Recap / Angel S 04 E 17 Inside Out

Angel and the gang have worked out that Cordelia is actually the Beastmaster and confront her, and she reveals herself and asks what tipped them off in the end. Angel reveals that he worked it out when Cordelia referred to her baby as "my sweet," the same term the Beastmaster used when talking to Angelus. Angel knows that Cordelia would never hurt her friends like this and whatever they're dealing with is just walking around in her body, and demands to know what really happened to his friend. Before he can get any answers Connor breaks in and takes Cordelia away, unaware of her true nature.

Gunn returns from his secret mission and the gang fills him in on the details, working a few things out in the meantime: the evil beast came back with Cordelia when she came back from the higher dimension and woke up when Lorne cast the memory spell. The pieces fall into place explaining the conspiracy which has taken place over the last few episodes, including the death of the Svear Priestesses, Lorne's confusion, the death of Lilah, and the fake re-ensoulment of Angel.

After their escape, Cordelia and Connor talk, and Cordelia snares Connor further under her spell. Using a combination of romance, half-truths, and total lies, she ensures that Connor is safely against all of the others.

Angel returns from an unsuccessful search mission, mentally beating himself up for missing the signs. He and Wesley share a moment about Lilah's death. Wesley has been unsuccessful in finding any news about the beast. He suggests approaching the Powers That Be, but Angel shoots down the idea, commenting that previous interviews with the Powers have proven unsuccessful. Angel has another idea.

Under Cordelia's influence, Connor continues to question what he's known—his beliefs about the Angel Investigations team, and what he's believed is right.

Gunn and Fred have sorted through Cordelia's stuff, finding little of use—some toiletries, candles, and fragments of the muo-ping. Angel asks them to keep looking, then Angel seeks out and roughs up the charismatic inter-dimensional demon guide, Skip, to find out why Cordelia has turned evil. Skip initially feigns innocence, but eventually admits his part and begins to beat Angel.

While they're in hiding, Cordelia puts Connor's hand on her stomach, telling him that their baby will change everything. She suggests they expedite the birth of their baby by collecting a few "very special things." Connor takes a virgin woman prisoner, and Cordelia encourages him to kill the girl, in order to allow the baby to change the world.

Skip is far stronger than Angel thought, the demon having taken a fall in their previous fight, but Angel manages to rip off one of the spurs protruding from his head and knocks him out before transporting them both Skip back to the hotel. Wesley, Fred, and Gunn assist Angel with the interrogation. They trap him, then threaten him with an orb of agony. Skip explains that Cordelia is not alone—there is something evil controlling her.

Cordelia begins chanting an evil ritual, while Connor looks on. He takes water to the girl, and then sees a ghostly apparition of his mother. Darla tells him that, after centuries of murder, Connor is the only good thing she ever did, and that she died out of love for him. She challenges the idea that killing an innocent woman can protect his baby. He has a choice.

Skip tells them that all of the events of the past few years are part of a higher being's plan to be reborn. He explains that Lorne's leaving Pylea, Fred opening the wrong book and being sent to another dimension, Wesley's sleeping with "the enemy," and all the events of the previous years have coincided to bring the Beast's Master to Cordelia's body. From there, it will give birth to itself, killing Cordelia in the process. Angel realizes that the Master is vulnerable in Cordelia's body. The gang tries to think of a way to find Cordelia, using a bu'shundi claw.

In a finally maternal moment, Darla reminds Connor that he has a soul, and he can choose to stop the evil. He makes his choice.

Fred and Gunn discuss the philosophy of free will and whether it makes sense with the knowledge that they had a destiny. When the spell works, Angel springs into action, going on his own to find Cordelia, believing that it is best to kill Cordelia himself and spare his friends the pain of seeing her die.

Connor prepares to free the woman, but Cordelia shows up telling him that she could see Darla and that Darla is a cheap spell Angel made to stop him from saving the baby. The two pull Connor in opposite directions, but Connor rejects Darla. He drags the woman away to kill her. Cordelia follows, leaving Darla stunned in her wake. As Cordelia raises the knife, the woman suddenly becomes Darla, begging Connor not do kill her. Before he can do anything, Cordelia kills her, leaving Connor stunned. He stares down at the woman for a moment, then takes the blood and spreads it on Cordelia's stomach. She lays in a circle of runes and begins to chant. The earth begins to shake. Angel appears, holding a sword.

In the hotel, a piece of debris falls on the sand circle holding Skip. Released, he begins beating Fred, Wesley, and Gunn. Gunn tries to cut him down, but it doesn't work. Wesley is more successful with a gun; after several unsuccessful shots ricochet off of Skip's plated chest, Wesley sinks one into the exposed spur, killing him.

