Slouching Toward Bethlehem

Season 4, Episode 4, Aired

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Cordelia appears back at the hotel with no idea who she is or how she got there. She also cannot remember anything about her friends or her past. Worried that the full truth may scare her off, the gang attempts to hide the scarier parts of their lives from her until she is ready to deal with it. Unfortunately, that secrecy leads to mistrust on Cordy's part when the reality of their situation is revealed. Things get even more complicated when Lorne reads her mind and sees a terrifying vision of the future. Meanwhile, outcast Connor struggles to find his place in the world.moreless
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Fan Episode Reviews (10)

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  • Slouching towards mediocre!

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By joxerlives, Jan 21, 2012
    SLOUCHING TOWARDS BETHLEHEM

    The Good;
    Like Connor's vamp hunting and some of the humour with amnesiac CC especially Gunn refusing to be a sidekick (having been the Alpha-dog all summer). For me the Wes/Lilah stuff saves this ep for me.

    The Bad;
    Much I'm afraid, especially the stupid looking client Gunn had in the hotel 5 minutes after he is unexpectedly back from Vegas. Also the vamp Connor sets on fire seems to burn very quickly compared to Dru and Darla who were soaked with a lot more petrol.

    Best line:
    Amnesiac Cordy; "I was popular. Well no suprise there"

    Apocalypses: 5

    Angel Cliches
    In disguise; 8

    DB get's his shirt off; 12

    Cordy's tatt; twice, once when Angel pulls her off Lorne and once during the fight with WR&H's goons.
    12

    Fang Gang in bondage: Lorne seems to spend most of this season knocked out and tied up to something
    Cordy: 5
    Angel: 12
    Wes: 6
    Gunn; 4
    Lorne; 4
    Fred; 2

    Fang gang knocked out: poor old Lorne really seems to be getting it lately
    Cordy: 12
    Angel: 15
    Wes: 5
    Doyle; 1
    Gunn; 1
    Lorne; 4
    Groo; 1

    Kills: 2 vamps and a demon for Connor. At least one demon each for Gunn and Fred
    Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons
    Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 8 humans
    Doyle; 1 vamp
    Wes; 12 demons+3 vamps, 2 humans
    Kate; 3 vamps
    Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans.
    Gunn; 11 vamps+ 12 demons.
    Groo; 1 demon
    Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon
    Connor; 8 vamps and 2 demon

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

    Alternate Fang Gang: amnesiac CC
    Cordy: 3
    Angel: 9
    Fred; 1

    Characters killed:
    46

    Recurring characters killed;
    8;

    Total number of Angel Investigations: not going to count Cordy just yet so 4
    Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne

    Angel Investigations shot:
    Angel: 11
    Wes; 1

    Packing heat;
    Wes; 6
    Doyle; 1
    Angel; 3
    Gunn; 1

    Notches on Fang Gang bedpost:
    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:
    Wes and Lilah at it again (doesn't she think to shower after sex?). I actually think the whole dollar thing is utterly charming. And of course Lilah's right, she played Wes but he betrayed her. Also in a sign of things to come Connor grabs one of CC's breasts in bed.

    Captain Subtext;
    Lorne has been borrowing CC's lingerie for a 'friend'?

    Know the face, different character; 4

    Parking garages;
    5,

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

    Questions and observations;
    CC appears to think that she is actually a character in Alias which was Buffy's great rival at the time (but never came close despite Jennifer Garner's obvious loveliness and Amy Acker/Roger Moore guest starring). Gunn's fear of rats occurs again, Wes once again starts to take steps back into AI, it's actually Gunn who's more hostile to him than Angel (Wes can't help needling them about getting CC back only to immediately lose her again). Connor seems to be living quite well on the street but I guess if he survived Kortath (or however you spell it?) he can survive LA. And probably steals the vamp's stuff after killing them. He is lonely however and misses being part of AI. CC sings The Greatest Love of All which she also sang in Buffy's The Puppet Show. I freeze framed my DVD but unfortunately there's no one I recognise from SDH in CC's yearbook.
    Marks out of 10; 5/10 very static, stupid demon, Lilah and Wes and CC's performance largely saves this one for me.


    moreless

  • Slouching Toward Bethlehem

    10
    "Perfect"
    By TrueTvWatcher, Dec 17, 2010
    Slouching Toward Bethlehem was a perfect and classic episode of Angel and it takes the series to a whole new level. I really enjoyed watching this episode as Cordelia has returned without her memory while Angel and the Gang try to hide the whole truth from her. I enjoyed how things played out in the multiple story lines which came together. I like how Connor was honest and up front with Cordelia, and her trust and friendship in return. I thought Lorne trying to read Cordelia was interesting as were the results. Wesley continues his relations with Lilah while she plays him. I think all the characters are interesting and I like how they all connect. I look forward to the next episode!!!!!!!moreless

  • Cordelia's back!

