Double or Nothing

Season 3, Episode 18, Aired

Episode Fan Reviews (8)

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  • Groo and gambling

    6.0
    "Fair"
    DOUBLE OR NOTHING

    The Good;
    The Groo and CC back which is marvellous. Lovely little scene with CC and Angel and also a lovely little scene of Pylean kinship between Lorne and the Groo over the 'ritual of the bereaved'. Wonderful final confrontation too, watched this ep first at a convention and people cheered when Angel delivers his line

    The Bad;
    The angry young man Gunn stuff is not so good. The cockney demon debt collector is deeply stupid, Guy Ritchie has a lot to answer for. When he first sees Caritas Gunn comments he's never seen anything like it but we find here he has (unless he's never seen karoke before?).

    Best line:
    Angel; "Am I the only one who owes this guy money?"

    Jeez, how did they get away with that?
    CC staking the guy's hand to the table. Gunn being so mean when breaking up with Fred is also hard to watch as is the guy getting his soul removed by Jenoff. Jenoff's death is not half as yucky as his 'rebirth'.

    Apocalypses: 5

    Angel Cliches
    Inverting the Hollywood cliche; Angel loses the card game and actually cheats, breaking his word to the guy. We think Fred is going to be more sympathectic towards Wes but she rejects him.

    In disguise; 8

    DB get's his shirt off; 12

    Cordy's tatt; 10

    Cheap Angel; 9

    Fang Gang in bondage:
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 11
    Wes: 6
    Gunn; 4
    Lorne; 3
    Fred; 2

    Fang gang knocked out:
    Cordy: 11
    Angel: 14
    Wes: 5
    Doyle; 1
    Gunn; 1
    Lorne; 3

    Kills: Gunn kills a skench demon
    Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons
    Angel; 39 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 7 humans
    Doyle; 1 vamp
    Wes; 12 demons+3 vamps, 2 humans
    Kate; 3 vamps
    Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
    Gunn; 10 vamps+ 11 demons.
    Groo; 1 demon
    Fred; 1 vamp

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

    Alternate Fang Gang:
    Cordy: 2
    Angel: 8

    Characters killed:
    46

    Recurring characters killed;
    8;

    Total number of Angel Investigations:
    6, Angel, Cordy, Gunn, Fred, Lorne and Groo

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 11
    Wes; 1

    Packing heat;
    Wes; 6
    Doyle; 1
    Angel; 2
    Gunn; 1

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
    Cordy: 4 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo
    Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies
    Wes; 2; Virginia and the bleached blonde
    Gunn; 1 Fred
    Fred; 1 Gunn
    Groo; 1Cordy

    Kinky dinky:
    The demon fancies Fred, again weird, shouldn't demons like other demons? Groo comments Gunn is fortunate to have a woman such as Fred to 'take care of his weapon'.

    Know the face, different character; 4

    Parking garages;
    5,

    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;
    Blonde Cordy! Angel seems unaware that Fred and Gunn were dating, I thought he overheard them in 'Waiting in the Wings'. No leprechauns in the Angelverse although considering how they appeared on Charmed maybe we should be grateful. Wes coming home to an empty flat is a real killer. Angel refers to the AI gang as family.
    Marks out of 10; 6/10, fun but nothing special

  • gunn loves a truck

    7.7
    "Good"
    an average episoe but good. gunn sold his soul for a truck and now he has to give it away or fred is gonna die. he breaks up with fred but she is smart to know that something is going on and asks the gang for help.



    the episode was good but gunn just sin't very interesting. i just felt really bad for wesley who is in the hospital and even fred doesnt want him.

    luckily cordelia is back! her scenes with angel make this episode. angel tries to move on with the loss of his child and at the end he realises that its the best. poor angel! good episode but some stuff were kinda boring.
  • He Sold His Soul for Truck, Truck, Truck!