Connor, seeing Angel coming to threaten Cordelia, attacks him. Angel fends him off, and raises a sword over her body, saying "I'm sorry." Before he can land a blow, Cordelia is split by a burst of green light, throwing him back. He regains his feet and comes forward with the sword but stops upon seeing a fully grown woman standing before him. Angel drops to his knees and exclaims, "You're beautiful," lowering his sword. The woman steps forward and says Angel's name affectionately as he gazes upon her in awe.

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Tropes

• Abandoned Warehouse: This one however is a meatpacking plant.
• Always Save the Girl: Averted — Angel decides that Cordy has to die to stop whatever she's giving birth to.
• Attack Its Weak Point: After Angel tears off his horn, Wesley shoots through the hole into Skip's brain, which unlike his bone armor isn't Immune to Bullets.
• Back from the Dead: Darla (again). She returns as a ghost sent by the Powers That Be in a last-ditch (but too late) effort to stop Connor from killing the girl and bringing forth Jasmine.
• Big "SHUT UP!": Connor to the girl when she keeps begging him to let her go.
• Blade Below the Shoulder: Skip now has a retractable blade.
• Bloody Handprint: Cordelia presses Connor's bloody hand to her swollen belly.
• Blood-Splattered Innocents: The blood of the girl splatters on Connor's face when Cordelia murders her (although this is for a given value of 'innocent,' as Connor had a chance to save the girl but still chose Cordy).
• Boom, Headshot!: After bladed weapons don't work, Wesley takes down Skip by simply shooting him in the side of his head.
• Chain Pain: How Angel takes down Skip.
• The Champion: The gang realize Evil Cordelia has been grooming Connor as her "champion".
• The Chessmaster: Skip tells the Fang Gang that the being possessing Cordelia has been manipulating them for years.
  You really think it stops with her, amigo? You have any concept of how many lines have to intersect in order for a thing like this to play out? How many events have to be nudged in just the right direction? (looks at Lorne) Leaving Pylea. (looks at Gunn) Your sister. (looks at Fred) Opening the wrong book. (looks at Wesley) Sleeping with the enemy. Gosh, (chuckles) I love a story with scope.
  • Specific incidents mentioned are:
    • Giving Cordelia the visions ("Parting Gifts"), and making her part-demon ("Birthday") so she can ascend to a higher plane ("Tomorrow") in order for the Beastmaster to possess her.
    • Causing Angel and Darla to conceive a "child" ("Heartthrob").
    • The Beastmaster 'woke' at the end of "Spin the Bottle" when Cordelia's memories returned (and presumably influenced her at the start of the episode to ruin the spell).
    • Sleeping with Connor to create another child, with a fringe benefit of clouding Angel's judgement ("Apocalypse Nowish").
    • Spiked Angel's drink so it could kill Manny ("Long Day's Journey").
    • Massacred the Svear family and stole Angel's Soul Jar from the safe ("Soulless").
    • Interfered with Lorne's empathic powers and let Angelus out of his cage ("Calvary").
• Clothing Reflects Personality: Ghost Darla is wearing an Ethereal White Dress while Evil Cordelia is dressed completely in black.
• Continuity Nod: Skip says that a Slayer was the only person to come back from "paradise", referencing Buffy being pulled out of heaven at the beginning of BtVS Season 6.
• Conveniently Timed Attack from Behind: Connor staking the vampire who's about to kill the girl. Unfortunately for her, it's not the vampire he's after...
• Death by Childbirth: The being possessing Cordelia is so intergrated into her that Cordelia's life force will be drained on giving birth to it.
• Death Glare: Darla gives an amazing one to Evil!Cordy during their battle for Connor's morality.
• Dies Wide Open: The girl.
• Double Entendre: Gunn returns to the Hyperion after his night of passion with Gwen.
  Gunn: Being close to Electric Gwen can really screw your equipment.
• Dynamic Entry: Connor crashes through a skylight to save Cordelia from the Fang Gang.
• Environmental Symbolism: The meatpacking plant with its hanging hooks.
• Evil Laugh: Lampshaded when Lorne says that "Cordy just mwa-ha-ha'd at us." Cordy gives a real evil laugh when the ground starts to tremble as her contractions begin.
• Express Delivery: Realising that Angel will track them down before she has a chance to give birth to her child, Cordelia decides to speed things along with a blood sacrifice.
• Face/Heel Double-Turn: Features a variation on the whole shoulder angel/devil thing when Darla (a villain for most of her time on the show) appears in front of Connor when Cordelia (good but possessed) is trying to convince him to kill an innocent teenage girl.
• Full-Frontal Assault: When Cordelia is revealed to have killed Manny, the group theorize she must have stripped off her clothes as there was no blood on them and she wouldn't have had time to wash or had another change of clothes on her. Something of a Fridge Logic moment, given Angel's oft-mentioned ability to smell even the faintest trace of blood.
