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.

Benediction

• Angel returns to the hotel and lets the gang know that Connor’s going by Stephen now.
• But it’s still him.
• Cordelia breaks the news that something else may have come out of the portal.
• Angel’s convinced that he’ll come back to the hotel when he realizes he needs his father.
• But he’s already checking into another hotel with his “father,” Holtz.
• I’m gonna keep calling the kid Connor.
• The whole Stephen thing is gonna get confusing.
• Connor apologizes to Holtz for not being able to kill Angel when he had the chance.
• Holtz knew he wouldn’t be able to.
• Fred tweaks a Geiger counter to be able to track anything that could have come through the tear in reality.
• Cordelia goes to talk with Angel… which Groo notices.
• He’s starting to pick up that there’s something more between Cordelia and Angel than either of them are ready to admit.
• Groo and Lorne talk… Groo is confused by Angel’s inaction.
• In the conversation, Lorne says that just because someone does some dimension hopping doesn’t mean things will always work out.
• And Lorne figures out that Groo isn’t so much talking about Connor and Angel, but himself and Cordelia.
• Wes sits down to a delicious frozen dinner when he gets an email alert giving him a time, place, and instructions to come alone.
• Fred uses the Geiger counter around the lobby and inadvertently “finds” Connor, who’s just arrived back at the hotel at the behest of Holtz.
• Angel introduces him to everyone, including Lorne, who gets a pretty dirty look from the kid.
• Guess it’s the whole demon thing…
• Cordy gets a vision about a gang of vampires going after a girl at a club.
• Angel invites Connor to come with him.
• Wes is at the club, too… invited by Lilah.
• She’s set up Justine to get killed by vampires.
• Lilah assumed Wesley would enjoy watching, but really she just wanted to know if Wes would go straight to his car or if he’d stop to warn Justine before leaving.
• Angel arrives in time to save Justine.
• He and Connor dust three vampires, then Connor chases after one that gets away.
• Wes and Lilah watch as they realize that Connor is back from Q’ortoth and he’s all growed up.
• Connor gets the last vampire after almost accidentally staking Angel.
• In a dark alley, Angel and Connor spar and I’d swear the kid is having a good time with his old man.
• Holtz watches them from a distance.
• Later, Holtz tries to tell Connor that he needs Angel and insists that he go back to his real father.
• Fred and Gunn are still tracking whatever came out of the tear, leading them to the hotel where Connor and Holtz are staying.
• They spot Connor as he walks out on Holtz.
• Then they spot Holtz.
• Connor gets back to the Hyperion and has a pretty nasty run in with Lorne.
• And, yeah, it’s just because he’s a demon.
• Cordelia steps in and tries to talk Connor down, explaining that she’s part demon.
• So he attacks her.
• She does her glowing thing which inexplicably calms Connor.
• He starts crying and she comforts him.
• Lorne figures Cordelia gave Connor some kind of soul cleanse, cleaning the Q’ortoth out of him.
• Connor lets it slip that Holtz said, “We came back for a reason.”
• And Justine goes to visit Holtz.
• Angel asks Gunn and Fred to take Connor somewhere fun while he goes to confront Holtz.
• They take Connor to the beach so he can see the ocean for the first time.
• Connor walks closer to the edge of the water, giving Fred and Gunn a chance to talk a bit.
• They bring up Angel confronting Holtz… and Connor hears every word.
• Then he runs off to get to Holtz.
• Cordelia is turning off the lights at the Hyperion and thinks Angel has come back.
• She tells him she’s happy she listened to her and came back… but it’s Groo.
• Angel is actually with Holtz.
• At first, Angel tries to get violent.
• But then they have a legit conversation.
• Angel apologizes for killing Holtz’s family all those years ago.
• Holtz asks Angel to give Connor a letter in an unsealed envelope.
• Angel departs peacefully.
• He reads the letter that Holtz wrote.
• Holtz has convinced Justine to kill him using a barbecue fork, making it look like Angel fed on him.
• Connor arrives in time to find Justine cradling Holtz’s dead body.
• Body count: Vampires – 4; Humans – 1