Airdate: January 29th, 2003

Guest Starring: Vladimir Kulich
Roger Yuan


Written by: David Fury & Steven S. DeKnight
Directed by: James A. Cotner


Teaser

The sun is still blotted out. A news report says basically that they don’t know what happened to the sun in L.A. plays on. At A.I. they realize it’ll mean a significant rise in vampire activity. Fred is doing some research but she’s getting nowhere, she needs Wesley’s help. But he left without a word after the sun was blotted out, and Gwen skipped town. Connor says they’re wasting time, the answer is among them, and points at Angel who’s in his office with Lorne. Connor doesn’t believe for a minute that Angel doesn’t remember the Beast, Cordy points out that it was Angelus, not Angel, who made the pact. Connor doesn’t see the difference. Gunn thinks it’s time they meet Angelus because they have no other option so it’s worth a try that get that info out of him. Cordy explains that the gypsy curse that ensouled Angel, filling him with remorse and guilt so that he could suffer, can only be lifted if he experiences a moment of perfect happiness, and that’s in short supply. Inside the office, Angel’s just finished singing, and Lorne as nothing, and it doesn’t make sense. Angel remembers everything Angelus did, he did, every detail and yet can’t dredge up anything on the Beast. Lorne says if it’s in there it’s buried deep inside Angelus. Angel says that’s the way it stays, even if he wanted it, there’s no way to bring Angelus back.

Inside a shrine, an Asian shaman is in the middle of a prayer, while a battle finishes outside. Wes comes in, a bit beaten, he’s heard rumours that the shaman has certain skills he requires. specifically, he needs a soul extracted.

ACT I

The Hyperion: Angel informs his crew that doesn’t remember the Beast meeting Angelus, Fred tells him they don’t have much to go on and that the device used to blot out the sun is useless without the orb (which got swallowed by the Beast.) Gunn says they’re losing ground, the only victory they can claim is that they aren’t dead yet. Angel says that they’re down but not out, and now with eternal darkness it’s the devil’s playground outside. Connor is pissed, Angel telling them what they already know, and everybody thought it was him working for the Beast, but it was Angel, willing or unwilling, it makes no difference. Connor blames it all on Angel, he’s the reason his life sucks. Angel tells him to get over it. Fred would like a plan and Wes walks in with one. the shaman, Wu Pang, can deliver Angelus to them. Angel takes Wes aside, the latter informs Angel that Wu Pang is a shaman, a dark mystic who can remove and restore a soul. Angel is incredulous. Wes tells him there’s no choice, no plan b, and they’re running out of time. Angel says that that releasing Angelus is the last thing they should do, Angel won’t be able to protect anyone. Wes assures him it’s only temporary and they’ll take all the necessary precautions and contain him. Angel tells him all he knows of Angelus is in books, he’s never had the “pleasure of his company.” He tells Wes to get rid of the shaman. Angel storms outside and Cordelia follows him to the garden. She notes that all the flowers, trees and plants will all die without the sun. she came to support him, Angelus can’t be released, he’d be a danger to all. Given that she was present in Sunnydale during his reign of terror and relived all of his experiences as Angelus as a higher being, it makes her much more understanding to the dangers of Angelus than anyone else. He asks if she thinks he’s under the Beast’s control and after a bit of hesitation she admits she doesn’t know. If he is, he notes that he’s already a danger to them. Cordy says that Angelus would be more so: he’s ingenious, ruthless and sadistic. Like the Beast, Angel sees that they’re one of a kind and bolts up goes to his crew and tells them he’ll need a cage and list odd the specs. It’s to hold Angelus.

Angel inspects the work in the basement on the cage, does some tweaking and has the shaman brought in. Angel tells Connor that while he may have thought he was the enemy before, after the ritual he will be the thing Connor was raised to believe about him. It’s what Angel never wanted Connor to see and that whatever Angelus says or does, he’s not his father, Angel is. Connor leaves, and adds that he wants Connor to kill him if anything goes wrong. Connor agrees a little too quickly for his taste.

