Episode 5, Season 1
Title: "Rm w/a Vu"

Written by: David Greenwalt and Jane Espenson
Directed by: Scott McGinnis
Original Air Date: 2 November 1999


Teaser:

At Angel Investigations Cordelia is rehearsing her latest failed audition for Doyle and wonders why the blonde in a cat suit won over her extraordinarily great acting skills. The phone begins to ring as Angel pokes his head in but the answering machine gets the call from CordyÍs friend, Aura, a former Cordette. Cordy turns down the volume refusing to rehash the ñparade of painî that her life is currently experiencing, bad apartment, and no acting jobs with Aura. To brighten her day, Doyle offers his place to crash for the occasional break. She of course declines. Cordy isnÍt desperate just yet. She leaves, and Doyle chats up Angel about CordyÍs past. Angel assures Doyle that our Cordy came from a very rich family that recently lost it all to a tax problem.

A while later Cordy arrives at her apartment in the only affordable part of town for those that have nothing. She tries for a glass of water but the water is brown and spurts over her nice tank top. She sighs heavily but the last straw is the roach on her T.V. She immediately calls the super to discover the exterminators did drop by and that crunch beneath her feet is dead roaches. There are plenty of them of everywhere. Cordy has arrived at that moment of desperation and calls Doyle.

Across es; , Doyle hurries to his apartment but does not catch the ringing phone because a particularly large demon at the door surprises him.


Act I:

Still at DoyleÍs place, itÍs apparent that the demon is there to collect for someone Doyle owes. Doyle can only escape by hitting the demon with a chest drawer. He runs out the door.

BeethovenÍs Fifth symphony is playing as AngelÍs shower is interrupted by Cordy and her suitcases at his door. She recounts her tragic night and the roaches with creepy antlers. She invites herself to stay over until she ñfinds a decent placeî and steps into the shower. Angel can only scratch his head at the pleasant situation of having CordyÍs sarcasm 24*7.

The next morning, Doyle arrives at the office with a bruised hand but even worse is his assumption at seeing a freshly showered Cordy sitting at the kitchen table in AngelÍs basement apartment. Doyle assumes the worst but Angel quickly explains. Doyle asks if anyone asked about him and Cordy remembers she sent one of his cousins to his place. He would have appreciated some warning.

Moments later, Doyle catches Cordy tearing up the linoleum to see whatÍs underneath. She might be at AngelÍs place a while. He also sees CordyÍs trophies and her burned diploma. Angel interrupts with the news that thereÍs ña big guyî there to see him. As soon as Angel turns, Doyle runs out but Angel surprises him as he tried to sneak off. Doyle finally confesses that he owes some shady people money and the Kaliff demon is after him. Doyle is hopeful that Angel might help him but AngelÍs priorities lie in Cordy finding another place to live in. They make a deal. Angel will take care of the demon if Doyle takes care of CordyÍs place.

Apartment hunting around town, Cordy and Doyle check out the first on her list, but itÍs no better than her current place. The next place is a small door less living area used by a cult that likes to chant at 4:00am. The final place is nice enough but the rotund landlord is eyeing Cordy like a fresh piece of pie and assures her that heÍs the only one with another set of keys to the place. Cordy gives up and turns to Doyle, ñOkay, just out of curiosity. You say you know a guy?î

At DoyleÍs place, Angel is checking it out when the Kaliff surprises him from behind.

Cordelia and Doyle with realtor in tow walk into a beautiful spacious apartment. It was recently let go by the previous tenant and it comes at a really good deal. Cordy takes it and steps out with a smile. Things seem to be looking up but they donÍt realize that behind them, the wall turns into an ominous face.


Act II:

At DoyleÍs apartment, Angel and Griff fight it out and our hero overpowers the big demon, turning vamp face. He also gets Griff to agree that if he gets Doyle to pay that they will let him live. Griff wonders why a vampire would help a demon half breed. Griff agrees after some graphic verbal convincing from Angel.

At CordyÍs first night at her new apartment, things arenÍt as peaceful as they look. Our Cordy is asleep while the radio plays, the drawers open and Cordy is suddenly startled awake.

Back at the office, Doyle doesnÍt like the way things turned out. He canÍt pay. Angel wonders why Doyle lives the way he does. But there are some good things in his life, like Cordy. HeÍs happy that she likes her new place. Now awake, Cordy tries to turn on the lights but they donÍt work. The glass of water by her table begins to boil and her bed begins to levitate, ñI knew this was too good to be true! IÍm from Sunnydale! YouÍre not scaring me you know.î She grabs the bed realizing itÍs going to be long night.

The morning comes and the bed finally crashes loudly to the floor. Cordy survived the night and she begins her day in front of the bathroom mirror. Unknown to her, an old lady ghost is standing behind her. She begins to arrange a chair but it slams into the wall. Wind begins to blow, but our Cordy is brave. A knock on the door stops the wind and its Doyle and Angel. She tries to keep them from coming in but they are excited to check her place out. Things begin to fly around and a trophy hits Doyle. She tries to cover up and Angel quickly catches on especially when the word ñDIEî appears on the wall in blood. The apartment is haunted and the two men have to drag her out after Doyle offers to cleanse it.


