Awakening

Season 4, Episode 10, Aired

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9.2
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Superb
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Cordelia has a vision, which reveals that the Beast once knew Angelus. Since Angel has no memory of this, the gang realizes that there is only one thing to do. They must find a way to bring forth Angelus.
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Fan Episode Reviews (12)

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  • Red herrings galore

    8.0
    "Great"
    By joxerlives, Jan 21, 2012
    AWAKENING

    The Good;
    Love Wes beating up the shamen's guard, he's really come a long way from the fop we first met in Buffy season 3. CC's little talk with Angel is excellent, manipulating him shamelessly.

    The Bad;
    It seems a bit silly all the hassle they go to in order to take Angel's soul away. Either give him some of the drug from 'Eternity' or invite Buffy down for a one night stand. Why not just destroy the wooden swords or cut the belts and bells?

    Best line:
    Angel; "Wood, why does did it have to be wood?"

    Jeez, how did they get away with that?
    Spike through Wes' hand anyone? Stabbing the Beast up through the chin also isn't nice but you'd do it if you had to.

    Apocalypses: 5

    Angel Cliches
    Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
    Connor more than willing to kill his father.

    In disguise; 8

    DB get's his shirt off; 12

    Cheap Angel; 6

    Fang Gang in bondage: Angel tied to the table
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 13
    Wes: 6
    Gunn; 4
    Lorne; 4
    Fred; 2

    Fang gang knocked out:
    Cordy: 13
    Angel: 16
    Wes: 5
    Doyle; 1
    Gunn; 1
    Lorne; 4
    Groo; 1

    Kills:
    Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons
    Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 8 humans
    Doyle; 1 vamp
    Wes; 12 demons+3 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 humans
    Kate; 3 vamps
    Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
    Gunn; 11 vamps+ 12 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human.
    Groo; 1 demon
    Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies
    Connor; 8 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

    Fang Gang go evil:
    Cordy: 2
    Angel: 2
    Gunn; 1
    Wes; 1

    Alternate Fang Gang:
    Cordy: 4
    Angel: 10
    Fred; 2
    Wes; 1
    Gunn; 1

    Characters killed:
    250

    Recurring characters killed;
    8;

    Total number of Angel Investigations: Cordy back in
    Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, CC

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 11
    Wes; 1

    Packing heat;
    Wes; 7
    Doyle; 1
    Angel; 3
    Gunn; 1

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: this ep is a Cangelers delight but alas it was never to be.
    Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor
    Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies
    Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah
    Gunn; 1 Fred
    Fred; 1 Gunn
    Groo; 1Cordy

    Kinky dinky:
    Fred a bit bashful over shining the torch over the Shamen's body. CC refers to the belts and bells as an S&M bondage party, has she been to many? CC tells her breasts that she knew they'd get her in trouble one day. But in fairness they've done a great deal for her over the years.

    Know the face, different character; 4

    Parking garages;
    6,

    Buffy characters on Angel; 16
    Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony

    Questions and observations;
    Gwen has skipped town and I don't blame her. Kolchak the Nightstalker referred to (the inspiration for the X-files).
    I'm afraid here we have the definitive end of Cangel. When Angel lost his soul in Suprise everything was going to hell and Buffy alone was all it took to give him the happy. In this it takes a number of factors, killing the Beast, bringing the sun back, Wes back in the fold, Connor losing his resentment AND sex with CC. What's more watch it with the subtitles on. As Angel, ahem, has his pleasure moment, he says 'Buffy'. Sorry CC he wasn't thinking of you. What exactly is Jasmine's plan? Why does she want to turn day into night?
    Marks out of 10; 8/10


    moreless

  • I guess Angel didn't want Cordelia after all!

    9.8
    "Superb"
    By band_babe14, Nov 29, 2011
    Why I loved this episode so much is because it gives most of us out there who are still Buffy/Angel fans some hope for the seemingly ended relationship! In Angel's fantasy, when he and Cordelia are sleeping together, Angel calls out for Buffy when he realizes he was losing his soul. This, of course, is an allusion to the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode "Surprise"(2x13) where Buffy and Angel consummate their love for the first time and Angel becomes Angelus again, and while he runs out into the rain he continually calls out for Buffy. I'm sorry for all the Cordelia fans out their, because I like her too, but I am waaaaaaaaaaay to much of a Buffy/Angel fanatic to let this one go unnoticed! Long Live Buffy and Angel!!!!moreless

  • Angel still and forever will be in love with Buffy.

