Redefinition

 

Opening scene

We see Cordy, Wes and Gunn standing outside the Hyperion. Cordy and Wess carrying boxes with their possessions in hand, Gunn with his hands in his pockets walking out the door of the Hyperion. Cordy is still in disbelief over it all and wants to know what just happened.

Wesley :"I believe we were fired."

Gunn: "Canned."

Wesley: "Let go."

Gunn : "Axed."

Wesley: "Shown the door."

Gunn :"Booted."

But Cordy just can believe that Angel would do something like that. After awhile we see the three of them walking down the street, questioning their future and the reasons for Angel's actions. They agree to leave Angel alone for now and head off in different directions.

Angel is moving boxes around in the basement. As he sets one down the top flips off. Ge picks the box up and looks at its contents. It is filled with drawings of Darla. He takes the box over to the incinerator, opens the door , revealing the fire burning inside. He takes the sketches, looks for a moment at a portrait, then tosses the stack into the flames and shuts the door.


Intro

The basement of the Hyperion. Angel is doing pull-ups on the pipes. Then we blend into him doing assorted other exercises. Angel works on his strength and fighting skills.

Angel voice-over: "I'm not ready yet. Too many years spent sleeping in soft beds - living in a world where I don't belong. I can't fight them. Not yet. - But soon."

At Holland's wine cellar.

We see a mass of corpses littering the floor and from beneath them all, Lindsey wakes up, he survived the massacre. We see him sitting in a chair and paramedics check him. The paramedic is taking Lindsey's pulse, while others are putting the corpses into body -bags in the background.

Lindsey: "There has to be a reason why I'm the only one left alive."

A man in the background : "Hey we got a live one here."

We see paramedics helping Lilah to her feet. Lindsey is far from pleased to find out that she is still alive.

Wesley's apartment, Virginia is sitting on the bed. She can't understand why Angel fired Wesley and the others. He tries to explain

Wesley:" It has to do with Darla being made a vampire again and hooking up with Drusilla and.. The three of them have a very tangled past - My guess is, he'll be hunting them down and he doesn't want anyone in his way."

Angel is in the basement, practicing with a sword.

Angel voice-over: "When Wolfram and Hart take a life - they do it at a distance. I don't have that luxury."

He stabs the sword down into the floor and kicks the punching bag of its chain.

Angel voice-over : "It's time."

Angel, wearing his coat, leaves his apartment, takes one last look around and closes the door. He goes down into the basement.

Angel voice-over: "I'm not on their level."

Opens the trap door into the sewer.

Angel voice-over : "But I can get there."

He walks along in the tunnels.

Angel voice-over :"And when I do, I'll be right up close. I'll bring the fight to them."


Daytime

WRH office building.

Lindsey and Lilah worry about their jobs at WRH and whether they will be blamed for the massacre that killed many of their co-workers. They are both getting the cold shoulder from the rest of the company. Lindsey opens the door to his office. Dru and Darla are there. Dru is sitting in his chair behind his desk, while Darla is sitting on the edge of it.

Neither Lindsey or Lilah move.

Darla :"Lindsey, I've missed you. Close the door. Sweetpea, if we wanted you dead, you'd have never made it out of the wine cellar. Now close the door."

Darla explains that they lived so they could be connections on the inside of WRH. The massacre was only a 'fifteen-body-memo' as to how much she loathes getting used. She and Dru are planning to be big players in LA and think that WRH can help them with that. Lindsey suspects that this is all about Angel, which gets Farla upset and defensive, saying she just wants to have some fun.

Lindsey: "Well you see. I'm surprised. Because I thought that you would make him your top priority."

Darla: "I spent two-hundred and fifty years without Angel. You think just because I went through a little human phase I'd go all gooey?"

The camera pans around a deserted intersection of two sever tunnels, then up to reveal Angel crouched on top of some sewer pipes. Several vampires enter the sewers

Vampire laughing :"They were just waiting for us. All crouched and hiding in that little backroom.

Angel drops down onto the bragging lead-vamp, which manages to kick him off. Angel charges back in and proceeds to take all of them at once. Stakes one. Kicks another one and sends it flying up against the wall. Triggers his wrist stake and dust a second. The lead-vamp grabs Angel and pushes him against the wall, but when it tries to throw him against the opposing wall, Angel runs up the side of it. Using the vampire's hold as a pivot he lands behind it and drives his wrist stake into its heart. {At one point during the fight, one of the vampieres pulls Angel away just as he's about to stake one of its fellows by his coat. So after the fight he actually discards it and leaves it behind in the sewers.} The last vamp tries to run off, but Angel tackles him to the ground, then pulls out his sword and beheads the vampire.

Angel voice-over :"I'm ready. I've got the moves. Now I need to know what theirs are."


