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Angel Season 4 Episode 8

Habeas Corpses

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AIRED: 1/15/03

Angel learns that there may be a connection between the Beast and Connor, only to discover that Connor is trapped inside the Wolfram & Hart offices, where the Beast is on a bloody rampage.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (9)

The fall of WR&H

7.0

By joxerlives, Jan 21, 2012

HABEAS CORPSES

The Good;

Angel and co play Saving Private Connor during the fall of WR&H

The Bad;

Angel seems very out of character with his jealousy for CC and Connor but I guess love makes you do the wacky?

Best line:

Angel ; "Now take your new boyfriend and get out!"

just beating Gunn's "Thanks for the newsflash Captain Obvious!"

Jeez, how did they get away with that?

The Beast slaughtering EVERYONE at WR&H!

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Cliches

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 5

Fang Gang in bondage:

Cordy: 5

Angel: 12

Wes: 6

Gunn; 4

Lorne; 4

Fred; 2

Fang gang knocked out:

Cordy: 12

Angel: 15

Wes: 5

Doyle; 1

Gunn; 1

Lorne; 4

Groo; 1

Kills: I figure everyone nails about 5 zombies each?

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: about 200 at WR&H, evil sure but still

250

Recurring characters killed; byebye Gavin but he's evil so screw him

8;

Total number of Angel Investigations: 5

Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes

Angel Investigations shot:

Angel: 11

Wes; 1

Packing heat;

Wes; 7

Doyle; 1

Angel; 3

Gunn; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:

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

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

What the fanficcers thought; Read a nice one where Lilah goes to drown her sorrows in a bar after breaking up with Wes and runs into Kate who is leaving LA that night. They get drunk together and end up hooking up

Questions and observations;

The shortest teaser ever, Angel basically storms off the roof lashing out at everything on the way down. Wes and Lilah break up and never get back together. Lilah actually shows some pity for Gavin describing him as 'Poor bastard'. Lorne and Gunn's idea that maybe Connor isn't linked to the beast and it's just the mystical hotspot behind Caritas is actually pretty sound, rare that anyone tries to 'Scully' Angel (well maybe Sheryl Crow?). Are the zombies actually a satire of corporate life? Angel says he has a photographic memory as we suspected. Why doesn't Lilah try to put a round in the Beast's eye? Love Lorne's little look at his drink when the AI appear back in the Hyperion foyer.

Marks out of 10; 7/10

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Habeas Corpses

10

By TrueTvWatcher, Dec 18, 2010

Habeas Corpses was a perfect episode of Angel and I really enjoyed watching this episode. There was a lot of character development as Cordelia had to be honest with Conner while Wesley had to be honest with Lilah. Meanwhile the Beast has begain to wipe out all the evil competition and only Lilah has survived the slaughter at Wolfram and Hart, other than Conner. Angel and the Gang work their way into the lawfirm to find Conner, and they end up finding the dead lawyers have come back as zombies. They escape to the White Room only to find the little girl, the manifestation of Ancient Evil, is being sucked dry of her power by the Beast. She has enough juice however to send the gang to the Hotel safely. I thought this was an interesting turn of events, and I certainly can't wait to watch the next episode!!!!!!!moreless
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The Destruction of Wolfram and Hart

9.6

By TwistedConverse, Aug 06, 2008

Habeas Corpses is an outstanding episode and a wonderful follow up to Apocalypse Nowish. It deals with the aftermath of the Rain of Fire and Angel and how he feels about Cordelia sleeping with Connor.

The starting scene is a short scene but important; we rarely see Angel get so angry to smash things up. I think the only time we've ever seen this before is in "The Trial" when he learnt Darla was going to die. This rage speaks volumes about how he feels. It shows of his deep love for Cordelia and his feelings of betrayal from Connor. He can't actually stop them seeing each other; Connor is an adult and Cordelia isn't actually with him, so he feels trapped at having to watch the woman he loves bone his son. Connor/Cordelia is just an awful scene for even the audience as it is just wrong. On first viewing, it is very easy to hate Cordelia this season as she just treats Angel so poorly but even you know it isn't really her, there are still feelings of resentment towards her.

