Airdate: April 9th, 2003.

Guest Starring:
Gina Torres

Written by: Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain
Directed by: Maria Grabiak


Teaser

We pick up where we last left off; Angel and Connor are on their knees as the Ebony Goddess pick up a blanket to cover herself. It’s all so beautiful to her. She tanks Cordelia, now unconscious, for protecting her and nourishing her. Connor, now behind her, says that Cordy only wanted to give her life. Angel says not everything’s perfect, he came here to kill her, offers his sword, he says should be punished. She can feel his suffering, picks up the sword, and promises that that suffering will end. When no blow comes, Angel lifts his head, there’s only him and Connor, and comatose Cordy.

ACT I

Fred and Lorne are picking up what was thrown around during the earthquake, while Wes and Gunn are dismembering armour-plated Skip (whit buzz saws). Fred’s upset with the evil thing having chosen Cordy as it’s vessel, and Angel being gone for too long. She takes a sword when Connor comes in with a knife, and tells him to drop it. He was just putting the knife away. Fred’s confused, Angel’s there to clear up that he’s with him. Fred rushes to the body of Cordelia; Angel says she’s resting, Fred sees that she’s not pregnant. Gunn and Wes rush in, in dirty overalls, asking if the evil is dead. Angel says he tried and was going to, Connor tells him to stop torturing himself, Angel tells them she disappeared. Gunn hopes she’s easier to kill than the Beast, but Angel doesn’t want her dead, they’ve all been saved by her. Fred dismisses that as crazy talk. Angel sees that they don’t understand, they want to worship her. The horrible truth dawns on the rest of them, Wes tells Angel that what he’s feeling is some sort of enchantment, it’s not real. It caused Cordelia to do some horrible things, it’s evil, the rain of fire, permanent midnight, the horrors done in its name. The Ebony Goddess, out of nowhere and fully dressed, says that they must be rectified. Connor and Angel fall on their knees, as do the others, one by one, except Wes. She picks up Lorne’s “my god” comment, people keep saying that. She tells them they’ve been drowning, with all the fighting and pain, she’d like to help. Wes goes down on one knee, what do they to do?

They’ve now set Cordy in bed and lighted many candles in her room. The Goddess is honoured at having been borne of her. She explains that she was here before the time of man, when great beings walked the earth and untold power emanated from all quarters, seeds of good and evil. The malevolent among them grew stronger; the Earth became a demon realm. Those among them who had the power fled, but kept a watchful eye. Gunn surmises that she’s a Power That Was (PTW). She goes on that with the arrival of man, it seemed like a balance might be restored. Fred says they let her down, but she insists that it is they, the powers, who left them down, because they became little more than watchers. She could no longer just sit and watch and fought her way back, but she needed a miracle, so she arranged one: Connor. She arranged it through Lorne when he sent Angel through the Trials, he earned that life, Connor’s. All the chaos and madness of the past months were birth pains. Angel asks the PTW if Cordelia will ever wake up, she says that after they’ve stripped the thorns of the world and win the battle, she believes Cordy will wake up. Fred asks how they’ll do that, the PTW replies one evil at a time. They’re going to destroy the demons, forces of hat in the city, they’re finally going to change the world.

A demon bowling alley, where vamps play with severed human heads. The A.I. crew come in, with the PTW, and fight the demons. She asks Fred to sit down with her and they talk while the others fight. Fred asks her if she has a name, the PTW doesn’t and can’t choose one since she was born of this world, is has to be given by a loved one. A vamp scratches the PTW before Angel tackles him. Fred apologizes, saying it’s all her fault, but the Goddess says she’ll be fine. Angel chases down the vamp that hurt her down to a restaurant patio, the vamp trips on a patron. Angel grabs the vamp, Connor tosses him a stake, and Angel dusts him in full view of the patrons. The rest of the crew arrives, Angel assures the restaurant patrons that it’s over and they’re safe. They all kneel when the PTW arrives. She asks them to stand up, to honour each other is to honour her, they’re all one and everything will be all right. One woman says that her life has been empty and now it’s over; the PTW knows her name, knows her, knows them all. She came here to bring the gift of peace to free them from the pain they’ve all suffered. The man who was knocked over circles the crowd in the meantime. The Goddess continues, saying that the world will change forever and they will know her love. The man picks up a sharp knife, calling her a monster and lunges at her. Angel vamps out and grabs him before he reaches the Goddess, and starts beating the man to a pulp.

ACT II

The PTW stops Angel from beating the man any further. He reverts the man cries “don’t you see it?” She touches him and calls Wesley, he’ll get an ambulance. She tells them they’re so loving, so strong. She tells them that a man like that, so full of fear and alone, will always be alone, but they’ve found each other. Connor smiles.

Back at the hotel, Gunn and Wes are trying to find for the PTW while Fred is determined to get the bloodstain of the Goddess’ shirt. The PTW assures her there’s no need, it’s just a shirt and that it’s not her fault she got attacked, it was a new experience, to be able to feel things, even pain. She tells them that people take their senses for granted. Fred gets an idea on how to wash off the blood and runs off. Wes tells the supreme being that Fred can be very single minded when she’s focused on a problem. She tells Gunn and Wes that they both love Fred very much, and that love should drive them closer together, not further apart. They sit in silence, Connor’s sorry she’s hurt. She removes the cloth: the wound is healed. Connor asks what was wrong with the man who wanted to hurt her, she’s not sure but says that some people can’t accept change, it scares them, fear becomes hatred and takes it on others or on themselves.

