Angel

LONG DAYS JOURNEY

The Good;
Gwen, hooray! Also like Lorne mocking Angel's brooding.

The Bad;
You can visibly see that CC is preggers. Why not stick Manny on the first plane to Outer Mongolia?

Best line:
Gwen; "Where were you when they taught stealth in superpower school?"

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Cliches
Inverting the Hollywood cliche;
Gwen's attitude of 'get the hell out of dodge' is very atypical but frankly sensible.

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6
Angel can't resist telling CC that the item he gave up for her cost $30million.

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

Fang gang knocked out: CC and Angel get slipped a mickey (or does she?)
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: 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

Kinky dinky:
Manny intends to spend his final hours in a strip club called the Pink Pony. Gwen is still the queen of PVC (Spandexia)and it has the desired effect of making CC jealous when Angel takes her on their road trip. CC refers to Gwen as 'Supertramp', maybe she should have 'Breakfast in America'?

Captain Subtext;
Gwen calls Fred 'cherry'. Lorne says evil demon's can't pull off wearing lam'e like his as it just looks 'camp'. Manny asks Gwen if she'd like him to buy her a lapdance and she doesn't seem too offended. Gwen and Gunn start bonding on sentry duty and she refers to him as Denzel again which is quite a compliment.

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;
Unless Fred and Gunn filled them in Wes and Lorne have never met Gwen but they seem unphased by her arrival. Connor get the living daylights beaten out of him by the Beast. Love the fact that the Beast knocks politley before smashing it's way and trashing the place AND Connor. The manner in which it's suggested Angel/Connor is being controlled by the Beast is similar to The First and Spike on Buffy. This ep sadly dedicated to Glenn Quinn.
Marks out of 10; 7/10

Long Day's Journey-The gang learns that the Beast is planning to rip five magickal totems from the bodies of the beings who are protecting them. If he gets them all, then he will be able to blot out the sun forever. When they learn that the Beast already has four of the five, they plan to protect the final one with the help of the electrifying cat-burglar Gwen Raiden.



An episode that continues the story arc on a solid note which opens with a amazing scene where Gwen is on a job and the Beast attacks her client. Her exotic client has strange eyes and the way a bright light exits his body as the Beast takes out a totem from it is a stunning scene. It's great to see Gwen back and her interaction with the cast is superb. Although Cordelia was slightly annoying with seeming a bit jealous of Gwen, also her vague visions are dragged out too much. The plot though is solid with five totems of the Ratet, with the Beast hunting each one of them. I loved the scenes with Manny, the last totem holder and Gwen's luxurious home. Although it's a shame Manny had to die, the possiblity of how he died is an interesting development. Is someone working with the Beast? The episode ends with an amazing action sequence like Connor fighting the Beast only to be thrown out of window to fall 7 stories up. Then the gang throwing him into a portal only for him to return, and block out the sun. It really sets up a sense of doom as all vampires and demons can attack when ever they want now. The best part is the revelation of Angelus meeting the Beast, but Angel doesn't remember, so what do they do, they decide to bring Angeuls back, uhh ohh! All and All, a great episode with some great sequences, storytelling, and new developments.

This was a wonderful episode and continuation of the havoc the beast is wreaking. We find out, thanks to Electro-Gwen (remember her?) that a client whom she does work for has been taken out by who they know to be our beastly friend. We further find out that there is a connection with the people/beings the beast has taken out. One was the evil little girl from W&H, the client of Gwens who was comprised of light, and also a being Lorne has told them about. After some research they find out these are members of the Ra-Tet. That's 3 down and 2 to go. Things are still frosty between Angel and Cordy, so Angel volunteers to go with Gwen and find the closest remaining member of the Ra-Tet.

When they arrive, they see this member has been killed too but surprise! The last member is hiding out in the cave, his name is Manny the keeper of the orb. When the gang and Manny re-unites they decide to take him somewhere safe where the beast cannot find him. Angel, Gwen, Gunn, Cor and Manny head out for Gwens (amazing) apartment and decide to sleep in shifts. That is all fine and good until Angel and Cor are shaken awake by Gunn & Gwen. And yep, Manny is dead. Not just a little dead, but hacked up brutally. Everyone is suspicious of everyone else but they go to re-convene at the hotel. Wes and Fred have figured out the beast is trying to block out the sun. They all take off to race and stop him and we cut to...Connor at his place. There is a knock at the door and it is the beast. He throws Connor out the window and right in front of Angels approaching car. The gang (minus Connor and Cor) go up to stop the beast from completing his ritual. They are too late and the sun starts turning black. Cordy has another vision of the beast, and he is talking to....dum dum DUM..Angelus!

Long Day's Journey was a perfect and very entertaining episode of Angel. I really enjoyed watching this episode because it had a unique story and brought viewers closer to finding out who the Beast is and what it wants. I thought the concept of the Ra-tet was very intriguing and fun. It was nice to see Gwen again, and I hope to see more of her. The mystery grows as we know that the answer is among the gang, but who was mesektet refering to? The Beast has completed his task and the sun is blacked out in LA. I can't wait to watch the next episode!!!!!!!

