Judgment (Angel)

"Judgment (Angel)"

"Judgment" is episode 1 of season 2 of the television show Angel. See also List of Angel (series) episodes.

Plot synopsis

Summary

Acting on a vague vision from Cordelia, Angel accidentally kills the demonic protector of a pregnant woman named Jo and now must protect her from bounty hunters and a mysterious Tribunal. Gunn helps Angel to retrieve a talisman needed for the trial while Angel himself faces one of his innermost fears: singing in public. Having assumed the slain protector's role, Angel learns he must become Jo's champion and win the Tribunal's protection for her child - by defeating Jo's challenger in single combat.

Meanwhile, the evil lawyers Lindsey and Lilah from Wolfram & Hart reveal what has been brought back from the Raising: the long dead vampire Darla whom they plan to use to seek revenge against Angel.

Angel visits Faith, now serving a long prison term, and they talk about redemption and Barry Manilow.

Expanded overview

A demon sings karaoke and talks to a crowd at a demon karaoke bar. Cordelia is at acting class until she gets a "911" message on her beeper and has to leave. Wesley is throwing darts to impress a young woman when he also gets a message on his beeper. The two meet with Angel at a gym where they put an end to a Carnyess demon performing a Praetorian sacrificial ritual in a room behind one of the gym mirrors.

Cordelia and Wesley discuss demons while the prospect of someday being human has Angel distracted and thinking about joining a gym. Cordelia has an attack of the sneezes and then has a vision about an unknown demon. Lilah visits Lindsey's office where Darla is enjoying classical music. She talks of how she can feel Angel, and slowly her memory begins to return. Angel tries to draw the demon Cordelia saw in her vision and when they identify it, Wesley informs them of a very odd location that may hold some answers for them.

The three go to Caritas, the demon karaoke bar and safe haven, to seek out Wesley's demon informant, Merl. Merl tells Angel of the demon's whereabouts, and Wesley and Cordelia try persuade Angel to sing. Lorne is introduced as the Host of the bar, an Anagogic demon who can see into the hearts and read the future of those who sing, but Angel refuses to sing in public, saying its one of three things he never does. Angel finds the Prio Motu demon along with a pregnant woman. He kills the demon, but then the woman tearfully informs him that the demon was protecting her and her unborn child. Feeling guilty about killing the demon, Angel tracks down Merl and is informed of the location the Prio demon was living at as well as the importance of the child.

Angel finds Gunn hunting vampires in a bad part of town and asks for help in finding the hideout of the Prio Motu demon. The two patrol an underground building and find where the pregnant woman is staying. They search the place and when Angel finds a talisman that may be of use, he sends Gunn to deliver it to Wesley and Cordelia. The woman returns to her home, revealing that she just wants her daughter to survive. Angel offers his help, but she's not eager to accept it as he has done her nothing but harm so far. After saving her from a demon attack, Angel leads her to safety.

When Gunn arrives at Cordelia's there is quite a bit of confusion in regards to his name, but Wesley quickly gets to work to find out the talisman's purpose. Angel leads the woman to an old building, which brings up old memories from his past. As demons attack, he sends the woman to Cordelia's place while he takes a beating from the demons. When he gets to Cordelia's he finds that the woman isn't there, and she's out there alone.

The woman needs someone to champion her in front of the Tribunal. In order to get more information, Angel is forced to sing karaoke in front of the Host, in the process showing the reason for his initial refusal - he mangles "Mandy". The Host tells Angel where the woman's trial will take place. The woman finds herself alone, with no champion and no talisman as the trial begins. Just as the tribunal announces that her life is to be taken, Angel arrives to fight for her.

Angel fights in a jousting match that quickly turns into a sword fight when Angel is knocked off his horse. As Angel is a vampire, being stabbed with a sword does not kill him, and Angel is able to destroy his demonic opponent. After a chat with Wesley and Cordelia, Angel goes to visit Faith in jail. They talk about her time in jail and how he had to sing in public. They both have some hope for survival.

Music

• "Achy Breaky Heart" - Billy Ray Cyrus
• "Friends in Low Places" - Garth Brooks (original episode broadcast)
• "I Will Survive" - Gloria Gaynor
• "I'm So Excited" - Pointer Sisters
• "Last Confession" - Crown Jewels (DVD release)
• "Mandy" - Barry Manilow (Angel chooses to sing this song at Caritas.)
• "Prelude in C minor" - Chopin
• "Sexual Healing" - Marvin Gaye

Acting

Main Cast

• David Boreanaz as Angel
• Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
• Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
• J. Augest Richards as Charles Gunn

Recurring Role

• Julie Benz as Darla
• Andy Hallett as Lorne
• Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
• Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgen

Guest Star

• Eliza Dushku as Faith Lehane
• Matthew James as Merl
• Justina Machodo as Jo

Translations

• German title: "Das Tribunal" ("The tribunal")
• Italian title: "Il giudizio" ("The judgment")
• Spanish title: "El juicio" ("The trial")

Quotes and trivia

• Eliza Dushku is credited in the closing credits of this episode instead of the opening ones. Although closing credits cast listings are usually reserved only for background characters with unimportant parts, or those with minimal or no speaking role, Dushku was placed here to keep Angel's visit to prison a surprise for the viewers. This same trick is used several other times in the series for the same effect.

• J. August Richards is added to the opening credits for the first time.

• When Angel and the gang first head to the gym at the opening of the episode and are walking down the aisle, Angel is not visible in the mirror walking with the group. However, if you look to the right of the screen, he's standing at the end of the screen and you can see him in the mirror, and watch him quickly join the group for the next shot. He is also visible briefly in the mirror as he leaves the hidden room.

• This episode features the first appearance of The Host aka Lorne the empath demon.

• The end credits feature more footage of Angel singing.

Timing

• Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:

External links

• "Judgement" at IMDb