Caritas

The host is singing 'Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"

Wesley steps up to the bar and asks for a Bloody Mary. He watches the host finishing his song to a lot of applause. Wesley bucks up the courage to sing for his destiny, possibly something by Cat Stevens. He turns from the bar just as a woman in a dark coat walks past.

It's Cordy.

They make up excuses why they are there and go to sit down at the bar. Cordy admits that she hadn't yet decided whether she was going to sing Shania Twain or Madonna, Wesley admits that he is rather embarrassed.

Suddenly Gunn from behind them :"How do you think I feel?"

Cordy :"Well, I for one, would just like to point out the patheticness that is us. This is all Angel's fault; I hope he's happy now. All alone in his demon world with no one to talk to.

Angel has found someone to talk to, or more precisely, to talk to him. He is dipping Merl (demon from Judgment). Suspended by a rope, head down, from a sewer pipe above a pool of water. Angel holds Merl by his ankles and dunks the demon until he gets answers about Darla and Dru's whereabouts.

Seems the girls are trying to recruit themselves some demons by visiting all the underground hot spots and the little Bar-and-bite club on La Cienega and Washington is the only demon haunt they haven't been to yet. Having gotten the information he was after, Angel ties the rope off to a pipe along the wall.

At a demon club a fight is taking place between a green demon and a vampire, ringed by a crowd of demons watching and cheering. The demon dances around the vampire, hitting him. Finally grabs the vampire in a choke-hold. The vampire slaps the floor with his hand and the demon releases him. Clapping interrupts the cheers for the winner. The crowd parts to reveal Darla, followed by Dru waling into the middle of the circle.

Darla introduces herself and Dru.

Demon:"I never heard of you before."

Drusilla reaches up from behind him and casually rips off his ears. Darla announces she is recruiting demons and vampires for their new gang. Angel moves through the demon crowd, head down. Dru gasps as he slips past the demons standing behind her.

Dru :"He's watching you, my sweet, right now."

Darla spins around and looks at the crowd of demons, pushes into them looking for Angel, but not seeing him. After hearing their plans Angel leaves. She pulls a business card out of her cleavage tell them where they can meet her; the winners will have th opportunity to foment mass-destruction, losers will be gutted and left for dead. She drops the card on the floor, grabs Dru by the arm and hustles her towards the door.

Outside Angel is standing in the alley behind the bar. Morphs into his human face and pulls the hood off. Leans his head back against a post. He concludes he's still too attached to Darla to defeat her.

Angel voice-over "I'm not ready." "I can still feel her ; her pain ; her need ; her hope; I'm too close ; to close to fight her."


WRH offices at night

Lindsey is getting ready to leave. He picks up his coat and turns only to find Lilah standing in the open door. She talks to him about possibly leading the firm. She tells him she can't stand the wait any more and tries to talk him into just leaving together because she doesn't want to end up as dog food in a plant in San Pedro. Lilah suggests they take files with them as insurance. But Lindsey figures out her secret plans and pulls a microphone from her blouse.

With a snort of laughter Lindsey retrieves his jacket, portfolio and keys. Blows her a kiss and leaves.


Caritas

Cordy, Wess and Gunn are sitting around a table, getting drunk and assigning blame. Cordy thinks its Wesley's fault. If he hadn't berated Angel over this whole Darla thing it would have blown over. They start to argue; they all talk at once.

Then we see them arm in arm on the stage singing "We are the Champions" by Queen.

Then we see them sitting around a table, it is already in the early = hours of the morning, the bar is empty except for them. They are commiserating over tequila, which Cordy declares to be more evil then vampires or sloth demons.

Host :"Well, well, I can see the maudlin segment of tonight's binge is in full swing. Now, don't be blue. I was very impressed with your musical recitation of pain earlier. And when I say pain, I mean mine. Although props for singing your little hearts out."

While he says his little speech he takes of his jacket and goes towards Cordy. Cordy asks what they are supposed to do with their lives now. Where do they go from here. She makes a strange face, like she's about to yawn. The host folds his jacket into a pillow. As Cordy is getting a vision the jacket is used to soften the impact of her neck against the back of the chair. Cordy has a vision of a very dangerous demon and a young woman in trouble.

Angel is in his basement, checking his wrist stakes and filling a gym bag with assorted weapons. The phone rings in the lobby. Angel walks towards the reception desk to reach - past the ringing phone to pick up an ax. He turns and heads out, ignoring the phone.

Cordy , Wes and Gunn hurry down a dark alley. But there is neither demon not girl in sight. There is some blood splashed on the ground. They discuss if they had Angel he would be able to track her. And so without weapons or Angel they have to make do with what little they have. There is a streak of blood going up the wall next to a drainpipe, leading to a busted window. They all look at the drain pipe, then up at the window.

Darla and Dru are coming out of a demon bar.

Dru:"I didn't like that barkeeper. Hmm, can't get his eyes of my fingers."

Dru licks her fingers.

Darla wants to get to the factory since it's almost midnight.

Dru is rambling.

