On the Mexican Day of the Dead, Angel has a run-in with a masked Wolfram & Hart employee with a connection to an Aztec warrior demon named Tezcatcatl, who preys on the hearts of heroes. This leads Angel to wrestle with some personal issues when he learns about "Los Hermanos Numeros", a family of five Mexican wrestlers who helped the helpless until all but the fifth brother were slain by Tezcatcatl. Angel helps the last member, "Number Five", discover the hero inside, which he lost when his family was killed.
Meanwhile, Spike researches the Shanshu Prophecy and thinks that he, not Angel, may be the vampire who will become human.
Tropes
- Ambiguous Situation: Tezcatcatl goes after the hearts of heroes. It's discussed, but never resolved, if it's meant to be literal cannibalism or a mythical abstraction.
- Ascended Extra: Número Cinco can be seen delivering the internal mail of W&H in earlier episodes.
- Badass Normal: Even as an old man Número Cinco can still knock Angel across the room.
- Bash Brothers/Sibling Team: Los Hermanos Números!"The five of us were always joined, always connected. And when necessary, we came together as a fist."
- Birds of a FeatherNúmero Cinco: You are one strange man, Senor Angel.Angel: I'm not the one in a mask standing in a cemetery in the middle of the night.Número Cinco: No. But you will be.
- It's implied this means Angel will be a has-been champion working for his enemies and mourning his dead comrades. However when Los Hermanos Números return from the dead, they chose Angel as their fifth member to inflict the killing blow on the demon, showing that Angel is still a hero. Angel then takes up the talisman for safe keeping, meaning he likely will be "standing in a graveyard" fifty years on, helping the next champion defeat Tezcatcatl.
- Blatant Lies: Spike enjoys telling everyone that Angel beat up the harmless old guy delivering the mail.
- "Blind Idiot" Translation (In-Universe): Número Cinco explains that he got that name from an earlier time in his life, when he and his brothers called themselves Los Hermanos Números. Angel's reaction to this name: "The Number Brothers? Huh?"
- Broke Your Arm Punching Out Cthulhu: Tezcatcatl rises every 50 years. Last time, he killed 4/5 of Los Hermanos Numeros. This time he killed the fifth one. And he'll rise again in 50 years.
- Calling Shot GunWesley: Remind me again how you ended up in the front seat.Spike: Called shotgun, mate.Wesley: Oh. (hefts his shotgun) I thought we were doing a weapons check.
- Cannibalism Superpower: Tezcatcatl eats the hearts of heroes. Angel is rather miffed when his dead heart is not to its taste.
- Cat Scare: The security guard bumping into Carlos the plumber in The Teaser.
- Comically Missing the Point: Number 5 is recounting the tale of his brothers when Angel interrupts to clarify if they actually wore their masks all the time.
- Continuity Nod:
- The business card of the unseen W&H lawyer who recruits Number 5 reads "Holland Manners".
- In-universe: The Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that occurs on November 2. The previous episode happened on Halloween.
- Couldn't Find a Pen: Angel has to sign his legal documents in blood (which is in a pen, however).
- The Champion: The focus of the episode, and setting up one of the season's arcs. Angel is lost, he no longer believes himself to be a champion, no longer believes there's anything to be a champion of. Número Cinco's sacrifice and his own acceptance by the other brothers in the fight against Tezcatcatl convince him he needs to rediscover his purpose.
- Cynicism Catalyst: Número Cinco lost his enthusiasm for the good fight after the loss of his brothers. Over time people stopped calling, his brothers' reputation became a joke and Wolfram & Hart hired him as Dumb Muscle. Even worse, because Tezcatcatl returns every 50 years, his brothers fought and died for nothing (in his view). It's no wonder he became a Death Seeker.
- Dance Battler: Los Hermanos Números use synchronised wrestling to defeat their enemies. They're luchadores, after all.
- Death Seeker: Número Cinco has became an old man delivering inter-office mail. So when the demon returned, he took the opportunity to trick it into killing him, to end his life.
- Don't Sneak Up on Me Like That!: Angel runs after the mailman with an envelope, only to get knocked through an office window. It turns out Número Cinco heard them discussing Tezcatcatl and assumed Angel wanted his help.
- Dramatic Drop: A brother drops his barbell to the floor when Los Hermanos Números receive word of El Diablo Robótico!
- The Faceless / Kayfabe: In a flashback Los Hermanos Números are shown relaxing, exercising and romancing women — all with their masks on.Angel: Wait a second. So you guys always wore your masks?Number 5: What you are failing to see, my friend, is that we had to be ever-vigilant, ready for action at a moment's notice.
- Flashback: To the Glory Days of Los Hermanos Números!
- Flashback Cut: Angel remembering the talisman on Número Cinco's shrine to his dead brothers.
- Foreshadowing: Spike discovers that the Shanshu Prophecy applies to "the vampire with a soul" rather than Angel specifically. This sets up their fight in "Destiny"note .
- Guile Hero: Numero Cinco, in contrast to his more direct battling brothers, uses indirect tactics to protect the talisman from Tezcatcatl. In his last moments he considers that while it may not have been properly heroic, it was a smart move that succeeded.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Combined with Death Seeker. Número Cinco tells Tezcatcatl that he swallowed the talisman both to fool it and to earn himself a warrior's death. Not only is he successful on both counts, but he also summons his brothers on El Día de los Muertos to defeat the demon and earn his place with them.