Long Day's Journey is an exciting, fast moving episode that features the return of Gwen Raiden, an excellent character and one that I feel is highly underused. The main storyline of The Beast trying to destroy the Ra-Tet was very fast moving- they were introduced in this episode and died in this episode, a good thing as they served their part well and we didn't need to see another couple of episodes of Angel trying to protect them and ultimately failing. In fact the entire arc takes a big step forward here- we learn more about The Beast's motives, the sun is removed from L.A. and we find out someone in Angel Investigations is working with The Beast, and here it looks like it's Angelus. The manner in which this is revealed is brilliant, with Cordevila further removing all blame from herself and Connor and pointing the finger at Angel. The attack on Manjet at Gwen's house makes this look obvious and we completely believe Angelus is taking over. It's a shocking twist and one that sets up the next episode nicely. Gwen made a welcome return here- I'm a big fan of hers and feel she adds a lot to the storylines- I really wish we could have had more of her this season. She's very underused and if I was in charge I would have made her at least a recurring character.



The Beast further ups the stakes here- the removal of the sun is one in a long list of the atrocities he's commited. He's an amazing villain- just him stepping into a room completely draws your attention and who didn't whoop slightly when he beat Connor up and chucked him out a window? He looks so nonchalent as he kicks every member of Angel Investion's booty while performing a dark ritual. Plus his costume is simply amazing and looks completely authentic- he looks like he's just stepped out of a volcano. Long Day's Journey is an excellent episode- it has mystery, drama and great action sequences. It ups the stakes of the entire season and we find out of a mole in the gangand and above all we learn that Angelus will likely be returning. Yay! Not to be missed.

I love this episode. So much action... so much suspense... so much hot Gwen. Angel alone in his room... for the past two days? Nice sketch. Aww, Lorne brought him some warm blood... hee! he's so gay Thank you Lorne for finally standing up to Angel and telling him what he needs to hear. Mmm... Gwen. What's up with her hair? It's all messy in a fixed up kinda way. Whoa. Beast, do you really have to be so gruesome? Thank goodness the Beast only knocked Gwen across the field instead of killing her. Poor Connor. She doesn't love you... she's just using you. Stop trying to impress her. Oh Gunn... shut up. It's nice to see the gang all together again... though with a pinch of passive agressiveness. Fred: The answer is among you. Have I mentioned I hate cryptic messages? That's a major shout-out to the BtVS staff. I'm glad "The answer is among you" was only used in 2 episodes unlike BtVS' "From beneath you it devours" that was used the whole friggin season.



Anywho... nice explanation of the ra-tet... it truly wasn't boring at all unlike many of their exposition filled scenes. Uh-oh. Fresley is starting to burst forth. Cordy & Angel. Ahh, the morning after talk. Finally. I can't sympathize with Cordelia in this ep at all 'cause I know that she's evil and all. No matter what she says, she really doesn't care about Angel's feelings. Thank you Angel for calling her BS. Get over it. lol. Yay. The whole gang is back together... aaaand enter Gwen. Fred is scared that Gwen might kill Gunn again. But why does she think that standing in front of Gunn will protect him at all? I love you Angel. He's trying to make Cordelia jealous and it's working and I'm lovin' it.



Did you notice the faint sound of electricity when Angel put his hand on the small of Gwen's back? I guess that DB didn't realize that he wasn't supposed to touch Gwen 'cause she's electric. Nice job in editing there. Eww, poor Semkhet. I like that they made Manjhet this normal but pervy guy. Super Hunk & Spandexia. You have your new spinoff right there. Cordelia is jealous... and evil. Wow, swanky place Gwen. Shut up Gunn. "The mid-day totem is man. The neutral totem, the potential of every human soul"... makes sense. "I'll take Denzel", Hee! Funny... and a bit racist. C'mon Gunn the girl's telling you her life story get your head in the game. He's too pre-occupied with Fresley. Cordy wants to talk... typical women. Angel's blood looks too thin. Bad, prop dept. Cordy and Angel fall asleep. Nice cut there. "So, was that one of Manny's powers-extra blood and guts?" Hee. I love you Gwen. You're hot and also funny too. Shut up Gunn. Cordelia is trying to pin this all on Gwen. Cordy is evil. Super-tramp!? Why does Gwen let that slide? Why does anyone let that slide? Fresley has a plan to take out the Beast finally. Shut up Gunn. Another vision... or so she says. Hee! The Beast knocks. I don't really like Connor but his fight scenes really kick butt. Nice move there Connor... too bad it gets you thrown out of your own 5 story window. Ouch. That must've hurt. Shut up Gunn. The Beast is doing the ritual... so that's what the heart was for. Creepy and Eew. Enter team Angel in what's got to be the most awesome shot of the season. And they fight. Everyone's doing their part 'cept for Gwen who's just getting tossed around. Cordy "remembers". Finally the Beast is out of the picture... or so we thought. The sun is gone. Shut up Gunn. Cordy really planned out everything good. Wesley deduces that they need Angelus. Awesome. Bye Gwen see you in a few episodes. RIP Glenn Quinn.