    8.4
    "Great"
    By TwistedConverse, Jul 31, 2008
    Slouching Toward Bethlehem could have been a great episode. It should have been a great episode. It had the return of Cordelia, plenty of action and Lilah at her evil best. Yet it's not great. It's actually quite dull at times.

    I am extremely thankful Cordelia's back, even though she has amnesia and is completely uninteresting the entire episode. Cordy's my favourite main character and I rarely find her boring but here she was just... meh. The whole episode felt like it was just going round and round in circles and hardly anything new had been achieved at the end except Cordy was living with Connor. It was about Cordelia finding out who she was again and while it was necessary, it wasn't great to watch. We already know her life so hearing it again isn't exactly thrilling. I just felt like screaming at the T.V. "Just tell her everything Angel!". Cordelia attempts escape not once, not twice but three times this episode. It was just complete unnecessary to see her running around the hotel lots. Also, I dislike her attitude at the end when she's all "Connor's the only one not lying". What did she expect, Angel to tell her he was a vampire and that demons and forces of hell actually exist in the first five minutes of her returning with no memory? She was just annoying here.

    Also the scene where Lorne reads Cordelia could have been a LOT more suspenseful, especially if they had included a snippet of The Beast at the end, which would have really set things up. However all we got was "Something evil's coming". When is something evil NOT coming? We could have done with just a little clue.

    Wesley and Lilah's scenes were probably the best in the episode. We can see their relationship has gone beyond physical as he finally acknowledges it's a relationship. I love the whole signed dollar bill thing and thought it was a nice way to see their closeness. However, I do feel Lilah likes him more than he likes her. We can see their relationship has no trust either as Lilah says at the end "If I though you'd ever trust me I'd have ever played you". Ultimately, it's pretty clear it's a doomed romance.

    Slouching Toward Bethlehem is an important yet quite boring episode that drags a lot in places. You shouldn't miss it as it does cover a lot but just don't expect great things.moreless

  • Sleeping Toward Bethlehem

    7.1
    "Good"
    By lenzinoH20, Aug 17, 2007
    Slouching Toward Bethlehem-Cordelia appears back at the hotel with no idea who she is or how she got there. She also cannot remember anything about her friends or her past. Worried that the full truth may scare her off, the gang attempts to hide the scarier parts of their lives from her until she is ready to deal with it. Unfortunately, that secrecy leads to mistrust on Cordy's part when the reality of their situation is revealed. Things get even more complicated when Lorne reads her mind and sees a terrifying vision of the future. Meanwhile, outcast Connor struggles to find his place in the world.

    A very slow moving episode that only has some interesting scenes and a nice finish. The best parts of the episode are Wesley and Lilah whose relationship continues to be an impressive subplot for the season so far. Both actors have great chemistry and watching them double cross each other makes for some great developments. It was great twist with Lilah using Wesley like that only to get to Lorne. But at the same time, their scene at the end makes you wonder is she really care about Wesley? The rest of the episode drags a bit, mostly over long scenes with Cordelia wondering around and trying to find out who she is. There were some funny parts like her thinking she's a spy and Gunn afraid that she might turn him into a rat. One thing I don't get is why Cordelia would trust Connor by saying she told him the truth from the start, but hey the girl was confused, but it's not like Angel and her friends didn't tell her the truth. They did, they just wanted to make her feel comfortable, but anyway. Another great part though is Lorne's vision of the future he got from Cordelia which promises a big evil coming this season, which is exciting. All and All, an almost dull episode made good because of some nice twists and developments.moreless

  • Cordelia returns

    7.0
    "Good"
    By SMGslayer97, May 10, 2007
    This wasn't the best episode but I do still think it was pretty good all things considered. It was just that not a lot happened, though I understand why. Cordelia's return to focus of the episode and not a lot of other things happened, her return felt a little stretched. Like if they had put some other stuff into the episode it would have been more enjoyable for me.

