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

Guest starring: Andy Hallett as The Host, Mercedes McNab as Harmony, Pat Healy as Doug Sanders, Alyson Hannigan as Willow

Original air date: April 17, 2001

 Written by: David Fury

Directed by: Fred Keller

In the office of the Hyperion Angel is getting a lecture from Wes and Angel looks very uncomfortable, even squirmy. Wes is telling Angel how he expects Angel to interact with his co-workers, with respect and concern for their feelings. Wes recognizes that Angel is uncomfortable and thinks that’s good. When Wes is finished Angel says that he’s going to take some time to think about what Wes has said, but not at the desk because it’s Wes’s desk now. Angel walks next door and finds Cordy and Gunn setting up a folding table as Angel’s new “desk.” Wes tells Angel to go for some coffee and Cordy and Gunn would like some, too. Angel might be having second thoughts about his new status as an employee because he comments, “atonement’s a bitch.”

 At a park in L.A. two teenagers are ‘parking’ when, suddenly, the driver’s side window is smashed in.

 At the Hyperion Gunn, Wesley, and Cordelia are moving back in to the offices. Angel comes downstairs and Wes signals to Angel that Angel should talk to Cordy. Angel reluctantly tries but Cordy tells Angel to not even try. Angel really wants to reconnect with Cordy so Angel asks Cordy how she’s been and Cordy tells him that she’s tired and sweaty, but she wants to start helping the helpless again. Cordy also tells Angel that they aren’t friends. Suddenly Cordy has a vision of the two teenagers on the hillside. The impact of the vision sends Cordy reeling but Angel is able to stop Cordy before she falls to the ground. Cordy tells Angel, Wes and Gunn that guys in blue robes are taking the woman from the car, and that the guys are taking people and putting them in cages. Cordy tells the guys where the girl is and Wes, Gunn and Angel head out of the hotel. Before Angel leaves, though, he tells Cordy to take the rest of the night off. After she recovers a bit Cordy closes down the office as she prepares to leave. Cordy senses someone in the lobby and calls out to whomever might be there. A shadowy figure steps up behind Cordy and Cordy spins around and sees Harmony, her old pal from Sunnydale. Harmony and Cordy hug and do a little catching up. Cordy thinks that Harmony looks really different - better - and Harmony, um, likes Cordy’s hair cut. Cordy looks a little embarrassed to run into Harmony wearing clothes suitable only for moving an entire office. Harmony asks about Cordy’s job and Cordy tells Harmony that she’s the office manager for the detectives. Cordy asks Harmony why she’s in L.A. Harmony tells Cordy she’s just gotten out of a smothering relationship (see BtVS 5.14, “Crush”) so Harmony came to L.A. to get caught up with old friends and play. Cordy invites Harmony to stay at Cordy’s apartment.

 Angel, Wes, and Gunn find the car from Cordy’s vision. Both windows are smashed in and there is some blood on one of the doors. Angel hears a woman screaming and the three run towards a guy in a green robe attacking a young woman. When the green-robed guy sees Gunn, Angel, and Wes coming the guy grabs the woman and throws her at Angel. Angel catches the woman and passes her to Wes while Gunn stops the green-robed guy. Gunn pulls down the guy’s hood and the guy is a vamp. The vamp turns to run but Angel is standing there and before the vamp can do anything Angel stakes him. Gunn shows Wes and Angel the robe Gunn got off the vamp and the robe is green, not blue as Cordy said. Gunn decides to make a sweep to find any blue-robed guys that might be in the area while Wes and Angel inspect the robe. There is an insignia on the robe - a triangle with a snake in the middle. Wes tells Angel he’s going to call Cordy and get her started investigating the symbol. Angel tells Wes that Angel gave Cordy the rest of the night off because she looked so tired from the vision and Wes is a little surprised. Wes is, after all, the boss now, not Angel. Angel asks Wes if he should send Cordy something, like some flowers with a message that says “sorry about the migraines.” Wes has had it. He tells Angel to send Cordy flowers and then send Wes some, too, with a message that says “sorry you were shot.” Wes tells Angel that Angel cannot buy back Cordy’s trust or affections. Cordy is hurt and angry over the way Angel treated Gunn, Wes, and herself and she still has a lot of pain to work through.

