''The woman who gave Angel eternal life returns to reclaim his soul.''


Angel Judgement - 2ADH01

Written by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt - Directed by Michael Lange - First Aired on September 26th, 2000

Synopsis - Creature Feature - Cool Quotes - References - Continuity - Goofs - Trivia - The Morgue - Cast - Famous Faces - Points Of View

Synopsis

The Short: Angel kills a demon thinking it was evil, but then learns it was the protector of a woman whose unborn child is supposed to become a great hero. He takes on the job of being her champion, and fights a joust against a rival champion for the fate of the woman and child. He beats the rival and saves them. Meanwhile Darla recovers at Wolfram & Hart and Faith works for redemption in prison.

Group The Long: This season opens with a demon singing I Will Survive at a karaoke bar. Then we see Cordelia taking acting lessons and doing very good before she gets a pager message and has to run off (see Reference #1-#2). Wesley is winning at a game of darts when he also gets paged away. Angel meets with Wesley and Cordelia at health club where they walk in despite the manager's protests and stop some demons trying to commit a human sacrifice.

Darla Angel Investigations has moved into Cordelia's home where Cordelia has a vision about a demon (see Continuity #1-#3). At Wolfram & Hart Lindsey and Lilah see to Darla's recovery (see Reference #3 & Continuity #4-#5). Back at Cordelia's they figure out the vision was of a Prio Motu demon (see Reference #4). Wesley suggests an informant at a demon karaoke bar called Caritas he knows of and they make contact (see Reference #5-#6). They meet the informant and a demon host who gets clairvoyant information about people he watches singing, but Angel refuses to sing (see Reference #7). Once they get a lead from the informant Angel rushes to the scene and promptly kills the demon thinking he saved a pregnant woman, but when she grieves over it's death, saying it was her protector, Angel realizes his mistake.

Gunn The woman says the demon was protecting her from the Tribunal and then runs off. Angel decides to take on the job of protecting her, and roughs up the informant for more information, leading him to the demon's home (see Reference #8). Angel and Gunn check it out and Angel sends Gunn back to Cordelia's with a coat of arms they find (see Reference #9-10 & Cool Quotes #1). The woman comes back to her hiding place and Angel explains how he wants to help her (see Reference #11-13). They are attacked by a demon.

Angel Angel kills the demon, but more are coming so they have to run. Gunn shows up at Cordelia's with the coat of arms and gives it to Wesley (see Continuity #6-#7). On the run Angel and the woman come across an abandoned hotel, where they split up as Angel fights the demons. He tells her to meet him at Cordelia's. Angel makes it back to Cordelia's, but she doesn't. Angel realizes there is only one way to find her and goes to Caritas, where he sings Mandy for the host demon. The demon sends him to where the woman is hiding (see Reference #14-#15). On the street the woman walks and suddenly the Tribunal and a knight show up, wanting to know where her Champion is. Angel shows up and declares himself her Champion.

Faith Angel is supplied with a horse, shield and lance and he jousts the knight. They are knocked off their horses, then fight on foot. The knight is able to impale Angel with his own sword, but when the knight goes to claim the woman's life Angel gets back up and beheads the knight. Angel is declared the winner and the woman and her child have the protection of the Tribunal. Back at Cordelia's place Angel decides they should start over. He goes off to visit Faith in prison. She has had trouble with another prisoner, but survives. He mentions how he had to sing Mandy in public and Faith feels sorry for him. They talk about how they both have to work hard at redemption (see Continuity #8).

Creature Feature

Demon Host Caritas is a karaoke bar which is a safe haven for demons. It is considered neutral ground and no demons fight there. The first demon we see singing at Caritas was a green skinned demon with red eyes and two small horns. Wesley describes him as anagogic, which means he has some sort of mystical sense about things, particularly he can know about people by watching them sing. He sings I Will Survive.

Carnyss demons love muscles and mirrors. They were planning a human sacrifice, but Angel and company stopped them.

Book Demon The demon from Cordelia's vision was Camal the Prio Motu demon. They are an ancient Ofga-beast, bred to maim and massacre. Although Prio Motu demons are supposed to be powerful evil demons, this one was good.

Tom Cribb Liz Liz, the second demon who was singing at Caritas, seems to be the same species of demon as Tom Cribb from The Ring. We learn that this kind of demon is known for eating their young. The credits refer to him as a Lizard demon. His song is I'm So Excited.

Demon Telepath The demon that enters Caritas before Wesley seems to be the same species as the telepathic demons Buffy fought in Earshot. Two other demons of this type were in Caritas as well.

Durthok Mordar Mordar the Bentback is the third demon seen singing at Caritas. He sings Sexual Healing.

Durthok the child-eater is the last demon who sings at Caritas. He was searching for the gorrishyn mage that stole his power and he was feeling just a little bit country. His song is Achy Breaky Heart.