    8.1
    "Great"
    By NitroSpy, Nov 29, 2011
    Let's begin shall we? Start off with the different faces of people in LA. We get it already. Los Angeles is diverse... while Larry McCormick (RIP) reports in the background. Cool, they used the real Los Angeles WB affiliate. The gang realize that LA will become a demon playground. Jealous Gunn makes a swipe at Wesley who everyone believes has run away skurred. But he's actually got his henchmen to beat up one of Wo-Pang's guards while he cleans his knuckles trying to fool us into believing that he did it. Yeah right! The gang is feeling pretty useless and Conner has apparently been inhabited by the spirit of S5 Dawn. Angel tells his son to get over it. He finally understands what Cordevil was telling him last ep. Angel tries to be proactive with pep but is interrupted by Wesley. Hee! Orange Zinger. Angel and Wesley bicker a bit but Cordevil wants her way so she sneakily convinces Angel. Angel needs a cage, Gunn is dumb, Wesley is smart... we get it.

    Onto the desouling and into Angel's fantasy. Angel easily removes the leather straps... I guess they would've all been dead if the desouling would have gone through... in Angel's mind. Tattoos galore. Fred is kinda shy at seeing Wo-Pang's butt. Heh. Gunn is dumb, Wesley is smart... we get it. Cordevil busts out her mojo... I guess she's just plain ol' non-evil Cordy here. The sword's in LA and Angel asks what we're all thinking, "How is it a sword from the third century is conveniently located here in Los Angeles?" But never you worry, Cordy has an explanation for that... touch writers. Boobie-Traps galore. A shot of Wesley avoiding the bells is used twice... sloppy. Cordelia looks at her boobs (no I didn't mean Angel and Wesley) and says, "Oh, I knew you two would get me in trouble some day." :lol: Wesley deciphers the riddle... kinda. "He was wrong", is Connor's reply and Angel gives him the meanest look ever...Well I'm assuming, 'cause his back is turned. Connor still wants to impress Cordy with his strength... it's not working. I guess Angel is a big fan of Indiana Jones... otherwise there wouldn't be so many references in his fantasy.

    Cue Angdelia. You know? This doesn't disgust me as much as Spuffy. Go fig. Angel finds the sword... Yay! The place goes all fire bad tree pretty. They manage to get out and sneak in a kiss not so sneakily. The Hyperion. Angel sees Gunn as a clumsy little kid. Ha! Gunn is dumb, Wesley is smart... We get it. The beast is tired of waiting so he goes to the Hyperion. Unfortunately he doesn't knock this time. Aaand they fight. There's a father/son bonding moment... Aww. The beast is no more. Apparently, Angel wants Gunn and Wesley to make up... Aww (Too bad its not real). Nice shot of Downtown Los Angeles. Cordelia and Angel get their swerve on and Angel yells "Buffy!" right before he loses his soul. Aaand Angel is now Angelus. Angelus muhahahahs a bit and we get to see the jar o' Soul. Cool.moreless

  • Awakening

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Dec 19, 2010
    Awakening was a really great episode of Angel. I really enjoyed watching this episode because there was a lot of plot development as well as character growth. I thought the story of this episode was excellent and very intriguing. I like how it all seemed to happen over a longer period than it did, and the fact that the gang now has to deal with Angel's darker side. I thought this episode was a clever way to move the season forward. I really can't wait to watch the next episode to see how every one reacts to the return of Angelus!!!!!!!moreless

  • Angel's perfect world

    8.9
    "Great"
    By TwistedConverse, Aug 07, 2008
    Awakening is a great episode with an even better twist at the end, and one that fools you from start to end. The main storyline of extracting Angel's soul was good and I'm glad they didn't rush into it and make a mess of the thing. Angel's struggle with himself was good here; he can pass on the offer to find out information on The Beast and remain as Angel or find out the information at the expense of his soul. Angel, as a champion, will always do the right thing at the end but Angelus is his weakness; he knows how dangerous and evil Angelus is but they need this information. It lets people who haven't seen Angelus yet know what a danger he is. Angelus is calculating, cunning and extremely powerful- his words alone can do more damage than his vampiric strength. The dream sequence is well done and it's basically Angel's perfect day- killing The Beast, saving the day, beating up Connor (who hasn't wanted to do that?), Connor finally accepting him and then boning Cordelia at the end. It's all pretty predictable and some parts and speeches are quite cheesy but this is Angel's head I guess! It had me fooled all the way through and I was starting to get disappointed that The Beast was so easily destroyed but then the ending happened, which was excellent. Angel's perfect day also feautures him to be seemingly perfect- he wins every fight he's in, rescues the damsel and does what he does best. Also at the end, he looks at the people enjoying the sun and would rather be inside; it shows that he wishes he could feel this way and not let his tendency to burst into flames in sunlight bother him. I really hated when he said "Buffy?" at the end of having sex with Cordy though- as a Cangel fan it felt cheap and tacked on as if trying to earn a seal of approval from all the "Buffy and Angel forever" fans. If he was really thinking about Buffy why not have her there? It really irritated me as it's obvious he loves Cordelia now.

