Peace Out

Season 4

episode 21

Air date

April 30, 2003

Written by

David Fury

Directed by

Jefferson Kibbee

Length

42 minutes

*Angel*
← Previous	Next →
"Sacrifice"	"Home"

*Buffy the Vampire Slayer*
← Previous	Next →
"Empty Places"	"Touched"

Cast

Starring
David Boreanaz — Angel Charisma Carpenter — Cordelia J. August Richards — Gunn Amy Acker — Fred Vincent Kartheiser — Connor Andy Hallett — Lorne Alexis Denisof — Wesley

Guest starring
Gina Torres — Jasmine Stephanie Romanov — Lilah

Co-starring

Robert Towers — High Priest
Bonita Friedericy — Patience
Eliza Pryor Nagel — Susan
Pescovitz — News Producer
Gerry Katzman — Technician
Audrey Kearns — Young Woman
Kristin Richardson — Female Reporter
Kyle Ingleman — Jeremy
Jeff Scott Bass — Brent
Kimble Jemison — Cop #1
Blair Hickey — Male News Reporter
Angelica Castro — Telemundo Reporter
Brian Bradley — Grizzled Reporter

Uncredited
Erik Betts — Keeper of the Name Niki Latrese — Screaming Woman

"Peace Out" is the twenty-first episode of the fourth season of Angel and the eighty-seventh episode in the series. Written by David Fury and directed by Jefferson Kibbee, it was originally broadcast on April 30, 2003, on The WB network.

Synopsis[]

Angel goes on a mission to find proof that his son Connor wasn't simply a vessel designed to bring the evil Jasmine, who is hell-bent on destroying everyone, into the world. Meanwhile, Connor goes in search of the missing Cordelia.^[1]

Summary[]

Fred, Gunn, Wesley, and Lorne fight Connor and his band of Jasmaniacs in the sewers. In the zealot’s dimension, Angel spots a temple on top of a mountain in the distance.

Connor kidnaps the Angel Investigations team and accuses them of spreading hatred. He believes that the crew is upset that Jasmine has saved the world instead of them; therefore, they must die. Gunn says he is happy not to belong since everyone else is worshiping a false god. Before Connor can kill anyone, a guard speaks in Jasmine's voice and tells him to bring the others back to the Hyperion Hotel.

At the hotel, Jasmine thanks her followers for being loyal. Connor brings in the team, and Jasmine says that they have caused themselves pain by abandoning her. She asks where Angel is, and Wesley replies that she should know since she's omniscient. Wesley mentions the Messenger, and she admits to slightly evolving the zealot species. However, they proved to be too primitive, so she decided a more advanced human world would be easier to conquer.

Wesley realizes that Jasmine is going to spread her influence around the world during her news conference. Fred tries to get Connor to stop her, telling him that Jasmine will enslave everyone but he insists that she will bring everyone together. When Fred says they tried showing Connor Jasmine’s true nature, he tells her he is aware of Jasmine's real appearance and declares her beautiful.

In the zealot's dimension, Angel makes it to the temple atop the mountain. He encounters the high priest, who calls himself "Guardian of the Word, caretaker of Her Most Blessed Temple." When Angel notices the lack of followers in the empty temple, the Guardian insists that Jasmine will return when she's done with the human world. Angel tries to persuade the Guardian to reveal Jasmine's real name, but he refuses, telling Angel, "You can take away her power, but you've already lost everything."

Connor locks the gang in the basement cage. Wesley points out that the blood ritual did not work on Connor since he had seen Jasmine's real face all along. Connor says that since he grew up in Quor'toth, appearance doesn't matter; he's seen horrible things they cannot begin to imagine. Fred attempts to make Connor feel guilty about Cordelia, but he tells her that she has been moved to a safe place. Since the zealot called Jasmine “the Devourer,” Wesley concludes that she devours her followers, which makes Gunn fear that Cordelia has already been eaten.

