As a battered and bloodied Faith recovers at Wesley's apartment after her showdown with the Beast, they wonder why Angelus would suddenly kill the Beast and allow the sun to return to Los Angeles. At a demon bar, Angelus is spoken to by a deep disembodied voice, which turns out to originate from Cordelia, projecting from the hotel, who stole Angel's soul and is keeping it close to her. Cordelia confirms that she manipulated the gang into removing the soul then stole it to ensure it couldn't be returned. Angelus refuses to submit to the Beast master and demands a face-to-face meeting. Angelus then surprises Fred at the hotel, claiming he is immune to the protection spell. He demands information on the Beast's master, however she realises he is bluffing and tries to fight back, but he steals her research materials. Fred tries to shoot him with a tranquillizer dart but accidentally hits Lorne instead. Connor attempts to stop Angelus, but is repelled by the demon protection spell.
Angelus is contacted again by Cordelia telepathically, and this time she threatens to restore his soul if he refuses to help. Fred's mood worsens as she feels inadequate to fight Angelus. Fred and Gunn kiss, but part, unsure about their feelings. Meanwhile Cordelia convinces Connor to keep her sudden pregnancy a secret from everyone else. Faith and Wesley try to track Angelus at the demon bar. There they encounter human junkies, who get high on the vampire bites. Faith smacks one around, but Wesley finally gets the needed info by stabbing the woman. They are able to track Angelus to a deserted museum where Faith has another showdown with him. The fight does not go well for Faith - in the final scene she is bitten by Angelus.
Tropes
- Alone with the Psycho: Fred is confronted by Angelus in the Hyperion offices, where he claims that he has a charm that blocks the anti-demon violence spell Lorne put up, leaving her helpless until she realizes he's bullshitting.
- And I Must Scream:Angelus: If I did have any friends, they sure as hell wouldn't be living inside my head!Beastmaster: Like you're forced to live inside Angel's? (chuckles) Because you're the voice in there, aren't you? Just beneath the surface, buried under all that goodness, fully conscious, fully aware, but trapped. Unable to move or speak, powerless to act on your desires. So thirsty, so helpless...it must be agony.
- Bad Liar: According to Connor, Cordy wants...soup.
- Blatant Lies: Angelus holds what he claims is a charm to repel Lorne's protection spell, basically holding Fred hostage - until she realizes that the charm was "made in China." At that point, she's a lot more confident in fighting back.
- Blood Is Squicker in Water: Faith showering after the beatdown the Beast gave her last episode.
- Bottomless Magazines: Exactly how many shells were in that shotgun?
- Brandishment Bluff: Angelus scares Fred into letting him steal Lilah's book by pretending a Made in Country X charm has counteracted the protection spell.Fred: He waved this thing in my face, and I went all spinal-paralysis.
- Bullet Catch: Angelus intercepts a dart fired by Fred in the Tome of Eldritch Lore he's carrying.Angelus: Can't beat a good book.
- Call-Back:
- Wesley reminds Faith of his torture at her hands in "Five by Five" and the Watcher's Council trying to kill her in "Sanctuary", while Angelus brings up Wesley's inadequacy as a Watcher, which contributed to Faith's Start of Darkness in BtVS "Consequences".
- Connor snarks "Thought you were more of a taser girl" when a startled Fred points her tranq pistol at him, referring to when Fred zapped him with a taser in "Deep Down".
- The short montage of Connor looking in the mirror for demonic features resembled Faith trying out expressions in Buffy's body in BtVS "Who Are You?"
- Vampires and junkies getting each other high also occurred in BtVS "Into the Woods". Humans would pay vampires to bite them; the humans would get the thrill while the vampires would get easy blood.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- The Fantastic Drug is used to defeat Angelus.
- The Beastmaster calling Angelus 'sweet' tips off Angel as to his/her identify when Cordelia uses the same word.
- Cliffhanger: After defeating Faith, Angelus declares that he's going to turn her into a vampire and begins drinking her blood...
- Curse Cut Short: Faith gets out a "What the f—?" taking in the vampire drug den\brothel, before she's attacked by a vampire.
- Death Seeker: Averted with Faith, though the urge if not the drive is still there, as the next episode shows.
- Dodge the Bullet: Angelus dodges bullets, Tranquillizer Darts and shotgun blasts in this episode.
- Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Angelus is boasting of his defeat of the Beast when he hears a demon mutter, "Yeah soul-boy, nice job bringing the sun back." Angelus responds by threatening to "rip out your windpipe so it stops making that annoying talky sound" and is unimpressed with the demon's claim that he's suffering from Hollywood Tourette's. Fortunately for his windpipe, the Beastmaster chooses that moment to make an entrance.
- Dramatic Gun Cock:
- A vampire charges at Wes, but halts when the ex-Watcher sticks his pump-action in his face. "Let's not."
- While Faith is interrogating one demon, another is sneaking up on Wesley...only for Wes to shoot the second demon in the face with a shotgun. He then plays this trope for intimidation, but also does it accurately.
