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Season 4, Episode 16, Aired

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8.5
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After discovering that Cordelia is pregnant, the gang research what type of demon the offspring could be. Meanwhile, Gunn helps Gwen rescue a girl named Lisa from a posh house party, but realises that he has been tricked when L.I.S.A. turns out to be Gwen's latest stolen item.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (9)

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  • A relief from the high intensity arc

    7.0
    "Good"
    By joxerlives, Jan 22, 2012
    PLAYERS

    The Good;
    I like this ep, nice to see that Gunn isn't just 'The Muscle', he's suave as well as tough. The best Gunn-centric ep and you could see J. August as James Bond. Love Gunn's little look when Wes goes 'Well the last time this happened..."

    The Bad;
    Quite humdrum in places, actually drags a bit
    Best line;
    Gunn describes the last few months of AI as a 'Turgid supernatural soap-opera'.

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

    Angel Cliches
    Inverting the Hollywood cliche; the little girl isn't in danger, Gwen has screwed Gunn over

    In disguise; 8

    DB get's his shirt off; 12

    Cheap Angel; 6

    Fang Gang in bondage:
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 14
    Wes: 6
    Gunn; 4
    Lorne; 4
    Fred; 2

    Fang gang knocked out:
    Cordy: 15
    Angel: 16
    Wes: 5
    Doyle; 1
    Gunn; 2
    Lorne; 5
    Groo; 1
    Connor; 1
    Faith; 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+4 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 humans
    Kate; 3 vamps
    Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
    Gunn; 11 vamps+ 13 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human.
    Groo; 1 demon
    Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies
    Connor; 13 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

    Fang Gang go evil:
    Cordy: 3
    Angel: 3
    Gunn; 1
    Wes; 1

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

    Characters killed:
    255

    Recurring characters killed;
    9;

    Total number of Angel Investigations:
    Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes, CC, Connor,

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 12
    Wes; 1
    Wes; 7
    Doyle; 1
    Angel; 3
    Gunn; 2

    Packing heat; Wes with his shotgun again
    Wes; 9
    Doyle; 1
    Angel; 3
    Gunn; 1

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Gunn and Gwen, Gunn presumably not only having sex with her but taking her virginity if he's the first person ever able to touch her?
    Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast
    Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies
    Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible, Justine
    Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen.
    Fred; 1 Gunn
    Groo; 1Cordy

    Kinky dinky:
    Lorne refers to a female friend Wanda as a 'peach'. Gwen in her customary tight PVC outfits. Wes explains his tryst with Lilah to Fred, he was lost and cut off from those he loved as indeed was she.

    Captain Subtext;
    Gwen calls Fred a babe and honey, obvious tension between the 2.

    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;
    Plenty of demon pregnancy fanfics, a subsection of fanfiction called GOT-fic, Monsters and Angels, Taboo Comics, beautiful women being ravished and impregnated or sometimes consumed ('Vore') by monsters, aliens, mutated plants etc (think Princess Leia and Jabba the Hutt, The Evil Dead or Alien vs Predator; Requiem). Also of course Willow having sex with snake demon in the comics. Plenty of fic out there where Gwen joins AI or if the original gang is destroyed helping the new champion form their team or she (and the Groo) show up to save everyone from everything


    Questions and observations;
    Only a few weeks after becoming a dad Angel is now faced with becoming a grandfather! 'Dramarama' is referred to, an old supernatural British kids TV series which Joss Whedon may have seen growing up in the UK. 'Clash of the Titans' also referred to. Angel and Wes refer to 'The last time' CC got supernaturally knocked up both in Expecting and Epiphany. 8 million people in LA, didn't think it was that big. Not only did Angelus not kill Lilah he never actually killed anyone but a vamp? Andy Hallet in the titles, hooray! The last time we'll see Gwen whom was obviously supposed to be a possible regular but they went another way. A pity but at least we see her in the comics. For my money after this ep I figure she goes to see her parents and catches up on a lifetime's worth of hugs. Gunn's love of suits foretells season 5. We see Angel's photgraphic memory again. CC refers to the Fortress of Solitude, Xander's influence again. At what point does Angel twig CC's betrayal?
    Marks out of 10; 7/10 a lightweight ep but probably what we need after all the power of the last few eps
    moreless

  • Four words: Gunn in a suit

    9.3
    "Superb"
    By mattsafreak, Apr 09, 2011
    The gang is still trying to wrap their lobes around a very pregnant Cordy. Connor tries to simplify it saying it is their child, end of story. Our heroes know better and get into research mode PDQ. And then...in walks Gwen. Seems she needs help retrieving a kidnapped girl and she needs someone suave and she picks Gunn! He is more than ready to get out of hotel hell and agrees. Cordy continues to manipulate Connor to her side and further away from Angel and co. She also tries to make sure the gang doesnt find out anything about her pregnancy or the beasts boss. Gunn and Gwen manage to get what they went after, only it wasnt a little girl. It was a device that can de-electrify Gwen. Gunn helps her try it on for size and they enjoy some kisses (Go Gunn!) At the hotel Lorne shows up with good news, he can get his path reading mojo back and will be able to read Cordy after he does. He goes to an abandoned building and sets up. Cordy is in the shadows, stalking him with a knife. She is just about to draw the knife when the lights come on and Angel is right behind her. The gig is up!
    She makes to run but Fred and Wes are armed. She is outnumbered until Connor bursts in and takes everyone down in one fell swoop. Cordy walks out holding hands and grinning evilly. This isnt going to be good.moreless

  • who's the evil one?