- Immune to Bullets: TezcatcatlGunn: We shot it, chopped it, hacked and whacked it. The only souvenir we got was the gunk on this blade.
- Improvised Weapon: The ornamental spikes surrounding a grave are used as weapons. And impromptu assisted-jumping-bars.
- Inadvertent Entrance Cue:Angel: The blood's fresh. This just happened.
Wes: So whatever did this might still be close.
Gunn: How close?
Spike: (looking behind the others, who are all busy staring at the body) I'd say 10, 11 feet.(Team Angel turn to find Tezcatcatl advancing on them) - Jaded Washout: Número Cinco ended up a bitter, lonely, washed up old man delivering inter-office mail.
- Loafing in Full Costume: Played for Laughs. A flashback scene shows the brothers in their glory days chilling out, drinking, smoking, lifting weights, or romancing women with their masks on.Angel: Wait a second. So you guys always wore your masks?Numero Cinco: What you are failing to see, my friend, is that we had to be ever-vigilant, ready for action at a moment's notice.
- Lock Down: Gunn calls for security to lock down Wolram & Hart after the boss is thrown through a window, in case it's part of a more serious attempt on Angel's unlife.
- Logical Weakness: Spike considers that a mythical creature that eats hearts should have its own heart as its weak point, due to the irony being appropriate for
- Mandatory Line: Lorne makes a brief cameo.
- Meaningful Echo:Número Cinco: We fought monsters and gangsters. Vampiros. We were heroes. We protected the weak... and we helped the helpless.Angel: I know a little something about that.
- Must Be Invited: Apparently, being pulled in by the person living somewhere counts as "being invited".
- The Nicknamer: Spike dubs Angel "General Grumpy Pants" and "Tall, Dark and Dreary".
- Nigh-Invulnerable: Tezcatcatl
- Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: Apparently, there was a robot built by the Devil 50 years ago. Not to mention revenant luchadores!Wesley: ... El Diablo Robótico...
Angel: Nobody tells me anything. - Nobody Left Behind: Número Cinco vanishes into thin air along with his dead brothers.
- Noodle Incident: El Diablo Robótico!Número Cinco: Surely you have heard about our great victory over the Devil's robot?Angel: (shrugs) Sorry.Número Cinco: Nobody remembers the good stuff.
- Wesley, though, has heard of it:Angel: Did you know the Devil built a robot?Wesley: (nods) El Diablo Robótico. Why?Angel: Nobody ever tells me the good stuff...
- Wesley, though, has heard of it:
- The Nose Knows:Spike: [Angel] smelled the blood. Nothing grabs a vamp's attention like the ruby red.
- Old Superhero: Número Cinco
- Percussive Therapy: Much as Gunn enjoys his new job, he talks with Angel about how good it would be to do some good 'ole fashioned demon pounding again.
- Pietà Plagiarism: The body of Número Cinco is carried off in the arms of his brothers.
- Pre Ass Kicking One Liner:Número Cinco: Let's dance, milkmaid!
- Punched Across the Room: Happens repeatedly.
- Redemption Equals Death: While Numero Cinco had suffered a deep depression due to his history, he continued to protect the talisman as best as he could, and this finally earns him the reunion with his brothers and going with them into the afterlife.
- Regularly Scheduled Evil: Tezcatcatl deliberately cursed himself to return from the dead every fifty years so he could search for the talisman which would make him like a god.
- Rise from Your Grave: Número Cinco's brothers rise from their graves to fight Tezcatcatl once again.
- Rock Bottom: From champion of the common people to mailman for Evil, Inc..
- Rousing Speech: Angel tries to give one to Número Cinco, only to find he's walked out halfway through it, likely because he can tell Angel no longer believes in what he's saying either.
- Rule of Symbolism: An In-Universe example where Spike realises how Tezcatcatl can be killed.Angel: And you just so happen to know this creature's Achilles' Heel?Spike: Well, I wager it's the heart.Fred: (looks at her computer screen) You see that in the science?Spike: No, luv, in the poetry. We're dealing with a mythic creature here, a kill-or-be-killed kind of creature. If I was gonna kill something that was trying to take my heart, I'd try to bloody well take its' heart first.
- Saying Too Much: Angel tries to explain his skepticism re prophecies to Wesley ("Oh, come on, Wes; after everything we've seen the past couple of years? The father will kill the son?") only to quickly shut up when he realises he's talking about Connor, whom Wes no longer remembers as his memory has been wiped of those events.
- Shadow Discretion Shot: The security guard being killed in The Teaser.
- Swallow the Key: Subverted; Número Cinco has told Tezcatcatl he's swallowed the talisman so it will kill him to get it back, but he's actually hid it in his thermos of coffee. "I may not be a hero, but I am not a fool."
- Stock Scream: The Wilhelm scream is used for Carlos' death.
- Weak, but Skilled: Número Cinco is just an ordinary man, an old man, in fact, but he can throw Angel through a plate glass window and hold his own, for a few blows at least, against Tezcatcatl.
- You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Número Cinco, convinced for decades that he survived because he was unworthy, unlike his brothers, is finally rewarded by their return on El Día de los Muertos. They also convince Angel that he can still be a hero, because they invite him to join them in the slaying of the demon.
