Template:Angelepisode
Judgement is episode 1 of season 2 of the television show Angel.
Another vision from Cordelia sends Angel on another mission where he accidentally kills the demonic protector of a pregnant woman named Jo. But when Jo disappears, Angel soon learns that the expectant mother is not only being hunted by evil bounty hunters, but she must face a mysterious tribunal in order to live through the night. Street gang member and amateur vampire slayer, Charles Gunn, helps Angel to retrieve a talisman needed for the trial while Angel himself faces his innermost fears: in a demon karaoke bar named Caritas where the kindly demon host looks into Angel's feelings with his on stage karaoke singing, or lack of it. Meanwhile, the evil lawyers Lindsey and Lilah from Wolfram & Hart are revealed to have brought back from the Raising: the long dead vampire Darla whom they plan to use to seek revenge against Angel. At the end, Angel visits Faith, now serving a long prison term, where they talk about salvation for each other.
Synopsis
Lilah visits Lindsey's office where Darla is enjoying classical music. She talks of how she can feel Angel, and slowly her memory begins to return. Cordelia is at acting class until she gets a "911" message on her beeper and has to leave. Wesley is throwing darts to impress a young woman when he also gets a message on his beeper. The two meet Angel at a gym where they put an end to a demon performing a sacrificial ritual in a room behind one of the gym mirrors. Cordelia has a vision about a Prio Motu demon, and for more information they go to Caritas, a demon karaoke bar and safe haven, to seek out Wesley's demon informant Merl who knows where to find the Prio Motu demon. Lorne is introduced as the Host of the bar, an Anagogic demon who can see into the hearts and read the future of those who sing, but Angel refuses to sing in public, saying its one of three things he never does. Angel finds the Prio Motu demon along with a pregnant woman. He kills the demon, but then the woman, Jo, tearfully informs him that the demon was protecting her and her unborn child. Feeling guilty about killing the demon, Angel tracks down Merl and is informed of the location the Prio demon was living at as well as the importance of the child.
Angel finds Gunn hunting vampires in a bad part of town and asks for help in finding the Prio Motu demon's hideout, which is empty except for a talisman that may be of use. Angel asks Gunn to deliver the talisman to Wesley and Cordelia while he waits for the pregnant woman to return. When she does, Angel offers his help, but she's not eager to accept it as he has done her nothing but harm. Demons attack, and Angel sends Jo to Cordelia's place while he fights them off. Gunn shows up at Cordelia bearing the talisman, followed by Angel. Jo never showed up.
Wesley determines that the talisman identifies a champion for the Tribunal, a mystical organization that offers protection. To get more information, Angel is forced to sing karaoke in front of the Host - he mangles "Mandy" (This is, incidentally, the first indication that Angel is familiar with contemporary American pop culture; throughout his appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he was consistently depicted as a "cultured" sort, reading centuries-old works from France, Great Britain, and elsewhere in direct contrast to the thoroughly modern Spike.). The Host tells Angel where the woman's trial will take place. Jo finds herself alone, with no champion and no talisman as the trial begins, and just as the tribunal announces that her life is to be taken, Angel arrives to fight for her, and is able to destroy his demonic opponent. Angel goes to visit Faith, now serving a long prison term, and they talk about redemption and Barry Manilow.
Cast
Main cast
- David Boreanaz as Angel
- Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
- Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
- J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
Guest stars
- Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
- Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
- Andy Hallett as The Host
- Justina Machado as Jo
- Julie Benz as Darla
- Eliza Dushku as Faith
- Rob Boltin as Johnny Fontaine
- Iris Fields as Acting Teacher
- Keith Campbell as Club Manager
- Jason Frasca as White Guy
- Andy Kreiss as Lizard Demon
- Matthew James as Merl Demon
- Glenn David Calloway as Judge
- Ej Gage as Mordar the Bentback
Quotes and trivia
Eliza Dushku is credited in the closing credits of this episode instead of the opening ones. Although closing credits cast listings are usually reserved only for background characters with unimportant parts, or those with minimal or no speaking role, Dushku was placed here to keep Angel's visit to prison a surprise for the viewers. This same trick is used several other times in the series for the same effect.
When Angel and the gang first head to the gym at the opening of the episode and are walking down the aisle, Angel is not visible in the mirror walking with the group. However, if you look to the right of the screen, he's standing at the end of the screen and you can see him in the mirror, and watch him quickly join the group for the next shot. He is also visible briefly in the mirror as he leaves the hidden room.