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| Episode 2, Season 3 Title: "That Vision Thing" Written by: Jeffrey Bell Directed by: Bill Norton Original Air date: 1 October 2001
ACT 1:
In the bathroom, Cordy checks additional wounds on her back and shoulder and takes a few pain pills. Angel knocks and insists that she open the door. She does and tries to play down the affect of the vision. Angel knows theyÍre getting worst and insists that Fred take her home. She resists but Angel gets his way. China Town. On the road to the last herb shop on their list, they arrive at the Van Hoa Dong Ginseng & Herb Co. shop. Behind the counter are an elderly Asian couple tending to their shop. The elderly woman quickly refuses them service. Gunn comments, ñSince when canÍt a brother buy some ginseng tea?î She clarifies that it is Angel, the vampire that is not welcome but Wes points that they are in a public place and asks about the ancient coin. The elderly pair jump over the counter and land ready to fight. Their eyes turn into enlarged black pupils and their fingers become long silver claws like in CordyÍs vision. Angel takes the man, while Wes and Gunn fight the female creature. But the battle is not easy for our three heroes and they struggle. Luckily, they manage to knock the beasts out. Catching his breath Gunn says, ñDamn! Grandpa and Grandma got game!î The crew quickly searches for the coin before the pair comes to and Angel finds it around the old manÍs neck. At Wolfram & Hart, Lilah fetches a document from her printer but Gavin quickly takes it from her hand. We learn that Gavin, transferred from the Real Estate Division, is now part of the Special Projects Division at the firm and that Lilah inherited LindseyÍs old office. A young man with a red turban hat peeks out of LilahÍs office, he looks anxious and pops back inside. Gavin is proud of his plan against Angel, but Lilah scoffs at his invitation to join his team and reminds him about the cost that Lindsey paid in his battle against Angel. She quickly ends their conversation as Gavin claims heÍs fighting Angel his own way. Lilah does not share his optimism and returns to her office. At CordyÍs ghost delicious apartment, our Vision Girl is ready for bed and feigns tiredness to get Fred to leave. She finds Fred sitting on the kitchen floor enjoying a jar of peanut butter. Cordy leads her out to the door insisting that sheÍs okay but Fred is reluctant because she must wait until Angel calls. Phantom Dennis helps by opening the door but Fred is a very obedient Angel groupie. Suddenly, Cordy pauses and drops to the floor face down with an unearthly ka-thump. Fred is stunned and turns her over. CordyÍs face reddens and becomes partially covered with pustules similar to those on the demon in her vision. Act II
Angel arrives at the Key Shop with sword in hand. He shows the clerk behind the desk CordyÍs sketch but the clerk sounds the alarm and demons appear. Le Fight ensues! Back at the Hyperion, Gunn and Fred arrive. She apologizes to Gunn for him having to baby sit her, but heÍs not too put out by hanging with a cute babe. As they enter the main doors Gunn is surprised by a man in a gas mask. Surekill Exterminators are on the job, fumigating the hotel. Gunn doesnÍt think so and demands work orders or heÍll be doing some exterminating of his own. Angel arrives back at CordyÍs apartment triumphant with the key. In the bedroom, Lorne sits by her side. He complains that Cordy not complying with ïthe processÍ. To AngelÍs confused looks Wesley explains his idea, The host reads peopleÍs auraÍs ¿ heÍs connected to the PTB. But Cordy tells Angel that if she loses the visions she wonÍt be able to help him anymore and he wonÍt need her. Angel assures her that sheÍs whatÍs important by capering her to a car. Cordy agrees and Lorne relaxes her to the state of Julie Andrews via the Sound of Music. ñTime to reach out and touch someone.î Over at Wolfram & Hart, Lilah and Morocco-boy are signing contracts and talking 1099 forms. Even demons have to do their taxes, but thatÍs not why heÍs there. Lilah lowers the lights and he sits on the table cross leg and starts to levitate. He lifts his hat and exposes his undulating brain as visions of flames dance in his head. In CordyÍs bedroom, Lorne is tossed across the room and her body is covered in severe burns.
Back at LilahÍs office, she says, ñWell?î ñI think she got the message.î Ouch!
