Calvary (Angel)

"Calvary" is episode 12 of season 4 in the television show Angel. The gang scrambles to locate Angel’s soul, while Angelus tells the group that the Beast is controlled by a higher being further up.

Plot

Connor, Wesley and Cordelia force their way into the Shaman's chambers and question him about Angel's soul, only to find that Angel's soul still remains in its container, although he warns them that if the container is broken and the soul isn't being controlled, the soul will cease to exist, Angelus will get out, and they'll "be screwed." Angelus continues to taunt the gang, angering Gunn over his relationship with Fred. Lilah sneaks in, emerging from the sewers holding a crowbar and attempts a deal with Angelus, revealing that the Beast has murdered everyone affiliated with Wolfram and Hart except for her. Gunn finally spots Lilah on the video monitor and rushes downstairs to put a tranquilizer dart in Angelus, while Lilah runs off. While the others question Lilah's intentions, Wesley chases and catches her. He thumbs through her copy of Rhinehardt's Compendium, finding information his copy does not contain. Lilah had received her copy on the pan-dimensional black market, and Wesley determines someone had erased the information in this dimension.

Angelus wakes up and informs the gang that the Beast actually works for someone or something. Wesley returns with Lilah, but the gang are extremely suspicious of her and drill her about her intentions. Gunn leaves to keep watch on Angelus, who pushes Gunn's buttons again over his relationship with Fred and the gang. He mentions Dr. Seidel's death (from "Supersymmetry"), which he knows about because "even Angel's not that stupid." He offers to keep what Fred did a secret, but Gunn corrects him that Fred didn't kill Seidel, prompting Angelus to praise him for "steppin' up and bein' the man!" Angelus mock-commiserates with Gunn about Fred's affections shifting to Wesley, citing Wesley's recent descent into more violent behavior as the cause; "for once in your life," Angelus teases, "you just weren't dark enough." Gunn responds with a blast from his flame thrower, and Angelus crows that there's "hope" for Gunn yet.

Fred informs Wesley that she's no longer with Gunn. Wesley takes the news as an opportunity to make another move on Fred, though he's interrupted by Cordelia and Lilah. Lilah and the gang argue about the possibility of saving the world, but then Cordelia gets a vision that allows her to see how to get Angel's soul back. Fred goes downstairs to inform Wesley about Cordy's vision, and she exchanges barbs with Angelus. While mock-praising Wesley, Angelus casually mentions his sexual liaisons with Lilah - another shock for Fred. Gunn and Connor dig up the grave of a soul eater, the skull of which is needed to return Angel's soul. Once they hit the coffin, the soul eater proves to be more active than dead and attacks the duo. With Connor incapacitated, Gunn is able to chop the demon to bits and retrieve the head.

Meanwhile, the Beast offers a gift to its unseen master; a knife made of his bones. Cordelia and Fred present the talismans they built for the spell while Gunn and Connor return with the fresh demon head. The spell is set up in the basement while Angelus tries to discourage them from trying. Wesley chants and a white soul-like mist emerges from the skull, passes through the talismans and surrounds Angelus in the cage. Angel's soul seems to be returned and once Angel sings for Lorne, it's concluded that his soul really has returned. Still worried, Angel decides to stay in the cage and direct the others. Cordelia refuses to take his orders because he's acting like a coward and convinces him that he needs to be out of the cage. Free, Angel grabs Cordy, revealing that the spell did not work and that he is still Angelus. Cordy fights back and tries to hide in the cage, but Angelus knocks her out and heads upstairs to continue his Angel charade.

Angelus drops in on Fred, and the others are still fooled by him, but they don't get long to chat as he leaves, spouting an excuse about going out to save the world. Spotting an unconscious Cordy in the cage, they realize Angelus lied and depart to find him. A consensus is reached that they won't be saving Angelus, they'll be killing him on sight now. Angelus roams the crazy streets of LA, but can't find anything but dead bodies and vampires, and he doubles back to the hotel. Lilah fires a round of bullets at him and Cordy tries to shoot him with the crossbow, but none of the attempts are successful. Angelus throws the crossbow bolt back at Cordelia's leg, taking her down and leaving him to deal with Lilah. Connor tracks Angelus back to the hotel. Angelus stalks Lilah until he finally finds her trying to hide. He takes her ax from her, but before he can kill her with it, she tosses him over a stair railing and runs off. Cordelia stabs Lilah in the neck (using the dagger the beast offered to its master earlier in the episode), informing a dying Lilah that she let Angelus out for a reason.

Writing

During the episode, Lilah references sending in the "cavalry" (a group of warriors), which is often confused with the episode's title, "Calvary." The Calvary, or Golgotha, was the site near Jerusalem where Jesus was crucified.

Arc significance

• Lilah is murdered by Cordelia, who is under the possession of the being later known as Jasmine. Her possession becomes apparent as she uses the bone knife given by the beast to his master earlier in the episode.
• This episode signals the end of Gunn and Fred's relationship.
• Angelus reveals that the Beast is not acting of his own accord. He is following orders.

Continuity

• Wesley and Lilah's relationship is revealed.
• Gunn mentions that the Chumash Indians buried the soul-eater that they're digging up. The Chumash previously featured prominently in the Buffy episode "Pangs."
• Angelus echoes Faith's words when she is posing as Buffy in the Buffy episode "Who Are You" when he says "being evil is wrong."
• When Fred and Wesley are researching methods to restore Angel's soul, she references The orb of Thesulah. The orb of Thesulah was first introduced in the Buffy episode "Passion". It is seen again in Buffy at the season two finale when Willow successfully restores Angel's soul. It is seen later in this season.

Cultural references

• Gunn references Star Wars when he calls Angelus 'Darth Vampire'.
• Cordelia also tells Angel that 'you might be their only hope, Obi-Wan,' again referencing Star Wars.

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Calvary

• "Calvary" at the Internet Movie Database
• "Calvary" at TV.com