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| Episode 7, Season 4 Title: "Apocalypse, Nowish" Written by: Steven S. DeKnight Directed by: Vern Gillum Original Air Date: 17 November 2002 Teaser: 
At Angel Investigations, while they walk downstairs, Lorne begs Angel that he needs to read Cordy to see what Wolfram & Hart sucked out of his head. Angel refuses his multiple requests rationalizing that cases are over-flowing and our vision girl needs her rest and time to deal. Gunn and Fred leave to check on a case in Hancock Park of a woman complaining of sounds in her house plumbing. Gunn doesn't know if he should bring an axe or a plunger. Angel turns to Lorne, "It's not like the world is going to end right this second."
Screams from a television fill the warehouse as Cordy sits in front of the TV enjoying an old horror movie. Connor arrives with some snacks and Cordy is happy he brought some of her favorites. She thanks him for everything he has done for her. She hasn't slept since she returned from Angel's because she sees her horrible visions and smells the burning flesh of the people the demon will kill. No one is safe and she can't seem to get the words out to tell Angel. Cordy can feel that it will arrive soon when suddenly Connor rises and turns into a large red demon with giant horns who grabs her by the neck and says, "I know!" Cordy screams and wakes up from her nightmare as Connor rushes over to comfort her in his arms. She cries. Act I: 
In the Hyperion, Lorne is taking a call about giant snakes but he thinks they are of the "garden variety". Wanting some action, Angel is hopeful that they are perhaps demon snakes.
Across town, Fred and Gunn arrive at their client's home to find that noises and rumbling have come from her bathroom for about a week. They reassure their client and enter a posh bathroom. Rumbling begins which seem to come from everywhere as suddenly huge rats fill the bathroom; coming from the pipes and ceiling. Fred and Gunn run out and tell their client she needs to look into an exterminator. Wesley arrives at his apartment to find Lilah sitting on his kitchen table dressed in a school girl's outfit with braids and a pair of glasses, imitating Fred. She knows that he has the hots for Fred and she plays up to it. Lilah also knows that at the end of the day it is 'her bed' he will share. They kiss passionately and end up on the couch but she moves to take the glasses off and Wesley quickly tells Lilah to leave them on. In the Hyperion courtyard, Fred and Gunn are disgusted with the rat encounter. Fred plans to take a bath to clean up and Gunn wants to join her. Fred would rather be alone and their discussion moves to their relationship, especially how much it has changed since their murder of Professor Seidel. Fred takes off. Inside the Hyperion, the phones are ringing off the hook with only Lorne to handle them until Gunn enters and helps. Angel thinks word got out that he returned and clients are calling. Lorne asks Angel to get Cordy but Connor comes in with a special request. He wants Angel to talk to Cordy but he's reluctant until his son says, "Dad? Please." At the warehouse, Angel is finally talking with Cordy as Connor watches from behind but he quickly leaves giving them some alone time. She finally confesses that she loves Angel and always will but getting her memory back was just too much at first, especially the memory of his past. She felt and lived everything Angelus did as well as the pain and fear he caused his victims and his joy at making them suffer. She cannot be with Angel because it is too soon. She begins to shake and her eyes glaze white as a vision hits her, "He's coming. He's coming now!" Act II: 
Moments later, Cordy is resting in bed. Connor and Angel are by her side as she recalls her vision but she can't give much information only that it is coming and will not stop until everyone is dead. Angel is confident that he can stop it. Also, she knows more about the creature but can't seem to access those memories. Angel offers that perhaps Lorne can read her. She doesn't think that Lorne is up for it after the last time but regardless, she needs to know more.