a very exiting episode with gwen back into the show. the episode was so cool with the beast wanting to turn out the sun and killing all those people. the beast turns out the sun at the end and throws connor out of a window.



everyone says that angelus knows the beast so they need him to come out to face the beast because he is maybe the only one who can. its cool how nobody knows whos after everything not even the audiance and it was one of the best kept secrets

Long Days Journey



The third part of the great The Beast story-line. it's not as perfect as the past two but still amazing and full of dark and awesome scenes. The Beast wants to turn off the sun and he has to kill the Majets and Gwen is back. at the end they find out that The Beast knew Angelus so they have to bring him back.



cut to Angel in his room and Lorne comes in with blood and sees him painting. Lorne tells him to come down but Angel says he works alone. Lorne tells him he knows about Connor and Cordy and he's mad and tells Lorne to take a hike. before Lorns goes he tells him to find someone else. cut to Gwen and a man and she tells him that she cannot help him and that she's going on vacation when suddenly he gets killed by The Beast who knocks her away and The Beast takes something out of the man and Gwen gets ready to fight but the Beast disappears.



the credits start



cut to Connor and Cordy are in the room and she stands up and he tries to make her fall inlove again but she doesn't want it and she also doesn't want to take him to the hotel and they think they're connected to the beast but she tells him why and that Angel knows that they had sex and that's why they can't go to the hotel because Angel is upset because they hurt him. then suddenly has some sort of vision, she sees The Beast and she has to see Angel, before she goes she says she trust him. cut to the hotel where Gunn and Fred are talking and they think that Connor is working with The Beast. and that the girl who died makes the office disconnected from the senior partners and the girl was connected to an order and that maybe The Beast killed her for that. then Lorne comes in and he says that a woman was killed and that she was one of the rate's but they are not sure yet The Beast is coming after them. and then comes Cordy.



cut to Angel and Cordy enters his room. but Angel doesn't want to talk to her and she says that they both are acting like teenagers and that she cares about him. and Cordy tells Angel to get over it and she's sorry that she hurts him and that there are more important things at the moment and that people need him and his son needs him. so then she tells him about her vision and that she can't tell where it was and she was inside someone. Angel says it's not much but she says it's something and that she was watching and someone has to help them. Cut to Angel talking to the gang and that they are going to fight him smart and time to take down The Beast but Fred doesn't know how and they don't know if he has weaknesses. then They see Gwen and she remembers that she killed Gunn and Fred is mad. Cordy knows who is Gen and she gets all jealous.



Gwen begins to tell Angel and she tells about the guy who got killed by a demon that was made out of rock. and then Fed asks about who he killed and it was a man with light and Fred says it was another one and there are two left. They only have to protect the cat and Angel is going with Gwen and Angel tries to make Cordy jealous. cut to Angel and Gwen climbing off a rock and they almost get romantic. and then they find the cat thing dead that was ripped apart. and there is this man in the cave and he tells them that The Beast is gonna turn out the sun. He says that he's the last one of the still alive ones. Majet says that he came when he heard that the girl was killed and now he's afraid and not looking forward his retirement. he says that he's turning down the sun everywhere and that then it's a demon's playground. and they say they will protect him.



cut to the hotel and they show the rest Majet and that the cat is dead and he tells the gang that The Beast is turning out the sun and he goes to the bathroom and Cordy hopes he's joking about the sun. Gwen knows a place to protect them and they go to a place and Cordy annoys Angel. And they don't know why he's a ra-tet and he says that he's human but immortal. Then they enter Gwen's hotel and it's amazing and it's because Gwen used the thing Angel gave her back. she makes him in the iron part and Majet isn't expecting miracles and Angel and Cordy are staying there and Gwen and Gunn are going another place. cut to Gwen and Gunn talking and he's worried about Fred and she asks why it changed that Fred isn't into him that way anymore. then they leave and Cordy and Angel stay in the room and they have something to drink and then a little later they are woken up.



