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.

Orpheus

• Picking up right where we left off… Angelus is feeding on Faith.
• But something isn’t right…
• She dosed herself with some kind of drug from back at that bar.
• They both pass out.
• Back at the hotel it’s all hands on deck (minus the evil Cordelia) to make sure Angelus is incapacitated and Faith is taken care of.
• Angelus is chained up in the basement cage.
• Faith is laid in one of the beds upstairs, her wounds tended to.
• They both start talking in their sleep.
• Lorne fusses at Wesley for letting Faith pull that move.
• Cordelia is irrationally angry about Angelus being back in the hotel, to the point where she violently shoves Connor in a jealous rage over the way she thinks he looks at Faith.
• She plays it off as crazy hormones and has Connor find out all he can about what Faith and Angelus have done.
• Lorne explains the effects of the drug, Orpheus.
• It’s magically enhanced and can leave both the victim and the vampire in a psychic psychedelic funk.
• The POV changes to that of Faith and Angelus, trapped in one of Angel’s flashbacks.
• Looks like it’s just as Angel arrived on the boat to New York City.
• Next they jump ahead to the 1920s to witness Angel saving a puppy from getting hit by a car.
• Angelus narrates the scene, saying that Angel hasn’t fed on a human in decades, and he’s clearly tempted by the girl who owns the dog.
• Back in the real world, Fred, Wes, and Connor discuss/argue over re-ensouling Angel.
• Is that even a word?
• Connor whines about the lack of the jar and the lack of a soul which means Angelus is all that’s left.
• Fred’s been doing some reading about other methods.
• And in walks Willow Rosenberg.
• Fred actually called Willow, who is the only living person to have restored Angel’s soul before.
• Willow asks about Cordelia and Connor says she’s still resting after being shot in the leg with a crossbow by Angelus.
• I think that’s one of the things that really bothers me about this season…
• Cordelia got shot in the leg with a crossbow bolt.
• People are all the time getting knocked out, concussed, or having their throats slashed… but they’re up and about in no time, usually in the same episode.
• Cordelia’s been laid up in her room for four episodes!
• Suck it up and walk it off.
• I get it… trying to conceal the pregnancy and her evil activities in general… whatever.
• Anyway, Wes kind of insists on letting Willow see her.
• They make the quick catch up small talk and Cordelia asks if Willow really thinks she can pull it off.
• Willow’s gonna have to figure out a way to find and shatter the jar holding Angel’s soul, which then allows her to do the spell.
• All the while, Cordelia has her hand on a knife hidden under the mattress… but Willow excitedly leaves after figuring out her next steps before Cordy can do any damage.
• Back in Angelus/Angel’s mindscape, it’s the late ’70s or early ’80s.
• They’re in a diner and Angel plays Barry Manilow’s “Mandy” on the jukebox.
• Angelus complains about how every time Angel’s near a human being, he’s the one who feels the hunger pains.
• Angel witnesses an armed robbery gone wrong, where the inept criminal shot the diner employee and ran off.
• Angel tries to help… and Angelus seems excited by what’s about to happen…
• But there’s a strange buzzing noise bothering Angelus.
• It’s Cordelia, trying to communicate with him before Willow can restore his soul.
• Angel realizes he can’t help the dying cashier.
• So he locks the door to the diner and feeds once guy is dead.
• It’s an act that torments Angel and winds up haunting him for the next couple of decades.
• The first part of Willow’s spell involves enchanting a stone that will seek out the jar and shatter it.
• But Cordelia is able to put a kink in the works and speak directly to Willow in that horrible voice.
• Willow fights back… but Cordelia won’t make it easy.
• In the mindscape, Angel is hunting rats in an alley… but now he’s able to interact with Angelus and Faith.
• Willow sends the stone and Cordelia is able to stop it temporarily.
• But Connor runs in to make sure she’s okay, providing the necessary distraction which allows the jar to be shattered, sending Angel’s soul into the ether.
• Angel and Angelus begin to fight.
• It’s a real Dark Superman vs. Clark Kent from Superman III kind of moment.
• Very satisfying.
• Connor breaks down the door to Cordelia’s room, and she makes it sound like Willow’s magic has opened a gateway to something evil.
• She then tells him he’s not powerful enough to stop Willow, but he needs to kill Angelus before anything else can go wrong.
• He needs to hurry, because she’s already started the curse that will restore Angel’s soul.
• Connor goes to the basement and knocks out Gunn.
• Faith regains her consciousness just in time to run down to the basement to stop Connor.
• At the same time, Angel’s soul is restored.
• Faith hands Connor his butt.
• Angel is himself again.
• Later, Faith talks to Angel and lets him know she’s headed back to Sunnydale with Willow.
• Bigger fish to fry.
• Willow tells them to call her before they decide to resurrect Angelus next time.
• Angel gets ready to give a speech to the troops…
• But then Cordelia comes downstairs, openly revealing her very pregnant belly to the gang.
• So… what’s her plan now that nothing has seemingly worked out for her to this point?
• Beast is dead. Angelus is buried beneath Angel’s soul.
• Guess she’s just turning into the skid…
• Body count: Humans – 1 (in a flashback… but it counts)