Angelus is back, and the team needs information from him about The Beast. Not being especially forthcoming, Cordelia offers herself to him in an attempt to convince him to assist.

Considering much of this episode is a two-person conversation, it's exceptionally well done. This is a version of Angelus we haven't seen before; we've only ever been aware of the vicious, soulless killer who's been around for centuries until now; this time he's encaged and unable to kill, and as such has to rely on what he knows to make trouble. Wesley, who's studied Angelus in depth, gives a good account of himself despite Angelus dragging up every mistake he's ever made in an attempt to wrong-foot him and put him on the defensive. The fact that he treats Angelus with contempt shows how far he's come, but he's still caught out in his feelings for Fred.

This is the aspect that works the best: Angelus's mere suggestion and presence manages to force Gunn and Wesley into a physical fight in which Fred manages to be hit by Gunn by accident. It's especially telling as they realize that they're being played, although Wesley's later encounter with Fred, when he explains his feelings to her and kisses her to judge her reaction is poignant and dangerous, especially when Gunn walks in on them. There's going to be a meltdown eventually, and it's not going to be nice.

We also have a fantastic scene between Connor and Angel, where the son finally sees his father as he believes him to be, and refuses to be scared by it. Less impressive is the Angelus/Cordelia material; quite why she offers herself to him is unclear, and it seems even weirder that he agrees to her terms. Why? What does she have to offer except a supply of fresh blood? She's only one person; it still wouldn't get him out of the cage, would it? It's a very strange plan. What it does bring, however, is some terrifying dialogue, with Angelus referring to both Cordy and Fred and what he'd like to do to them before murdering them. The sexual violence is quite graphic and unpleasant, with David Boreanaz playing up the Hannibal Lecter-like nature of his role.

The final part worth mentioning is the gang's trip out to find a family who may be able to help them fight The Beast, only to discover them dead. While it's not that interesting in and of itself, the way it affects Connor is welcome, as he finally realizes the true horror of death and what they're dealing with. It's just a shame that the trip to and from the house they visit isn't more eventful; if it's now permanent night in LA, shouldn't the streets be a whole lot scarier with demons on every corner? Okay, so they may not be everywhere, but it seems odd that there's only a little bit of vamp action to take care of rather than ravening hordes of hungry creatures of the night.

Overall though, this episode is nasty, unpleasant, dark and creepy. It's exceptionally well shot by Sean Astin, who comes up with enough interesting camera angles to keep viewer interest throughout, and it puts the characters through the wringer. And then Angel's soul is lost. Who's got it and why? And who is stupid enough to let Angelus out, as we know he has to be?

****

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