And they don't know how they slept and they go inside where Majet was and The Beast got him. it was a lot of blood and they say the person looked inside and hey know that Gwen isn't telling something and then she tells about her client. and then Gunn thinks that Connor it was again and they think it's impossible what happened and they don't understand and Gwen is going to look in the security camera's and they are stopping and looking on Connor later. cut to the camera's and Cordy doesn't believe Angel thinks Connor did it and they think it was an inside job. They arrive in the hotel and they know what he took out of them and they don't know how he's gonna use the things. and Fred and Wes have a solution and it's by a portal and Gunn doesn’t like it and they are gonna locate it and Cordy has the vision again and she sees more now and it's the same one. It was a massacre and that he was talking to someone she knows and they think it's Connor then.



cut to Connor and The Beast is at the door and it attacks him and they fight and then he throws Connor out the window and she smashes to the floor where the gang arrives. They go inside to fight the beast but he's to strong while Cordy keeps going into the vision. then they are able to make the beast to in a portal but still the sun goes out and The Beast comes back and he knows Angelus and in Cordy's vision she sees Angelus too. The Beast eats the sun and vanishes away and they see that the sun is gone. when they go out they know about Angelus and that Cordy saw him in her vision 'the answer is among you' and they think that Angelus killed Majet and it wasn't Connor and now the only thing to do for them is to bring back Angelus.



In Loving Memory Of Glenn Quinn



Black Out

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Best episode quotes:



Lorne: Room service. Hey. I brought you some nice O-positive here, freshly nuked for that right out of the jugular taste.

Angel: Just put it on the table.

Lorne: Mmm. Good likeness. You wouldn't mind if I ran screaming from the room, would ya?

Angel: Shut the door on your way out.

Lorne: Oh, all right. You want to play it this way, we'll play it this way.

Angel: Play what?

Lorne: Angel, sweetie. Why so down? Don't interrupt me, I'm brooding.

Angel: I'm not brooding, I'm researching.

Lorne: The apocalyptic Beast who's turned our city into his personal abattoir? Yeah, so's everybody else. Wesley included. Downstairs. Together.

Angel: I work better alone.

Lorne: Oh-ho-ho. That's it. I see. It's all about you. Silly old Lorne, thinking it was about saving the world from ending. Welcome to the big leagues, Angel. You're a champion. You don't get personal days.

Angel: There's nothing on this Beast, Lorne. I fought it once, it nearly decapitated me with my own stake. It's killed hundreds of people that I couldn't save. And it keeps showing up around my kid, my kid who's-

Lorne: Not entirely unmaking with the moves on the girl who might have been?

Angel: You want to shove that into English for me?

Lorne: I know about Connor and Cordelia. It's a- it's a vibe, it's a thing. I know. What can I say?

Angel: You can say goodbye. Take a hike.

Lorne: Connor's still gonna be your son, you know, when it's all said and done. And you may not find perfect happiness with Cordelia, but Angel food, you gotta remember, there's other fish in the sea.



Cordelia: Close one?

Connor: Four blocks over.

Cordelia: They're getting more frequent. Couple times last night I even dreamt I heard-

Connor: Screaming. It wasn't a dream. Things are falling apart out there.

Cordelia: It's not your fault, you know.

Connor: We should go over to the hotel today, talk to my dad. See if they found out anything new about the Beast.

Cordelia: They would've told us if they had. Probably just safer if we stay put. Wish I'd known you weren't gonna take your turn on the bed. Maybe I wouldn't have this achy floor-neck.

Connor: Well, I didn't want to sleep there without you.

Cordelia: Oh, boy.

Connor: I heard that.

Cordelia: I'm sure you did.

Connor: It's the super hearing.

Cordelia: Whatever you say.

Connor: Kinda makes you wonder where I got it from.

Cordelia: I'm gonna go wash up. Have you seen my- towel.

Connor: Super-speed and super-strength, too.

Cordelia: Connor, we've been cooped up here together for two days straight-

Connor: Because you won't take me back to the hotel. They don't want me there, do they. Angel doesn't want me there. It's because they think I'm connected to the Beast. That's why you don't want me either.

Cordelia: Angel knows we slept together. That's why you can't go back to the hotel.

Connor: He...

Cordelia: He knows, Connor. All right? With his super-smelling and super-Tom-peeping and- I don't even know what else, but... he knows. And he's extremely upset with both of us right now.

Connor: We didn't do anything wrong.

Cordelia: We hurt him. That's enough.

Connor: What is it? A vision? What do you see?

Cordelia: Nothing. I- I have to see Angel.

Connor: How do you know I'll be here when you get back? Aren't you afraid I'm gonna run off and join the demon?

Cordelia: I trust you, Connor.



Gunn: I don't trust him.

Fred: You can't say that. Connor hasn't done anything wrong.

Gunn: Lately. You forgetting Angel's voyage to the bottom of the sea?

Fred: Charles, the little girl in that white room is evil. I felt it. When she said-

Gunn: "The answer is among you." Come on, who else could creepy locks have been talking about?

Fred: It was probably just some last-ditch mind game to get the Beast to come after us instead of her.

Gunn: Baby, that's another thing. Connor's gone toe-to-toe with this guy twice and barely needed a boo-boo kiss afterward. You telling me that's not suspicious?

Wesley: Most of us have encountered the demon twice, and we're still here.

Gunn: Yeah, but we weren't conveniently born in the exact spot that thing hatched.