    But besides that I liked it. Even from the start, from the moment Cordelia returned things were not really right. I mean she had amnesia of some kind, Lorne read her and it was all 'slouching towards bethlehem', and he weird no real reason for trusting of Connor was...weird. I guess I get why she trusted him to point. He was the only one that was honest to her from the start, he saved her from Lorne's somewhat terrifying client, and he did keep her pretty safe. The whole thing was just very bizarre.moreless
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  • TRIVIA (5)

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    • It's believed in cognitive psychology that we have two kinds of memory, episodic memory and semantic memory. Episodic memory is the memory of things happening in your life, like your tenth birthday. Semantic memory is the memory of facts, like who's president. Cordelia is suffering from episodic memory loss.

    • After Angel and Lorne are talking -the scene where Lorne tells Angel about what's suppose to come--they do some flash scenes-if you pause it closely, you can see Charisma sitting in a chair smiling and Alexis & Stephanie laughing and smiling during one of their intimate scenes.

    • When Lorne stands up and tries to get Cordelia to stop singing, in the first two angles, he's holding the glass in his right hand. But in the third angle, it's suddenly in his left hand.

    • Lorne was implied to have walked into the lobby first in the previous episode, yet here we see him about to walk in after everyone else has already entered and found Cordelia in the lobby.

    • A car's cigarette lighter does not get hot enough to ignite gasoline.

  • QUOTES (15)

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    • Fred: (To Angel) Have you been caffeinating your blood again, or is there something you're not telling us?

    • Angel: Maybe we haven't been 100% honest because... well... we were afraid the truth would scare you Codelia: Yeah, and the lying and deceit have been so comforting.

    • Gunn:That's right monkey boys, don't mess with the big dog! (from Fred's look) Well it's better than "sidekick."

    • Fred:Is that why you ran when Cordy was singing? Lorne: A) I wasn't running, I was fleeing and B) yes

    • Cordelia:(walking through the hotel) Angel? Mr bumpy head? Hello?

    • (Shot of a stuffed polar bear standing on its hind legs. It's an exhibit in a museum, where Connor's living.) Cordelia: How cool is that? Connor: I love that one. I wish I'd killed it. Cordelia: Kind of a funny way to express your affection. I love you... bang, you're dead.

    • Angel: I-I know it's a lot to take in. Cordelia: Says a vampire with a soul and his wacky gang of sidekicks. Gunn: Ah, not a sidekick.

    • Cordelia: Your friends here were just talking about murdering children. And, there's-there's singing and blood and pointy things, and did I mention the singing? I mean, what the hell is going on here, Angie? Angel: Angel. Cordelia: Whatever.

    • Gunn: So... I look Russian to you? Cordelia: Black Russian. Angel: That's a drink. Cordealia: Says the head spy.

    • (Angel, Gunn and Fred try to explain all the weird things in Cordy's past to jog her memory.) Cordelia: Now I know why I don't remember any of this. Who would want to?

    • (Connor rescues Cordy from being eaten by a demon.) Connor: You're not safe here. Cordelia: Ya think?!

    • Connor: You like shoes...and donuts...and you're very brave. Cordelia: Really?...Donuts?

    • Lorne: Hey, if this is about that missing lingerie, that was for a friend.

    • Gunn: Well, how horrible is this thing? Lorne: Well, I haven't read the Book of Revelations lately, but if I was searching for adjectives, I'd probably start there.

    • Angel: Gee, that could have been a disaster. Oh, hi. Welcome back, you're safe. By the way, there's a green demon right behind you. Fred: Don't you think we should tell her? I mean, we do live in a world of demons and icky things. She's bound to find out. Angel: Well yeah, sure, but, I mean, let's be smart. I want her to remember who I am before I freak her out with the whole undead, drinks blood part of my resume.

  • NOTES (4)

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  • ALLUSIONS (2)

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    • Lilah: That's what you said when he was sleeping with the fishes. This is a reference to The Godfather a 1972 crime film based on the novel Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton and James Caan. The story spans ten years from late 1945 to 1955 and chronicles the life of the Corleone mafia crime family. The exact quote from the film is: Sonny: What the hell is this? Tessio: It's a Sicilian message. It means Luca Brazzi sleeps with the fishes.

    • Title: Slouching Toward Bethlehem
      This title comes from the poem 'The Second Coming' by William Butler Yeats.

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