A New World

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A New World is the twentieth episode of the third season of Angel and the sixty-fourth episode overall. Written by Jeffrey Bell and directed by Tim Minear, it was originally broadcast on May 6, 2002 on the WB network.

Angel's son, Connor, returns from Quor-Toth, a hell dimension, where Holtz raised him as his own son and taught him to hate Angel. Now a teenager, Connor seeks to kill Angel. Failing to do so, Connor flees from the hotel with Angel one step behind him. More creatures slide through from Quor-Toth through the dimensional rift at the hotel. The Groosalugg and Cordelia battle them, while Lorne finds a sorceress who can close the dimensional rift. Wesley, living as a recluse in his apartment, gets an offer from Lilah for a job at Wolfram & Hart. Angel finds Connor and invites him to stay at the hotel, but Connor refuses.

Synopsis

Connor, just returned from Quor'toth, fires wooden stakes at Angel using a special, multi-barreled gun. Angel dodges the stakes. Gunn and the Groosalugg attack him, but he beats them back. Connor demonstrates that he has super powers comparable to Angel's. Angel wins the fight, however, and pins Connor to the floor with a knife at his throat.

Angel lowers the knife and offers Connor a hand up. Connor skitters away and runs outside into the daylight, where Angel cannot follow.

Gunn and the Groosalugg pursue, but when Connor runs out into the street, they are stopped by Los Angeles traffic. Connor jumps on top of a passing bus and escapes.

Gunn remembers that the bus Connor hopped was number 17. Fred determines that the 17 bus will go to Union Station. Angel leaves for the dewers, hoping to meet Connor there.

The four remaining AI team members soon realize that the dimensional rift to Quar'toth is still open. Cordelia and the Groosalugg remain to guard the rift, while Gunn and Fred hit the streets to search for Connor and Lorne leaves to find an acquaintance who might be able to help close the rift.

Lilah knocks on Wesley's door. She enters uninvited. Wesley knows she plans to offer him a job, and she does. When he refuses, she makes him a gift, a 16^th century edition of "The Inferno" by Dante in the original Tuscan. She reminds him, according to Dante, the worst spot in Hell is reserved for the traitor Judas Iscariot.

Connor leaps off the top of the number 17 bus.

In the sewers, Angel calls Fred and Gunn by cell phone. Angel predicts that Connor will not ride the bus to the end but will look for a less populated place. Gunn says Connor's dress is attracting attention, so his movements are easy to trace. Angel reminds them that Connor is his son and must stay alive.

Connor overhears a conversation under a freeway bridge. A girl is trying to trade three music CD's to a young man for heroin. He refuses to take the CD's. She complains and he wrestles her into his car.

Connor jumps down from the bridge and approaches the drug dealer, who is bemused by Connor's odd dress. He whistles and three thugs appear from behind the columns of the freeway bridge. One of them knocks Connor down with a crowbar. The drug dealer orders his henchmen to "get rid" of Connor, whom he assumes is dead.

Connor, who has been playing possum, leaps up and attacks the thugs. When they are all unconscious, the girl rifles the drug dealr's pockets and steals his cash and a small amount of heroin. She urges Connor to leave the scene before the police show up. Connor rips the drug dealer's ear off "so he won't forget me."

At the Hyperion Hotel, Cordelia and the Groosalugg are keeping watch over the dimensional rift. Cordelia, aware of the Groosalugg's feeling that he might be inferior to Angel and that Cordelia might prefer Angel to him, gives him reassurance. As they kiss, an electric charge strikes them and they are flung in opposite directions.

Angel, Fred and Gunn visit the scene of Connor's escapade, where the police are now investigating. Angel instructs Gunn and Fred to return to the hotel while he continues the search for Connor alone.

Connor and the girl go to an abandoned motel. She finds a man behind the first door she tries, so she goes upstairs, where she soon finds an unoccupied room where she plans for Connor and herself to spend the night. She finds clothing for Connor, then pulls a few snack food items out of her purse. As the two eat, the girl explains that she takes medicine she gets from Tyke, the drug dealer, because it helps her when she is sad.

Gunn and Fred return to the hotel to find Cordelia and the Groosalugg unconscious on the floor.

The girl asks Connor why he is in Los Angeles. Connor says he came there to find his father. She says she came there to escape her father. She kisses Connor, then leaves saying she will be right back.

Wesley is using a laptop computer. He glances at the book Lilah gave him.

Connor, dozing off, is suddenly awakened by a police siren. He looks for the girl, whom he calls Sunny. He finds her in another room in the motel, by a bathtub, dead, with a needle in her arm. He picks up the packet of heroin Sunny used, and understands. As he stands and turns, he sees Angel in the doorway.

Connor refuses to talk, but Angel follows him back to the room Sunny and Connor were sharing. He sees Connor sniffing a jacket that Sunny took from Tyke. Angel guesses that he intends to hunt down and kill Tyke. The two come to blows. Connor tells Angel his name is Steven.

Cordelia and the Groosalugg have recovered consciousness. Fred finds a book with a picture of the beast Connor killed. The book says the creature usually has a mate. Since Lorne has not returned, Fred suggests Wesley might help, but Cordelia demurs. Fred says she intends to call Wesley anyway, but Gunn orders her not to do so. Lorne enters with Mistress Myrna, who is a specialist in dimensional magic.

Angel cautiously talks to Connor, trying to start a conversation. Angel says he couldn't find a way into Quor'Toth. Connor replies that he found a way out. When Angel says Connor must have many questions, Connor says that his father, by which he means Holtz, told him everything. He challenges Angel to show him the demon face. Angel does so, saying he hopes Connor will be able to accept that part of him someday. Tyke, carrying a handgun, enters with several henchmen.

Tyke asks about Sunny. Angel wants to talk, saying there is no need for violence, but Tyke strikes him, saying he doesn't hear very well anymore. One of Tyke's henchmen finds Sunny and reports that she is dead. Tyke demands his property back. Another of his henchmen reports that the police are at the motel.

Mistress Myrna closes the opening to Quor'Toth, which she calls "a tear in reality, a big cosmic no-no," then immediately leaves.

Angel and Connor get the jump on Tyke and his men. The police hear the disturbance and move toward the room with weapons raised. Tyke seizes Connor, intending to use him as a human shield. Angel volunteers to take Connor's place. The police break in with axes. Tyke shoots at them and in the process releases Connor.

During the ensuing gun battle, Angel tells Connor to flee out the window. A policeman enters. As Angel tries to escape, the policeman shoots him in the back. The policeman is distracted by Tyke. Angel gets up and escapes together with Connor.

On the street below, Angel suggests that Connor come back to the hotel with him. Connor is impressed with Angel's heroics, but declines the offer.

In an alleyway, Connor finds Holtz, much older now.

Cast

Starring

• David Boreanaz as Angel
• Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
• Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
• J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
• Amy Acker as Winifred Burkle

Guest Starring

• Vincent Kartheiser as Connor
• Andy Hallett as The Host
• Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
• Mark Lutz as Groosalugg
• Erika Thormahlen as Sunny
• Anthony Starke as Tyke
• Deborah Zoe as Mistress Meerna
• Keith Szarabajka as Holtz

Continuity

• Lilah says that "Wolfram and Hart has the finest library of mystical, occult, and supernatural reference material in the world". This is seen in "Home".

• Connor uses the name Steven, the name Holtz gave him in "Sleep Tight".