
Charisma Carpenter's royal attire may have been a metallic marvel, but it was far from comfortable to wear on location.
"I was scantily clad wasn鈥檛 I?" Charisma told us. "It was tremendously cold. In [the scene where] I realise my love for Groosalugg and I go to hug him, he鈥檚 wearing a metal plate, and there was snow on the camera cases. So I鈥檓 in a bikini top with coins all over going brrrr - so cold."
There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb
Do the Com-shuk
With Fred's help, Angel regains his lost humanity and overthrows the plot to subvert Cordelia's power over Pylea.
The Angel investigations team return home with a new recruit, Fred. Just how are they going to get Angel's car out of Caritas, though.
Trivia:The effect of the Host's detached head was achieved through a combination of digitally removing Andy Hallett's head from the picture in certain scenes, combined with an exact replica radio controlled animatronic head.
Apparently the Host's species can survive decapitation so long as the rest of the body isn't destroyed. Their hearts are in their buttocks too.