Demon Demon One of the demon extras in Caritas looks surprisingly like a demon who was in the background in New Moon Rising.

Demon Merl Merl is a parasite demon who works as an informant. Parasite demons have no tongues, pointed teeth, green scaly skin and red eyes.

Jo is attacked by a group of demons of an unknown type. They had skeletal faces and long spines growing from their heads.

Coat of arms Tribunal The Tribunal is an extradimensional group that will allow people to come before it with a champion who fights a chosen opponent in a jousting match to the death. If the champion for the person seeking protection wins they will be protected by the Tribunal. They look very similar to the cloaked man who helped Rupert Giles in Enemies. The Coat of Arms is a symbol presented to the Tribunal by the champions that come before it.

Knight The knight Angel fights seems to be either undead or a demon of some type. He might work for the Tribunal or the people who want Jo's baby dead.

On the subject of vampires, we see more examples of how they don't have a reflection, and how the sire of a vampire can sense the presence of those they sired.

Cool Quotes

  1. Gunn: ''This Prio Motu guy, what was he up to?''
    Angel: ''He was protecting a young pregnant woman.''
    Gunn: ''He was on our side?''
    Angel: ''Yeah.''
    Gunn: ''Well, did you find the scumbag that killed him?''
    Angel: ''I'm the scumbag that killed him.''
    Gunn: ''Oh.''
    Good show on that one Angel. Fight the good fight and all.


References

    Play
  1. Cordelia: ''...but why Johnny, why?''
    Johnny: ''Because it's over.''
    Cordelia plays the part of Eleanor in an unknown play. Possibly it was made up for the episode and doesn't exist.

    911 911
  2. Pager: ''911''
    911 is a phone number reserved for emergency calls for help in most of the United States. It is commonly used on pagers to denote an emergency. Also referenced by Willow in Teacher's Pet, by Cordelia in Never Kill A Boy On The First Date, dialed by Buffy in Angel, referenced by the hooker in Innocence, dialed by Xander in Revelations, referenced by Buffy in Bad Girls, referenced by Rachel in In The Dark and by the saleswoman in To Shanshu In L.A.

  3. Lindsey: ''She likes Chopin and Brahms.''
    Chopin Frederick Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish-French composer and pianist of the Romantic period, best known for his solo pieces for piano and his piano concerti. Although he wrote little but piano works, many of them brief, Chopin ranks as one of music's greatest tone poets by reason of superfine imagination and fastidious craftsmanship. He made his last public appearance on a concert platform at the Guildhall in London on Nov. 16, 1848, when, in a final patriotic gesture, he played for the benefit of Polish refugees. He returned to Paris, where he died the following year; he was buried at the cemetery of Père Lachaise.


    Brahms Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was a German composer and pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote symphonies, concertos, chamber music, piano works, choral compositions, and more than 200 songs. Brahms was the great master of symphonic and sonata style in the second half of the 19th century. He appeared for the last time at a concert in March 1897, and in Vienna, in April 1897, he died of cancer. Also mentioned by Spike in In The Dark.

    Pit Bull
  4. Wesley: ''Prio Motu demon. It's a killer.''
    Angel: ''Ancient Ofga-beast, bred to maim and massacre.''
    Cordelia: ''Oh goody, a pit bull.''
    A pit bull terrier is a fighting dog developed in the 19th century in England by mixing a bulldog and a terrier.

  5. Cordelia: ''I've been watching a little noir festival on Bravo.''
    Film noir is a type of crime film featuring cynical malevolent characters in a sleazy setting and an ominous atmosphere that is conveyed by shadowy photography and foreboding background music. (Thanks to AngelLady from the Watcher's Diary for helping with this.)
    Bravo is a cable television network. They have a web site at http://www.bravotv.com/.

    Pointer Sisters
  6. Host demon: ''Well, move over Pointer Sisters! That was cooking!''
    The Pointer Sisters are are a trio of female singers Anita, Bonnie and June Pointer. They formed as a singing group in 1971 and among their big hits was I'm So Excited.

  7. Merl: ''This Prio you're looking for, he don't like it above ground. So he'll be traveling in one of those sub-tunnels of the Rodondo line.''
    The Rodondo is a street name, and presumably this would be an underground train tunnel in that area.

  8. Angel: ''Where did the Prio live?''
    Merl: ''I don't know. I don't know exactly. Boyle Heights. Somewhere underground, near the water and power.''
    Boyle Heights is a very old section of east Los Angeles It is considered a rough area. (Thanks to Marsia from the Watcher's Diary for helping find this information.)

    Chevy
  9. Gunn: ''Is that like a '62 Chevy with the big cam?''
    Chevrolet is of course the huge car manufacturer, part of General Motors. Their web site is at http://www.chevrolet.com/. Also referenced by Angel in Eternity. (Thanks to Matt Cyran for the picture.)

