Angel and Cordelia are missing, and Gunn and Fred are trying to track them down. Wesley is sleeping with Lilah, but he has other secrets in his closet. And Connor is happily living a peaceful family life without anyone knowing what he's done.

This could have been a mess, as it has a heck of a lot to do. It isn't. It deals with every character, gives each one something to do, and begins the process of putting things back together. It also gives fans the chance to see a whole bunch of great things, some in Angel's hallucinations, and some in reality. So let's get going.

The hallucinations are the weakest point of the story for my taste, yet they serve a valuable function in showing what is going through Angel's mind. It also allows for he and Cordelia to get together, and for Connor to have his neck snapped by his father. All this, plus some great fight scenes and some fun moments including ones with Lorne.

Fred and Gunn being left alone actually works in the characters' favour, with both sharing an on-screen rapport that really works. Fred's attempts to talk 'street' are a fun little touch, and Gunn seems a lot more confident, and he's a believable father figure for Connor. He is one of the biggest surprises, as the last thing you'd expect him to do after his actions is to run to Gunn and Fred's side. Yet presumably this enables him to control or terminate anyone who knows what happened to Angel.

But it's Wesley who really comes to the forefront here, and it's good to see that while he is essentially doing the right thing, he's now very much playing by his own rules. He's got Justine in a closet, which, let's face it, is more than she deserves, he's got some great lines, he's having sex with Lilah, yet his core values are still in there, just buried... well, deep down, presumably one of the aspects the episode's title is referring to. The way he even gives Angel his own blood demonstrates his compassionmore than words can say.

With most of the supporting cast in play as well, it's an impressive script that can do justice to them all. There is more of an insight into Justine, who I think we can probably leave now, but Lilah's actions are simply superb. Faced with disdain and disapproval, she once more stacks the deck in her favour before the meeting even starts, and her winning stroke is pure genius, and one of the nastiest moments in Angel's history.

Yet that's not all. Fred's sudden emotional switch towards Connor shows the depth of her passion and feelings toward injustice, and becomes one in a series of expert switches where you don't know what to expect next. Angel's talk with his son is a fantastic scene as he lays down the law and sets Connor straight on a few things. David Boreanaz's calmness and poise, yet constant threat of danger, is expertly played out. And then there's the last scene, a simply flawless delivery of the perfect line. Can things become exactly as they should be, as Angel hopes? We'll see, but it's going to be an interesting ride, I suspect.

Steven S DeKnight has done some fantastic scripts, and some iffy ones, but this is not only one of the former, but proves that even without David Greenwalt and with less attention from the main writers, Angel is still in safe hands. And that's the reassurance we viewers needed.

*****

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