    7.8
    "Good"
    By AngelRocks, Mar 11, 2011
    a fairly dissapointing episode especially because this season is so brilliant.

    gunn is really a boring character and even gwen was not able to make him look interesting. only thng i liked from that storyline is that gwen got some ship and got to be able to touch. did she sleep with gunn is my question but we sadly do not know.

    the best thing was cordelia and angel beginning to suspect the big bad. now that everybody knows that she is pregnant they realise she is not well either. at the end she tries to kill lorne but then is caught by everybody being the big bad. decent episode with a killer end!moreless

  • Players

    10
    "Perfect"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Dec 19, 2010
    Players was a perfect episode of Angel and fun to watch. I really enjoyed this episode because Gwen is back for Gunn's help and they have an adventure with a few unforseen twists. Meanwhile the rest of the gang were trying to figure out what Cordelia's baby may turn out to be. Cordelia continues to spin her web around Connor, and plays with Angel while analyzing the Beast's Master. I thought the ending of the two different story lines was awesome. Gunn and Gwen get close, he wasn't letting any thing get in the way of that. Angel and the gang use Lorne as bait to flush out Cordelia. I can't wait to watch the next episode!!!!!!!moreless

  • Gunn helps Gwen, the gang finds out Cordelia is pregnant. Starring: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, J. August Richards, Amy Acker, Vincent Kartheiser, Andy Hallett, and Alexis Denisof

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By budde22, Jan 15, 2009
    While this was a really good episode, and the gang finally found out that Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) is pregnant. Holy crap! They try to find out who the demon is that impregnanted her, umm...Connor (Vincent Kartheiser), can anybody else smell the drama? An Angel (David Boreanaz), Cordy, and Connor, to combat Gunn (J. August Richards), Wes (Alexis Denisof), and Fred (Amy Acker). Perhaps my favorite part of the episode though, other than Lorne (Andy Hallett), whom i love, was the L.I.S.A. with Gunn and Gwen (guest star Alexa Davalos). I love Gwen, and i really hoped that she was going to stick around for more than just three episodes, but that's okay i guess.moreless
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • TRIVIA (3)

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    • Morimoto's guards are really bad at their job. They (really half-heartedly) scan people with the handheld metal detector. They detect Gwen's altered invitation and tell her to "Step this way" (without saying which way) and then just stand there as she and Gunn have a private conference. When Gunn starts up a conversation with Morimoto they still don't do anything. Finally Gunn gives Morimoto the gift and the guards then, finally, decide to try and get them to do something.

    • Gunn says it's been a couple of weeks since they unsouled Angel and brought Angelus forth (in Awakening, 6 episodes earlier). Does it really seem like there's been 14 days of sleeping, eating, etc., since Angelus came forth? There don't seem to be any off-screen gaps of time, and not much more then 7 days, tops, that we've seen pass.

    • Morimoto was made out to be the quintessential Japanese, but there are some things that weren't right. For instance, when Gunn gave him the gift of the jade tiger, Morimoto accepted after refusing once. True Japanese custom dictates that any gift must be refused three times before finally accepted. So, I have no idea if this should be a goof, nitpick, or cultural reference?

  • QUOTES (16)

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  • NOTES (8)

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    • This episode received a 3.3/5 in the overnight ratings.

    • J. August Richards does the "Previously on Angel" voiceover.

    • This episode marks the final appearance of Alexa Davalos (Gwen Raiden) on the series.

    • Charisma Carpenter (Cordy) gave birth March 24th, two days before this episode aired, to her son Donovan Charles Hardy.

    • According to the closed captions at the end, Cordy says definitely when it shows up on the 8 Ball.

    • Gwen and Gunn appear to get very intimate with one another at the end of this episode, though Jeffery Bell stated in the March 2004 edition of the Official Angel Magazine, that Gunn and Gwen only kiss.

    • The gang finally discover that Cordy is evil although it isn't revealed how or why yet.

    • In an interview, series-creator Joss Whedon stated that he has hidden several dirty jokes throughout many of the episodes this season. One such joke occurs in this episode, when Angel attempts to rememer what was written about the Beast's Master in a demon book, and it translates into "strangling poultry" (choking chicken).

  • ALLUSIONS (3)

    ADD ALLUSIONS

    • Fred: It's like being stuck in a really bad movie with those Clockwork Orange clampy things on my eyeballs.

      A Clockwork Orange is a dystopian film directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1971. It follows several years in the life of its murderous protagonist, Alex DeLarge. In the movie, as a new, radical form of rehabilitation, Alex is forced to watch acts of violence on a movie screen and cannot close his eyes because clamps have been attached to his eyelids.

    • Cordelia: Everythings been so Clash of the Titans around here.
      Clash of the Titans is a 1981 film based on a story from greek mythology with creature animation by Ray Harryhausen.

    • Cordelia: Really? That why you retreated to the Fortress of Solitude?
      The Fortress of Solitude is Superman's hidden keep where he would go to get away from it all. In the movies this is where he went to talk to his parents.

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