Wolfram and Hart took centre stage here and for the first time ever it seems they've lost- The Beast has demolished them and every employee except Lilah is dead. Even though W&H are the bad guys, it's quite hard to watch The Beast brutally murder everyone and the pile of bodies in the corridor is even more shocking. I'm glad Lilah escaped as Lilah's so awesome. However, while I don't like Gavin, it was a big shock when he was murdered. It gives the feeling no one is safe from this thing and Gavin was a suitable character to use- he's important but not too important. Killing Lilah here wouldn't have been right- she's a major character and her death needs more significance. The Beast is an incredible presence and he's probably the most intimidating demon ever- his costume alone is frightening. However I can still remember before I knew he was working on Cordelia's orders wondering why he's doing all this- he doesn't look remotely intelligent and basically just kill-crush-destroy. The clue at the end "The answer is among you" from the little girl is one in a long line of clues that direct your answer to Cordy but the fact that Cordy would do this is unbelievable and the Angelus diversion is enough to divert you from this. When you know what to look for however, it's not blatantly obvious but you observe the little things more and it all adds up. Cordevila is one hell of a mastermind.

Habeas Corpses is a brutal, often scary episode but it's essential to watch as it is very significant to the arc, which at this stage, is Angel at it's best.moreless
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Wolfram and Hart Under Siege

9.2

By lenzinoH20, Aug 16, 2007

Habeas Corpses-Angel learns that there may be a connection between the Beast and Connor, only to discover that Connor is trapped inside the Wolfram & Hart offices, where the Beast is on a bloody rampage.

After the apocaplyptic events of last episode, not to mention Angel being left watching Cordy and his own son having sex, this episode continues the rampage of L.A.'s newest big threat. The Beast continues to be an impressive villain as his attack on Wolfram and Hart is a complete slaughter fest and he literally lives no one alive, well except Lilah who is always a surviver! Just the sight of all those dead bodies in Wolfram and Hart with the gloomy atmosphere after the slaughter is very creepy and disturbing. You really worry for Connor who is trapped inside with the Beast, and the rest of the Fang Gang when they go in to save him. The zombie attack of all the dead lawyers was pretty effective and was reminiscent of movies like Resident Evil and Dawn of the Dead. This episode also has shocking scenes like the Beast draining of "evil red riding hood" (A hilarious by Gunn quote!) to which an errie black energy comes out of her. But for some reason, the Beast looked a little ridiculous in the infinite white room, I guess only dark atmospheres sues him better. My only problem with the episode was Angel anger toward Cordelia abotu sleeping with Connor. The jealuos not boyfriend routine just got irritating and I was annoyed how he pushed Cordelia to the side the whole episode because of it. All and All, a superb episode with violent scenes, nice action sequences and horror-movie like atmosphere.moreless
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Buh-bye Wolfram & Hart (for now)

9.2

By mattsafreak, Jan 20, 2007

Well, the morning after the rain of fire starts out pretty mellow. Cordy wakes up next to Connor and *almost* looks remorseful for what she has done. When he wakes up and tries to get cuddly, she shuts him down. Meanwhile at the hotel the gang re-unites, all but Angel. Fred is happy to see Gunn, but you can tell there are major undercurrents there. Angel shows up and retreats to his room. The gang thinks it is because he was so beat up, they have no idea of the real reason. Wes goes home and Lilah shows up to make sure he survived alright and he ends up telling her it is over between them. She doesnt take this well, but leaves just the same. Soon enough the beast makes himself known again and attacks W&H full on. He is killing everything in sight and taking no prisoners. Wes gets in and helps Lilah escape, Gavin isnt so lucky and gets his neck broken by the beast. Also...Connor is trapped inside W&H. Wes parts ways with Lilah in the sewer and goes to find Angel and Co. and advise them of the situation. Cordy is there, but Angel wont talk to her. She tries to follow along with the gang to W&H to help save Connor but Angel benches her and she has to stay behind with Lorne. Angel and the gang get into W&H and soon find out that these lawyers dont die, they become zombies. The gang scrambles for a way out when Angel remembers the White Room. The gang makes it to the White Room in time to see the beast sucking the life force out of the little evil girl there. She has one bit of mojo left so she sends the gang back to the hotel. Cordy comes to Angels office to congratulate him on getting Connor out and he promptly tells her to take her new boyfriend and get out. Double OUCH.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