    7.0
    "Good"
    Double or Nothing-Gunn and Fred are finding an oasis of happiness amidst the pain around them, but all of it may be lost when a repo-man shows up to collect on a bargain that Gunn made years before. In order to make good, Gunn must surrender his soul.



    An average episode turned good thanks to the return of Cordelia. It's been a dark 3 episodes since we saw Cordelia last and her return back home is a lot to take in. The scenes with Cordelia comforting a grieve strieken Angel was wonderful and both characters just seem to connected at this point. Also Wesley scenes are just so hard to watch as you realize his completely alone, which is depressing and begins the character's dark spiral. But with 2 storng sub-plots, the A-plot is the weakest. While Gunn and Fred continue to be a cute pair, the plot just never really had a point. Especailly finding out Gunn sold his soul for a truck, I mean are the writers trying to make Gunn that stupid? All and All, a good episode with some great subplots but an slow A-plot.
  • Why is this random filler amidst all the drama going on?

    7.7
    "Good"
    Double Or Nothing is a somewhat average episode that has some good emotional moments but feels tossed in- we're in the middle of a huge arc and they decided an episode involving a demon casino and Gunn's past would fit in?



    The main story of Gunn and the soul-sucking demon wasn't that interesting IMO- almost all Gunn related episodes are quite boring (with the exception of the excellent "Players"). The flashback to Gunn's past was irksome, mostly because teenage Gunn is just annoying and lives up to the typical street fighter cliche. We knew he wasn't going to lose his soul and that Angel would arrive in the nick of time to save him and it all happened as expected. I really didn't care for any of this and would have preferred this episode to concentrate on the emotional impact of the last 3 episodes. The Wesley scenes were perhaps the highlight of the episode. He is clearly not coping well and who could blame him? Angel tried to kill him, Justine tried to kill him.. he's having a rough time. I really liked the Fred/Wesley scene in th hospital and that she said what I was feeling; whilst Angel was wrong for attempting to kill Wes, he was right to blame him. Wesley's actions were idiotic and reckless- instead of working through the problem as a time, he kidnapped Connor, which was never going to end well. I do feel bad for Wesley but he needs to acknowledge that it was a lot of his fault that Connor is in a hell dimension.



    I greatly enjoyed the return of Cordelia here and it was really obvious that she is the glue of this group- her presence helps Angel come to terms with his loss and deal with it accordingly. I really noticed her three episode absence and missed her a lot. However, I positively detest her new hair- too short, too blond. Her old darker, longer hair was much better- she should have kept it. I liked the last scene a lot too- to see Angel taking Connor's cot down was heartbreaking but showed he is moving on and coping with the situation. It was a truly sad scene.



    Double Or Nothing is an average episode with some good emotional scenes to keep it interesting. It's placement in the season leaves a lot to be desired though- this should have been done at an earlier stage.
  • Double or Nothing

    8.5
    "Great"
    Double or Nothing was a really great episode of Angel. This episode shows the return of Cordelia and Groo, as Gunn and Fred grow closer together triggering the collection of a payment Gunn owes to a powerful demon from years ago. I thought that Cordelia consoling Angel was touching and the Gunn story line was a nice side track from the main story line of the season. Fred visits Wesley one last time to drop off his things and warn him to never return. I thought this was a heart breaking moment for him and for Fred, as she said it was all for nothing. I can't wait to watch the next episode!!!!!
  • Gunn's past comes back to collect

    9.5
    "Superb"
    I absolutely love this episode, it is one of my favorites from this season. I know some people like to hate on it because it does not relate directly to the major story line of the season, but I think Gunn and Fred are a really great couple. When he breaks up with her, it is so sad to see her reaction, but it gets so funny when she goes back to the hotel and tries to explain to everybody what's wrong. Angel's reaction of not knowing that they were dating is classic and Cordy not believing he is in trouble is amusing as well. Groo is also sad in this episode as he watches Cordy slip away from him and you can see him getting defeated already. All in all a really good episode and I love the fact that Gunn traded his soul for a truck because it shows how he thought that he had nothing to live for when he was younger and now that he has met Fred he has a future. Their chemistry is also really good on screen.
  • Gunn has a past, well yeah we figured that!

