"Benediction"
The MoG are at the Hyperion, trying to get in contact with Angel, who hasn’t returned from his face-off with Connor’s new enemies (see “A New World”). Gunn and Groo offer to go see if they can find Connor, thinking that if something else came out of the portal, it’ll be heading for him. Angel returns and fills the MoG in. They tell him that something else might have come out of the portal and might be going after Connor. Angel notes that Connor fended for himself in Quortoth, so he can take care of himself. He thinks that Connor will come back when he realizes that he needs his father. Elsewhere in L.A., Connor gets a hotel room for himself and the man he thinks of as his father - Holtz. The next morning, Connor gathers up some junk food and brings it back to Holtz. By looking at the newspaper Holtz determines that they’ve only been gone from L.A. for days (see “Sleep Tight”). Connor doesn’t like L.A. but Holtz says that they didn’t belong in Quortoth and he knew it was only a matter of time before Connor found a way out. Connor says that he shouldn’t have followed him there, adding that he would have returned to Quortoth after he killed Angel. Holtz says that it isn’t in Connor to kill Angel; he really came to L.A. because he wanted to see him. Connor remembers that Angel killed Holtz’s other family and wishes that he’d been able to kill him. Holtz says that Connor has more to learn and sends him back to Angel to learn from him; he warns him to be on his guard. Lorne returns to the Hyperion with an enchanted crystal as Fred and Gunn prepare to use a Geiger counter to track anything that might have come out of the portal. Cordelia goes up to talk to Angel, telling him that she thinks he’s doing the right thing. He worries that Connor won’t come back. In the garden, Lorne notes that Groo’s acting like something’s wrong. Groo says that he’s confused over Angel declining to do anything with regards to Connor. They talk about things that are meant to be and Groo seems to imply that he’s not sure his relationship with Cordelia is going to work out. Groo tells Lorne that he’s going for a walk, and he should tell Cordelia that - if she asks.
Upstairs, Cordelia tries to assure Angel that Connor’s distance is only temporary. Angel thinks that Connor hates him, but Cordelia says that he’ll come back because he’s family. Wesley is eating dinner alone in his apartment when he receives a message on his computer: “782 W. Palm Terrace. 8:30 p.m. Come alone.” Fred walks around the hotel lobby with the Geiger counter, getting a high reading near the portal. The reading gets even higher when Connor walks in. Angel introduces him to everyone (as Steven) and everyone splits up to give the father and son some time alone. However, before she leaves, Cordelia starts yelling at Angel about a gang of vampires going after a woman at a bar - she’s having a vision, and she’s seeing Angel in the middle of a very loud club. Angel tells Connor that he has to go out, then invites him along for the fight. Wesley goes to the bar from Cordelia’s vision, where he meets up with the person who sent him the message - Lilah. She points out Justine (last seen in “Forgiving”), saying that she’s arranged for her to be killed and thought Wesley would want to watch. Apparently Lilah told Justine that a bunch of vamps would be there for her to kill, then told the vamps that Justine would be there for them to kill. (Interestingly, Lilah calls vamps “undead Americans,” as Buffy referred to Angel in “When She Was Bad.”) Wesley starts to leave and Lilah wonders out loud if he’ll stop to warn Justine. He notes that she was testing him and she says that she wanted to know if she was wasting her time. She offers to get Justine out of the bar before anything can happen, but Wesley says she doesn’t have to - Angel has arrived. Angel spots Justine at the bar as Connor asks him why he kills vampires when he is one. Justine starts to leave, but the bartender and a couple of vamps stop her, accusing her of thinking that she’s a Slayer. Wesley watches from the balcony as the fighting starts; Angel works quickly and is impressed that Connor seems to know what he’s doing. Lilah asks Wesley who “the boy wonder” is and Wesley realizes that it’s Connor. Angel sends Justine off and keeps fighting alongside Connor. “Now tell me you’re not interested,” Lilah says to Wesley, quickly realizing that he’s already left.
