There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb

There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb is the season finale of the second season of Angel and the forty-fourth episode overall. Written and directed by showrunner David Greenwalt, it was originally broadcast on May 22, 2001 on the WB network. It is the second season finale.

Still stranded in Pylea, Angel struggles to regain his humanity after his experience with his true demon form, with a little of Fred's help. Meanwhile, Cordelia finds her work as princess unenjoyable as Silas and the ruling priest circle continue to pressure her to mate with the Groosalugg; meanwhile, despite the Host having been beheaded by the priests, his head continues to function as long as his body is intact. Also, Wesley and Gunn try to persuade the rebels to trust them to help them lead a revolt against Silas while Wesley continues his research to try to find a way home.

Synopsis
Cordelia cries over the severed head of Lorne, until his eyes open. She screams loudly, but Lorne calms her, explaining that Pyleans can survive decapitation if the rest of the body remains intact. Silas is pleased to hear that Cordelia is angry and plans to have his guards get the heads of Wesley and Gunn to add to the Princess's collection. Silas tells the captain of the guards to go after the humans and to kill the "bloodsucker" Angel. After talking with one of the servants about these other cows running free, Silas blows up the cow's head with a handheld device. He has a similar, but larger machine that can take care of all the cows. Wesley and Gunn wait to have their heads chopped off by the rebels. Before it can happen, guards attack the camp. After the battle, Gunn and Wesley convince the rebels that they are not enemies. Freed, they discuss their plans to find Angel and get home. Wesley offers suggestions for attacking the castle and unintentionally becomes their leader, replacing the original leader who died in the attack.



Angel wakes to a pseudo-oatmeal breakfast made by Fred at her cave. Angel and Fred discuss the words she's written on the walls of the caves, and Angel suspects she's unknowingly been opening the portals in Pylea, which is how the Drokken got to Earth in the first place. They are attacked by castle guards; Angel is speared repeatedly but fights off the demon change until Fred knocks the captain out with a rock and then drops his men in the Drokken Gully. Fred takes care of Angel's wounds while the captain sits in the corner, tied up. The captain tells of plans to kill Cordelia after she mates with the Groosalugg, and that Lorne is already dead. He gets free and attacks the two, but Angel kills him. Angel goes to find his friends, and Fred goes with him to lead the way.

At the castle, Cordelia summons a servant to show her to the mutilation chamber, where Lorne's body is, but the servant cannot. Instead, Cordelia requests the girl's clothes. Disguised as a servant, Cordelia makes her way into the mutilation chamber and finds body parts strewn about wearing Lorne's clothes. Groosalugg shows up and says he hid Lorne's body and put the clothes on another body to fool the guards. Lorne's body is waiting with his family to be reattached. Groosalugg reveals to Cordelia that their mating will transfer her visions to him from her. Cordelia explains that she likes her visions and she doesn't want to give them up.

Angel and Fred arrive at the rebel camp, offering their assistance to the efforts. Landok arrives with Lorne's head in a large basket, explaining that he was bringing it home to the body. Later, Wesley tells Angel he must challenge and kill the Groosalugg. Angel explains that the reason he fired the gang months ago was because he felt the darkness rising in him and he didn't want them to witness it. The demon he changes into is the darkness personified and he's afraid to change into because he doesn't think he can come back to human after it. Wesley has confidence that he can; he's strong enough to do whatever is necessary. Indeed, Cordelia has a vision of the green monster (which she does not know is really Angel) killing the Groosalugg, to her distress. She has come to love "Groo". Everyone disperses from the camp to prepare for the attack. Angel plants a torch in the ground and calls out to the Groosalugg for battle. Silas, who had been demanding that Cordelia get on with the "com-shuk", drags the Groosalugg outside to face Angel, lying to him about what horrors Angel will visit upon Cordelia if he wins, in order to make him angry. Led by Wesley and Gunn, the rebels attack, and many are killed. Silas goes to activate the device that will blow up the heads of all of the "cows" wearing collars--his final revenge upon losing. But Cordelia decapitates him just before he triggers the device, ending the brutality. Angel transforms into the beast as he is losing the battle. However, after he gains the advantage, he transforms back to human, and Cordelia stops the fight completely by confessing her love to the Groosalugg.

The next day, Lorne, his head reattached, says goodbye to his family. Lorne is glad he came back to find out he doesn't belong; as they walk away, he starts to sing, causing everyone agony. Cordelia's last act as princess is to make a new law abolishing slavery, after which she appoints Groosalugg the ruler of Pylea. With Fred's help, they all return home to LA as Angel's car lands in the middle of Caritas. Far happier than they were before they left, the gang returns to the hotel. Just as Angel starts to say "There's no place like home," he notices a very grim-looking Willow waiting for them. Her look tells him it's bad news and he guesses, "It's Buffy."

Quotes
Gunn - "I got a plan." Wesley - "Oh, thank God! What is it?" Rebel - "One..." Gunn - "We die horribly and painfully, you go to Hell and I spend eternity in the arms of Baby Jesus."

Fred - "They'll kill you and you'll turn into that beast. Maybe not exactly in that order."

Wesley - "Why do people keep putting me in charge of things?" Gunn - "I have no idea."

Angel - "Every family's got its problems." Lorne's Mom - "Numfar, do the dance of shame." Angel - "Yours more than most." Lorne - "My psychic friend told me I had to come back here. I didn't believe her. Then I realized I did have to come back here, because - I really always thought I had to come back here, deep down inside, you know? I had to come back here to find out I didn't have to come back here. I don't belong here. I hate it here. You know where I belong? LA. You know why? Nobody belongs there. It's the perfect place for guys like us." Angel - "That's kind of beautiful." Lorne - "Ain't it? I'm very moved, if I do say so myself." Angel - "Please do." Lorne - "You know, I feel a song coming on." Angel - "Yeah, I thought you might." Lorne - "Somewhere over the rainbow. Way up high..."

Cordelia - "This is just pretty unsettling for me." Lorne - "Oh, I'm sure it must be. And after all, I only lost my head! Technically, my body."

[being shown Lorne's severed head] Angel - "He was..." Gunn - "Yeah." Wesley - "Mmm." Lorne - "That's it?" Angel, Gunn and Wesley - "Aah!" Lorne - "Where's the praising and extolling of my virtues? Where's the love?"

Angel - "Can I say it? I wanna say it." Wesley - "Say what?" Angel - "There's no place like...Willow?" Cordelia - "What's...?" Angel - "It's Buffy."

Silas - "You and your cow princess can go straight to ..." Cordelia decapitates Silas Cordelia - "Your cow princess is sick of hearing you yak padre!" Gunn - "Nice!" Cordelia - "These guys stay dead without a head?" Sasha - "Oh yeah."

Continuity

 * The Groosalugg says that Cordelia, as a human, is not meant to have the visions, reiterating what Wesley and Angel said. As a half-demon, Doyle could cope with the visions, but as a human, Cordelia is becoming increasingly sick as a result of the visions.


 * Willow comes to tell Angel that Buffy has died, as seen in The Gift.