Fred: "The answer is among you." Have I mentioned I hate cryptic messages?

Wesley: Well, there's one thing I can decrypt. My sources have already confirmed that, without the little girl, the earthly contingent at Wolfram and Hart is cut off from the senior partners, effectively neutralized. However, it appears that was not her only function. I've just found an entry in Rhinehardt's Compendium for that same little girl- or, rather, the entity presenting itself as one. Her name is Mesektet.

Fred: Hmm. I figured Tiffany or Brandy.

Gunn: So you mean Wolfram and Hart was just the day job.

Wesley: Sort of. You see, Mesektet was one of five enormously powerful beings which are linked to an embodiment of the ancient god Ra.

Fred: Which makes them totems, right? Symbolic manifestations.

Wesley: Yes, totems which together form an order called the "Ra-tet."

Gunn: Must be big. Never heard of them.

Wesley: That's because their origins have been shrouded in mystery since the dawn of time. Only the totems themselves know their true purpose.

Fred: So, maybe he killed this Mesektet for another reason. I'll hit the net. Charles, you wanna update Angel?

Gunn: Mr. Do-Not-Disturb? Doubt it. Don't know why we're bothering with the Ra-Ra's anyway. "The answer is among you," remember?

Lorne: Bad news, munchkins. Rumor mill has Dr. Feel-Bad attached to another slice-and-dice yesterday.

Fred: Who was it?

Lorne: Lovely woman. High and mighty white-magic shaman type, and that didn't even faze the Beast. Tore her poor heart right out of her chest.

Wesley: The M.O. doesn't match. Mesektet had some sort of energy sucked from her. He didn't touch her heart.

Fred: Lorne, you didn't happen to catch the name, did you? Like, Ma'at?

Lorne: Yeah, th-that's the lady.

Fred: Another member of the Ra-tet.

Gunn: He's taking them out, one by one.

Wesley: Well we can't assume that yet. This Beast has killed hundreds of people with his bare hands. You throw in the storms and earthquakes that accompanied the rain of fire, you could put the death toll in the thousands.

Fred: Wes is right. Statistically, it's still a coincidence. Two points-

Wesley: Make a line, not a pattern.

Cordelia: Hi, guys.

Lorne: Oh, hey, Cordy.

Gunn: 'Sup, Cordy?

Cordelia: OK, uh, I gotta go see Angel.

Gunn: See, I told you Connor can't be trusted. Look how weird he's made her.



Angel: What is it?

Cordelia: It's me. I know I don't have to be invited in, but it is polite.

Angel: Go away, Cordelia.

Cordelia: Well, you know that never works. I don't know where to start.

Angel: Skip to the end where you leave, and we don't talk about it.

Cordelia: Aren't you going to ask how Connor's doing?

Angel: Yeah, like I really want a progress report.

Cordelia: That's not what I meant. He's scared to death, Angel. Scared that you think he's connected to the Beast.

Angel: Well, you know, it does tend to show up whenever he's around.

Cordelia: I swear. Like father, like son. The two of you have cornered the market on teenage snits. How 'bout you stop being angry at me-

Angel: How about you stop pretending to give a damn about my feelings.

Cordelia: I do give a damn. In fact, I give a whole lot of damn. That's why I came over here. To tell you, "Get over it."

Angel: What?

Cordelia: I had a vision this morning-

Angel: "Get over it."

Cordelia: -of the Beast.

Angel: Hm. You know, I never really thought about that. "Get over it." Why didn't I think about that? Hm? It's so simple.

Cordelia: Angel, I'm sorry I hurt you. It was the last thing in the world I wanted to do, but you have to get past it. And you have to get past it now because there are bigger things at stake. I know it's not fair, but it's the way it is. People need you. Your son needs you.

Angel: Tell me about your vision.

Cordelia: It was...different from any other- I felt like I was inside somebody else listening to the demon talk, but I couldn't tell if it was in the past or in the future or even where we were exactly.

Angel: Who was inside you- I mean, who was it you were inside?

Cordelia: I couldn't tell, but I did feel like there was more I wasn't getting. Like I was just scratching at the surface of something. Maybe it'll come to me.

Angel: So what did the demon say?

Cordelia: Don't know. All I got was a visual.

Angel: Not much to go on, Cordy.

Cordelia: But it's something. And a vision means the phone lines between us and the Powers That Be are still open. Maybe they'll send us a clue.

Angel: As if there's somebody up there watching.

Cordelia: I was, but I'm back now. So you're going to have to suck it up and deal because things are going to hell, and- and you're the leader. So lead.



Angel: Gwen.

Gwen: Hi there. Long time, no hand-to-hand. I remember you.

Fred: That guy you killed? Yeah, that's him.

Gwen: Kicked you in the face, too, didn't I, cherry? Sorry 'bout that. I really do try to avoid contact. Mostly.

