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.

Life of the Party

• Lorne is schmoozing over the phone and goes to Harmony to ask about seeing Angel.
• He’s just getting back from a field mission that hasn’t gone great.
• Lorne needs to ask about the big Halloween party, but Angel’s in desperate need of rest and a shower.
• Lorne gets back to his office and seems pretty exhausted, but his reflection gives him a pep talk.
• But it’s more of a reminder that he’s never allowed to turn his personality off when he’s not alone…
• He then exits his office, turning it all back on for the people.
• Up in Angel’s apartment, Eve pops in as Angel gets out of the shower.
• Apparently they had a meeting that he missed because he was out killing a demon.
• Eve warns Angel that he bottles up his stress way too much and needs a release.
• They get back to the lobby and see all the set up for the party and Lorne’s worried that a lot of the guest list aren’t going to show.
• Lorne looks like he’s about to snap, but then just tells Angel they’ll talk once he’s had time to calm down.
• Lorne then heads down to the lab to ask for help from Wes and Fred, both of whom say they were thinking about skipping it.
• He convinces them to join him for the meeting with Angel.
• Then he goes to Gunn to pull him in, too.
• In the meeting, Lorne convinces Angel that it’s important to show the Wolfram & Hart employees and clients that the new regime is here to stay.
• Problem is, a lot of the guest list won’t come because they think Angel is just throwing the party so he can slaughter them.
• But Lorne wants Angel to convince a demon lord, Archduke Sebassis, to come… the rest will follow.
• Sebassis agrees to attend, but his right hand demon, Artode, warns that he still thinks it’s a trap.
• Sebassis says they’ll be prepared, revealing a load of weaponry behind the wall.
• The party is in full swing and not going great…
• Wes and Fred are hiding at the vegetable tray and Lorne tries to convince them not to be wallflowers.
• Angel is hiding in his office watching a hockey game.
• Lorne just about snaps again, this time Angel notices and is concerned…
• But then he’s fine again and pulls Angel into the party.
• Harmony tries to get Spike to dance with her, but he’s very vocal about how much he hates Halloween and the party.
• Lorne tries to get Spike to be a little more positive.
• The archduke arrives and his dude, Artode, is wearing a suit made from the skin of a Pylean… one of Lorne’s kind.
• Seems like a threat to me…
• Wes and Fred are now clearly drunk and Harmony warns them that someone peed close to the food table.
• Gunn asks Lorne how he has so much energy and he admits he had the firm remove his sleep…
• Lorne does not need to sleep anymore…
• Eve arrives and tells Angel she’s impressed by his interaction with Sebassis.
• Lorne tells them they could cut the sexual tension with a knife and jokes that they should get a room.
• So they retreat to Angel’s office, making out all the way.
• Artode is in the restroom and is violently killed by an unseen assailant.
• Sebassis notices Artode’s absence and has a minion search for him.
• Wes and Fred realize they’re drunk but neither of them have been drinking.
• They ask Gunn if it’s weird that they’re drunk and find him peeing on things.
• And Spike is being extremely positive.
• It’s all weird.
• They all burst into Angel’s office and catch him and Eve together.
• Lorne tells people to do things and they do it…
• Like, earlier, he told Gunn to stake out his territory.
• They figure out that an empath demon who’s been sleep deprived for a month has this effect.
• About this time, Sebassis discovers Artode’s remains.
• Fred and Wes head to the lab to find Lorne’s sleep.
• She wants them to be better friends, and so does Wes… but Wes is still in love with Fred, but she just asks him about Knox.
• Sebassis barges into Angel’s office ready to kill anyone in the room.
• He accuses Angel of killing Artode.
• But in the party, another demon’s dead body is discovered.
• Wes finds out that sleeplessness in an empath demon can lead to catastrophic results.
• Instead of reading destinies, he’s writing them.
• Also, his subconscious has separated from himself… creating a Hulk version of Lorne.
• This is what killed Artode and the other demon.
• Wes and Fred get back and replace Lorne’s sleep just in time to stop Hulk Lorne from smashing Angel.
• Fred helps with the clean up after the party and then Knox shows up.
• He invites her to get some coffee, but she suggests something a little more alcoholic.
• Gunn managed to smooth things over with Sebassis and his people.
• And Lorne actually gets a good night’s sleep.
• Body count: Demons – 2