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| Episode 19, Season 3 Title: "The Price" Written by: David Fury Directed by: Martika Grabiak Original Airdate: 29 April 2002 Teaser At the Hyperion, everyone is repainting the charred bedroom. Angel wants things like they used to be even though he knows they canÍt be as he spots a small crystal snow globe with a little mouse inside. He shakes it and it snows, reminding him of the intended recipient of the gift ¿ Conner. He snaps out of his painful memories to concentrate on potential cases but there havenÍt been any for a while and he rushes downstairs in case one happens to walk in.
Cordy joins Angel in the lobby and he tells her he wants to get rid of the pentagram because it scares off the customers. We find out that Cordy has been kept in the dark about the exact happenings while she was away and she points out that messing with black forces brings consequences even he canÍt escape. Angel vents about his emotions and Cordy is upset because he never called her to help, perhaps her untapped powers from her demon half couldÍve helped. He says the best way to help him is to find a case for him to work on. Across the street at a juice bar, AngelÍs potential client is drinking down two smoothies at a time and ordering more. Dozens of cups are strewn on the floor and customers are scared due to the stranger's white cracked face and his six-hour smoothie marathon. A waiter tries to get the pale faced man to leave, but thinks twice after he sees him get physical with a co-worker. Instead, the waiter gives in to the frantic manÍs plea ñWeÍre thirsty!,î and turns to produce more drinks. In the Wolfram & Hart lobby, Lilah takes a drink at the water cooler as Gavin congratulates her on bringing Angel one step closer to darkness and to Wolfram & Hart. SheÍs proud of the fact that ïon her watchÍ Angel tried to kill one of his closest friends, tortured Linwood and performed dark forbidden magicks. SheÍs absolutely glowing but this co-worker chat is getting to her and they part ways.
Cordy and Groosalugg are hard at work trying to scrub away the pentagram off the floor but with no results they give up. Fred asks Cordy to speak to Angel about Wesley but our vision girl knows better and makes it clear that Angel is her priority. She went half demon for this vampy guy after all! Groo overhears and his face gets a bit sad. Suddenly, Cordy gets a vision of Angel being thrown across the lobby but before she can explain it fully Lorne enters with news of mayhem across the street. The entire crew with Lorne in a hat and trench coat a la Garbo enter the juice bar across the street and find the man that visited Angel that morning has terrorized the entire shop and is still drinking juice! Cordy tries to bring AngelÍs attention back to her vision about him, but Angel prefers to pay attention to a potential case. The manÍs face is cracked and white and Fred finds his wallet, he is Phillip J. Spivey from Englewood. Angel gets his attention and knocks him out, ñOkay people! Looks like we got a case!î
Moments later, Angel passes out weapons and Cordy makes sure the hotel is sealed tight. Fred is to hit the books, after she vacuums up Mr. Spivey. They partner up and leave to find the slug thatÍs already taken one human life. Lorne and Angel search downstairs and Angel reiterates that despite the consequences of his dabbling in black magic heÍd do it all again for Conner. They follow a sound to a bathroom and surprise the slug trying to get into toilet water but it quickly takes off. Lorne breaks the light bulb trying to raise his sword to strike and Angel impales it with a dagger. The darkness causes the slug to glow eerily making it easier to spot but their victory is short as it breaks free and escapes once more. At WesleyÍs desk, a frustrated Fred sits doing research on Thaumogenesis which has turned up nothing because the subject is unfamiliar to her and she prefers matter and particles. Gunn points out she has to get good at this as Wes is no longer around and feels confident, ñI think we can handle one little slug from hell.î Unknown to Gunn, behind him two more slugs fall from the strange light above the pentagram onto the floor and slither off.
Cordy and Groosalugg are slug hunting in a hall and the Pylean warrior brings up a conversation he heard earlier, but his princess makes it clear that Angel is her ñwork priorityî while he is her ñother stuffî priority. Groo raises his axe to take aim at a slug on the wall behind her but she senses it and does so too. They miss and it escapes into a mail slot. Both run out the door but find themselves face to face with Angel and Lorne, who also saw one. They finally realize thereÍs more than one! In the lobby, Gunn and Fred are informed thereÍs at least two slugs running amuck by the rest of the crew but Angel shares his discovery that slugs can be easily spotted in the dark, which means they need to turn off ALL the lights. He passes out flashlights and hands Fred a lantern to light her research. Gunn will shut the power in the basement. They head to the fuse box in the basement with Gunn leading and the others behind. Angel slashes at a noisy something that turns out to be a rat. Gunn is relieved and quickly moves to shut the power. All the lights go out in the hotel. Above them in the office, Fred is neck deep in research and doesnÍt notice the glowing slug behind her on the wall until itÍs too late. She turns and the slug aims for her face and succeeds.
