
| Episode 21, Season 2 Title: "There's No Place like Plrtz Glrb" Written and Directed by David Greenwalt Original AirDate: 22 May 2001
Act I Cordelia's scream is long and high until Lorne's head tells her to shut up. A fun fact about Lorne's people is that severed head doesn't kill unless the body is mutilated. He must find his body before this occurs. Hearing Her Highness scream, two servants come to her aid, but she explains she was only using her scream as a form of meditation. She refuses to let them take the head away claiming that she wishes to defile it and spits on it. Both servants leave and she quickly wipes away the spittle from his face. They need to find the location of the mutilation chamber.
Wes and Gunn are awaiting their death for their crime of collaboration with their hands tied and heads in stocks. Death by decapitation is popular in Pylea. Before the ax can strike true, imperial guards storm the camp and fighting ensues. They try to escape, but this proves difficult with the stocks still attached to their necks and they inadvertenly end up fighting against the guards who are chanting. "Death to the Other-Worlders!" Meanwhile, Angel wakes up inside the cave-home. Winafred returns with kalla berries to sweeten the oatmeal she made of crug-grains and thistles. She's hopeful that he will get better but he isn't as positive. Winafred can relate to his fear about the demon beast inside being that she's "squirrely and a freak" but she changes the subject and asks if tacos still exist in L.A.
In the makeshift cave-home, Angel recognizes the scribbles on the cave walls as words from the book that opened his portal, but Fred, our resident Physicist corrects him, "They're consonant representations of the mathematical transfiguration formula." She believed that by saying these words in the right order a portal would open, but she's convinced portals don't open from Pylea until Angel tells her that a Drokken went through one. Angel concludes she was successful, but simply did not know the location. Imperial guards enter the cave and the Captain fights with Angel. His eyes burn red as Angel fights the beast inside of him. This moment of weakness gives the Captain a chance to stake Angel near his heart and he falls to the ground.
The Captain missed and stabs him again, but before there's a third Fred knocks out the Captain with a large rock. She checks on Angel, "Please don't die!" At the rebel camp, the battle is over and the rebels are victorious. The rebels finally accept Gunn and Wes because they share the same goals; to keep the prophecy from coming true. This would make the covenant more powerful. Gunn and Wes are freed and begin to leave. Gunn's brain cells are a' working and he suggests to join the rebels because they will provide the 'muscle' if needed and the rebels, acting alone, will probably die at the hands of the guards if they try to storm the castle.
Disguised as a slave, Cordy enters the mutilation chamber to find Lorne's body. She carries his head in a bucket and lifts it out. He recognizes his suit on a mutilated body but when did he sprout a fifth toe? The Groosalugg startles them and confesses he saved Lorne's body from being mutilated by placing the French Viscose suit on another body. Lorne's better half is safe at his mother's farm. Landok will meet them at the eastern watchtower to pick up Lorne. Cordy is ecstatic because the Groossalugg loves her. The rebels are planning to storm the palace when Gunn and Wes return and suggest guerilla warfare is better. Wes's idea makes him their appointed leader, being that the previous one died in the attack. The rebels cheer for Wes. At the cave, Angel dresses Fred's wound and leaves determined to do what he can for his friends. He returns a moment later because he doesn't know his way back to town. Fred is glad to be of help and accompanies him. In the throne room, Her Highness and the Groosalugg are having a heart to heart about the evil monks who run Pylea. She urges him to fight against them, but he mentions a "burden" that he must lift from her. According to ancient prophecy, the visions will be absorbed by the Groossalugg's demon blood. She tries to explain that this is not possible because the visions are a part of who she is. He knows that humans are not meant to carry such a burden. Cordy has a vision and he catches her in his big muscled arms. The vision is of Groo fighting DemonAngel, but she doesn't know Angel is inside of the beast. But worse still, her Prince will die at the beast's hand.
Act III
It's evening in the forest and Wes contemplates the responsibility of the lives he carries. They are ready to start their attack and Wes asks Angel to fight the Groosalug but Angel knows he cannot succeed unless he is the beast. Angel fears he may not come back, but Wes points out, "We know you're a man with a demon inside not the other way around." He believes that Angel will come back. He departs with Winafred who will prepare the challenge torch.
In the back walls of the castle, Wes, Gunn and the rebels split up to create diversions. Two rebels attack soldiers as Gunn and a few of the rebels scale the wall with the help of ropes while Wes and the others try to break down the door. In the town square, the Groosalugg, fueled by Silas's assurances that the challenger would "defile" the princess, grabs an ax and attacks. They fight and Angel goes down fast.
Act IV
Inside the castle, Silas is alerted to the rebels just as Wes spots him and tries to fight his way through to capture Silas but he escapes into the library where Cordy tries to warn him that the demon in her vision will kill the Groosalug. He slaps her and unveils the machine that controls all of the collars in Pylea. He throws her against the bookshelves and she crumbles to the floor. Angel counterattacks as best he can, but he's surprised with a sling that ties his arm to a nearby post. The Groosalugg yells, "You would defile her. You animal!" as he strikes blow after blow. Angel's head hangs as he tries to defend himself with one arm. He has no option but to turn to the demon inside. DemonAngel sends the Groosalugg flying through the air with a single punch. He breaks free and jumps on the Pylean Champion. The tide has turned. Wes finally catches up to Silas in the library. The priest turns to the machine and he is about to decapitate every slave, but instead, Cordy surprises him from behind and decapitates him. She immediately heads to the town square to save her Prince. Wes reveals that Angel is the beast in her vision. She pauses in disbelief.
The following day, Angel is at the home of the Deathwok clan, to meet a complete Lorne. He tries to part ways amiably with his mother, but that is not to be as she screams, "May you rot in Tarkna!" The outlawing of slavery is not something she likes. The tapping of Numfar's feet as he does the dance of shame is heard as Angel and Lorne leave. Lorne finally realizes that LA is the place for two guys like them. They walk back to the castle as Lorne breaks out into "Over the Rainbow" as innocent demons fall to ground clutching their ears.
The full 1967 Plymouth convertible lands inside the Caritas Bar. Moments later, Angel leads the crew with Winafred in tow to the front doors of Angel Investigations, he opens the doors "There's no place like?..Willow?" His smile quickly turns to concern. Willow is sitting on the couch and her face says it all. The vampire with a soul knows, "It's Buffy." Angel will wish there really was no place like home.
Summary by Council member Raciella. |