    8.2
    "Great"
    Not a bad episode. Fred takes Wes his things and tells him to stay away from the Hotel and that the prophecy was all a lie. We find out that Gunn has exchanged his soul for what we later find out is a truck. Problem is, it is time to pay the piper. The henchman who works for the casino boss who holds the deed for Gunns soul has come a callin'. Meanwhile, Cordy and Groo are back and hear the horrible news about Connor. Cordy stays by Angels side and comforts him. Gunn breaks up with Fred, knowing he has to make good on his debt. Luckily Fred sees through his (awful!) break-up and gets the gang to help her save him.
  • This is a good episode but it failed in what it was supposed to do. make the Gunn/Fred relationship more interesting which it didn't. the good thing was that Cordy came back and she helped Angel get over the loss of his son.also Wes was officially abandon

    8.5
    "Great"
    Double Or Nothing



    The big problem of this episode is that Gunn and Fred were so out of character. I hate the scene where he brakes up with her. but on the other side. it has many good scenes. specially the Angel/Cordy ones. Even though this isn’t close to one of the best. it's still definitely not bad. it has many qualities.



    cut to the gang and they don't know what to do. Lorne wishes Angel would come down cause he doesn't and then come Cordy and Groo finally back. she sees their sad face and ask what happened. cut to Angel's room and Cordy comes and says that she's so sorry and they both look very sad. cut to a casino and someone has a card and the guy tells him that it's time to collect his soul.



    the credits start



    cut to the office and Lorne tells Groo to avoid the name Wesley. cut to Gunn and Fred with an old couple demon and they are for very long together and they will do their job and they think it's beautiful. Gunn is gonna handle it. Fred sees Wesley's stuff and goes to bring those to him. She tells him that she understands what he did and that what Angel did was wrong but also that Angel was right in blaming him. Wes should have gone to them and the prophecy was false. it was all for nothing and that he can never come back because if he does Angel is gonna kill him.



    cut to a demon going to the hotel and asks Groo if he's Angel. cut to Gunn going to the old people's home and fights the demon and kills it and he thinks it's his lucky day but then that demon arrives 'wanna bet?' cut to Gunn flashback going to that casino and he needed something and sold his soul by signing with blood. the demon tells him that he's giving his soul to the girl Fred but he has 24 to go to the casino or else he will take his and Fred's soul. cu to Cordy seeing Gunn and she tells him to live a little and that he truly loves Fred and that he has to enjoy his future with her. she has a vision of them that they are going out tomorrow. and he never expected to be alive for so long.



    cut to Fred being called next day and it's Gunn and he brought food for her and says that they're free today and she says he's the best friend ever and they kiss. cut to Wesley, a guy walks in and sees him all alone in bed and asks him that he will be ok and if he has someone for them to call. cut to Angel and Cordy together and he tells her that he thought he knew something but losing Connor. he was so little. he didn't even expect it. he had a son (wauw. great scene) cut to Fred and Gunn and they are having fun but Fred is full and she had enough but then something weird between both happen and they start to talk about themselves (yawn) and he ends up braking it and walking away (what I hate about this scene is that it's So out of character. and it's really badly written. as in. BAD. specially Fred.)



    cut to Angel and Cordy and she says that he will keep on living and always love his son (scenes like this are what make this episode worth watching) then Cordy hears Fred crying and she says that Gunn is in terrible danger. cut to that casino guy collecting the soul of someone. cut to Gunn going in and he's ready to pay his bill. cut to Fred telling everyone about Gunn leaving her and that she doesn't believe he really left her and she makes everyone confused (this scene is hilarious) she still thinks he's in great danger and Angel says that they're gonna rescue him because they're not gonna loose any more members of the family. cut to Wesley coming home alone.