The PTW walks in the garden absorbing the lovely fragrances. A Pensive Angel says it must be the jasmine, and tells her he shamed her, almost killed that man. She says there can be no shame in trying to protect her, he doesn’t want to fail her again. She tells him “Then don’t,” But he says it’s not that simple, because of what he’s feeling. It’s not anger but happiness that’s a danger to them, if he allows himself that one moment of perfect happiness… but she’s seen all of that and says that soon it won’t matter, Evil will be banished by their deeds, as will the evil inside of him and only Angel will remain. He asks if it’s even possible to eradicate all evil, but that’s why she came back and she has faith in him as his General, and all of them as warriors. they’ll never be alone again.

Days have passed and the A.I. crew has worked restlessly, taking out hordes of demons, the news having taken notice of the sharp drop in crime after a long increase. The PTW doesn’t care if don’t get the credit, only that they’re winning, Angel sees that she never doubted them, she tells them there was no room for doubt, only love. Lorne comes down, he has a surprise for the PTW upstairs. Fred comes in with the shirt after Jasmine’s up, Wes says it looks brand new, and it is, she cries that she bought a new one. Wes and Angel comfort her, it’s even better, but she keeps crying that she’s not here. They tell her she’s just upstairs, Fred knows this but even when the Goddess is not around she hurts.

Lorne shows the PTW around her new, large suite, filled with the scent of jasmine. She loves it, and Lorne leaves her alone. Connor walks by, she senses he’s troubled and asks him to come in. He finally knows why he was created, to bring her here. She says that it’s for that and so much more. He believes he doesn’t deserve it, after all he’s done, but she’s seen all of it, he deserves all the happiness she can give him. He asks why it was him, she tells him she needed a unique soul and it’s his time, his destiny: they’ll change the world. Fred comes in with the new shirt, she couldn’t scrape off all the blood and as she says that she sees the PTW’s face, horrible hollow dripping head full of maggots.

ACT III

The PTW asks her if she’s all right, Fred is crying but assures her it’s all right. The rest of the crew arrives there, telling her there’s no reason to cry, She is right there and not going anywhere. Fred needs some time to take stock and rushes out.

Fred is at Cordy’s bedside, wondering that if what Lorne saw, evil, pukiness, was true, but they didn’t even know to fight back. Angel’s behind her, saying he knows what she’s thinking, the lies, it all melts away, and nothing remains but beauty. She lies that it’s incredible, Angel can’t believe he almost killed the Goddess, it seems a lifetime ago. Fred prods that it’s all so different then what they expected. But there’s no evil, just the PTW. Fred asks him if she noticed that they do what the PTW asks them to, without questions, he tells her it’s a relief.

The E.R. Fred goes to the front desk and bluffs her way to see the man that wanted to harm the PTW. He’s been transferred to the Psychiatric Ward and she sneaks in his room. He asks her to go away, she tries to figure out if this happened to him before, but he is adamant, he wants to be left alone. She doesn’t think he’s crazy, she thinks she saw the same thing he did. When he asks if she touched her and doesn’t reply, he shows her the side of the face the PTW touched, it’s deformed and demonic. He has to kill it and asks Fred to free her: she’s been called on the mission. Fred says she doesn’t get called. Her cell rings and she has to run, He says she hast to do, and screams not to trust her or anyone.

Fred returns to the hotel. There are a bunch of people who followed the Goddess back here when she went for a walk. She goes to Wes, and takes him aside. She asks him if she told him something he didn’t want to know would he trust her, he says of course. She explains that she went to the hospital to see the attacker, to understand why, and that they both saw the same thing. She tells him what she saw while Gunn watches them from the upper level. Wes tells her after listening to the description that she did the right thing by telling him. The PTW, Angel and Connor appear on the upper balcony, captivating all but Fred. Wes say’s he’ll help her and moves off and talks to Gunn, both obviously concerned. Wes goes up to speak to the trio while Gunn talks to Lorne. Fred grabs a knife and crossbow from the weapon cabinet. She points the crossbow at the PTW, She’s sorry for this, and fires.

ACT IV

Angel jumps over the railing, the arrow hitting him in the chest, Connor jumps after him, Wes rushes down. Lorne goes to her furious, she grabs him and hold the knife to his throat. Angel rips the arrow from his chest, she tells them to back off or she’ll kill Lorne. The PTW says there’s nowhere she can go, her love will follow her everywhere. Fred pushes Lorne on Angel and flees. The PTW orders them to let Fred go, they’re all gathered in pee, and she won’t let her take that away from them.

Fred has taken Wes’ SUV, driving in the hills, and stops to cry.

Wes can’t believe Fred’s evil, Gunn says he should have seen it coming. The PTW didn’t want the others to see that but now they all understand the reality of what hatred can do. Angel, giving the PTW a bouquet, says that they need to find Fred, and he and Connor can still track her. The PTW knows that they’re in pain about Fred’s betrayal, Angel wonders why he didn’t see, she says none of them did, but he had noticed her odd behaviour earlier but chalked it up to Fred being Fred. Wes is shocked that she went to see him, the others believe that man did something to her. The PTW doubts Fred knows why she wants to destroy everything they’ve done, and that makes her more dangerous. Angel believes they have to kill her, Wes says she’s a threat, the PTW thinks that it may come to that, but they have to help her first, get to the root of her hatred. She says they’ll find Fred tomorrow it’ll be easier; they’ll have eyes everywhere.

It’s now morning, Fred’s at a diner eating breakfast. On TV, they have a special visitor to the morning show, Jasmine. Jasmine is the PTW, and she welcomes L.A. to a special day. As she talks all those at the Diner knell before the TV, Fred walks out in a daze. All those with Jasmine’s reach gives knee to her.

Summary by Dannyboy