Act III In the living room Fred steals LorneÍs thunder by announcing that the visions are from the PTB. He admits that they are earth bound, pretty authentic and local. So, whoÍs transmitting false data through the celestial pipeline? ñStart looking at enemies with sizable resources. Lilah is sitting in her office, concentrating on her computer screen, working on her drive with MacGolf. Angel appears behind her and tosses the coin and key on her desk. Seems Gavin assisted him in getting past the guards. Lilah tells Angel heÍll need the relics to ïcomplete the mission.Í Seems thereÍs been a man wrongly accused and imprisoned in a fortressed demon dimension and W&H need an man of character, a champion of good, a warrior to get him out. At the Hyperion, while Gunn and Fred look after Cordy, Wesley explains that heÍs discovered that both artifacts are considered objects of good as well as the demons they have been fighting. The inscription on the coin and key match and will transport Angel to the demon dimension. Angel grabs a sword, dagger and cudgel from the weaponÍs chest as Wes warns him that if W&H are behind this he could releases an even greater evil. Angel fits the two pieces together and tosses them on the floor. As it spins around, a cone shaped portal is formed. Angel steps into the light and vanishes as all his weapons drop to the floor. Act IV:
Later that night in a dry L.A. waterway, two limos wait as Lilah passes the wet pavement. Angel drives up with Wesley, Gunn and their prisoner in the car. Gunn assures Angel that if anything goes wrong, ñPop goes the weasel.î The limos empty and itÍs time to make the trade, the man for CordyÍs recovery. Lilah assures Angel it wonÍt take long and Wes is on the cell to Fred as she watches Cordelia. Morocco-guy does the gooey brain dance again and CordyÍs wounds disappear. Wesley give Angel the high sign and they release their man who upon arriving at the limos gives Angel one last odd eye-piercing glance. Lilah assures Angel that itÍs just business but he give her the skinny if she ever tries this again. As a punctuation, he sails a re-bar through the limo and into the brain of telepathic vision-boy. Angel and the gang drive off. The next morning at the Hypernion, Cordelia is fixing Angel a ïthank youÍ breakfast of pop-up waffles. Cordy tells Angel his act was selfless and brave but that W&H won if this guy turns out to be evil, ñItÍs all my fault.î He assures her that itÍs not about winning but whatÍs at stake and heÍll deal with trouble when it comes. The Yoro Mountains, Honduras, and a thunderstorm rages as a soppy Darla enters a ShamanÍs hut. He, of course, was expecting her and knows what she wants. She verifies that the father is indeed a vampire then cuts her own hand when the Shaman hesitates, ñMen are such babies,î and he places her blood in a bowl. He adds some powder and grinds it, assuring her that this method never fails. He smears the blood mixture on his hands and proceeds to rub it over her large belly. A strange power jerks him away from Darla and he falls to floor, regretfully informing her, ñI cannot help you. No man can.î Darla holds her tummy, the blood-red imprint of the ShamanÍs hands bright against the white of her billowing shirt. ThereÍs only one thing to do, ñTime to go visit Daddy!î SomeoneÍs in for a BIG surprise!
Summary by Council member Raciella. |
In the Hyperion lobby, Wesley and Gunn are enjoying their Chinese take out, whispering their concerns about Cordy. She passes by, clearly agitated because she has been vision free for a while, and Gunn greets her overly nice. Fred is eating as well, under a table. They are disrupted by an unwelcome visitor that Wes recognizes as Gavin Park, an attorney of Wolfram & Hart with expensive Gucci loafers that Cordy salivates over. Gavin quickly notices the extra addition of Fred and presents Angel with a list of fifty-seven city code violations among them asbestos, earthquake proofing, and termites but Angel isnÍt ruffled and Gavin leaves. Angel turns to Fred glad she is ñout and about.î Suddenly, CordyÍs awaited vision comes. She falls to the floor, holding her shoulder. The vision is of a coin with a hole in it and two ñclaw thingsî in a China Town herb shop. Uneasily, she walks to the bathroom, leaning on the sink for support. With reference demon book in hand, Wes asks about the number of claws of the beast in her vision. From the opposite side of the closed door, Cordy lifts her blouse to reveal five long gashes on her belly. ItÍs most definitely five. 
Wes is in his office searching through Chinese demon reference books to identify the beasts in CordyÍs vision as Fred peruses the ïHÍ section of the yellow pages for herb shops located in China Town. Angel needs an update on the identifying part, and Wes has narrowed it down to two: A Cantonese Fook-beast or a Wan-Hang Dhole, but Gunn quickly reminds them that theyÍre ñburning moonlightî. They agree and quickly move out but not before Angel asks Fred for a favor.
CordeliaÍs apartment. Angel and Wesley have arrived and ascertain that the Visions are now taking on a physical manifestation. Cordy states that the PTB wouldnÍt do this to her on purpose as they leave her to rest in her bedroom as they brainstorm in the living room. As Wes wonders why the PTB would choose to communicate this way, Fred suggests, ñMaybe we could ask them.î ThatÍs a girl! After all itÍs all energy, light waves, radio waves, x-rays, brain waves ¿ figure out the frequency and trace the call. Wesley once again takes command-mode and sends Gunn and Fred back to the Hyperion to gather a few books to research the coin. He tells Angel to find the demon in the latest vision and get the key but Angel is reluctant to leave Cordy. With two visions in one night Wes urges him on and to trust him. Wesley has an idea.
In her apartment, Cordelia wonders if she is a bad person. Angel assures her she is strong and brave but Cordy confesses she doesnÍt want her visions anymore, sheÍs tried but she canÍt take it. Wesley pops his head in the door and beacons Angel out.
Welcome to the Demon Dimension. Been to one, been to them all. As Angel appears in front of a wall of sculls the key spins to a stop at his feet. Down a dark staircase a fire glows. Angel enters a chamber and sees a man being held within a burning cage, wreathing in horror, though the room is silent. To his surprise, a monstrous demon guards the door, but itÍs only Skip. After some small talk we discover that the demonÍs will keeps the man locked and quiet in his horrific imprisonment. And although Skip also is on the side of good, Angel will have to defeat him to save their prisoner. During the ensuing first the man grabs Skip and pulls him towards the burning cage. He starts to burn but Angel saves him, then apologizes for having to knock him out. The flames disappear and the man looks at Angel oddly with a slight smile.