    cut to the gang talking about rescuing Gunn and Groo has something about the casino and Angel says that the guy worked for Janoff a soul sucker. cut to Gunn almost getting soul-sucked but the gang walk in to save him and they fight and Angel talks to Janoff and he says Double or nothing. if he wins he also wins Angel's soul. they do a card game and the one with the highest wins. Janoff has a nine and Angel a three so Cordy uses the stake on Janoff and Angel cuts off his head. but the guy grows on a head and Angel asks if anyone knows this guy and they all go to kill him and Angel and his gang escape.



    cut to Fred and Gunn in the truck and he says he's sorry and will never do it again. and he tells her his sold his soul for the truck because he never thought he was gonna have a future. and this truck kept him alive and helped him battle. cut to Cordy going to Angel and she sees him looking at the bed and he starts to rip it apart.



    Black Out

    ----------

    Best episode quotes:



    Monica: Wesley. That was it.

    Syd: Don't be ridiculous, Monica – it wasn't Wesley, it was Sherman.

    Monica: Sherman? You don't even know any Shermans. It was Wesley. Irish fellow, right?

    Syd: He was English, you old bat. Whoever heard of an Irishman named Wesley?

    Monica: You see what I put up with? Anyway, that's who we talked to. Is he here?

    Gunn: He's... on sabbatical.

    Fred: We're really sorry for the mix-up -- we'll take over from here. Now, it says in your file you have a squatter in your lair?

    Syd: Damn no-good Skench demons. They're all alike.

    Monica: Here we go...

    Syd: A person spends his entire half-life--

    Monica: --building a lair to relax in--

    Syd: --and what happens? A Skench demon squats--

    Monica: --right down on your coffee table. Ask me how many times I've had to listen to this.

    Syd: Like you ever listen.

    Monica: And you have so many interesting things to say.

    Gunn: So Skenches. I've heard about them. Sorta impish kinda demon – like a leprechaun?

    Syd: Leprechauns don't exist, son.

    Monica: Now, Syd, don't embarrass the lad.

    Syd: Sorry, kid.

    Gunn: Skenches take over a house, right?

    Drive out the people who live there?

    Monica: Well God knows you can't stay, what with the shrieking all night and the projectile phlegm.

    Syd: Only thing worse is puttin' up with her for the last three hundred years.

    Fred: You've been married for three centuries?

    Monica: Ever since the mitosis.

    Syd: Not that I'd mind being a single- celled organism again, if you get my drift.

    Monica: Oh, shut up, Syd. You never--

    Syd: --had it so good. AS if I need reminding.

    Gunn: I thought gettin' rid of a Skench was pretty easy, though. Don't you just lop off its head?

    Syd: Well, sure, if you can avoid the phlegm.

    Monica: Syd has a phobia about phlegm.

    Syd: I do not. I have a phobia about sputum.

    Gunn: Okay. Think we got everything we need. I'll get right over and clean out your Skench problem today.

    Fred: Thanks so much for coming. We'll call you as soon as it's done. As they exit --

    Monica: Oh, for cryin' out loud, Syd – that girl's not a sixteenth your age. Put your eyes back in your head. I mean it, ya doddering old coot! Put 'em back in!

    Gunn: Man. You hear those two?

    Fred: It's beautiful. All that time and they're still in love. The way they finish each other's insults, it's so...

    Gunn: Beautiful.



    Fred: Hi, Wesley. How are you feeling? Oh. But it's not permanent, right? I brought some of your stuff from the

    office. Things there are... well, things. Gunn and I found your notes about...the baby. The prophecy. You took

    him away 'case you thought Angel was gonna kill him. You were trying to protect him. Both of them. I just wanted you to know I understand that. I also wanted to say -- what Angel tried to do to you was wrong, and I'm sorry. But he was right to blame you, You should've come to us. You should've trusted us instead of going to Holtz behind our backs. You were supposed to be our friend and you didn't even -- If Angel sees you again, he'll kill you, Wesley. This time for real. Don't come back to the hotel. Ever. The prophecy was a fake. Angel was never gonna hurt Connor. It was all for nothing.