Wesley: Strom demon. Face should grow back. (cocks the shotgun) Eventually.Faith: (to first demon) Think yours will?- Angelus repeatedly racks his shotgun while talking to Faith — turns out he's just emptying it as Angelus wants to use his fangs on Faith instead. And being Angelus even if he hadn't seen Phone Booth he would think it was cool.
- Even the Girls Want Her: On seeing Faith the junkie girl says, "Hey, you're pretty. You wanna make out?"
- Evil Gloating: Angelus boasts to the other vampires in the Bad Guy Bar about his defeat of a Slayer and the Beast. Turns out to be Tempting Fate, because the Beast's former master chooses that moment to start booming away in Angelus' noggin.
- Evil Sounds Deep: And very loud. Cordelia hides her identity by speaking as the Beastmaster — a deep male voice inside Angelus' head.
- Exalted Torturer: Wes stabs a girl in the shoulder for interrogation purposes. "I avoided the main arteries."
- Fantastic Drug: Wes and Faith find vampires drinking the blood of human junkies in a back room of the Bad Guy Bar. Wesley explains that it's a mutual means of getting each other high — the junkies get the thrill of the Kiss of the Vampire, while the vampires get high on the heroin-laced blood.
- Feet-First Introduction: Subverted in the Cold Open from the usual badass version — the shoes of an exhausted Wesley and a severely battered Faith slowly step into frame, then drops of blood from Faith's wounds drip onto the floor.
- Flanderization: Initially, Angelus was simply Angel without a soul. He was fairly complex, adopting Buffy as a pet project and attempting to slowly drive her crazy. Now Angel's evil side is treated as an entirely separate alter ego. The good guy is ALWAYS Angel, the bad guy is ALWAYS Angelus. He's also completely bonkers, compared to the cold calculating villain he was before, more The Joker than The Chessmaster (though the acting bonkers could be explained by the fact that he is Hearing Voices).
- Friend or Foe?: Fred accidentally shoots Lorne with a tranq dart. Lorne thanks her for the best sleep he's had since this whole apocalypse business started.
- Get It Over With: Fred to Angelus, when he tries to threaten her.
- Healing Factor: Faith recovers quickly from the Beast's No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.
- Hearing Voices: And very loudly too.Beastmaster: ANGELUS!Angelus: (holds his hands to his ears) Hello, volume!Beastmaster: I AM NOT WELL PLEASED!Angelus: I am not well deaf!Beastmaster: DARE TO SEEK ME OUT AGAIN, AND YOUR INSOLENCE WILL BE PUNISHED TEN-FOLD!Angelus: Yeah, what're you gonna do, huh? Give me a migraine?
- Human Shield: Angelus threatens to Neck Snap Wesley, who tells Faith to attack regardless. She doesn't and Angelus gets away.
- I Did What I Had to Do:Faith: Torturing humans part of the new makeover?Wesley: I did what I had to do because you couldn't.Faith: I hit her.Wesley: You think that's something new to her?
- I Love the Dead:Faith: Screw you.Angelus: Maybe after. I like my girls to lie still.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: See above, Wesley stabbing the girl. The Trope Namer, or the girl who did it before him, would be so proud.
- Juggle Fu: Faith slices Angelus, throws the knife in the air, punches him, then catches the knife to cut him again.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Angelus says, "It's all about choices, Faith. The ones we make, and the ones we don't. Oh, and the consequences." — "Choices" and "Consequences" were Season 3 Buffy episodes where Evil!Faith played a major role.
- Mathematician's Answer: Wesley asks a blood-splattered Faith if she's OK. She replies, "I'm sticky."
- Meaningful Echo: Angelus says "There's my girl!" after taunting Faith into lashing out at him. Faith said the same thing after taunting Buffy into punching her in BTVS "Consequences" (by suggesting Buffy was turned on by Angelus, interestingly enough).
- Morning Sickness:Connor: Are you OK?Cordelia: Sure. Except for the morning sickness that can't tell time.
- The Nicknamer: Gunn dubs Angelus "Vampire Moriarty". Faith is Super Girl.
- Offhand Backhand:Demon: Look, I'm telling ya, I don't know nothing. On my mother's tumor. (notices a demon sneaking up behind Wes and Faith, intending to attack them; gets cocky) And even if I did, I'd never yak to a couple of fleshbags that are about to get their internal organs sucked out of their—Wesley: (without looking, shoots behind him with the shotgun, nailing the would-be attacker in the face) Strom demon. Face should grow back. (cocks the shotgun) Eventually.
- Oh, Crap!: Mockingly leaned into by Angelus due to his particular brand of jackassery. He gets a hold of Wes's shotgun: "Uh oh, vampire with a gun!" He then proceeds to start shooting at Faith, only stopping to gloat (which gives her an opening).
- Pay Evil unto Evil: Cordelia says this re Angelus killing the Beast, and Wesley says it to Faith re fighting Angelus.
- Perp Sweating: Faith does her thing at the Bad Guy Bar.Demon: Come on. I bruise easy.Faith: Gee, I wonder what color you'll be when I'm done. (smashes his head into the bar again)Demon: Frances. (Faith pushes the demon's head into the bar) Ow!Frances: Hey, what do I look like, a piñata?Faith: Ooh, let's find out. (goes to bash his head again)Frances: Whoa, whoa, whoa! Ease off the contusion. What do you want to know?
