Dead End

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Dead End is the eighteenth episode of the second season of Angel and the fortieth episode overall. Written by David Greenwalt and directed by James A. Contner, it was originally broadcast on April 24, 2001 on the WB network.

Lindsey receives the gift of a new hand from his employers, but quickly find that the hand has a mind of its own. Meanwhile, Cordelia has a disturbing vision of a man gouging out his own eye—an eye that had been transplanted into him. As each group investigates their own problems with transplants, they cross paths and reluctantly start working together.

Synopsis

Lindsey McDonald wakes up and goes about his daily routine of washing, affixing his prosthetic arm and getting ready for work. As he removes a shirt with a pre-knotted tie from his wardrobe, he looks forlornly at his guitar, which he can no longer play. Meanwhile, a man and his family go about their morning business before the wife and kids rush off to their destinations. The man follows moments later, but nonchalantly picks up a large kitchen knife and blood starts flowing. Cordelia gets a nasty vision about the man that sends her flying about the hotel, landing on the floor in tears. After she recovers, she says she saw a man who stabbed himself in the eye. The guys split up to call hospitals, check out morgues and the streets for any information on the guy from Cordy's vision.

Lindsey and Lilah speak with their boss, Nathan Reed, about their upcoming reevaluation. Later, Nathan privately tells Lindsey that he has made a surprise doctor's appointment for him. At the Fairfield Clinic, Lindsey learns from the doctor that Wolfram & Hart has arranged for him to get a hand transplant. During the procedure, a Pockla demon is brought in to perform a brief ritual and complete the attachment of the hand to Lindsey, leaving only the faint outline of a scar as evidence that the hand had not originally been Lindsey's. The next day, Lindsey wakes up and goes through his morning routine, this time with the benefits of his new hand. While getting ready, he notices his guitar again, but this time picks it up and plays. Later, at the office, Lilah notices Lindsey's new hand and grows very nervous about her job since Wolfram & Hart spent so much money on her "partner." While the two lawyers meet with a client, Lindsey's new hand repeatedly writes the word "kill" on a legal pad, without Lindsey even being aware of it, and seemingly despite Lindsey wanting to write other things.

At the office, Angel has a wide assortment of food delivered as he wanted to get lunch for Cordelia but didn't want to bother her by asking what she wanted. She appreciates it and as she leaves, she remembers from her vision that the man was happy about his eye before he stabbed it. Wesley and Gunn discover the identity of the man: Joseph Kramer. He has abruptly been transferred overseas and his house completely emptied and scrubbed. Having reached a dead end, the gang is forced to go to Caritas. On stage, they are shocked and impressed to find Lindsey singing and playing guitar quite beautifully. The Host informs them that Lindsey and Angel need to work together to solve the case, but Angel and Lindsey are completely opposed to the idea.

Based on the fact that Lindsey got a new hand and Kramer a new eye, it's concluded that somewhere body part transplants are being done and causing some kind of demonic problems. At Wolfram & Hart, Lindsey sneaks into Nathan's office to look up information on Fairfield Clinic, where he got the transplant. He later spots Lilah stealing files. Angel discovers information on Lindsey's hand, finding that its fingerprints match those of Bradley Scott, a former employee of Wolfram & Hart who went to prison for embezzlement. Lindsey visits Scott's parole officer to get information about the clinic, but the man gets violent when Lindsey doesn't know "the code". Before the man can shoot Lindsey in the head, Angel arrives and saves him. Holding the officer by a rope around his neck, Angel demands information.

Wesley and Gunn worry about Cordelia as she seems to be suffering from the visions for as long as the problem remains. Angel and Lindsey head for a building as Angel confirms their location with the parole officer tied up in the trunk. Angel and Lindsey take care of the security guards inside then they head downstairs through a trap door to the place where the body parts are harvested. The room is full of people held, awake but immobile, in upright glass cases. Most of the people are missing some body parts. Lindsey spots Bradley Scott, and asks who Scott wants to kill. Scott's answer: "Me. Kill me". Angel lets Lindsey decide what to do about Scott, while he frees all of the others from their glass prisons. Angel cranks up all the oxygen tanks and blows the place up. Back at Wolfram & Hart the next day, the partners announce to Lindsey and Lilah that they have made a decision about who to promote and who to terminate. Lilah starts to freak out, knowing that they have decided to choose Lindsey. But Lindsey interrupts her, taking full advantage of his new "evil" hand. He/his evil hand shoots a security guard, fires shots at Nathan, and even cops a feel of Lilah. He knows that he was the one chosen to take over, but he suggests Lilah take the job because of his evil hand, and because Lilah has enough secret files on the partners to take them down. In saying this, Lindsey is saving Lilah's life, letting the partners know they can't just easily dispose of her. Lindsey then packs up his belongings in his truck, ready to hit the road. He encounters Angel outside by his truck and reluctantly talks to him, telling Angel he's leaving L.A. for good. Lindsey also gives Angel advice for fighting Wolfram and Hart: don't play their game, make them play yours. Angel sees his old rival off, but not before getting in a final dig at him; he secretly sticks a sign on the back of Lindsey's truck bearing the words "COPS SUCK." The episode ends with Angel standing in the street, smirking.

Cast

Starring

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

Guest Starring

• Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
• Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
• Gerry Becker as Nathan Reed
• Michael Dempsey as Irv Kraigle
• Mik Scriba as Parole Officer

Co Starring

• Meagan Thomas as Young Lawyer #1
• Ted Broden as Young Lawyer #2
• Dennis Gersten as Dr. Michaels
• Kavita Patil as Nurse
• Pete Gardner as Joseph Kramer
• Stephanie Nash as Wife
• Steven DeRelian as Bradley Scott