    Demon: signed a blood oath trading your soul. You think that's an arrangement you can get out of? This ain't some

    D.V.D. club -- although the one I'm in plays pretty rough, too.

    Gunn: who said I'm trying to get out of anything?

    Demon: You're planning on giving your soul to another, aren't you?

    Gunn: What are you talking about?

    Demon: Some broad, you're fallin' for her hard...

    Gunn: Fred?

    Demon: I don't know, we don't get a name, just an image. Skinny white girl? Big eyes? We're professionals, we

    keep an eye on the Akashic records, think we wouldn't know when one of our souls was about to be transferred?

    Isn't Fred a guy's name? Hey, none a mine, I'm just here to tell ya', you broke the contract. Your soul ain't yours to give, it's Mr. Jenoff's to take.

    Gunn: I gotta see him.

    Demon: What you gotta do is pay up. He's not happy, now here I am talking to you.

    Gunn: I'm not... I'm not the same person I was back then --

    Demon: We all get older. And we all pay our debts to Mr. Jenoff.

    Gunn: There must be something else. Something else he can take.

    Demon: Gee, I never heard that before -- except every damn time the bill comes due. Now listen good: you got twenty- four hours to get your house in order and get your ass on down to that casino. If you're thinkin' about

    runnin' or cheatin', don't. Cause then we take your soul and the girl's, too.

    Gunn: She's got nothing to do with this.

    Demon: Well, you can keep it that way or you can get her killed. It's up to you now, Slick. See ya' tomorrow.



    Cordelia: R whooh kah bay?

    Gunn: What?

    Cordelia: I said, are you okay?

    Gunn: Yeah, I'm fine.

    Cordelia: Seemed kinda rude to chow down in front of Angel but I was starving so I took a little break and you are not okay, pal.

    Gunn: I'm a little tired but --

    Cordelia: Cordelia here. I can read the misery on your face. I know what's going on.

    Gunn: You do?

    Cordelia: It's pretty obvious. Angel lost his son, Wesley's... gone. And here you are... happy as a kid in a candy

    store.

    Gunn: I'm... happy.

    Cordelia: And wracked with guilt because of it. Well don't be. You and Fred were meant to be, I get that now...she's a doll. Who wouldn't be head over heels? I admit I was a little slow on the uptake. I thought she and Wes... but the way you two look at each other, well, I got eyes. I don't know why Lorne needs people to sing to figure out what's on their minds.

    Gunn: No. You saw right away that I was...

    Cordelia: Happy. Nothing to feel bad about. This place could use a little happiness right now. You and Fred have your whole big bright futures ahead of you and I'm here to tell you, it's all right to enjoy it. Life goes on.

    Gunn: I should enjoy my future.

    Cordelia: I'm just sayin'. If there's one thing I learned living on a hellmouth: every day is precious, you never know when it may be your last.

    Gunn: I never figured I'd be around this long. Or have this much.

    Cordelia: Some people never know one day of joy. You're lucky.

    Gunn: Maybe I am.

    Cordelia: So live a little. We don't have any pressing cases and I haven't had a vision in like --

    Cordelia: Oh wait. I'm having one right now...It's of you and Fred taking tomorrow off. And see, my visions -never

    wrong.

    Gunn: Thanks.

    Cordelia: Welcome. Have some fun.



    Doctor: How are we feeling today? I know it's been very rough but I do have some good news. There's no longer any sign of infection or rebleeding in the wound and the swelling's gone down. We can stop worrying about your airway becoming compromised. I'm going to release you later today. Is there someone who can pick you up? A friend or family member we can call?



    Angel: I think he was gonna be left-handed. The way he'd hold onto your fingers... his left hand always squeezed just a little bit tighter. Kid had a grip... he was gonna be a southpaw for sure... You live as long as I do, eventually

    you lose everyone. It's what happens. I'm not sayin' you get used to it but you expect it, you deal. But he was just...

    he was just a little...You think you know something about living, cause you have this really long past. And that's really all you have, in my case anyway. Then one day you wake up and you have something else...