Dru: "I see such a pretty fire."

Darla laughing : "Fire, Conflagration. In a perfect world there's be nothing left her but ashes.

Dru: " And pain. So much suffering.

But Darla is to impatient to listen to Dru.

Darla brushes it off as she is eager to get to the factory and select members for her new army.

Angel walks up to an abandoned building. Slides a big garage door to the side to reveal an assortment of different demons waiting inside. Armed with a bag full of weapons he enters. His bag drops in slow motion to the ground and he twist the ax in his hand.

Back in the alley where Gunn is helping Cordy climb into the building through the window. We see a body lying motionless on the floor. Cordy says it is the girl from her vision
Cordy screams as the demon of her vision drops down from overhead, right in front of them. Wesley and Gunn take on the demon, mainly by getting the demon to take turns attacking either of them before it can actually kill either of them, while Cordy tries to get the girl out of there. Finally the demon throws Gunn into a wall, taking him out of the action long enough to sink its teeth into Wes's right shoulder, before Gunn knocks it off Wesley with a chair and buries one of the broken chair legs in its skull, killing it. Wesley picks himself back up and looks over at Cordy and the other girl.

Wesley :"We need to get her to a hospital."

Gunn: "what about you?"

Wesley: " I'm fine it's just .. (looks at the hole in his shoulder) we should go before I pass out,...

Darla and Dru are walking up to the abandoned bulding where Angel met all the demons. Darla wants to make it quick, weed out the losers and get out of there. Dru looks at the building; :"Oh it's beautiful! Dank and dark. It reeks of death." Dru wants to buy it but Darla tells her what she smells is motor oil, and besides, it doesn't have a view.

Dru puts her hand on the handle of the door.

Dru: " Ten little soldiers, all in a line. A shot rings out , she slaps her hands together to make the sound of a shot , down to nine. Darla slides the door open and they walk in to see the floor littered with demon corpses and severed limbs and a pile of dust between them. Darla looks around and sees Angel leaning against the hood of a dusty car, smoking a cigarette.

Darla with a slight smile :"I should have known."

Dru shakes her head: "A shadow."

She lifts her hand as if she is trying to wipe away a cobweb in front of her face, never taking her eyes off Angel.

Darla : "Why so far away, my love? Why don't you come over here and stake me?"

Angel doesn't react. He looks pretty beaten up, continues to smoke his cigarette.

Darla :"Angelus????"

Angel throws his cigarette down, It ignites a trail of gasoline. Darla and Dru look down at the flames, see them racing towards them in slow motion, and ignite the puddle of gasoline they're standing in. They scream as they begin to burn. Angel turns around to pick up his bag of weapons, revealing a can of gasoline sitting on the hood behind him, and walks out without looking back.

Darla picks up a sledgehammer, leaning next to the door, runs outside and knocks the top of a fire hydrant off. She and Dru stand under the spray of water, letting it extinguish the flames, then sink down to sit on the edge of the sidewalk under it, with Darla holding Dru.

Dru: "I'm burning, Make it stop please."

Darla: "shh shh, that wasn't Angel."

Dru: "He's gone. He's all gone. Oh - it hurts! It hurts!"

Darla: " Wasn't Angelus either."

"Who was that??????"


WRH day

Lilah is coming up some stairs and falls in with Lindsey who is walking = along the hallway at the top. They talk about the fire and the slaughter in the factory. They've heard it was Angel who did it and Lindsey knows that Darla and Dru are still alive - or undead. Lilah points out that what he did is just a little bit grimmer then usual for Angel. They walk through some glass doors into a conference room. There is a man sitting there with an open book in front of him. Two men standing like guards against the wall behind him.

He orders them to sit down.

Lilah and Lindsey find themselves sharing the job of Executive Vice-President of Special Projects now that Holland is out of the picture. They will have to work together until one of them can prove they're the most qualified.


The Hyperion

Angel is in the basement, throwing knives at a target, and hitting the bullseye every time. He retrieves the knives and gets ready to do it again as Wes appears on the basement steps.

Wesley :"I thought you might like to know we're keeping the agency open - with or without you."

Angel stands with his back to Wesley, facing the target, silent.

Wesley: "You may have turned your back on your mission, but we haven't."

Still no reaction of Angel, so Wes turns to walk back up the stairs.

Wesley: "Someone has to fight the good fight."

Angel throws the knife and barely hits the target. He blinks his eyes, then closes them, concentrating.

Angel voice-over : "Let them fight the good fight. Someone has to fight the war."

He opens his eyes, throws - BULLSEYE
 
Rating and Comments:
Well an other one that I loved very much -- Noticed that this is ep where Angel doesn't say one single word. - We only get voice-overs that give us more insight into just what is motivating Angel now. Love it. Dru was good as usual - love her ramblings and her way of putting her thoughts into words.
 
Rating 8/10
Written By: Setje

 

 

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