Angel: Cordelia, this is-

Cordelia: I know who she is. Caught your little show on the omniscient higher plane channel. Thanks.

Gwen: So, you're the girl who makes his heart go pitter-pat. Figuratively, at least. You must be so happy.

Angel: I am. Not having the best week, to be honest.

Gwen: Tell me about it. I mean, really, tell me. Freak to freak. Is the world about to end, or what?

Angel: Something happen to you?

Gwen: Met with a client last night in the oil fields, which is odd, 'cause I bagged for this guy six years- big money- and he never wanted to meet before.

Cordelia: Fascinating as these details must seem to you, we're dealing with much more important stuff right now. Apocalypse. End of the world.

Gwen: Also, while we were talking, he, um, got his chest punched out a big demon with a head made of rock. Demon, OK? The whole nine- cloven feet and horns and teeth- He wasn't wearing lame though.

Lorne: Yeah, the evil ones can't pull it off. It gets camp.

Wesley: This client of yours, was anything removed from the body?

Gwen: Didn't see. But you are, hands down, the weirdest person I know, so I figured I'd ask you what's going on.

Fred: Um, excuse me- not that I don't still bear a grudge against you, because I do- but your client didn't happen to be a skinless saber-tooth tiger or composed entirely of light, maybe?

Gwen: Light came out of his chest. How did you know?

Gunn: You wanted a pattern. That makes three.

Fred: He's killing the Ra-tet.

Gwen: What's a Ra-tet?

Wesley: A mystical order. Each totem representing a stage in Ra's journey across the sky. Here's your client. Two others- these- are dead.

Cordelia: That means there's two totems left: Manjet and Semkhet.

Fred: The last sighting of Majet was rumored two years ago in Belize, and Semkhet is said to live in a cave in Death Valley.

Angel: Then that's easy. All we have to do is find Semkhet and... protect him.

Lorne: Yeah, well, won't that be a hoot. Looks like Semkhet is puddy-tat to the world's scariest six-year-old.

Cordelia: It could be dangerous.

Angel: I'll take Gwen.

Gwen: Gee, I feel all warm inside.

Cordelia: Well, shouldn't we all go? It might-

Angel: We can handle it. Super powers. I'll catch her up on the drive.

Cordelia: It's a four hour trip, both ways.

Angel: I'm sure we'll find... something to talk about.



Gwen: Geez. Where were you when they taught stealth in super powers? I did that on purpose.

Angel: That's pretty pathetic.

Gwen: If it's a lie, or if it's the truth. I thought we were here to protect this thing.

Angel: We are, unless it's evil. Which, if it is, we prevent the Beast from killing it by killing it ourselves.

Gwen: So much for protecting it.

Angel: Looks like it was ripped apart. Charring around the edges. This is definitely our guy. The Beast is systematically executing these totems. I just don't know why.

Manny: I do. It's gonna turn out the sun.

Angel: What're you doing here?

Manny: Uh, standing in the remains of my fallen brethren, trying not to have an anxiety attack. Who are you two?

Angel: I'm Angel. That's Gwen. Got a name?

Manny: I am Manjet, sacred guardian of the Shen, keeper of the Orb of Ma'at, and devotee of light. Off hours, I like Manny.

Angel: You're Manjet?

Manny: Right.

Angel: The last totem of the Ra-tet?

Manny: Right.

Gwen: I thought you were in Belize.

Manny: Was 'til I heard Mesektet got whacked. Never liked that chick- evil, right down to her Mary Janes. But family, what're you gonna do?

Angel: What did you mean before? The Beast is gonna turn out the sun. Is that some kind of metaphor?

Manny: Sorry, I don't speak college-boy. I said what I meant. This Beast you're talking about- he's looking to put an end to daylight. Wants to blot out the sun permanently.

Angel: You're saying that once the totems are dead, the sun disappears.

Manny: Uh, not disappears, exactly. And it's not just killing us, either. Uh, there's props and a ritual and a chant and a thing and a-suffice it to say, it ain't east. And folks in the Ra-tet, they got some serious juice which is why I never felt worried before.

Angel: But you're worried now.

Manny: Well, there's four out of five down. Let's just say, I'm not looking forward to my retirement in Boca.

Gwen: So, the lights go out. Then what?

Manny: The city sinks into never-ending darkness, that's what. Vamps, creepies, crawlies, things that go bump in the night are suddenly bumping 24/7. The whole of Los Angeles turns into a, uh-

Angel: A demon playground.

Manny: Bingo. And that's before it starts to spread. California, North America...eventually, hello, global blackout. The world is the Devil's oyster.

Angel: We gotta stop him.

Manny: You sure do and good luck with that.

Angel: Where do you think you're going?

Manny: Look, it's probably just a few hours 'til this guy catches up with me. I want to spend my last moments with my oldest, dearest friends down at the, uh, Pink Pony Lounge. I'll buy ya a lap dance if I can watch.

