Welcome to Rewatching Angel, the part of the blog where I rewatch the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off: Angel. Each Tuesday evening, you’re invited to join me as I attempt to rediscover what made me love these shows so many years ago.

Through the Looking Glass

• Cordelia’s ruler of Pylea. That should make the guys’ stint in the dungeon a short one, right?
• She’s definitely not one to let power go to her head.
• Wait… this is Cordelia we’re talking about.
• But she’s not the same Cordelia that came out of Sunnydale two years ago.
• Doesn’t mean she won’t have a little fun before releasing her friends.
• “Off with their heads!”
• But she’s kidding. They’re safe.
• Cordelia clears the throne room except for her guys.
• Lorne explains the prophecy about the cursed one… Cordelia… who is Pylea’s messiah who would restore the monarchy.
• Angel gets sidetracked by his reflection. Why hasn’t anyone told him his hair’s like that?
• Wes needs to see the books that the robed demons have. Maybe there’s a way back to earth.
• Angel and Lorne head to his old home to visit his family and find out what they can about getting a dimensional hot spot.
• They’re not thrilled about seeing Lorne, but his cousin spreads the word about Angel’s bravery in killing the Drokken, so he’s welcome as an honored guest.
• Wesley finds that the holy books he needs are trionic… all three are needed to understand what’s said.
• He discovers that Cordelia needs to “com-shuk” with the “Groosalugg…”
• The priests were talking about this earlier, too. One of them wants to behead Cordelia if she survives whatever this com-shuk is.
• Then Wesley discovers the front covers of the three books, depicting a wolf, a ram, and a hart.
• Seems the priests can’t be trusted.
• In walk the priests. Their leader explains the com-shuk is a mating ritual. And as soon as the Groosalugg arrives from the scum pits, the com-shuk will happen.
• Knowing this thing is coming but not being sure what this thing is gonna be, Cordelia’s ready to abdicate her throne and hop the next portal back to earth.
• The heroic Angel has been chosen to behead Fred. What an honor!
• Angel sets Fred free and everyone goes after them.
• Lorne sings “Stop! In the Name of Love,” which the locals find abhorrent, giving Angel and Fred a chance to escape.
• Then someone manages to knock Lorne out.
• Wes and Gunn try to sneak Cordelia out through the castle’s sewers.
• Before Cordelia can climb down, the priests find her to let her know the Groosalugg approaches.
• Once Angel and Fred get away, she runs off to her cave.
• Angel follows and it looks like she’s been living there for quite some time.
• “Handsome man saved me from the monsters.”
• Fred’s convinced that Angel’s not real. She’s not all there.
• Five years alone in Pylea might do that to a girl.
• She writes all over the walls and Angel realizes this is the girl from Cordy’s vision.
• Back in the throne room, the Groosalugg arrives. Turns out he’s less monster and more Conan the Barbarian.
• Angel and Fred try to make their way back to find the others, but they’re found by a couple of guards on horseback.
• In the fight, Angel vamps out. But that’s different in Pylea.
• The transformation is a lot more severe and he’s a lot more savage, killing one of the horseback demons.
• Groosalugg explains that, being born looking human was an affront to his people. But Cordelia’s kinda smitten.
• Lorne is brought to her for judgment and she pardons him. Then shoos him away. She wants to be alone with the Groosalugg.
• In the woods, crazy demon Angel attacks Wes and Gunn. Fred draws him away with some fresh blood.
• But then Wes and Gunn are ambushed by a tribe of humans. The non-slave variety.
• Back in Fred’s cave, Angel calms down and reverts back to his normal self. But he’s kind of freaked out by what he became.
• Groosalugg convinces Cordelia that she can do a lot of good in her position as princess. So she asks for parchment from the priests.
• They want to send her a message instead.
• Wes and Gunn’s band of merry men want to send a message, too. But they want to make a list of demands that will be shoved into Wes and Gunn’s mouths when their severed heads are displayed outside the princess’ window.
• While Cordelia is writing down some new proclamations, the priests arrive and dismiss Groosalugg.
• They tell her that she and the Groosalugg are tools of the Covenant, nothing more. They are to do what they are told.
• And they reveal that they’ve beheaded Lorne.
• Body count: Demons – 2