Ground State

Season 4, Episode 2, Aired

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8.8
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
332 votes
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Angel visits Dinza, a Goddess of the lost, who advises him that an item called the Axis of Pythia can help him find Cordelia. With Fred and Gunn, he breaks into a auction house to find the Axis, but a beautiful burglar with electrical powers seems to have had the same idea.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (10)

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  • Angel does heist

    7.0
    "Good"
    By joxerlives, Jan 21, 2012
    GROUND STATE

    The Good;
    Wonderfully clever opening, you think Gwen's parents and headmistress are uncaring but actually they love her, they can just never touch her no matter how much they want to. Also love Angel's drawing and Fred's show, especially her little ghost.

    The Bad;
    Gwen is fab, the rest of it is pretty stupid truth be told

    Best line:
    Gunn; (about their chances) "Operation chance in hell!"

    Jeez, how did they get away with that?
    Apocalypses: 5

    Angel Cliches
    In disguise; 8

    DB get's his shirt off; 12

    Cordy's tatt; 10

    Fang Gang in bondage:
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 12
    Wes: 6
    Gunn; 4
    Lorne; 3
    Fred; 2

    Fang gang knocked out:
    Cordy: 12
    Angel: 15
    Wes: 5
    Doyle; 1
    Gunn; 1
    Lorne; 3
    Groo; 1
    Connor; 1
    Fred; 1

    Kills: 1 demon for Wes
    Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons
    Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 7 humans
    Doyle; 1 vamp
    Wes; 13 demons+3 vamps, 2 humans
    Kate; 3 vamps
    Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
    Gunn; 11 vamps+ 11 demons.
    Groo; 1 demon
    Fred; 3 vamp
    Connor; 4 vamps and 1 demon

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

    Alternate Fang Gang:
    Cordy: 2
    Angel: 8
    Fred; 1

    Characters killed:
    46

    Recurring characters killed; Gunn dies for a few seconds but then comes back.
    8;

    Total number of Angel Investigations:3
    Angel, Gunn, Fred

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 11
    Wes; 1

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

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Lilah and Wes
    Cordy: 4 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo
    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:
    Gwen RRRRRRRRRR! Love a bad girl in leather/PVC. And you can see her nipples through her outfit when she enters the bar. Justine described Lilah as 'incredibly loud' during sex and there's some belt snapping action between her and Wes. Lilah describes herself as Mrs Robinson and indeed Connor will develop a thing for older women. Gunn likes it when Fred is in charge. Gwen describes Angel as handsome and Gunn and 'Denzel' which certainly must have pleased him. Gwen describes Angel as a great kisser (the Furies were right) and sits astride him.

    Captain Subtext;
    Fred's plans include going to prison and becoming somebody's bitch. She hopes her cellmate will be gentle (see also What the fanficcers thought). Gwen seems very close to her cute blonde Marlene Detreich-like female butler. Gwen calls Fred honey.

    Know the face, different character; 4

    Parking garages;
    5,

    Guantanamo Bay;
    Angel beats the building plans from a snitch

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

    What the fanficcers thought;
    Read an interesting one where Fred does indeed go to prison and becomes someone's bitch. Lucky for her that someone is Faith. Also the last appearance (or not) of Phantom Dennis. Read a lovely fic once where CC in 'You're welcome' goes to visit Dennis and tell's him that she loves him and it's time to pass over to the other side which indeed he does, his love for her all that was keeping him on Earth.

    Questions and observations;
    Wes has his own organisation with 3 employees, maybe that's what Gunn and Fred are broke, he's taking their business. The Chandler auction house is of course a homage to LA author Raymond Chandler. Angel's 2 previous break-ins were in The Shroud of Rhamon and Choices in Buffy. Neither is very successful. The squatter camp Connor goes to is the old power station you see in countless movies and TV.
    So why does no one wonder about Groo? Possibly because he let Lorne, Fred, Gunn know of his plans or maybe he's been in touch with them since?
    Marks out of 10; 7/10 but only due to Gwen reallymoreless