Angel: Forget that. We can take you somewhere safe, Manny. We can protect you.

Manny: Right, Super Hunk and Spandexia. This thing takes out Mesektet, and you two are gonna protect me?

Angel: I don't see anybody else lined up for the job.

Manny: You think she'd give me a lap dance?



Angel: Any movement from the Beast while we were gone?

Gunn: Not a peep. Just wasting time trying to find ways to kill him, which, by the way, there aren't any.

Fred: Uh, that doesn't look like Semkhet.

Manny: Semkhet's not available, sweetheart. Slight case of being ripped open to death in a cave. I don't suppose I could interest you in short, stocky orb keeper?

Angel: Guys, I'd like you to meet Manny, the last totem of the Ra-tet.

Wesley: This...is a being of supreme power?

Manny: You ought to see me in my Armani.

Lorne: What happened to the second-to-last one?

Gwen: Somebody already ripped out the toy surprise.

Angel: Good news is, we discovered the Beast's plan.

Gunn: Which is...?

Manny: To blot out the sun for all eternity. You guys got john?

Angel: Right back there.

Manny: Thanks, pal.

Cordelia: Why did the small yucky man say that? He's joking, right?

Angel: No. Apparently there's a ritual using members of the Ra-tet to change day into night. Forever.

Wesley: As far as evil plans go, it doesn't suck.

Angel: He's killed four of the five so far. I figure, we keep Manny safe, the lights stay on long enough, and we find a way to defeat this thing.

Fred: But where are we going to hide him? We need a small, controlled space.

Angel: Secure the perimeter. Guards on duty at all times.

Gunn: Kitchen's got a meat locker.

Wesley: Brilliant. Let's store the one thing that'll stave off perpetual darkness in the home of the only people we're sure the demon knows.

Gunn: You know what? You got a better idea, Einstein?



Gwen:...So then after the second gardener and the fourth nanny, I got sent to the academy. Something tells me my origin story isn't enough to fascinate you.

Gunn: Oh, no, it is. I was just- just thinking.

Gwen: Gunn, I already apologized for killing you. What do you want, a wake?

Gunn: It isn't that.

Gwen: Then it's the English guy, isn't it? I saw the way he looked at your girl. A good thief is a master of body language.

Gunn: He starts talking with his body, he's gonna have a serious problem.

Gwen: I'm surprised. A few months ago, she was ready to wear sackcloth and ashes for you. When did the landscape change?

Gunn: Long story.

Angel: How's Manny?

Gunn: Gave him some magazines about half hour ago to keep him occupied.

Gwen: Swimsuit Edition. He's occupied. Come on. I'll show you where you can crash.

Cordelia: So, all this time alone together. Could be good for us. Maybe we should talk.

Angel: Maybe we shouldn't.

Cordelia: Valid point.



Gwen: So, was that one of Manny's powers- extra blood and guts? 'Cause I mean that's- that's a lot of blood and guts in there. No way all that Stephen King came out of a normal guy.

Angel: It was the Beast. It was looking for something Manny had.

Gunn: How do you know?

Angel: Oh, it emptied out his head to find it.

Gwen: Wait. Manny said he was an orb-keeper, right? Maybe he kept an orb.

Cordelia: In his head?

Gwen: Where do you keep yours?

Angel: Hold on a second. She's right.

Cordelia: Of course.

Angel: Semkhet- the demon in the cave. You said someone already pulled out the toy surprise.

Gwen: Did I?

Angel: The Beast is pulling something out of these totems.

Gunn: And you knew that.

Angel: Something you're not telling me, Gwen?

Gwen: All right. My client- the Beast grabbed something out of him too. A little, metal boxy thing.

Cordelia: And you neglected to mention this fact.

Gwen: I don't know. I thought the box might be worth something. Look, the apocalypse was coming, there was a giant killer demon. I panicked. And, oh, by the way, I'm still a thief, and as a rule we don't share information.

Gunn: OK, what about this cave demon? You think the Big Ugly went treasure hunting inside of him?

Angel: It's definitely possible.

Cordelia: Yes. But what's impossible is thinking that somehow, someway, the Beast found where we were hiding, spiked the drinks we made ourselves, snuck through this unreasonably large apartment on the tippie-toes of his cloven feet right up to the vault and killed poor Manny, unseen and unheard.

Gunn: Maybe whoever did it didn't have cloven feet. "The answer is among you." I can't be the only one thinking it.

Cordelia: Don't be ridiculous. Connor doesn't even know where we are.

Angel: You didn't call him?

Cordelia: He doesn't have a phone. I can't believe you'd even consider-

Gunn: Even if she didn't call him, last time I checked, that boy could track anybody anywhere.

Angel: But I'd know if he'd been here. I'd be able to smell him.

Gunn: Same way you smelled whatever it was spiking your blood?

Gwen: This is impossible.

Cordelia: Yeah, I thought we were pretty clear on the whole impossible issue.