Angel and Connor head out to an alley, where they do some sparring, not realizing that Holtz is watching. Later, Connor and Holtz reunite in their hotel room and Connor says that he’s seen Angel’s true face. “And I’ve seen yours,” Holtz replies. At the Hyperion, Angel talks to Cordelia about Connor; she says that she was somehow able to go back into her vision and saw them fighting in the bar. Back in their motel room, Holtz tells Connor that he should stay in L.A. and fight alongside Angel. He says that he doesn’t know what Connor is, so Connor needs to stay and find out for himself. Fred and Gunn’s Geiger counter leads them to the motel as Holtz tells Connor that they were brought to L.A. by forces that they can’t control. Fred and Gunn see Connor leave the hotel via the balcony and note that he’s what’s been setting off their Geiger counter. Gunn sees Holtz and realizes that he must have come out of the portal as well. Connor returns to the Hyperion, where he treats Lorne with disdain; Lorne lets his attitude go, since he knows what it’s like to live in a world he hates. He can’t help himself when Connor calls him a “filthy demon” and has to point out that he’s practically Connor’s family. Cordelia breaks up the argument, calling Connor Steven and telling him that demons aren’t always evil. She reveals that she’s part demon and became one by choice so that she could help the MoG. Connor doesn’t seem to like this, since he grabs a knife and makes a move to stab Cordelia with it. Cordelia grabs Connor’s arm and starts to glow like she did in “The Price.” The light goes into Connor and dissolves the blade of his knife. She comforts him and he starts to cry as Angel watches from the balcony. Later, the MoG wonder how Cordelia did what she did; Lorne thinks that she washed the evilness of Quortoth out of Connor. Connor appears to be ashamed of his actions and tells Angel he should go, but Angel says he can stay. He says that Connor belongs there and Connor replies that Holtz said the same thing. Gunn and Fred arrive, ready to tell Angel about Holtz before they see that Connor is there.
Justine arrives at the hotel and greets Holtz. In the office, Angel tells Fred and Gunn to take Connor somewhere for a couple of hours so that he can deal with Holtz. Angel thinks that Cordelia is going to talk him out of killing Holtz; she says she’s all for killing him, but she doesn’t want him to lie to Connor. Angel refuses. At the hotel, Justine tells Holtz that he gave her a reason to live after she lost her sister (see “Dad”) and she would do anything for him. He tells her that he survived Quortoth thanks to his hatred for Angel; his hatred somehow turned into love for Connor. There’s one thing left that he needs Justine to help him do before he’s “done with vengeance.” Gunn and Fred take Connor to the beach, since Connor has never seen the ocean; he and Fred talk about how it’s a different world. (This will be very important in “Tomorrow.”) Fred quietly tells Gunn that she feels strange distracting Connor while Angel’s off confronting Holtz. Too bad Connor has superhero hearing and figures out what’s going on. Cordelia starts to head out of the hotel when she sees someone coming in; she thinks it’s Angel and tells him she’s thrilled that he listened to her. It’s Groo, though, and Cordelia is noticeably not as excited to see him. In his hotel room, Holtz finishes writing a letter as Angel arrives. He blasts Holtz for taking his son and Holtz points out that he kept him alive even though Angel murdered his son. They talk about justice and vengeance and Holtz appears to hand Connor over. Angel leaves with the letter as Holtz tells him that Connor will never find him. Connor runs down an alley as Angel goes to a beach and reads Holtz’s letter, which tells Connor that he’s letting him go. At the hotel, Justine begs Holtz not to make her do what he wants her to do. As Angel continues to read, Holtz makes Justine stab him in the neck with an awl, making two holes that look like punctures from fangs. Angel finishes the letter as Holtz whispers, “Steven.” Angel smiles a little and says, “Connor.” Connor arrives at the hotel, calling, “Dad!” and finds Justine with the now-dead Holtz. “Angelus,” Connor says.
MORAL, or CRAMMING COMPLEX ISSUES INTO A NUTSHELL: Holtz is mean.
R.I.P.: Holtz
GRADE: B Holtz is kind of an evil genius.
MEMORABLE QUOTES: Connor: “Filthy demon.”
Cordelia: “Wait. Angel, before you go, we have to do that thing.”
Written and directed by Tim Minear
Lorne: “Actually, that’s Uncle Filthy Demon to you.”
Angel: “What thing?”
Cordelia: “That thing we do. You know, that thing where I say, ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Angel, please think about this’ and then you ignore me and rush headlong into trouble?”
Angel: “Right. That thing. Okay, are we done?”