Angel is strapped securely to a table while the shaman sets up the Mo Ping, the receptacle that will house Angel’s soul. Angel doesn’t want Cordy there, but she’s not leaving. The shaman enters the cage and Gunn double locks it. Cordy tells Angel he doesn’t have to do this, but it’s a little late for that. The shaman recites an incantation, his voice doubling and his eyes turning red. He whispers to Angel “time to say goodbye” and grabs a knife from his robes.

ACT II

Angel breaks his restraints and grabs the shaman’s arm, the latter telling him he serves the awakened one. Gunn unlocks the cage and rushes the shaman. The shaman is too fast with his blade for any of them but Connor strikes a blow, disarming him. Angel wants to know why the Beast suddenly wants him dead. When no answer is forthcoming he wants to know what the Beast’s plan is. The shaman takes out a dagger and stabs himself. They remove the shroud, the shaman has writing all over his body. A bit later Wes is able to translate it: the shaman’s order are acolytes of the Beast. Wes reads on about a weapon that can destroy it: the tooth of light. But all the opposers of the awakening of the Beast were wiped out centuries ago, and the tooth was hidden. Cordy gets a vision that the tooth is a sword, and it’s hidden underneath the city. Angel is a bit snippy for Wes wanting him to turn into Angelus when there’s a sword to kill the Beast. Wes is sorry and begins to leave when Angel asks him if it was an apology. Wes says he was careless, it could have gotten Angel killed. It’s the first time he’s heard Wes apologize about anything. Connor breaks the moment and asks if they’re going to get the sword.

In the sewers, Angel is understandably baffled on how a sword from the 3rd Century A.D. is conveniently located under Los Angeles. Cordy vaguely explains that it’s a cesspool from a hundred points all over the world. They find a tunnel down and Connor rushes first and comes back having found ropes with bells dropping from the ceiling. Angel brushes one and wooden pikes burst out from a wall and retract. They walk through the passageway carefully, Cordy almost triggering the system when a bell is caught on her shirt. Wes removes it but then accidentally triggers the system himself. Angel and Wes rush to safety, the others already out of harms way. But it’s a dead end. There’s Hebrew letters on the wall, Wes pushes one, the wall lifts a bit then comes down. Wes explains that Hebrew letters have a numerical value and pushes the next one in sequence, a stake stabs his hand. He realises that the letters represent the first letter of the nine anti-diluvian patriarchs in Genesis in ascending order. After two more are pressed, the wall lifts high enough for Angel and Connor to hold it up while the others pass under it. They separate, Connor objecting not going with Cordy, but goes with Wes anyway. When Angel and Cordy are alone, she apologises for his behaviour, Connor’s confused and she’s made more of a mess of things. Some decisions she’d like to take back, she starts to say something and spots a lit chamber with a central stone, but no sword. Angel thinks it’s there and since there’s no light source, it has to be coming from somewhere. He places his arm over the stone it goes through a portal, a white shining ball. He explains that it’s some sort of dimensional hub and that’s how the sword could be a hundred places at once. Hr pulls out the sword and the while orb turns angry red and drops, triggering an earthquake. Fire erupts separating them, Cordy screams.

ACT III

Angel jumps over her fire and rescues Cordy. They run, barely escaping as the chamber collapses and are thrown one atop another. They move off and hug, she cries a bit that they could have died. She couldn’t have had the chance to tell him she’s sorry for what happened, what she let happen with Connor. She wanted to be with Angel but she couldn’t. Angel says it’s going to be okay. She tells him she can look back at all the things he’s done as Angelus, but when she looks at him, she sees all the good he’s done as Angel. She says she doesn’t deserve forgiveness but he doesn’t care what she’s done in the past either. They kiss but break when Connor and Wes are standing over them. Connor runs, Angel runs after him.