  10. Angel: ''Not much, he's dead, but I wanna find out where he was living. It'd be underground somewhere near the D.W.P.''
    The D.W.P. is the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. They have their own web site at http://www5.dwp.ci.la.ca.us/home.htm.

    Costco
  11. Jo: ''I mean, six months ago I'm working the register at Costco. I did my time as a stock-girl and I was moving up. I was gonna be able to provide for my baby. Now all I wanna do is make sure she gets born.''
    Costco is a wholesale warehouse club. They have a web site at http://www.costco.com/. The Costco in Los Angeles is on 2901 Los Feliz Blvd. You can call them at 323-644-5213.

  12. Jo: ''Right. Right. Because she is some seer, or leader or Joan of Arc. Well, you know what she is to me? My daughter. Not someone's holy mission.''
    Joan of Arc was a patron saint of France who, as a teenager, quite successfully led French troops in battle against the English. The English eventually captured her, tried her for witchcraft and heresy (she believed that God spoke to her through the voices of Saints), and burned her at the stake when she was 19 years old. Also referenced by Willow in Fear, Itself. (Thanks to the BuffyGuide for this entry.)

    Silver Lake
  13. Angel: ''Yeah. Look! I got cards, and an office. Well, the office kind of blew up, but we're working out of this other apartment in Silver Lake, temporarily. Let me help you. Let me help your daughter.''
    Silver Lake is an area located 5 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles and east of Griffith Park. It has it's own web site at http://www.silverlake.org/.

    The Enemy Below
  14. Host demon: ''Well. Who's a little curt? Who's a little Curt Jurgens in The Enemy Below?''
    The Enemy Below is a 1957 war film starring Curd Jurgens (1915-1982) as Von Stolberg. Plot: During World War II, the U.S.S. Haynes, an American destroyer discovers a German U-boat in the South Atlantic. A deadly duel between the two ships ensues, and Captain Murrell must draw upon all his experience to defeat the equally experienced German commander.

    Barry Manilow
  15. Host demon: ''...and it is, you great, big sap! There is not a destroyer of worlds that can argue with Manilow and good for you for fessin' up. She'll be at Forth and Spring. The trial will be there.''
    Barry Manilow is the singer who recorded Mandy, as well as Copa Cabana, which was mentioned by Faith.


Continuity

    The Box
  1. Wesley: ''I think that's what Wolfram & Hart raised in that box.''
    To Shanshu In L.A. - Vocah and Lindsey McDonald raised Darla, Angel's sire, from the dead.

  2. Cordelia: ''You don't have to work out, you're eternal.''
    Angel: ''May not always be.''
    To Shanshu In L.A. - Angel learned from of a prophecy Wesley translated that he may become human.

  3. Angel: ''We're getting a new office.''
    AND
    Angel: ''Yeah. Look! I got cards, and an office. Well, the office kind of blew up, but we're working out of this other apartment in Silver Lake, temporarily. Let me help you. Let me help your daughter.''
    To Shanshu In L.A. - Vocah blew up their last office with a bomb.

  4. Lilah: ''You're not handicapped, you're handi-capable.''
    To Shanshu In L.A. - When Lindsey threatened to burn the scroll that held the cure for Cordelia, Angel cut Lindsay's hand off to save the scroll.

  5. Darla: ''He killed me. I remember now. With a soul in his heart.''
    Angel - Angel staked Darla in the Bronze when she was about to kill Buffy Summers.

  6. Wesley: ''What was that?''
    Cordelia: ''Something about a gun. What if it's a demon with a gun?''
    Rm w/a Vu - Cordelia opened the door to her apartment and was confronted by demon hit men with guns looking for Doyle.

    Gunn
  7. Cordelia: ''It's nice to finally meet.''
    Gunn: ''I've seen you before.''
    Cordelia: ''Really? The Tan'n'screen commercials!''
    Gunn: ''I saw you in bed.''
    Cordelia: ''What?''
    Wesley: ''Ah, I-I can see this is none of my business...''
    Gunn: ''You, too.''
    Wesley: ''Now, just a moment!''
    Gunn: ''In the hospital, after Angel's building blew? He sent me there to keep an eye on you two.''
    To Shanshu In L.A. - Angel asked Gunn to watch over Cordelia and Wesley in the hospital while Angel was hunting for Vocah.

    Faith
  8. Faith: ''Pretty good, I guess. I did sign up for this.''
    The Sanctuary - Faith turned herself in to police for her past crimes, thanks to help from Angel.


Goofs

  1. Lindsey: ''He's taken from both of us. So when you feel ready we'll start thinking about giving a little back.''
    This line makes no sense at all. If Angel has taken from them shouldn't they want to take back and not give him more?