In the temple, Angel asks that the Guardian reveal Jasmine's true name, but he swears only the Keeper of the Name knows it. As the Keeper kneels in the corner, the Guardian cautions Angel that the Keeper will only say Jasmine's name with his final breath. When the Keeper turns to face him, Angel realizes that his mouth has been stitched shut.

Connor visits Jasmine in the banquet hall, who is chatting with some of her followers. Connor pulls her aside and asks where she took Cordelia. Though Jasmine insists she did not eat Cordelia, she refuses to tell Connor where she hid her.

In the temple, the Guardian taunts Angel as he battles the Keeper. He tells Angel that there is no point in fighting for a world that doesn't want or care about him, but Angel insists that his world needs him. The Guardian tells him that he is really fighting for Connor; he's already lost Cordelia, and he will lose his son as well.

In the human world, the press sets up for the conference, excited to be sharing Jasmine with the rest of the world. A reporter tries to interview Connor, but he declines. He corners two followers outside who smell like Cordelia and demands her whereabouts.

Back at the temple, the Guardian questions why Angel continuously tries to make things right with Connor. He says that Connor was born only to bring Jasmine into the world and will never love his father. Angel says that it doesn't matter and dodges a swing from the Keeper, causing the Guardian to be killed by the spikes lining the wall.

In the basement of the Hyperion, Gunn is kicking the cage in an attempt to break the lock. Wesley wonders why Jasmine moved Cordelia, since the gang were the only ones using her blood to cure others. When he questions why Jasmine doesn't just kill Cordelia, they conclude that she is dependent on Cordelia; Jasmine can't hurt her without hurting herself. The gang agrees that they need to find Cordelia and try to wake her.

Connor finds a church with a sign out front that reads, "God is nowhere. Jasmine is the way." He enters, and after knocking the police guards unconscious, he finds Cordelia lying atop an altar.

Back in the banquet hall, Jasmine eats a large group of followers in preparation for her press conference.

At the church, Connor tells an unconscious Cordelia that he wants to stop fighting since he no longer has reason to. He admits that he never believed in Jasmine like the others did but went along because he wanted to belong. He admits that although Jasmine is bringing peace to everyone around him, he is still troubled. He says that his whole life has been built on lies, but he thought that Jasmine's lie was better than the others.

At the Hyperion, one of the men that Connor attacked alerts Jasmine. She heads to the press conference and preaches about love as her image is broadcast around the world. From the basement, the AI team hears the audience cheering and realizes that Jasmine has begun her takeover; they are truly alone now. Back at the conference, Jasmine tells the crowd she expects nothing in return, only for them to show each other love and build a large temple in her honor to stand as a beacon of hope.

During Jasmine's speech, a portal opens in the lobby, releasing Angel. Jasmine demands that her followers kill him immediately. As they begin to attack, Angel cuts open the sewn mouth of the Keeper. A long hissing sound is heard, and Jasmine's face begins to glow green. Her spell to hide her true appearance begins to falter, and her rotten, maggot-infested face is revealed. Now covered in boils, Jasmine tries to calm her followers as they erupt into chaos and despair. Gunn eventually kicks open the door to the cage, and the gang makes their way upstairs.

In the chaotic streets of Los Angeles, Jasmine is upset that she is no longer being worshipped. She contacts Connor using an unconscious policeman at the church, and Connor runs off to find her. Angel catches up to Jasmine and tells her that she has lost; her reign has ended. When she scoffs at him for choosing such a harsh reality over her offer of paradise, he tells her she took away their ability to choose; free will is what makes them human. When Jasmine tells him he is not human, he tells her that he's "working on it."

Jasmine tries to walk away, but Angel refuses to let her hurt anyone else. Jasmine argues that she murdered thousands in order to save billions, but now the world has to fend for itself. Angel tells her that the fate of humans has to be their own; otherwise, they are nothing. He adds that although Jasmine doesn't have the world she wants, she can still try and make it better. Jasmine declines and punches Angel off of a bridge, insisting that unlike the other Powers That Be, she loved the world and sacrificed everything to get there.