Connor, still walking away, wants to be alone, but Angel won’t leave him. He enters another chamber and all the torches light up. Angel tells him not to move, Connor doesn’t want to be told what to do and walks on a trigger and an arrow whizzes by him, hitting Angel’s shoulder. Connor smiles, he can see why she wants him. As Connor walks around, Angel tells him to be careful. He asks why and throws back Angel’s bit on how “nothing in this world is as it ought to be. It’s harsh and cruel.” Connor steps on another trigger, and Angel grabs him out of the way before the projectile hits him. But Connor doesn’t want to be saved and throws Angel to a wall and the latter is nearly impaled when his hand brings out a stake. They fight, Angel triggering and ducking arrows. Connor tells him it’s all his fault, Angel tells him he’s not the only person who’s ever wanted his father dead and what he wants isn’t necessarily what people need. He screams that she’s his and strikes Angel hard enough to throw him at the other end of the chamber. Connor tells him she was his, but Cordelia, now behind them, says she wasn’t, she’s sorry but he needs to understand that. Connor storms out.

Angel, Cordy and Wes return with the sword and Angel gives the sword to Gunn so he can play with it. Wes lies to the others that Connor is out patrolling. Gunn breaks a table in half with the powerful sword. Most of Lorne’s connections have left for more hospitable dimensions but rumours have the Beast sighted in the warehouse district. Fred has uncovered that the only way to kill the Beast with that sword is to pierce its brain. When it’s dead, the energy used to block the sun will be released. Bit the catch is all that power released will kill anything human within close proximity to the beat, she’s not even sure that Angel can survive, he says he’ll let her know. Cordy tells him that he’s not going to fight it alone, but he doesn’t have a choice. He tells them they’ve all made a difference in the world, they’ve been pushed to the edge so many times, done things they’ve shouldn’t have. They’ve always been there for each other and it’s not because of the Powers That Be, or the super strength, or the magic weapons; it’s because they believe in each other as champions, together. He leaves but Cordy tells him he just said they’re stronger together. She can’t lose him now that they’ve just started what could be something meaningful. He promises he’ll come back, he’s sure he’ll come back but first he has to find the Beast. The Beast suddenly breaks down the back doors. Angel doesn’t have to far after all.

ACT IV

The Beast has grown weary of Angel, Angelus’ cowardice, if he’s not with him, he’s against him. Angel tells the others to go and fights the Beast using the sword, the Beast deflects it with its rocky arms.. Cordy won’t leave but Angel can’t defeat it if she stays, Wes gets her out as Angel is thrown aside, the Beast a bit stung by the blows. He ask Angel why he opposes him, they could rule the world. Angel brings up the rain of fire, blotting out the sun and generally he’s just pissing him off. They fight more, the Beast Grabbing the sword and breaking the blade at several points. He grabs Angel by the throat and asks if he really thought he could defeat him. Connor hits the Beast with a double sided axe, the Beast drops Angel. Connor and the Beast briefly fight but is quickly tossed aside. Connor’s arrogance reminds him of Angelus, Connor tells him his name is Angel. Angel stabs the beast at the base of the throat with a piece of the sword and rams it up to its brain. The beast lights up and vanishes, the sun reappears outside. Connor helps Angel up, telling him he’d never let him take sole credit for defeating the Beast. And where it stood, only a smoldering pile of ash remains. Connor tells Angel that it is harsh and cruel but Cordy was the only thing that made it hurt less and could tell that she didn’t love him, she loves Angel, always him. Angel’s sorry, Connor jokes that she was too old for him anyway and asks if that’s what it feels like to be a champion. Angel says pretty much and the gangs comes in. Angel tells them they did it, all of them. There are smiles all around, Wes and Gunn seeming to forget their differences and asks one of them to sweep up the Beast’s remains. Outside people are enjoying the sun’s return, Angel watches it from inside. Cordelia’s with him, understanding that it’s hard for him: everybody’s happy because of what he did, bringing the light back, but not being able to go into it. He says there’s no place he’d rather be than here with her. they kiss and break off, she tells him everything is as it’s supposed to be. They continue and make love and right after it hits him, he whispers Buffy’s name and is in pain…

… and we’re back with Angel strapped to the table in the cell. The shaman tells them it’s done. None of it ever happened. Angel turns to Cordy, she can tell it’s Angelus. He laughs maniacally, free of his soul.


Summary By Dannyboy