 At Cordy’s apartment she doesn’t look like she’s in pain, though. Cordy and Harmony are having a really good time drinking some wine and reminiscing about their friendship. Cordy admits to Harmony that Cordy is happier now (not rich, not powerful, and not popular) than she ever was in Sunnydale and Harmony doesn’t believe Cordy at all. Cordy tries to open her heart and explain how fulfilling her work is but Harmony starts to laugh, so Cordy covers by telling Harmony that she’s had too much to drink. Cordy asks Harmony what she’s been doing since graduation and the school being blown up (see BtVS 3.22, “Graduation, Part II”) and Harmony is kind of evasive. Harmony just mentions again the bad relationship she got out of and that Harmony is just happy with what she’s doing now. Suddenly Harmony looks a little weird and she admits to Cordy that she’s a little hungry. Cordy decides to order pizza and, as Cordy reaches for the phone, Harmony vamps out and reverts to her human face when Cordy can see Harmony’s face.

 Later Cordy is sleeping when Harmony comes in to Cordy’s bedroom. Harmony sits down on Cordy’s bed and licks her lips. Suddenly the door slams shut and wakens Cordy. Cordy tells Harmony that she has a ghost (Phantom Dennis, see AtS 1.5, “Rm w/A Vu”). Cordy wants to know why Harmony is in the bedroom and Harmony admits that she has urges. Harmony starts talking about how luscious Cordy is and thinking that she could control herself, and Harmony is talking about being a vampire and wanting to suck Cordy’s blood. Cordy, though, gets the impression that Harmony is a lesbian and thinks that Harmony wants to have sex. Harmony admits that she didn’t tell Cordy about her ‘change’ because Harmony was afraid that Cordy would kill her. Cordy tells Harmony that Cordy doesn’t “care about that” as long as Harmony is happy, and Harmony admits that the last time she felt happy was when she was in school with Cordelia. Harmony decides to go back to the couch and asks Cordy to keep their conversation a secret.

 The next morning Cordy is on the phone with Willow Rosenberg who is in Sunnydale. Cordy wants to know why no one in Sunnydale told Cordy about Harmony. Willow’s a little upset that Harmony is in L.A. Cordy explains what she thinks happened last night and Willow is confused. Finally Willow asks Cordy if both of them understand that Harmony is a vampire. This is news to Cordy and suddenly Cordy’s conversation with Harmony and with Willow take on a whole new meaning. Cordy giggles and tells Willow that Cordy thought Harmony was making moves on Cordy because Harmony was “a big lezbo.” So Willow takes the opportunity to tell Cordy that she is a lesbian. Big news day for Cordy, huh? Willow tells Cordy to get somewhere safe and away from Harmony. Just then Harmony comes into the living room and asks Cordy where she’s going.

 At the Hotel Wes is doing his book thing and Angel’s getting antsy. Angel wants to do something but there’s no leads on the green-robed guys. When the phone rings Wes suggests that Angel answer it. It’s Willow who fills in Angel on Harmony’s new status as the undead. Angel and Wes storm over to Cordy’s place and crash down the door brandishing weapons to save Cordy from a vicious . . . pedicure. Harmony is painting Cordy’s toenails. Cordy orders Wes and Angel to stand down and tells both of them that she and Harmony have talked about the whole evil undead thing. Harmony has come to Cordelia for help and Cordy intends on giving her friend help. When Angel tells Wes that they should help Harmony, Wes points his weapon at Angel. Wes tells Cordy that they need her at the office intending to leave Harmony behind, but Harmony doesn’t want to stay with Phantom Dennis, so Harmony tags along.