David Boreanaz	Angel
Alexis Denisof	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Amy Acker	Winifred "Fred" Burkle
Charisma Carpenter	Cordelia Chase
J. August Richards	Charles Gunn
Vincent Kartheiser	Connor

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Kay Panabaker	Little Girl	Guest Star
Andy Hallett	Lorne	Special Guest Star
Vladimir Kulich	The Beast	Recurring Role
Stephanie Romanov	Lilah Morgan	Recurring Role
Daniel Dae Kim	Gavin Park	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (6)
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- The elevator's password to the white room in W&H is 1823202827.
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- Angel tells Connor that zombies crave human flesh, but it is a well established fact of the Buffyverse that that is only a myth. The only reason a zombie eats human flesh is if its zombie master commands it to.
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- Even Angel knows you kill zombies by cutting off their heads (as he tells Connor). But when Gunn and Wesley, armed with swords, fight the zombies they don't even try. In some cases they just punch the zombies using the hand they're holding their sharp edged weapons with.
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- This episode aired just less than a week after it was officially announced that Charisma Carpenter is pregnant. During the shooting, however, they were still trying to cover it up with her costumes and upper-half closeups. But in this ep, it's still easy to see her pregnancy due to her increasingly overall curviness.
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- Cordelia's hair fully changed from blonde to brown, and Gunn seems to have put on some weight, all supposedly during one night.
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- In the bedroom scene at the start of the episode, Cordy rolls over onto her back to tell Connor the bad news. When the camera switches to Connor, Cordy is actually on her side (you can tell from the position of her shoulder). Next scene she is on her back again (no pun intended).
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QUOTES (17)
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- Angel: Somebody should stay here and mind the store.
  Lorne: Oh! Me, me me! Sergeant Stay-At-Home volunteering for duty, sir.
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- Gunn: What the hell was that?
  Wesley: Zombies.
  Gunn: Yeah, thanks for the newsflash, Captain Obvious.
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- Lilah: Do you have any idea what this thing wants?
  Connor: Everybody dead.
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- Gunn: So what's it say about the Big Bad Wolf if he can just stride right in and suck the energy out of Evil Red Riding Hood?
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- Guard: (reporting in) We're kinda...oh no! Oh my God! (screams in pain)
  Lilah: Tell him to stop whining and make a report.
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- Cordy: I'm just glad everyone is back together.
  Angel: Me too. Now take your new boyfriend and get the hell out of here.
  Cordy: Oh God.
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- Wesley: There is a line, Lilah. Black and white. Good and evil.
  Lilah: Funny thing about black and white: you mix it together and you get gray. And it doesn't matter how much white you try and put back in, you're never gonna get anything but gray. And I don't see your Texas gal pal wearing that color. Come to think of it, she prefers black.
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- Angel: The only way to kill a zombie is to stop its brain activity. Cut off its head, smash its skull... luckily, they're slow and stupid so we have a decent chance of beating them. (peeks around the corner at the hundreds of zombies heading toward them) Unless, of course, there's hundreds of 'em.
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- Angel: (looking around) Home. She sent us. (sees Cordelia) Oh.
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- Angel: You know where it is. The Beast.
  Wesley: Inside Wolfram and Hart. And so is...
  Gunn: Well, that answers a lot of questions. They're probably having a big sit-down, breaking bread.
  Wesley: It's killing everything that moves in there.
  Gunn: I've heard worse news.
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- Gunn: I still don't see how you plan on getting us up there. (Angel jumps up the chute) Show off.
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- Cordelia: I'm ready to crackle-pop myself. The last 24 haven't exactly been normal. We're all tired.
  Angel: (without looking up) Wonder why.
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- Lorne: (about Angel) The man looks like he was hit by a tank.
  Gunn: I don't remember seeing him that down after a fight.
  Wesley: Can't blame him. No one likes to lose, whatever the circumstance.
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- (Gavin attacks Angel)
  Connor: He looks dead.
  Angel: He is dead. Technically, he's undead. He's a zombie.
  Conner: What's a zombie?
  Angel: It's an undead thing.
  Connor: Like you?
  Angel: No. Zombies are slow-moving, dimwitted things that crave human flesh.
  Connor: Like you.
  Angel: No. It's different trust me.
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- Lilah: What are you more afraid of, a murderous demon or me?
  Gavin: Be right back.
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- Lilah: (on phone) Find that beast, or I swear to God I will...
  Gavin: (suggesting sotto voce) Boil you alive.
  Lilah: Boil. You. Alive.
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- Angel: Cordelia, I don't want you there. It's too dangerous, way too dangerous. I can't risk it. Fred! Get a move on.
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NOTES (6)
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- This episode received a 3.2/5 in the overnight ratings.
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- This is the 2nd time "Lilah" survives a Wolfram & Hart massacre. The first time was in season two, when Drusilla and Darla murdered a bunch of employees in Holland Manner's wine cellar.
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- This title is a spin on the legal term "habeas corpus," defined as a writ ordering a prisoner to be brought before a judge. In this case, the prisoners would be the employees of Wolfram & Hart while the judge is The Beast.
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- This episode reunites Vladimir Kulich (the Beast) and Stephanie Romanov (Lilah) - they had previously appeared together in the "7 Days" episode 'Sister's Keeper.'
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- This episode marks the death of Gavin Park and the other lawyers of Wolfram & Hart (excluding Lilah), as well as the apparent death of the little girl in the White Room, which is strange parallel to the Oracles' death at the hands of the Vocah in 'To Shanshu in L.A.' (1x22).
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- Beginning with this episode Angel moves to Wednesday nights at 9 PM, this is the only time the air date switched in the middle of a season.
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ALLUSIONS (6)
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- Gunn: Why go all Terminator on your own team?
  
