"Double or Nothing" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of Angel and the sixty-second episode in the series. Written by David Goodman and directed by David Grossman, it was originally broadcast on April 22, 2002, on The WB network.
Synopsis[]
Angel puts his soul on the line when a repo man comes to collect on Gunn's past deal to sell his soul. Meanwhile, Cordy is back from vacation and tries to console Angel over the loss of the only child he will ever have, and Fred tells Wesley that the prophecy was a fake and all was lost for nothing.[1]
Summary[]
Gunn and Fred look through Wesley's files. Gunn finds them bewildering, unable to pronounce the client's name at time. One file is for a demon couple, Syd and Monica Frzylcka, who have a squatter in their lair. Lorne comes downstairs and joins the conversation, and the three discuss that Angel won't come out of his room; although his rage seems to have passed, they would rather leave Angel be.
Suddenly, Cordelia and Groo return from their vacation bearing gifts, only to be greeted by everyone's solemn faces. Cordelia asks what happened. She enters Angel's room and comforts him, who is sitting by Connor's empty crib.
At a casino, Jenoff, the demon who owns the place, hands a marker to one of his enforcers. He says: "It's time to collect his soul." The marker is a business card for Angel Investigations.
Gunn and Fred interview the Frzylcas, an elderly couple married for 300 years. A Skench demon has occupied their house. Skench demons make loud noises and project streams of phlegm to drive other demons out of their lair. Gunn and Fred promise to remove the Skench demon that day.
Fred visits Wesley at the hospital and bring him some things from his office. Wesley cannot speak, but Fred tells him that, while Angel was wrong to try and kill him, Angel was nonetheless right to blame him for Connor's disappearance. She tells him that they're supposed to be friends, yet he chose to go behind their backs and turn to Holtz over trusting them. She adds that Wesley is no longer welcome in the Hyperion Hotel, and Angel will kill him if he ever returns. As she leaves, she tells him that the prophecy was false and that he sacrificed everything for nothing.
Jenoff's enforcer appears at Angel Investigations. He meets the Groosalugg, whom he mistakes for Angel.
Gunn finds the Frzylca's home in a cave leading off a sewer. He quickly kills the Skench demon, but, when he rises, he sees Jennoff's enforcer.
Seven years earlier: Gunn enters Jenoff's casino. After a frisking by Jennoff's enforcer, Gunn speaks with the man himself, who recognizes him and knows his reputation as a protector of the young and innocent. Gunn hands Jenoff a photograph of his heart's desire. Jenoff says he can "make it happen," but it will cost Gunn his future. Gunn, declaring he has no future, agrees and signs a blood oath.
At the Frzylca's lair, the Repo demon tells Gunn it's time to pay off. The casino watches the Akashic records and know that Gunn plans to transfer his soul to Fred, which would violate his contract with Jenoff. Gunn has 24 hours to report to the casino and deliver his soul. If Gunn reneges, Jenoff will take Fred's soul as well as Gunn's.
Gunn returns to Angel Investigations, where he meets Cordelia, who advises him to take a day off and go on a date with Fred. The next morning, Gunn brings Fred breakfast in bed. He tells her they both have the day off and he intends that they should have the best day of their lives together.
At the hospital, a doctor informs Wesley he will be released from the hospital and asks if Wesley has someone who can pick him up. Wesley remains silent.
Gunn and Fred are eating at a garden restaurant. Fred says she is full. Gunn wants to fill the afternoon with movies, club, shopping, and roller rink. Fred says she's "kind of wiped." Gunn is afraid he is trying too hard. Suddenly, Fred guesses that something is wrong. She asks Gunn if he has leukemia, which makes him laugh. Now she guesses that something is wrong and asks Gunn to tell her the truth. Gunn pretends to be suddenly angry and tells her they are through, and he storms off.
Cordelia tells Angel that the hurt he is feeling will never go away, and he will continue to love and miss his son always, even if he lives another 200 years. Angel says he does not know how he will get through it, and she assures him that the "how" will work itself out, and, regardless of what's happened, life will go on and the helpless will still need help. Just then, the two hear sobbing through the door and Cordy opens to find Fred in tears. Fred says she didn't know where else to go, but she didn't want to knock and interrupt them. Angel asks Fred what's wrong, and she explains something is wrong with Gunn.
At the casino, Jenoff, standing on a mezzanine, sticks two fingers in a man's eyes, which is how he takes a person's soul. Downstairs, Gunn appears and tells the Repo demon that he is there to pay his bill.
In the lobby of the Hyperion Hotel, Fred explains that Gunn would only hurt her if that were necessary to protect her, so he must be in danger. Cordelia and Groo are doubtful, but Angel says he intends to help Gunn and doesn't want to lose another member of the family.
Wesley returns to his apartment alone.
The AI team makes plans to find Gunn. Groo produces the business card that the Repo demon left with him. Angel knows Jenoff, whom he calls "the soul sucker."