  • Ground State

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Dec 16, 2010
    Ground State was a really great episode of Angel. This episode first introduces us to a new character, Gwen, whose body harnesses and conducts massive amounts of electricity. Meanwhile Angel and the gang are searching for a way to find Cordelia when Wesley gives all the info he had gathered on her disappearance.I think Wesley is going through a lot of character development with all this and running his own crew, while sleeping with Lilah who has her own devious plans. I thought the interactions between Gwen and Angel had spark. I thought this episode had a good story and moves the season forward. Angel finds Cordelia and see's that she is in a higher dimension, but he doesn't know how bad she wants to come back!!!!!!!moreless

  • The first appearance of the excellent electro girl Gwen!

    9.2
    "Superb"
    By TwistedConverse, Jul 28, 2008
    Ground State is a highly entertaining, fun and cool episode that has everything; a bank heist, emotional moments and a sexy electrically charged woman who shows too much nipple. Excellent. Gwen is a fantastic character- she's basically a copy of an X-Men character but her personality helps you warm to her. She's witty, fun and cool and her power is awesome. Anyone who can melt 12,000 dollar watched with their bare hands has got to be pretty great and Gwen was really, really great.

    The main plot with Angel trying to find Cordelia could have easily been made into a find-demon-for-relic thing but instead they went for something much cooler- a bank heist. I loved the entire bank scene and it made Angel the show look extremely suave and interesting with all the computer tech and lasers and ropes. It also had a main character dying but then being revived, which creates tension and drama. This episode also has some emotional moments, like Angel's speech about Cordy at the end. Here it becomes apparent that he is love with her and basically reminds us why. It was also good that he had the courage to recognize she is where she is needed and didn't attempt to bring her home. This shows remarkable selflessness and is one of Angel's greatest traits.

    Fred also seems to be taking up the slack here and seems to be coping well with running things. Angel and Gunn seem to think she is Cordelia, who was good at running things and research but as Fred's breakdown tells them, she isn't and can't handle it. Her telling Gunn "you died and left me all alone" was sad and I felt for here- the rest of the gang have gone and Angel and Gunn are leaving it to her to do everything and I'm glad she said she couldn't do it.

    Lilah was also great here. I really like her and Wesley's relationship; they're polar opposites and fight on opposite sides, yet can't help but be attracted to one another and continue their relationship. I thought Lilah had some great lines here and "I'm still evil. I only do errands if they're evil errands" makes me laugh no matter what. I'm also extremely glad Connor had basically no part in this episode- he would have been a dampner and brought the quality down.

    Ground State is an excellent episode that is action packed and fun. It is a somewhat light episode in a dark season and shines because of it.moreless

  • Eletrogirl Unleashed

    8.9
    "Great"
    By lenzinoH20, Aug 15, 2007
    Ground State-Angel visits Dinza, a Goddess of the lost, who advises him that an item called the Axis of Pythia can help him find Cordelia. With Fred and Gunn, he breaks into a auction house to find the Axis, but a beautiful burglar with electrical powers seems to have had the same idea.

    Another stellar episode, this episode introduces this season's short lived recurring character Gwen Radian. Alexa Davalos is amazing as slick character born with power of electricity. The beginning teaser with her childhood is shot in a stunning bright yet gloomy lighting over the scenery. It's also very sad as you see young Gwen so alone not to mention hurting a little boy by accident with her powers. It's very X-men-eqse with a human born with uncontrollable powers and finding her place in the world. Wesley and Liah continue to make a great lustful couple as they sleep together yet never really trust each other. Also I loved Angel coming to Wesley and forgiving him somewhat, yet Wesley just ignores that and just gets straight to the point. There's also a little shocker where Gunn dies by Gwen touching her, but she brings him back. It brings out a touching scene as Fred breaks down after being under so much pressure for a few months. Amy really excels in that scene. There is also a great fight scene with Angel and Gwen that leads to some obvious sexual tension between to 2, which is fun to watch. The episode also has some disturbing scenes like Angel visiting Dinza, who is just creepy as she touchs Angel yet disappaers and reappears all around him. The episode ends with Angel knowing Cordy is a higher being, and leaving her be to which Cordelia reacts so frustrated to, lol. All and All, another great episode with a great new character, great fights, shocks and plot.moreless

  • Gwen has an electric personality and then some.