- Percussive Therapy: Faith lets off some steam by beating the crap out of the wall of the shower.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: Andy Hallett as Lorne finally gets promoted to series regular.
- Punch a Wall: Faith takes out Wesley's entire shower wall after getting her ass kicked by The Beast.
- Punctuated PoundingAngelus: Come on, Faith, you're not even trying. (punches Faith) Or is that why you really came back, huh? Not enough to punish yourself in prison? Is that it? Still looking for someone to help beat the bad out of you? (punches her again) You know what the funny part is, darling? I could beat you death, and it wouldn't make a difference. Nothing will ever change who you are, Faith. (kicks her in the face) You're a murderer, (punches her) an animal, (punches her, grabs her hair) and you enjoy it. (punches her) Just like me.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Wesley delivers one to Faith to get her angry enough to face Angelus.Wesley: This the part where you tell me you've turned a new leaf, found God, inner peace? We both know that isn't true. You haven't changed. You can't.Faith: Wes...Wesley: Because you're sick. You've always been sick. It goes right down to the roots rotting your soul. That's why your friends turned on you in Sunnydale, why the Watchers' Council tried to kill you. No one trusts you, Faith. You're a rabid dog who should've been put down years ago!
- Rousing Speech: Angelus mocks the Stiff Upper Lip talk he imagines Wes gave Faith — ironically Wes had been telling her that if she didn't match Angelus' evil she won't survive.
- Shower of Angst: After Faith gets the crap beaten out of her, she showers off to clean up the blood. Then she vents her frustrations on the shower tiles.Wesley: I'm not worried about the bathroom. Although I'm fairly sure my security deposit's a complete loss.
- Shotguns Are Just Better: Angelus certainly thinks so.
- Staircase Tumble / Flash Step: Angelus throws Faith down the stair; by the time she reaches bottom he's already there pushing a shotgun in her face.
- Stay Frosty: Faith to Wes.
- Stealth Pun: "I need to know you're in the game, Faith"
- Teach Her Anger: Wesley knows Faith is holding back after the Human Shield; he taunts Faith over her past misdeeds, calling her a sick rabid dog who should have been put down years ago — Faith grabs the shotgun off Wes and goes to hit him with it.Wesley: See, that wasn't so hard, was it? (Faith glares) It's what you'll need to beat him.
- Terms of EndangermentBeastmaster: I HAVE WONDERFUL PLANS FOR YOU, SWEET BOY.
- (Angelus kicks Faith and she stumbles away) "A little tired, sweetie? You wanna take a break?"
- This Is the Part Where...:Wesley: This the part where you [Faith] tell me you've turned a new leaf, found God, inner peace? We both know that isn't true. You haven't changed. You can't.
- Tomato in the Mirror: Connor is shocked when the demon protection spell zaps him for attacking Angelus, meaning he's part demon.
- Too Kinky to Torture / Foe Romance Subtext: After Angelus gets sliced and punched by Faith.Angelus: That hurt, baby. Kinda liked it. (chuckles) How 'bout you? There's my girl. I knew she was in there somewhere dying to come out and play again.
- Tranquillizer Dart: The Fang Gang break out the dart pistols.
- Twisted Echo Cut: The Beastmaster is interrupted from talking in Angelus' head by Connor entering the room where Cordelia is.Cordelia: Just a little woozy. Could be the whole Angelus-nailing-me-with-a-crossbow thingy. Or it could be the baby. His way of saying—(Cut to a peeved Angelus, trying to work out why the voice in his head has stopped)Angelus: Hello! Hey, I got places to go, friends to kill...well, not actually my friends, but you get the idea.
- Walk-In Chime-In: Involving Angelus, as per usual.Fred: If I were a Runic transcription guide, (walks to the bookcase, searches) I would be...(finds the book) shelved wrong.Angelus: Talking to yourself, Fred? A lot of that going around.
- Fred pulls the trigger but her gun is empty — Angelus grins.
Angelus: Too bad. I was just starting to have fun.Connor: (charging towards him) Why stop now?- Faith and Wesley are entering the Hyperion gates.
Faith: We track him, we find him, we—Angelus: (walks out of the front doors) Get your asses kicked? I dunno, wild guess.- Later on...
Wesley: This Maury that Lorne knows may be able to help us find where Angelus is hiding. (stop as they see Maury's corpse)Angelus: No...but I can. - What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Faith has no problem pounding a demon's head against a bar, but objects to Wesley torturing the junkie girl for information.
- Who Dares?:Beastmaster: YOU WOULD DARE TO DEFY ME?Angelus: Defy who? A big scary voice? Whoa! Hey, I got one of those, too. You wanna hear it? (cups his hands over his mouth) You can kiss my vampire ass!
- Worf Had the Flu: Angel, who has a long history of losing fights with Slayers, manages a narrow victory over Faith after a wonderfully brutal fight. Not only was Faith still recovering from a severe beating the previous day at the hands of an indestructible demon, the very next episode it's revealed that at the start of her fight with Angel she had pumped herself full of magic heroin.