 At the office Wes, Cordy and Angel are trying to figure out two things: what does the emblem on the robe mean and what kind of bird was in Cordy’s vision. Unfortunately they aren’t having any luck on either front. When Harmony pops her gum one too many times Wes insists that Harmony either stop or have a stake driven through her heart. Cordy asks Harmony to get rid of the gum so Harmony rips a page out of one of Wes’s books to throw out her gum. For Wes this is the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, so he grabs and lunges at Harmony. Cordy manages to stop Wes while Angel takes Harmony over to the fridge for some pig’s blood which Harmony doesn’t really like. Harmony asks Angel how he manages to live without the sensual feeling of warm, human blood pulsing in his mouth as his victim’s heart beats. Angel looks wistful as Harmony talks and is grateful that Gunn interrupts. Gunn says a very friendly hello to Harmony but becomes a little less friendly when Wes tells Gunn that Harmony is a vampire. Gunn just wants to know when they stopped killing vamps. Gunn has some information. Apparently people have been disappearing off of the streets for over a month, but no bodies are turning up. Angel figures out that the missing people are being turned into vampires and Wes things someone is building up an army.

 At an abandoned theater a vampire is on stage giving a motivational speech to about 200 other vampires. Behind the vampire on stage are projections of the symbol that the AI team is investigating. The vamps in the audience are wearing robes similar to the one found on the vamp in the park in a wide range of colors - green, yellow, blue, even black. The vampire on stage, Doug Sanders, is telling the audience that it’s time for each of them to maximize their potential. To be the best possible vampire they can be. And Doug is prepared to help all of them through his “multi-level exponential flow cooperative.” Basically Doug wants each vamp in the room to turn two humans into vampires, those two humans turn two more humans into vampires, and so on. And Doug is fully prepared to let every vampire in the room buy into the cooperative if they deposit one live human into “the food bank.” The audience loves this and they start to chant with Doug, “Turn two and the rest is food.”

 Back at the Hyperion Angel, Wes, and Gunn are charting out the locations of the recent disappearances while Cordy is doing some computer research. Cordy gets a major hit - she finds the triangle and snake insignia on a Department of Justice website. Apparently the insignia was used by Doug Sanders in a money-making pyramid scheme. The Feds were after Sanders but he disappeared. Cordy also finds a picture of Sanders and Harmony is very enthusiastic about seeing what Doug looks like and spills her cup of blood all over the computer frying it. This is the last straw for Wes and he orders Harmony out of the office. In the lobby Harmony confesses to Cordy that Harmony doesn’t have any friends and that she feels bad for messing things up. Cordy has an inspiration and she tells the guys that she and Harmony are going out.

 Cordy takes Harmony to Caritas where Harmony is singing “Memories,” badly, for The Host. The Host has picked up on Harmony’s “what’s my path” vibe and, when Harmony returns to the table, she asks The Host if he can help her, and The Host tells Harmony that he can’t. Turns out that Cordy is already helping Harmony on to her path. Cordy is a little suprised that •she• has been Harmony’s guide all along. The Host tells Harmony to keep using Cordy’s guidance and that Harmony will be all right. After The Host leaves the table Wes, Gunn, and Angel enter Caritas. The guys tell Cordy that they have narrowed down the attacks and disappearances to a small area of town and they want to drive around that area with Cordy. The plan is that Cordy might be able to pick up a vibe from her vision to figure out where the vampires have their headquarters. Cordy tells Harmony that she has to leave and she, Wes, Gunn, and Angel leave Caritas headed towards the car. . . . with Harmony tagging along? Cordy asks Harmony what she’s doing and Harmony answers that she’s figure out her path. Harmony’s supposed to stick with Cordy so Harmony decides she’s one of the “good guys” and plans on hanging with the A.I. team. Angel, Gunn, and Wes look less than slightly thrilled about Harmony’s plan.