    8.9
    "Great"
    By mattsafreak, Jan 18, 2007
    Angel is going crazy trying to find out what happened to Cordy and where she is. He isnt getting anywhere so he decides to pay Wes a visit under the guise of thanking him for pulling him outta the ocean. Wes sees through it and gives him all of the data he has on Cordys disappearance. He tells Angel about Dinza, a being who knows everything and everyone who is lost. Angel goes and Dinza tells him he will need to use the Axis of Pythia. Great. Angel threatens Lilah, who is spying on Connor (who is homeless still) and she tells him how he can get his hands on it. Angel also tells her he can smell Wes all over her and her on Wes, lol.
    We also get to meet Gwen, an electrically charged girl who is a professional thief. This episode felt like a filler to me, but I still liked it. Angel finds out exactly where Cordy is, but he knows she cant be brought back.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (5)

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    • Gunn mentions "the crazy making death shroud" from The Shroud of Rahmon (2x08).

    • This episode marks the last appearance of "Phantom Dennis" and Cordelia's apartment, which she's had since season 1.

    • When Angel is fighting in the lobby, his reflection can be seen in the polished floor.

    • When Gwen gets up from the table, her gloves are off, as she's just threatened her employer. However, when the camera cuts to her walking away from the table, the gloves are immediately back in place on her arms.

    • Angel seemed to be pretty much unaffected by the lightning (which, as was said, would fry a normal man) which is inconsistent with vampire's previous encounters with electrical charges. Angel still felt the normal effects of the electrical taser Connor used in Tomorrow and Spike reacted in a similar way to the electric cattle prods the Initiative used when they captured him.

  • QUOTES (15)

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    • Angel: All those months under the water I kept thinking to myself ''I gotta get home to Cordelia.'' I get back and I find out that she's gone. I keep thinking ''I gotta get Cordy back home.'' Finally I find her and I realize she already is home. Where she belongs.

    • (To Angel) Fred: You should have seen the size of the dust bunnies under Cordy's bed. More like dust sperm whales.

    • Angel: You're lying. Gwen: I'm fibbing. It's lying but classier.

    • Gunn: (looking at his ECG) Kinda like art isn't it? I call it "Takes More Than That To Kill Me Punk." It's the "Punk" that makes it art.

    • Gunn: (about Fred) That's my girl - large and in charge. Ok, teeny weeny and in charge.

    • Angel: (in the elevator with gas flowing from above)Get down on the floor, then you might live. Gwen: Why don`t you get down? Angel: I don't breathe. Gwen: That must be a turn on for your girlfriend.

    • Gwen: (to Angel) You're really going to use that Axis thing to find her, aren't you. Figures. Anyone that bad at stealing stuff has got to be doing it for love. Bummer.

    • Fred: I'm still working on a plan, but so far it involves being sent to prison and becoming somebody's bitch.

    • Gunn: Yeah but if it's an auction house, can't we just, you know, eBay it? How much is it? Angel and Fred: 33 million dollars. Gunn: (chokes on drink) I think my lungs have coffee in them.

    • Cordy: (To Angel) What are you? Deficient? Get me out of here!

    • Gunn: Damn, this is so much harder than it looks on Batman.

    • Dinza: I know you were lost. I know all the lost things. Angel: Really, City of Atlantis? Holy Grail? Jimmy Hoffa?

    • Angel: What should I do then, send her a gift, sacrifice, unholy fruit basket?