Gunn finally returns to Fred who isnÍt acting herself and tries to reassure her but she suddenly takes the snow globe in her hand and breaks it, drinking all its watery contents, ñWeÍre thirsty.î Gunn realizes Fred has been infected. In the hotel dining area, the crew tries to find the source of the sound but Gunn brings in Fred with bottled water in hand and the bad news. A slug possessed Fred informs Angel the slugs want to spread and that it really hates him. Gunn wants to take Fred to a hospital but Angel stops him concerned that her leaving may cause more deaths, but Gunn wonders if itÍs the other way around since AngelÍs dark spell has already caused one death. Cordy steps in before things get punchy and Groo finally discovers the sound is coming from the floor beneath and cracks it open with his axe to find a pool of glowing slugs. At Wolfram & Hart, Lilah is on the phone finishing up the last details of the Save Angel operation, which includes a SWAT team and a Shaman exterminator. Gavin has a message from the supposed unreachable Linwood, which is to let Angel die ¿ a result from his tortured experience at the hands of the vampire with a soul. Linwood has reason to feel that way, but Lilah is now confused with GavinÍs little mind games especially if it means sheÍll be conducting an unauthorized operation and possibly overstepping her boundaries with Linwood. Across town, Gunn knocks on WesleyÍs door and he answers. Gunn has only one thing to say, ñWe need your help!î Still trapped in the kitchen, Angel needs to find out more and takes away FredÍs precious water bottle, which causes her some pain, but this works and it makes the slug talk. Through Fred the slug reveals that they want to escape from the ñThe bringer of torment, agony and death ¿ The Destroyerî, which is coming after Angel.
In the hot kitchen, Fred is still being interrogated but she worsens and Angel decides to take Fred to the hospital after all. Angel turns off the stoves and opens all the water faucets to draw the slugs into the kitchen, while Groo carries Fred out and the rest escape. Cordy decides to stay behind and help kill the slugs. Lorne and the Groosalugg reach the lobby just as Gunn walks in with the bottle of vodka and forces Fred to drink from it. Cordy and Angel are fighting a loosing battle as the slugs invade the kitchen. One slug gets on CordyÍs arm and Angel canÍt kill it for fear of hurting her. Up stairs, the vodka works and Fred spits out the slug, which Groo quickly kills. Still holding the slug, Cordy begins to emanate an iridescent glow, which encompasses her body and spreads through the entire hotel destroying the slugs.
Summary by Council member, Raciella. |
A case walks into the empty Hyperion Lobby and the man calls out, ñHellooo! Angel Investigations?î No answer but before the man turns to leave a transparent slug forces itself into his mouth. Angel comes downstairs just in time to attend to his new client but the man acts strangely. Angel tries to explain the pentagram on the floor, but the client is out the door.
In the main office of the Hyperion, Angel is at WesleyÍs desk as Fred and Gunn watch from the lobby. She brings up the possibility of Angel forgiving Wes but Gunn is a realist and knows this will never happen unless their old friend brings back Conner as well, and even then thereÍs no guarantee. Fred is truly disappointed and decides to turn to someone else for help.
Moments later, Groo carries Mr. Spivey to the lobby couch and the crew begins to figure out whatÍs going on Angel recalls that the man used ñWeî that morning, which may be a clue. Cordy tries in vain to bring his attention back to her vision but Angel has been in danger before. HeÍs used to it already and doesnÍt think it really has anything to do with him. Suddenly, Mr. Spivy rises and points to Angel, ñYou! This is all happening because of you! This is all your fault!î and breaks into dehydrated pieces as he hits the floor.
The crew is stunned with the turn of events and Lorne spots something moving inside the now disintegrated Mr. Spivy. A slug quickly crawls away and Cordy realizes as well as the rest that the man is smack in the center of the pentagram. Things arenÍt looking so good.
At Wolfram & Hart, Lilah receives a confidential email that she opens with a magical, password-typing tarantula to receive news of AngelÍs slugfest result from the black dabbling that she had a hand in. Gavin just happens to drop by to mention that she might inadvertently cause AngelÍs death if he doesnÍt survive the slugfest. We all know this is a violation of company policy. Gavin likes to play head games and Lilah thinks she might need to help save Angel, which isnÍt a thing sheÍd like to do exactly.
The crew with flashlights in hand is heading upstairs but Cordy notices a birds-like sound and they follow it to a padlocked door which Angel quickly kicks open.
They quickly run into the kitchen as the slugs escape and follow. Angel turns on the stoves making it hot and uncomfortable to keep the slugs out but Fred screams when she notices Gunn isnÍt inside with them.
At WesleyÍs apartment, Gunn gives him the news on their slug infestation, but Wes is still recovering and can only speak softly and refuses to help until Gunn tells him itÍs Fred who is infected. Wes hands him a bottle of vodka and makes it clear he never wants to see him again.
Moments later, Angel and Cordy join the rest in the lobby and reveal the light came from Cordy! One of the untapped powers of being half demon has been discovered. Angel sees Fred has been cured and Gunn quickly explains that he had to do what he had to do and even though Angel doesnÍt say it, Gunn knows he understands. Lorne reminds everyone of The Destroyer and Fred quickly reacts to that memory and announces itÍs coming right now! They turn to see a strange light appear above the pentagram and a creature with horns falls out followed by a young man that decapitates it. He then directs his attention to Angel and points a weapon strapped to his arm, ñHi Dad!î Could this be Conner? Angel is stunned beyond belief.