    Cordelia: A future.

    Angel: I had a son...



    Fred: What... what's her name?

    Gunn: Her name is "I'm a real woman, not a stick figure." Get the picture?



    Cordelia: I'm not gonna sit here and pretend that I know what you're going through, or that I could begin to

    understand what it is you're feeling. The last thing you need right now is someone saying that given time, things will get better. The hurt will go away. Because things won't get better. And the hurt's never gonna go away. The truth is, if you lived another two hundred years, you'd never forget how Connor was taken from you. And you shouldn't. You loved your son, Angel. And you're gonna go on loving him. And missing him. And you'll go one living. You'll do that, too.

    Angel: I don't know how.

    Cordelia: You don't need to. The "how" works itself out. Life'll just keeping happening. There'll be people who need our help -- and so we'll help 'em. 'Cause that's what we do.



    Cordelia: Wow.

    Fred: I know, hunh?

    Groo: I am sorry this has come to pass.

    Angel: I'm a little confused.

    Fred: About what? What was unclear?

    Cordelia: Well... upstairs -- you said you thought Gunn was in danger.

    Fred: He is!

    Cordelia: Right... and you think that be- cause...

    Fred: He broke up with me!

    Cordelia: Ah.

    Fred: But not really!

    Cordelia: Oh. No?

    Fred: No!

    Groo: That is good. I am most relieved.

    Fred: What? No! This is worse! Much worse! I wish he had broken up with me!

    Cordelia: Fred, I hate to say this, but... are you sure he didn't? I mean, those things you said he said to you...

    Fred: I know I said he said those things to me, but he would never say those things to me!

    Cordelia: Those things he said?

    Fred: Exactly! That's how I know he's in trouble!

    Angel: So let me get this straight: You and Gunn are dating?

    Fred: Not anymore I guess!

    Cordelia: Fred. Honey.

    Fred: Don't you see? He hurt me! And the only reason he'd do that is to protect me from something! And whatever it is, it's gotta be bad because... this hurts like hell.

    Angel: Then I guess we better help him. All eyes go to him. He looks to Cor. We are not losing another member of this family.



    Cordelia: Angel --

    Angel: I know.

    Groo: We are surrounded.

    Angel: I know.

    Fred: We have to save Charles!

    Angel: I know!



    Fred: Say it again. A little slower this time.

    Gunn: I was terribly, terribly wrong to break up with you and say those mean, untrue things.

    Fred: Good, now say it into the tape recorder.

    Gunn: I'm really sorry and I'll never do it again.

    Fred: I'm just glad you're all right.

    Gunn: I'm only all right if you and me are good. We are, aren't we?

    Fred: Just one last thing.

    Gunn: Name it.

    Fred: Who'd you trade your soul for?

    Gunn:...It was a long time ago.

    Fred: I know. But I want you to tell me and we'll never talk about it again. -- Who was she? Charles...

    Gunn: That was way before I met you.

    Fred: You musta wanted her pretty bad to trade your soul.

    Gunn: Guess I did...

    Fred: Just tell me.

    Gunn: You'll think it's stupid.

    Fred: I won't.

    Gunn: It was a truck. I was seventeen years old and I sold my soul for a truck.

    Fred: Not this truck?

    Gunn: Don't go dissin' my girl.

    Fred: Oh, Charles. Your soul wasn't worth air conditioning?

    Gunn: Look, back in the day this truck kept me alive. Helped me save other lives too. I know it sounds dumb, but a

    soul didn't seem like such a big deal. Didn't think I had a future then. Now I do.

    Fred: What is it about you that makes me melt?

    Gunn: Maybe it's that I love you.

    Fred: That's gotta be it.



    ----------

    Story: 8

    Acting: 8

    Writing: 9

    Picture: 10

    Gripping: 8

    My Rank: 8

    ----------

    Total: 8.5

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