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"Offspring" is the seventh episode of the third season of Angel and the fifty-first episode in the series. Written by David Greenwalt and directed by Turi Meyer, it was originally broadcast on November 5, 2001, on The WB network.

Synopsis[]

Angel comes face-to-face with the consequences of his night of passion when Darla arrives on his doorstep inexplicably pregnant. While Angel tortures himself over the decision whether or not to destroy the demon seed, the gang uncovers a prophecy that predicts the arrival of a great evil which will bring about the ruination of mankind.[1]

Summary[]

In 1771 Rome, Angelus is trapped in the sewers by his nemesis, Holtz. Finally having caught up with the vampire who murdered his entire family, Holtz tortures Angel for a day, until Darla arrives and rescues him. She kills everyone but Holtz, content at having ruined his life.

In present day Los Angeles, Darla arrives in town on a bus, having drank from all of the other passengers.

Angel trains with Cordelia on her hand-to-hand combat skills. They discuss the hinted prophecies that the apocalypse is coming. Angel is skeptical, as he's heard a lot of similar rumors in his long lifetime. Cordelia has decorated the dungeon with plastic flowers and talks to Angel about plans for his birthday. Fred walks in on them sparring and, after Cordy has left, tells Angel that he and Cordy are attracted to one another, to which Angel reacts with incredulity.

Gunn and Wesley break into a home to steal the lost Nyazian scroll, which has part of the apocalypse prophecy. They are caught by the owner and make a deal with him to see the prophecy.

Back at the Hyperion Hotel, the Angel Investigations team talks about the prophecy of Angel being turned into human. Fred does calculations to figure out when the prophecy will come to pass, and they all show that it has already begun, starting with some unspecified bad thing.

At that moment, a heavily pregnant Darla walks in and tells Angel he's knocked her up. Cordelia is very upset that Angel would sleep with Darla, especially because he swore he would never do anything like that. Angel and Wesley confirm that what they're seeing is impossible, as vampires can't fall pregnant. Cordelia acts very protective of the pregnant Darla and angry at Angel. Fred wonders if this is the prophesied bad event. Angel wonders if she's really pregnant, and Darla offers to let him feel the baby kicking inside of her.

The team goes to visit the Host at Caritas, which he is in the midst of rebuilding. He is currently being visited by the Transuding Furies, and their delight at seeing Angel further irritates Cordelia, who takes Darla to lie down in the back. They talk with the Host about what the pregnancy means. They wonder if this child is an evil being from prophecy and is destined to be bad. Fred says "screw destiny" and that they can defeat anything.

Cordelia starts to bond with Darla over demonic pregnancies, until Darla attacks her and starts feeding off of her. The struggling Cordelia then has visions. Angel arrives and flings Darla across the room. Darla runs away and Angel tells Cordelia that he'll kill Darla for what she just did. Cordy apologizes for her treatment of Angel and letting herself forget what Darla was. She then remembers her vision: Darla has a never-ending hunger now that she's pregnant and craves young blood. Angel prepares for battle as Cordy realizes she knows where Darla must have gone.

Angel catches up with Darla in an amusement park about to feed off a toddler. The two struggle, and Angel strangles Darla, to no effect because she doesn't breathe. He grabs a stake and is about to strike her down, and she begs him to kill her and make her hunger stop. Angel realizes that, while they don't breathe, the unborn child has a heartbeat and breathes, and so it must have a soul. Angel takes Darla to the hotel to take care of her, while taking precautions against her feeding off anyone there. Fred realizes that the thing from the prophecy is about to arise at that moment.

In an underground cavern, a demon named Sahjhan approaches a statue, throws powder over it, then recites an incantation. After several seconds, the statue crumbles, leaving behind a crouched form. Sahjhan approaches telling the man he's now in the 21st century and will get to see Angelus soon. The figure reveals itself to be Holtz, who demands to know where his prey is.

