Template:Angelepisode
"Blood Money" is the twelfth episode of the second season of Angel and the thirty-fourth episode overall. Written by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith and directed by R.D. Price, it was originally broadcast on January 23, 2001 on the WB network.
With a little help from the demon snitch Merl, Angel begins to dig up more dirt on Wolfram & Hart, discovering that the firm is stealing money from contributions made to a shelter for teen runaways. Angel is investigating the owner, Anne Steele (formerly Lily from the episode "Anne" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and before that, Chantarelle in "Lie to Me"). After Angel threatens both Lindsey and Lilah with blowing the whistle on them, he comes face-to-face with an old demon adversary who wants to finish a confrontation he started many years before. Meanwhile, Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn are still fighting demons on their own and decide to form their own detective/protection agency, but they cannot decide on a name.
Synopsis
At Cordelia's apartment, Wesley and Gunn play the board game Risk, until Cordelia tries to kick them out so she can sleep. They discuss plans to start their own company without Angel until Cordelia gets a vision about a large, two-headed, fire-breathing demon. Angel bumps into a woman who runs a teen center. At the hotel, it is revealed that Angel took her wallet and has a dozens of pictures of her, including shots of her with Lindsey.
Wesley and Gunn slowly approach the demon in the sewers and find themselves in over their heads with the 20-foot demon.
Angel confronts Merl in his apartment, demanding information about Anne, the woman running the shelter. She's connected to Wolfram & Hart, so Angel visits the shelter and talks to her. Anne raves about Wolfram & Hart's help with the shelter, and their plans for a charity fundraiser called the Highway Robbery Ball, designed to gain donations with the help of celebrities. A large demon named Boone confronts Merl for information on Angel and Merl is persuaded to provide that information.
Angel surprises Lilah in her car and expresses his happiness at being able to play the game now that he understands that there aren't any rules. Lilah tells Lindsey how worried she is about Angel, but their discussion is cut short as Boone arrives unannounced, wanting to help Wolfram & Hart in order to deal with a grudge against Angel. Boone explains his past with Angel and the fact that they have a battle to finish.
Wesley and Gunn rave about slaying the demon and despite their incredible fear, they're excited about their victory. The group leaves to look at a prospective location for their new business while arguing over its name.
Lilah and one of her thugs accosted Merl for information while Angel shows up at the shelter late at night, and uses the pretext of bringing her some clothing donations--the clothes are some that Cordelia has left at the Hyperion. Anne jokingly asks if he's stalking her. Angel offers all the evidence necessary to confirm that he is, and then tries to warn her that Wolfram and Hart are going to steal the money from the fundraiser. Lindsey arrives and pretends to be protecting Anne, bringing Boone with him to fight with Angel. Lindsey tries to defend the law firm to Anne but the information Angel's provided her worries Lindsey, and he discusses the dangerous possibilities with Lilah.
Wounded from the fight, Angel returns to the shelter and Anne says that she is willing to ignore just about anything if it means aid to the shelter. Angel gives her a tape to play at the fundraiser, but Anne refuses to risk the shelter. At the Ball, a video of Holland talking about the shelter entertains those at the fundraiser. Lilah introduces Anne to one of the senior partners, Nathan Reed, while Lindsey reviews the security plans for the ball.
While actors pretending to be bandits collect money and jewelry from the rich attendees, Angel reveals his presence, which leads to a fight between the vampire and Boone on the balcony, and they eventually fall to the main floor. Lindsey searches for the incriminating tape, but it's revealed that Angel is not in possession of the tape and Boone is actually working with him. Anne plays the tape before Lindsey and Lilah can stop her, but it contains only clips of Cordelia and Wesley acting goofy for the camera, so it's apparent that Angel never had anything to incriminate the lawyers in the first place--he was just trying to embarrass them. To add even more embarrassment to the situation for Wolfram & Hart, Boone has taken off with the donations.
Lindsey confronts Mr. Reed about why he thinks it's a bad decision to not be allowed to kill Angel, and Reed reveals that Angel is an important player in the upcoming apocalypse, but because his role, and the side he will fight for, is unclear, he must stay alive. Boone confronts Angel at the hotel, offering up the 2.5 million dollars in charity donations as the stakes for a fight between the two of them. Again wounded from battle with Boone, Angel presents the money and jewelry to Anne for the shelter, who is undisturbed by the real and symbolic blood on the money.
Continuity
- The character of Anne was the vampire worshiper Chanterelle ("Lie to Me") and the runaway Lily ("Anne"). In the latter episode, she assumed Buffy's alias, apartment, and job at a diner.
- Angel and Anne Steele had met briefly in the episode "Lie to Me" when he, Willow, and Xander investigate Ford's vampire-worshiping cult. At the beginning of "Blood Money" when Angel pretends to accidentally run into Anne the two appear to be unfamiliar with each other. Given that it's been three years, the two only met very briefly and Anne is going by a new name, it's likely (but not certain) that the two do not recognise each other (something episode writer Mere Smith confirmed to be a conscious decision on her part).
- During the fundraiser, a woman asks one of the TV actresses why her character had been made gay and if it had just been for the ratings. This is a reference to Willow Rosenberg.
- This episode reveals that the Senior Partners know Angel will play a vital role in the future apocalypse, but they are unsure if he will fight for the side of good or the side of evil.
Behind the Scenes
Music
- Junkie XL - "Legion"
- Dixie Chicks - "Let 'Er Rip"
Goofs, Bloopers & Continuity Errors
- During the scene where Lilah and Angel talk in the car Angel supposedly vanishes but his coat can still be seen on the left side of the screen.
- Anne doesn't have the Ricky tattoo she had in the Buffy episode "Anne"