They continue to fight, as Jasmine reminds Angel of the prophecy that says he will play a role in the apocalypse. He never knew which side he would be on, but now he does: she's going to wipe out the human race with the last of her energy, and the blood will be on his hands. Angel tells her to go to hell, and she replies, "You first, baby," kissing him forcefully. At that moment, Connor appears, remarking that once again Angel is making “a play” for a girl he had first. Jasmine breaks the kiss, turning to Connor, thrilled that he has finally arrived.

Wesley, Gunn, and Fred search the hotel but find that everyone has departed. Lorne notes that all of the TV stations are off the air, which means that something big happened. Wesley tells them that they need to find Cordelia before Jasmine does. When Wesley opens the door, everyone stops in their tracks and stares in shock at what is on the other side.

On the bridge, Jasmine tells Connor that Angel can't defeat both of them. She asks Connor if he still loves and believes in her. Connor says yes and punches through her head, instantly killing Jasmine. Angel tries to comfort Connor, but the teenager runs off.

Angel heads back to the Hyperion, where he's shocked to see his friends are still alive. As he tells them that Jasmine has been killed by Connor, Wesley attempts to interject. Angel worries that Connor may do something drastic, as he has never seen his son react in that way. Suddenly, Lilah appears in the office doorway. With a smile, she congratulates Angel on ending world peace.

Continuity[]

When Angel says he's "working on" being human, he's referring to the Shanshu Prophecy, first mentioned in "To Shanshu in L.A."
Lilah returns, now undead, to set Angel on the path of Wolfram & Hart ("Home").
The events of this episode occur at approximately the same time as Buffy and her allies are preparing to fight the First Evil ("Home"). Jasmine's broadcast doesn't influence Sunnydale because, by this time, few are left in town ("Empty Places") and there is no electricity to watch television ("Touched").
Angel argues with Jasmine over taking away the free will of others, stating that it is the wrong way to do things. After witnessing the Fall of Los Angeles, Angel will take upon the identity of the masked Twilight to help complete the prophecy of a "perfect world," where many would be sacrificed (Twilight, Part Two).

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Locations[]

Earth
- Los Angeles
  - Church
  - Hyperion Hotel
Quor'toth (Only mentioned)
Zealot's dimension
- Her Most Blessed Temple

Objects[]

Death count[]

Guardian of the Word, inadvertently impaled on something sticking out of a wall by the Keeper of the Name.
Susan, eaten by Jasmine.
Dozens of humans, eaten by Jasmine.
Keeper of the Name, beheaded by Angel.
Jasmine, punched by Connor.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

In this penultimate episode of season 4, the Big Bad, Jasmine, is defeated. This is reminiscent of the Buffy season 4 episode "Primeval," in which the Big Bad, Adam, was defeated before the season finale.
The Telemundo reporter says in Spanish: "La bendita Jasmine entregará su mensaje en todos los idiomas conocidos. Dependiendo de sus comentarios, esta transmisión podrá continuar durante este fin de semana." (Blessed Jasmine will deliver her message in all known languages. Depending on her comments, this broadcast may continue this weekend.)

Broadcast[]

"Peace Out" had an audience of 2.6 million households upon its original airing.^[2]

Pop culture references[]

Gunn quotes: "Never give up, never surrender," from the movie Galaxy Quest.
Lorne mentions Night of the Comet when describing the deserted hotel. Joss Whedon has cited the film as one of his influences for the creation of Buffy Summers.^[3]^[4]
Jasmine says she wants to make this the "best of all possible worlds," a phrase coined by Gottfried Leibniz in his 1710 work Essays of Theodicy on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil.
Once they understand that Jasmine's worldwide broadcast has started, Lorne says "That's all, folks," which is the famous Looney Tunes closing sequence.
As Gunn is trying to kick his way out of the cage, Lorne refers to him as Cato, Inspector Clouseau's Chinese flat mate.
Upon learning that Jasmine eats people, Gunn is reminded of The Twilight Zone episode "To Serve Man."
Angel calls the Guardian of the Word "Bugsy."