Gwen: I'm just saying, it never would've happened on my watch.

Cordelia: Gosh, no. 'Cause you're Super Tramp.



Angel: What happened?

Connor: The Beast. It's upstairs.

Wesley: Maybe it need to do the ritual-

Gunn: In the place where Connor lives.

Angel: We'll figure that out later. Everybody gear up. Wes, you got everything you need?

Wesley: Ready.

Angel: Gwen, go for the orb, the wings, whatever you can get your hands on. Can't let him finish the spell. Gunn, you and I'll keep the Beast busy long enough for Fred and Wesley to work the portal mojo. Cordy- keep him safe.

Cordelia: Dad...

Angel: It's OK, Connor. I'm here now. Let's go.



Cordelia: Angel, we have to talk.

Fred: I can't believe we lost the sun.

Cordelia: Angel, I think I figured it out.

Angel: So have I. The Beast knows me.

Cordelia: No, it doesn't. It knows Angelus. Am I right? While you were upstairs, it came to me. I wasn't having a vision of the demon, I was having a memory of it.

Gwen: How's that again?

Cordelia: I told you, when I was a higher being, I'd experienced everything you'd ever done as Angelus. But since I've been back, my memory's been fading until the Powers decided to jog it, I guess. Angel, I saw you, long ago, standing in a field of bodies with the Beast.

Connor: You knew this thing, and you didn't tell us?

Angel: No, I couldn't come up against something like that and not remember.

Gunn: The answer is among you. It's what the little girl meant, isn't it? This was never about Connor, it's about-

Fred: Angelus.

Angel: I'm telling ya. I don't know this beast. I'd remember.

Cordelia: Like you remember falling asleep before Manny got killed?

Angel: What?

Gwen: And inside job.

Angel: What's that supposed to mean?

Wesley: It means you're a suspect. If Cordelia's right, we should admit the possibility that this Beast may have some sort of power over you to make you do things, to make you forget.

Cordelia: And he has a plan. The rain of fire, taking down Wolfram and Hart, even blotting out the sun. I think I think now, those were only the first steps to something bigger.

Angel: I don't know what to tell any of you, 'cause I don't know what the plan is.

Wesley: No, but Angelus might. There's only one way we're gonna defeat this Beast. We need Angelus.



----------

Story: 10

Acting: 10

Writing: 10

Picture: 10

Gripping: 10

My Rank: 10

----------

Total: 10

A fun episode which sets up one of the major events of season four but doesn't really do that much else, Long Day's Journey has The Beast seeking more victims and Gwen returning to help out Angel Inc.



An excellent teaser sequence sees Gwen meeting with one of her clients, before The Beast turns up and slaughters him right in front of Electrogirl's eyes. We soon discover that The Beast is killing the members of the Ra-Tet, a group of mystical totems, including the little girl from the previous episode.



The apocalypse kicks up a gear as The Beast manages to block out the sun, one of the most shocking twists in the Buffyverse. It's an effective story development and continues to play out for a few more episodes. It's awesome seeing Gwen again and her Batman-esque pad is excellent and perfectly in character. Manny is a hilarious demon and it's a shame that he gets slaughtered so soon.



The revelation of Angelus being the key to stopping The Beast is a shock but it's hardly inevitable as the writers were bound to introduce Angelus onto their show longer than his brief appearances in season one and in flashbacks.



Charisma Carpenter, sadly, is the low point of the episode. For most of season four, it appears that she's just phoning in her performances and her constant gasps as she experiences visions in this episode are seriously annoying. Obviously her real-life pregnancy made her lose all her acting talent momentarily... somehow.



A good episode which has a lot of good points, but ends up being slightly average.

As Ra conducts his journey across the sky, the silliness reaches crisis levels. Gwen arrives and by and by they discover there's only one totem left alive. They put him in a safe place and Cordy kills him. Oh, er, she finds a way to get the //Beast// in there and //he// destroys Manny and gets away with the Orb ...



Oh, honestly, who are we kidding?



Now, normally when this sort of thing happens we've been given a little more backstory. As viewers, we're just watching Cordy break down a little with the craziness and the suspicion.



We don't yet know that she's //evil//. We don't find out for sure until the Lilah pokeage in "Calvary." And we never really find out why. Jasmine the motive force, Jasmine the thrall, Jasmine the Beastmaster, seems to be a much different being with much different priorities than Jasmine the Presence.



The story, what the Beast does, isn't even a little bit possible. I don't know how large that whatever-it-must-be over L.A. is, but it's very troubling and very silly and the sooner they get rid of it, the better.



So, the darkness, and the chaos, and the Beast. I've got a nutty idea -- let's bring Angelus into the mix.



// Oh, for the love of gardening ... //



Oh, and if the effect was localized in L.A., the "meteorological anomaly" should've been following the sun around in the sky. It was always noon and the effect always looked like it was covering the whole sun.



Silly ... silly ... silly ...