  This is a reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator movies about an almost unstoppable cyborg that kills anyone in its way.
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- Fred: I didn't mean to snap.
  Cordelia: I'm ready to crackle & pop myself.
  
  This is a reference to the breakfast cereal "Rice Crispies" long running ad campaign that features the characters Snap, Crackle and Pop.
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- Lilah: It's the 800-pound gorilla. It can do whatever the hell it wants.
  
  This is reference to an old joke that goes:
  Q. Where does an eight hundred pound gorilla sleep?
  A. Wherever it wants!
  
  Meaning the 800 pound gorilla is the biggest, toughest and meanest in the jungle and consequently can do whatever it wishes whenever it wishes.
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- Title: Habeas Corpses
  A reference to the latin term "Habeas Corpus" which means "produce the body." It's a legal term for a court order which compels that a person to appear before a judge or to protest improper imprisonment. An appropriate pun for an episode where the bodies of a bunch of lawyers are compelled to return from the dead.
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- Angel: Too many dead men walking
  "Dead Man Walking" is the phrase used to refer to a prisoner on death row, making their final walk to their own execution. It's sort of fallen out of favor now (given its glaring insensitivity), but was immortalized in the book and movie of the same name.
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- Gunn: Assuming we can even get inside the Evil Empire...
  "The Evil Empire" was a phrase used by President Ronald Reagan to describe the now-defunct Soviet Union. He made the remark in a speech to the Annual Convention of the National Association of Evangelicals in Orlando, Florida on March 8, 1983.
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