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.

Just Rewards

• Flashback to Sunnydale…
• Just a little reminder that Spike and the special amulet destroyed the Hellmouth just before he disintegrated.
• Looked like that was painful…
• He rematerializes in Angel’s office at Wolfram & Hart.
• Seeing Angel, Spike’s face vamps out and he attacks.
• Only to pass right through Angel…
• So Spike is non-corporeal.
• He’s a… ghost?
• Wes picks up the amulet.
• When Spike asks, Angel reveals that Buffy is fine and in Europe when last he heard from her.
• Down in Fred’s lab, they examine Spike to determine what’s going on with him.
• Fred determines that there’s no ectoplasm… so if he’s a ghost, they shouldn’t be able to see him.
• Wes examines the amulet and determines that Spike is connected to it.
• But the amulet was buried with the Hellmouth… how did it wind up back at Wolfram & Hart?
• Out of nowhere, Spike vanishes.
• Then he reappears on the other side of the lab.
• He can’t say where he went…
• Spike lets it slip that he has a soul and the rest of Team Angel wonder why Angel never brought that up.
• Another vampire with a soul…
• Back in the offices, Spike gives Angel a hard time about “fighting evil from the belly of the beast…” saying that, instead, they’re getting digested.
• Spike points out that a demon is getting off the elevator and Angel winds up killing it.
• Turns out, that was his 3:00 appointment.
• Angel was supposed to negotiate with the demon to try and get its clan to stop eating babies.
• But Gunn says it’s all good, that the clan respects a strong opening.
• A lawyer comes in and complains that Internment Acquisitions has been shut down.
• No more graverobbing at Wolfram & Hart.
• But there’s a certain client named Hainsley who will not be happy if the firm stops delivering fresh bodies.
• Spike decides he’s had enough of watching Angel at the firm and takes off.
• Later, Angel and Wes discuss Spike’s position…
• Wolfram & Hart gave Angel the amulet and likely expected him to use it, which means what happened to Spike was supposed to happen to Angel.
• And if that’s the case, why hand him the LA branch?
• Spike comes back… completely unable to leave Wolfram & Hart.
• He’s tied to the place.
• The lawyer from graverobbing who was sent to break the news to Hainsley about the end of fresh corpses returns…
• …In three buckets.
• I guess Hainsley didn’t take the news well.
• Gunn brings in Hainsley’s file… turns out he’s a necromancer, which is why he wants the dead bodies.
• Angel is ready to go and confront Hainsley himself.
• And Spike is going with him.
• Hainsley has a little business going on…
• He charges demons to transfer their essences into dead bodies so they can walk around as humans.
• When Angel and Spike arrive, he orders his butler to kill them.
• Angel kills him by throwing a spoon into the butler’s forehead.
• Spike vanishes during an argument, then Angel kicks in Hainsley’s door.
• Angel tells Hainsley he’s cut off…
• But an undead vampire doesn’t really have much control when a necromancer can dust him without a stake.
• Hainsley decides that would be too much of an insult to the Senior Partners since they apparently have plans for Angel.
• Angel calls Gunn and has him freeze all of Hainsley’s assets, then leaves.
• Spike’s going with him, but then he disappears again.
• This time, though, it’s because he’s summoned by Hainsley, who wants to help Spike out of his ghostly situation in exchange for a little help taking down Angel.
• Back at the office, Wes and Fred break the news that Spike can’t get out of here.
• He’s trapped.
• Spike returns and overhears the team discussing their options of how to deal with him.
• They’re talking about having Spike cross over… eternal rest…
• Destroying the amulet should do the trick.
• Angel wants to sleep on it before making a decision.
• Spike visits Angel just as he’s going to bed.
• He reveals that the necromancer tried to make a deal with him.
• But he’s not going to double cross Angel.
• He just wants this existence to end.
• The amulet has to be destroyed on hallowed ground, so Spike and Angel go to a cemetery and Angel gets ready to smash it.
• But then Angel starts smashing himself in the face…
• Hainsley controls Angel and tosses him into a mausoleum.
• So Spike did decide to double cross Angel.
• The plan, apparently, is to transfer Spike’s essence into Angel’s body.
• Spike talks it all up with Angel real good, too.
• He’ll take over and Angel’s soul will just be off in oblivion.
• But somewhere during the transference, Spike takes over the necromancer’s body.
• Angel is able to fight Hainsley and winds up beheading him, revealing Spike was inside.
• The double cross was part of Spike’s plan the whole time… he told Angel about it off screen.
• Later, Spike visits Fred.
• He clearly makes her nervous…
• Spike reveals to her that he’s slipping away and he doesn’t want to go.
• Whenever he vanishes, it’s like he’s being dragged into hell.
• He asks Fred for help.
• Body count: Demons – 1; Humans – 3