    • Angel: Miss me? Lilah: Only in the sense of ... no. Angel: How's it going Lilah? Still knocking 'em dead at Wolfram & Hart? Lilah: You could say that. Angel: I wasn't sure, what with all the charity work you seem to be doing down here. Lilah: You know I was just telling someone how deeply I care for the homeless. Let him off pretty easy, didn't you? Angel: The kid messed up. He knows he messed up. Lilah: Oh God, the return of the moral high ground. This is that "guilt is it's own punishment" thing, isn't it? Angel: Kind of my specialty. Lilah: Whatever. I don't get it. Lemme guess, you're just gonna bird-dog the kid til he gets weepy and pulls a prodigal. Angel: I'm not here for him Lilah ... I'm here for you. Earlier tonight, the Axis of Pythia was stolen from Chandler's Auction House. Lilah: Black Market. Upscale. Angel: Thief was too. What you might call "specialized." The kind only people like your clients can afford. Lilah: And you want the name of the buyer. Look, Angel. I know you've been out of the loop for a while, but I'm still evil. I don't do errands unless they're... evil errands. Angel: I think you'll run this one. Lilah: Why? What's in it for me? Angel: Just this once, I'll ignore the fact that you're within fifty yards of my son. (leans in & whispers) Just this once. Lilah: So much for moral high ground, huh? It's interesting - you coming to me for help. Angel: What I find interesting? The fact that I can smell you and Wesley all over each other. Start making calls. You've got an hour.

    • Wesley: I had to raise him. Angel is necessary. Lilah: For what? Wesley: Fighting people like you.

  • NOTES (7)

    ADD NOTES

    • This episode received a 3.7/5 in the overnight ratings.

    • Gwen can kill people by touch, fry electrical systems, and bend lasers by exciting the subatomic particles. She claims to have been struck by lightning fourteen times, see "Players."

    • Gwen appears to be inspired by the marvel comics character Rogue from the X-Men, who also has to wear the same kind of gloves due to their powers ( she can absorb the power/energy of the people she touches ).

    • Although Vincent Kartheiser appears in this episode he has no dialogue.

    • This is the only episode this season without Andy Hallett (Lorne).

    • This episode is full of comic book references. Aside from the references made to Batman and Superman comics we also see young Gwen sent to what seems like an academy for gifted children. In the X-Men comics from Marvel, young mutants with special abilities are sent to Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted.

    • Gwen's last name is Raiden. In some languages "Rai" means thunder and "den" means lightning. Raiden is also the name of the mytholigical Japanese god of thunder and lightning. It could have also been chosen because of its similarity to the word "raiding," since Gwen is a thief.

  • ALLUSIONS (11)

    ADD ALLUSIONS

    • After melting a watch. Gwen: Now it's surrealism. That is referring to the famous painting "The Persistence of Memory" of the Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. In the painting there are melting clocks in the foreground.

    • Gunn: This is so much harder than it looks on Batman. Gunn is referencing the 1960s TV series Batman, where Batman and his sidekick Robin were regularly seen walking up the sides of buildings with ease.

    • Gunn: Then Angel woulda picked me up and Flash Gordon-ed me to the ER. Gunn refers to the science fiction comic strip and movie character Flash Gordon.

    • Gwen: Hey there, Denzel. Gwen compares Gunn to the Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington.

    • Angel: Really...City of Atlantis? Holy Grail? Jimmy Hoffa? Angel lists some of the things that Dinza may know the location of, including the ancient city that is lost somewhere beneath the sea, the cup used by Christ at The Last Supper, and the former leader of the Teamsters Union who was murdered but whose body was never found.

    • Fred ...all quiet on the psychic front. An allusion to the movie All Quiet on the Western Front.

    • Episode Title "Ground State" in scientific terms refers to the state of least possible energy in a physical system, as of elementary particles.

    • Gwen: It's fun for a girl and a boy...
      A reference to the old Slinky commercial jingle.

    • Video game: Mortal Kombat
      Gwen's last name "Raiden" was also the name of a playable character in the early 1990s arcade coin-op video game "Mortal Kombat". The character was a sort of incarnated lightning god who spurted lightning from his hands much as Gwen does.

    • Lilah: Looks like Connor's gonna need someone who cares, like a big sister...or...a Mrs Robinson, if that's what he's into.
      Reference to the book, play and movie The Graduate. In it Benjamin is seduced by an older woman called Mrs Robinson.

    • Gwen: What are you? Lex Luthor?
      Lex Luthor is Superman's arch nemesis in the popular DC comics. Aside from that he is also a character on the WB series Smallville.

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