Act III:

At the office, Doyle researches the apartment complex on deaths. Angel tries to convince Cordy that the place isnÍt worth it but she needs the place because it means that things are finally turning around for her. If she keeps it then she is no longer being punished for her high school meanness. Doyle finds a death of an old lady back in the 1950s, Maude Pearson. Angel is doubtful since the death was not a violent one but a heart attack. Doyle goes out to find the supplies for the cleansing spell, while still not totally convinced Angel will pay a visit to the resident lady cop, Kate.

Cordy stays behind and a while later, gets a call from Angel asking her to go to the apartment. The machine picks up the call early and records their conversation.

Moments later, Cordy arrives at her apartment, to find it empty except for the old lady ghost that talks to her imitating AngelÍs voice. She runs but the ghost using its power throws Cordy against the living room wall. The ghost begins a psychological attack on her self-esteem and adds, ñToo bad you couldnÍtÍ leave my son alone.î Cordy wonders who her son is.

At the LAPD, Kate gives Angel what he wants. The old case report reveals that the investigator on the case was suspicious because the son Dennis Pearson argued a lot with his mother about his fianc³e. Dennis skipped town right after his motherÍs death. He was never caught. An unavenged murder is cause for a ghostly appearance and Angel asks her to check for suicides in the computer files. Countless suicides appear in the same apartment. He immediately calls the office.

Doyle enters the office with an armload of supplies and gets the phone in time. Cordy is not there but Doyle checks the messages and the two listen to her last conversation. Angel did not call and they both race to the apartment.

Back at the apartment, Maude Pearson continues her mental assault on Cordy. Mrs. Pearson has transferred all her anger towards her sonÍs fianc³e onto Cordy just like she has over and over again on the previous tenants driving them to suicide. Mrs. Pearson isnÍt going to let a cheap tramp take her son away. Cordy is confused and the continual assault is wearing her down.

On the road, Angel fills in Doyle. Maude Pearson is killing the tenants because she filled with anger and rage of her unavenged death and will continue until the truth comes out. Doyle checks the box of supplies in the backseat. They are both worried about Cordy.

Cordelia is sobbing as Maude Pearson continues, ñPeople let you end up here because they are happy to see you fail.î A chandelier breaks behind her and the electric cord from it wraps around CordyÍs throat and lifts her off the floor, choking her. Our Cordy gives up. Finally satisfied that her sonÍs fianc³e is dead and will not take her son away, Maude disappears. Angel and Doyle crash through the door and help Cordy out of the noose. She coughs and sobbingly tells Angel what happened as Doyle prepares for the cleansing ritual. Things begin to fly and the wind picks up inside the apartment. They decide itÍs not safe but on their way out Griff and his gang have tracked down Doyle and block their path out.


Act IV:

Griff and his two thugs enter with guns and a fight ensues. Maude makes things interesting by letting knives fly through the air in her attempt to make them all leave. MaudeÍs knives take one man out, while Angle and Doyle continue to fight the two left. Cordy is trapped in the bedroom with Maude and she starts again as Cordy apologizes for her son. Maude crosses the line with the following words, ñYou stupid bitch!î This quiets Cordy and she finally stands up to the ghost. Cordy was the nastiest girl in Sunnydale history! Cordy is not going to let a little ghost run her out of her beautiful apartment and she yells, ñGet the hell out of my house!î The bitch is definitely back. Maude disappears.

With Maude gone, everything settles down in the apartment. Angel finishes off Griff and DoyleÍs problem is gone. Cordy walks into the living room but suddenly her eyes glaze over white, clearly possessed. She tears down a wall with a lamp and they discover a skeleton. Maude appears again and screams.

Flashback to the 1950s. A younger Maude is burying Dennis alive behind the wall. A tied up Dennis begs his mother to stop but she reminds him, ñYou are nothing without me.î A few seconds after she finishes the job, she has a heart attack and falls on the living room floor.

Back to present day. Dennis is a tad upset and sends his momÍs spirit back to the afterlife. Maude begs for forgiveness as her spirit breaks into a fading bright light. Doyle, Angel and Cordy watch as Maude is finally gone for good. Cordy remarks, ñI knew I didnÍt like that wall.î

At DoyleÍs apartment, Angel stands by as Doyle checks his three new door locks. The vamp with a soul wonders how Doyle can live a life always on the run. Doyle needs some time before he can reveal all to Angel.

Cordy is sitting at her new couch while talking to her friend Aura from Sunnydale High. She blames ñthe incompetent girl at workî for missing her call. Cordy raves about her new place and her new roommate that she rarely sees. Phantom Dennis turns on the TV. but she asks for quiet time. Cordy and Phantom Dennis have a nice arrangement. Cordelia continues to chat, enjoying every moment. Things are finally looking up.


Summary by CoA Council member, Raciella

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