At the Hyperion, phones continue to ring off the hook as Lorne and Gunn try to handle all the mystical disturbances. Lorne wonders where Fred is but Gunn isn't forthcoming with the info and our crooner knows that something is up with their relationship. Gunn does admit that things haven't been the same since Prof. Siedel but their conversation is stunted when something hits the window. Gunn opens the door to find a sparrow slammed into the window, fallen dead. Lorne urges him to close the door as hundreds of sparrows slam into the windows around them leaving blood splatters on the glass. In the halls of Wolfram & Hart, Lilah is heading to her office as we hear her on her cell phone receiving news about a 300% increase in the last hour on mystical occurrences. She enters her office to find Angel casually waiting for her--so much for the vampire detectors. She knows why he is there: Lorne. Behind her we see Gavin bound and gagged, after having confessed all to Angel. Despite their attempts to decipher what was in Lorne's head, the psychics' heads have exploded. Apparently, the memory is protected. Angel points out that she had no idea the early apocalypse was coming and he offers a truce of sorts. At the warehouse, Cordy grabs her coat to head out but Connor sneaks up on her and she confesses that her vision is getting clearer and plans to face the Beast on her own. She wonders if she did something wrong and the Powers That Be sent her back or perhaps she was sent back to stop it and heads out. Connor joins her. In a dark alley, Cordy and Connor chat but she recognizes the alley as the place that Darla died and gave birth to Connor. Suddenly, cement flies through the air as the Beast tears through the ground in a fiery rush. Act III: 
In the alley, Connor attacks the Beast but it quickly sends him flying into a dumpster. The Beast lifts Cordy by the neck and Connor attacks again to protect her but he is no match for such an invincible demon. The Beast releases Cordy and then flies up through the air.
At Angel Investigations, Gunn is working the phone looking for Fred as Lorne is still handling frantic calls from a variety of supernatural occurrences. Lorne needs a break and joins Gunn in his search but Wesley arrives with news of his own calls. Angel refuses to let anyone leave because stopping the Beast is more important. Moments later, our crew is reviewing Lorne's information deciphered by Wolfram & Hart. Luckily, the evil law firm drained the vision before it killed Lorne. Lorne continues to answer phones and Angel urges him to keep track of the calls and their locations, perhaps mapping them out will help give them some clues. Sometime later, the crew is still reviewing the pages of deciphered ancient languages and symbols but are getting frustrated until Gunn has a breakthrough. He pieces together the sheets that create a puzzle of a square with an "X" in the middle. Angel recognizes it as the "Eye of Fire" an ancient symbol of alchemy symbolizing fire and destruction. Lorne discovers that his mapping out of occurrences have also resulted in a square on a map of LA. Across town, Fred is at her favorite eating joint that she shares with Gunn. The waitress advises her to call him as she serves Fred an umpteenth cup of coffee. She has been there all day. Suddenly, a small earthquake hits and the restaurant begins to shake. At the warehouse, Cordy and Connor feel the small earthquake and he wants to take off to stop it but Cordy points out that he has broken some ribs. He has never been 'broken' and Cordy feels guilty. Connor swears to protect Cordy and find a way to kill the Beast. In the Hyperion, our heroes also feel the small earthquake. They have mapped out the focal point of the disturbances and located them at the Kimble building that was renovated and now has a club on the rooftop. They quickly gather weapons but Lorne suggests perhaps some more research. They have already made up their minds and all head to stop the evil that has arrived. At the top of the Kimble building, they find the Beast has already killed enough people to form a bloody square. Act IV: 
Our heroes quickly move in for the kill that will prove their toughest yet. Angel attacks with a sword that seems to bounce off the Beast's armor-like skin. Gunn throws his axe but it's quickly caught between his claws and bent like a twig. Lorne fires off his crossbow but the arrows slide off the Beast and into Angel. Wes fires off two hand guns that seem to be doing some damage and follows up with a shot gun but he gets too close and quickly finds himself flying through the air. Angel doesn't stop and turns vamp face to attack with a stake but the Beast uses it against Angel and thrusts it into his throat as the Beast asks, "Do you really think she's safe with him?" as he tosses Angel over the side of the building. The Beast punches the focal point of the human square and a giant fire appears taking the Beast with it. They all watch the fire grow tall enough to reach the sky and open a portal that brings down a rain of fire onto Los Angeles.
Cordy and Connor watch from their warehouse room. Connor feels guilty for causing it since the Beast chose the place where he was born but Cordy assures him it has nothing to with him. She kisses him because she realizes that nothing matters since the end is coming. Connor has never had a childhood, or anything real and she wants to give him something real---herself. She knows how he feels about her and warps his arm around her waist and they continue to kiss tentatively. A tear can be seen falling from Connor's cheek as the fires pummel Los Angeles in the background. 
Wesley holds onto an injured Gunn as they both watch from the building rooftop the next phase of the apocalypse.
Across town, Fred watches the burning sky from the restaurant. She tries to call Gunn with her cell phone but all circuits are busy. Lilah watches the falling fires from her corner office window. Cordy and Connor are in bed and up from above, across Connor's building, Angel looks down on Connor's first time with Cordy. The end is certainly near.
Summary by CoA Council member, Raciella
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