 As the team drives around Harmony, sitting in the back seat with Cordy and Gunn, yammers on, and on, and on, first to Cordy and then to Gunn. In the front seat Wes pleads with Angel to do something but Angel tells Wes that it’s Wes’s place now. Wes knows that Cordy won’t listen to whatever he has to say about Harmony. Suddenly Cordy tells Angel to pull the car over. Cordy sees the red bird from her vision over the Palace theater which is closed for repairs. Wes breaks out the weapons and tells Cordy and Angel to go into the theater from the front while Gunn and Wes look for a door in the back. Harmony wants a job, too, so Wes tells her to guard the car but not to kill or maim anyone. As Gunn and Wes head out Angel takes a moment to talk to Cordy alone. Angel tells Cordy that Harmony can’t work at Angel Investigations, and that Harmony is the enemy. To add insult to injury, Angel tells Cordy that Harmony will turn on her. Cordy wants to know why Angel thinks that. Angel answers that being evil is in Harmony’s nature. Cordy is not impressed because Angel, even with a soul, betrayed the people who cared about him. Cordy is hurt and betrayed and tells Angel that giving away her clothes was the last straw. Cordy also tells Angel that she was seriously panicked that Angel might sleep with Darla and turn into Angelus again. Angel looks really guilty as he tells Cordy he would never sleep with Darla. Gunn and Wes return from their inspection of the back of the theater but it’s locked up. Angel suggests that he go inside pretending to be a recruit but Gunn thinks most of the vamps in the room will recognize Angel and Wes points out that the vamps who don’t recognize Angel will pick up on Angel’s soul. Cordy has a brainstorm and suggests that Harmony go inside. After all, Harmony doesn’t have a soul and no one in town knows her. Wes doesn’t like the idea at all and Harmony thinks the job is a little too high-pressure but Cordy tells Harmony that this is Harmony’s opportunity to find a purpose. Harmony agrees, vamps out and heads towards the theater. Cordy, Gunn, Angel, and Wes head to the back of the building to wait for Harmony’s report.

 Inside the theater Harmony finds Doug Sanders having a ‘graduation ceremony’ of sorts. A vamp named Tibor has graduated to the yellow robes and, as a reward, Doug offers Tibor his pick of humans in a cage on stage, the ‘blood bank.’ Tibor works himself and the crowd into a feeding frenzy as he sucks the life from a woman inside the cage. At the back of the building Wes is concerned because Harmony hasn’t come outside yet. Angel tells Wes not to worry and that if Harmony gets in trouble they will rescue her. Gunn is completely unthrilled with the idea of saving a vampire from a bunch of vampires. Harmony finally arrives and fills everyone in - there are about 100 vamps in the building and a cage with about a dozen people on stage. Cordy is so happy that Harmony pulled off her first undercover op! Harmony leads everyone into the theater by a back door which Harmony had left unlocked.

 Inside the theater Harmony leads everyone backstage. Wes asks where the vampires are and Harmony answers “behind you.” Yikes, it’s a trap! The lights come up and Cordy, Wes, Gunn and Angel are surrounded. Doug is there and congratulates Harmony for her “impressive display of potential actualization” and rewards her with status as a blue robe. After all, Harmony has brought in two to turn, one for food, and Angel is just a bonus. Cordy is really pissed that Harmony was so weak and threatens her with a crossbow but the threat kinda loses it’s punch given that they are surrounded by about 50 vamps. Doug asks Angel if Angel wants all of his friends to die and Angel tells Doug no. Angel asks Wes what they should do and Wes shouts “Kill them all!” and a massive fight ensues. After a couple vamps are dusted many of the other vamps turn tail and run. In the battle Wes is punched in his stomach which still isn’t fully healed from the gunshot wound (see AtS 2.14, “The Thin Dead Line”). Angel dusts the vamp that hit Wes and Angel tells Wes to free the humans in the cage. Cordy takes on Harmony who throws Cordy across the room. Cordy plays dead for a second and, when Harmony turns Cordy over, Cordy points one crossbow at Harmony’s throat and another at Harmony’s heart. Harmony starts to panic and asks Cordy if they can still be friends even though Harmony is evil. Cordy tells Harmony they aren’t friends and orders Harmony out of her city. Harmony takes off and Cordy is really disappointed. Meanwhile Wes, with Gunn’s help, manages to free the humans on stage while Angel takes on Doug Sanders. Doug keeps spouting nonsense about Angel living up to his full vampire potential. Angel wrests an axe out of Doug’s hands and Angel uses it to behead the vamp.

 The next day Angel stops in to talk to Wes. Wes wanted to talk to Angel about Angel’s working relationship with Cordy. Angel tells Wes that he’s willing to give Cordy the space and time she needs to work through her anger. Wes tells Angel he’s very happy to know that but is interrupted by a squeal in the next room. It’s Cordy and she’s found a gift from Angel - lots and lots of gorgeous clothes! Cordy hugs Angel a couple times, kisses him on the cheek and is completely, totally thrilled about her new clothes. Wes is not happy.

Summary by Kirsten.