At the casino, Jenoff's latest victim is hauled away. The Repo demon brings Gunn to Jenoff. As Jenoff is about to insert his fingers in Gunn's eyes, the AI team bursts in. They are soon surrounded both by casino customers and Jenoff's henchmen. Jenoff orders his henchmen to kill them. Angel interrupts the slaughter by offering Jenoff a double or nothing bet in which Jenoff might win Angel's soul as well as Gunn's.
Fred is unhappy with the wager. Angel promises he will not lose, then hands Cordelia a stake, telling her she knows what to do with it if he loses. At the card table, Angel proposes a simple cut of the deck, high card winning. Jenoff pulls the nine of clubs. Angel pulls the three of hearts. Cordelia then stakes Jennoff's hand to the table, and Angel chops off his head with an axe. Jenoff immediately sprouts a new head. Angel shouts: "Anybody else here owe this guy?" which causes the whole crowd to attack Jenoff. In the melee, the AI team escapes.
Sitting in Gunn's truck, Fred and Gunn make up. Fred asks for whom Gunn traded his soul. Gunn explains that he traded his soul for the truck, which helped him survive and save lives. He didn't think he had a future at the time, but now he does.
Cordelia watches Angel disassembles Connor's crib.
Continuity[]
- Cordelia and Groo return, having left in "Couplet," and discover Wesley's betrayal and Connor's kidnapping from "Sleep Tight."
- This episode mentions the belief that leprechauns are not real, first discussed in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Faith, Hope & Trick" and to be mentioned again in "Unleashed." Leprechauns will eventually appear in Day Off (or Harmony in My Head) and United, Part Two.
- Not believing he had a future, Gunn signed off his soul in exchange of a truck. He will make another deal with bad consequences in "Smile Time," having a permanent legal upgrade in exchange with an authorization that will result in Fred's death ("Shells").
- Gunn says his truck kept him alive and helped him save other lives as well, which can be seen in "War Zone."
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Angel
- Benny
- Winifred Burkle
- Cordelia Chase
- Connor (Only mentioned)
- Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan
- Monica Frzylcka
- Syd Frzylcka
- Groosalugg
- Charles Gunn
- Gurforg (Only mentioned)
- Daniel Holtz (Only mentioned)
- Jenoff
- Kevin
- Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
- Repo demon
Organizations and titles[]
- Angel Investigations
- Gunn's crew (Only mentioned)
- Seer
Species[]
- Demon
- Half-demon
- Human
- Leprechaun (Only mentioned)
- Vampire
Locations[]
- Los Angeles
- Hyperion Hotel
- Jenoff's Casino
- Frzylcka residence
- Traumatic Injury Center
- Wesley Wyndam-Pryce's apartment
Objects[]
Death count[]
- One Skench demon, killed by Gunn.
- Unidentified man, soul absorbed by Jenoff.
- Jenoff, killed by his clients.
Behind the scenes[]
Broadcast[]
- "Double or Nothing" had an audience of 2.7 million households upon its original airing.[2]
Music[]
- Coolio ft. L.V. — "Gangsta's Paradise"
- Robert J. Kral — original score
International titles[]
- Czech: "Dvojnásobek, nebo nic" (Double or Nothing)
- Finnish: "Korkein kortti voittaa" (Highest Card Wins)
- French: "Quitte ou double" (Double or Nothing)
- German: "Zahltag" (Payday)
- Hungarian: "Dupla, vagy semmi" (Double or Nothing)
- Italian: "Lascia o raddoppia" (Leave or Double)
- Portuguese (Brazil): "O Dobro ou Nada" (Double or Nothing)
- Russian: "Всё или ничего" (All or Nothing)
- Spanish (Latin America): "Doble o nada" (Double or Nothing)
- Spanish (Spain): "Doble o nada" (Double or Nothing)
- Turkish: "Ya İki Katı Ya da Hiç" (Double or Nothing)
Adaptations[]
- This episode is included on the DVD The Vampire Anthology: Gunn.
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
Quotes[]
| Fred: "Gunn and I found your notes about the baby. The prophecy. You took him away cause you thought Angel was gonna kill him. You were trying to protect them. Both of them. I just wanted you to know I understand that. And I also wanted to say I thought what Angel tried to do to you was wrong, and I'm sorry. But he was right to blame you, Wesley. You should've come to us. You should've trusted us instead of going to Holtz behind our backs. You were supposed to be our friend, and you didn't even... If Angel sees you again, he'll kill you, Wesley. This time for real. Don't come back to the hotel. Ever. The prophecy was false. Angel was never gonna hurt Connor. It was all for nothing." |
References[]
- ↑ "angel: Double or Nothing." TheWB.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2004.
- ↑ "Nielsen Ratings for Angel's Third Season." Nielsen Ratings for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, & Firefly. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008.