    The ending was creepy- Angelus' laugh just sent shivers down my spine. He looked positively evil at this scene with just a laugh! It shows he's not a typical vampire who'd want to attack the man in his cell but that he'd rather frighten the people around him- true to Angelus' character. Great episode!moreless
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  • TRIVIA (3)

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    • As we saw in Eternity (1x17) Angel reverted to Angelus after taking a mood altering drug. If it were that simple why don't they just tie him down and drug him instead of going through all the trouble of bringing in a dark mystic?

    • After Wesley gets his hand run through at the wall with the Hebrew writing Cordelia rips off part of her shirt to bandage it. When she and Angel are in the small cave retrieving the sword, there is no rip in her shirt.

    • In this episode, Angel says: "You have no idea what Angelus is, Wesley. All you know is what you've read in books. You've never had the pleasure of his company and you're not going to. " However in "Eternity" (1x17), when Angel temporarily became Angelus through the use of a mood-elevating drug, Wesley was there to deal with it.

  • QUOTES (19)

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  • NOTES (7)

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    • This episode received a 3.2/4 in the overnight ratings.

    • Andy Hallett (Lorne) is credited as "Special Guest Star Andy Hallett."

    • David Boreanaz does the "Previously on Angel" voiceover.

    • In Angel's fantasy, Angel and Connor fight side by side to destroy The Beast. In the series finale, Angel and Connor will fight side by side to destroy Hamilton so at least one part of his fantasy came true.

    • Indiana Jones This show plays a major homage to the Indiana Jones trilogy with several references to the movies. The spike booby traps, the removing of the sword (or artifact in "Raiders of the Lost Ark") causing a trap to be triggered, the ancient letters having to be pressed in the right order (like the stepping stones in "The Last Crusade"), the "wood, why did it have to be wood" line. The writers in this episode must be big Indiana Jones fans. In the next episode, "Soulless," Angelus acknowledges the similarity by openly mocking Angel for his "Raiders of the Lost Ark" "fantasy."

    • Just as Angel is waking up as Angelus, he mutters, "Buffy?", which is exactly what he said at the moment he turned from Angel to Angelus in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episode 'Surprise' (2x13).

    • Wo-Pang's attire is reminiscent of the sorcerer in the Buffy episode 'Enemies' (3x17).

  • ALLUSIONS (5)

    ADD ALLUSIONS

    • Rashi script: This variation on standard Hebrew letters is often used in annotated versions of the Talmud and other Jewish holy books. The typeface is used to indicate which portions of the book are commentary and annotations rather than a part of the text itself. The name "Rashi" is derived from the initials, in Hebrew, of Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi (1040-1105). The Rabbi was the author of the first comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and the Tanakh, and his commentaries appear in almost every printed version of these books even today.

    • Cordelia: Don't look at me, I'm not a Thomas Guide.
      The Thomas Guide is a widely used series of maps of the state of California, as well as other areas of the US.

    • Lorne: All I could Kolchak was a rumor of bad mojo rising down in the warehouse district. A reference to the show Kolchak: The Night Stalker - a one-season ABC TV show from 1974 (with movie prequels in 1972 and 1973) about a reporter, Carl Kolchak, who investigates the supernatural.

    • Wo-Pang: The illusion has become reality.
      This episode is highly reminiscent of "The Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", a short story by Ambrose Bierce wherein a Confederate spy during the Civil War manages to escape his execution and right when he is about to reach the arms of his beloved, his neck snaps and the reader realizes that the entire narrative was a fevered dream flashing quickly through his mind the moment in which he is being hanged. The story was adapted into an episode of the original "Twilight Zone" TV series and the device has been re-used in various other forms of entertainment.

    • Angel: Wood. Why did it have to be wood?
      After Angel sets off the Indiana Jones-inspired booby trap he says "Wood. Why did it have to be wood?" which is a take on Indiana Jones's famous line "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?" from the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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