Continuity[]

  • It is the first time Angel sees Darla since the episode "Epiphany."
  • Upon meeting Darla for the first time, Fred is told by Gunn she is an old flame of Angel. She asks if she is "the one who died." This refers to Buffy, whose death in "The Gift" prompted Angel to seek existential relief on a monastery (as shown in "Heartthrob") and whose resurrection in "Bargaining, Part One" had Angel rushing out of town to meet her (in the end of "Carpe Noctem").
  • Cordelia saying to Darla, "I was pregnant once," refers to the events in the episode "Expecting."
  • Gunn suggests that Darla and Angel's child could become an "uber-vamp." This is a term that the Scoobies will later use to describe the Turok-Hans.
  • In this episode, the Nyazian prophecies foretell that Connor's creation will lead mankind "into darkness." The sun will be blotched out in "Long Day's Journey."
  • After being mentioned in "The Trial" and featured in a flashback sequence of "Heartthrob," Holtz is brought into the 21st century.
  • Caritas is being rebuilt after being destroyed by Gunn's former crew in "That Old Gang of Mine." It is going to be destroyed again in "Lullaby," to be rebuilt again only years later in "Underneath."

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Events[]

Locations[]

Objects[]

Rituals and spells[]

Death count[]

  • Two Inquisitores, burned by Darla (in flashbacks).
  • Two vampires, dusted by two Inquisitors (in flashbacks).
  • Monseigneur Rivalli, pushed by Darla (in flashbacks).
  • Remaining Inquisitores, killed by vampires (in flashbacks).
  • Three bus passengers, blood drained by Darla.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

Broadcast[]

  • "Offspring" had an audience of 3.0 million households upon its original airing.[2]

Goofs[]

  • Wesley tells the homeowner that, while he's talking to the police, he can tell them why he has "so much GHB... you know, Rohypnol, the 'date rape drug'" on his property. GHB (gamma-Hydroxybutric acid) and Rohypnol (Flunitrazepam) are two completely different drugs, though both have been saddled with the date rape moniker.

Music[]

International titles[]

  • Czech: "Potomek" (Offspring)
  • Finnish: "Yhteinen lapsemme" (Our Communal Child)
  • French: "La Prophétie" (The Prophecy)
  • German: "Die Prophezeiung" (The Prophecy)
  • Hungarian: "Az ivadék" (The Offspring)
  • Italian: "Progenie" (Offspring)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): "Filhos" (Offspring)
  • Russian: "Oтпрыск" (Offspring)
  • Spanish (Latin America): "Reproducción" (Reproduction)
  • Spanish (Spain): "El vástago" (The Offspring)
  • Turkish: "Yavrular" (Offspring)

Quotes[]

Angelus: "Darla, shouldn't we be killing Holtz?"
Darla: "I know. But it's just so much fun ruining his life. He's like family now."
Angel: "Darla?"
Cordelia: "Darla?"
Wesley: "Darla?"
Fred: "Who's Darla?"
Gunn: "Angel's old flame, from way back."
Fred: "Not the one who died?"
Gunn: "Yeah. No, not that one, the other one that died and came back to life. She's a vampire."
Fred: "Do y'all have a chart or somethin'?"
Gunn: "In the files. I'll get it for you later."
Angel: "Cordy. I'm sorry I lied. It was just...it was a very dark time."
Cordelia: "Oh! You used her to make you feel better during your dark time. Well, that makes it all heroic."
Angel: "It wasn't like that. It just happened. It wasn't like I went evil or anything, I just..."
Cordelia: "You just went male."
Lorne: "Born out of darkness to bring darkness."
Angel: "Great. So, we're saying that my child is the scourge of mankind?"
Angel: "Where is she?"
Wes: "She got away."
Gunn: "We tried to stop her by hitting her fists and feet with our faces."

References[]

  1. "angel: Offspring." TheWB.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2004.
  2. "Nielsen Ratings for Angel's Third Season." Nielsen Ratings for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, & Firefly. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008.
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