  2. It is implied that Cordelia's area code is 368, but the area codes for the Silver Lake area are 213 and 323 in real life. (Thanks to Marsia from the Watcher's Diary for pointing this out.)


Trivia

  • The host demon sings Gloria Gaynor's 1979 hit I Will Survive. You can listen to him sing it here. You can download a clip of the real song here.

  • The song Lindsey plays for Darla is Chopin's No. 20 in c-minor.

  • Liz and the host demon sing The Pointer Sister's hit I'm So Excited. You can listen to them sing it here. You can download a clip of the real song here.

  • Mordar the Bentback sings Marvin Gaye's hit Sexual Healing. You can download a clip of the real song here.

  • Angel sings Barry Manilow's Mandy. You can listen to him sing it here. You can download a clip of the real song here.

  • Durthok the child eater sings Billy Ray's Cyrus's hit Achy Breaky Heart. You can download a clip of the real song here.

  • Angel states Cordelia's apartment is in Silver Lake. Her phone number is 368-555-0175.

  • Although the name of the pregnant woman never comes up in this episode the closed captioning refers to her as Jo once, which is confirmed in the script.

    Credits
  • Instead of the usual black background in the ending credits, this episode featured out takes of David Boreanaz singing Mandy on stage. You can listen to him sing it here.

  • I wrote up a conversion of the host for Champions 4th edition role playing game at http://angel.fcpages.com/cshost2.html.

  • New name for Angel: The Vampire With Soul (by the host demon) and Mister-Tall-Dark-and-Rockin (by the host demon).

  • New name for Cordelia: Eleanor (by the acting teacher).


  • The Morgue

    1. Anonymous Carnyss demon: In the health club, weight dropped on his head by Cordelia.
    2. Anonymous Carnyss demon: In the health club, stabbed with a sword by Angel.
    3. Camal the Prio Motu demon: On the street, neck broken by Angel.
    4. Anonymous vampire: On the street, staked by Gunn.
    5. Anonymous demon: In Camal's lair, killed by Angel.
    6. Champion knight: On the street, beheaded with a sword by Angel.


    Cast

    Starring:
    Angel Angel David Boreanaz as Angel
    Cordelia Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
    Wesley Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce
    Gunn J. August Richards as Charles Gunn

    Guest Starring:
    Lindsey Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
    Lilah Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
    Demon Andy Hallett as the Host Demon (Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan)
    Woman Justina Machado as Jo
    Darla Julie Benz as Darla
    Faith Eliza Dushku as Faith

    Co-Starring:
    Johnny Rob Boltin as the man playing Johnny Fontaine
    Teacher Iris Fields as the Acting Teacher
    Manager Keith Campbell as the Health Club Manager
    Guy Jason Frasca as the White Guy
    Liz Andy Kreiss as the Lizard Demon (Liz)
    Merl Matthew James as Merl the Parasite Demon
    Judge Glenn David Calloway as the Judge
    Faith Edward James Gage as Mordar the Bentback (Credited as EJ Gage.)


    Famous Faces

    Host Andy Hallett, who played the host demon, is from the tiny Cape Cod village of Osterville, part of the town of Barnstable. He attended Barnstable High School and then Assumption College in Worcester. Always shy, he didn't begin singing until Patti LaBelle invited him on stage at a concert. After moving to Los Angeles he worked as a runner for an agency and then as a property manager and personal assistant. When Buffy The Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon saw Hallett singing in a Universal City blues revue, Whedon conceived the character of the host, an anagogic demon who reads people when they open up through singing. Hallett was invited to try out and got the part, his first job ever as an actor. He would go on to play Jack in the 2001 film Chance. Andy has an official web site at http://www.andy-hallett.net/.

    Soldier Johnny Rob Boltin, who played the man playing Johnny Fontaine, also played the soldier in Restless. He has a good online acting resume at http://www.meltingglass.com/rob.html.

    Perp Ozwolf Keith Campbell, who played the health club manager, played the part of Oz the werewolf in Phases. He is a professional stunt man as well as an actor. He has been the stunt double for actor Tom Cruise on several occasions. You might also recognize Keith as the alien perp from the beginning of the 1997 sci-fi film Men In Black.

    Mover #1 Mordar E.J. Gage, who played Mordar the Bentback, appeared as Mover #1 in Buffy vs. Dracula, which first broadcast on the same night as Judgement.

    Points Of View

    Mathew:

    Pride comes before the fall, I liked it. Angel got a little too cocky and messed up. They are really showing how things are not as black and white about good and evil as they were in Sunnydale. You can't just see a monster and kill it and declare victory. Caritas was fun, if a little hokey. Too bad the makeup looked a little fake. Reminded me of the Cantina in Star Wars, in fact I think I recognized a few demons as Star Wars aliens. Thumbs up for the surprise Faith appearance at the end!

    7 out of 10




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