• Gambit Pileup: It turns out that the Beastmaster had been manipulating Angelus into thinking that he was manipulating Cordelia into thinking that she was manipulating Angel into coming out of the cage.
• The Gods Must Be Lazy: Lampshaded by the Fang Gang — but the Powers That Be do try to influence events by sending Darla as a ghost. Albeit, at the last possible minute.
• Guns Are Worthless: Wesley empties an entire clip into Skip.
  Skip: Do those things ever work? I mean, really. (Cue Boom, Headshot!)
• Hearing Voices: This time it's Connor hearing (and seeing) Darla.
• He Who Must Not Be Named: Skip says the being possessing Cordelia is addressed as "Master" or "Hey". This lack of a name turns out to be important later on in the season.
• I Am Not Left-Handed: Turns out Skip was holding back in his first fight with Angel. It takes Angel a lot longer and a lot more work to beat Skip this time.
• I Did What I Had to Do
  CONNOR: Why'd you leave me? Did you hate me that much?
  DARLA: Baby, no. I wanted to be with you more than anything.
  CONNOR: You killed yourself. I wasn't even born yet. And you—
  DARLA: —did what I had to. My life for yours.
• I Need a Freaking Drink: Gunn borrows a Sea Breeze off Lorne after the others fill him in on Evil!Cordy.
• Improbable Aiming Skills: A richocetting bullet knocks Wesley's gun out of his hand, but when he sees the wound in Skip's armour he rolls, scoops up his pistol and fires a single bullet through the hole into Skip's brain.
• Ineffectual Death Threats: Angel's Perp Sweating needs some work.
  Angel: (struggles to stand) Tell me... what happened to Cordelia.
  Skip: Or, what? You'll bleed on me some more?
• Internal Reveal: Angel suspected that Cordy was the Beast's Master, so he and Lorne whipped up a ruse to draw her out, confirming it. Unfortunately, Connor wasn't in on the plan.
• Ironic Echo Cut:
  Angel: Don't worry; it'll be a walk in the park.
  (cut to Angel slugging it out with the demon guard) I really hate the park.
• Just Between You and Me: Averted, then played straight by Skip when he's faced with torture.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: "I love a story with scope!"
• Meaningful Echo: Cordelia tells Connor that he needs to sacrifice the girl in order to save another life. In later episodes, Jasmine justifies killing by saying she could save millions of lives.
• Muggles Do It Better: After everyone else fails to kill Skip, Wesley does a grand Buffy impersonation and uses guns to do the job.
• My Own Grampa: Through magic rather than Time Travel — the gang realise after Skip's reveal that the Beastmaster has effectively given birth to itself.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Skip giving away the spell because they don't have the ingredients. Turns out Cordy mistook one of them for a backscratcher.
  Skip: Crap.
• The Nicknamer: Lorne calls Connor "Kid Vicious".
• Nothing Personal:
  Skip: I'm just a merc. I go where the deal is.
• Once More, with Clarity: The Fang Gang working out how Evil Cordy arranged the events of the past year.
• Revealing Hug: Cordelia hugging Connor.
  CONNOR: (whispers into her ear) I'll kill them all before I let them hurt you.
  CORDELIA: My sweet, sweet boy.
• Single Tear: Connor again as Darla appeals to the good in him.
• Some Kind Of Forcefield: Skip is held for interrogation in a magical circle...until it's broken by falling masonry.
• Something Only They Would Say: Evil Cordy asks what tipped off Angel that she was the Beastmaster.
  Angel: "My sweet." Same phrase the Beastmaster kept using when he was whispering in Angelus' head. Thought it was a bit femme for the booming macho act.
  Cordelia: That's it? I get away with bringing the world down around you and two eentsy words tingle your spider sense?
  Wesley: What we already knew. What he found out as Angelus. All the circumstantial evidence led to you.
  • Also when Connor uses the word "anointed", it tips off Cordelia that someone has been trying to talk him out of the blood ritual.
• Sword over Head: Angel raises his sword to kill Cordelia's offspring, who has taken the form of a beautiful dark-skinned woman...then falls to his knees in worship.
• Tempting Fate
  Skip: You really think that's gonna— (Angel knocks him out with his chain-wrapped fist)
  Angel: Yeah, I do.
• This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: Angel going to kill Cordelia before she gives birth.
• Took a Level in Badass: Skip; explained as the demon holding himself back when he fought Angel in "That Vision Thing".
• Unreliable Narrator: The Watsonian explanation for the holes Skip's explanation that Jasmine has been steering events for centuries, and every significant event in the series was orchestrated by her as part of her plan to take over the Earth. A lot of things don't make much sense or they weren't particularly relevant in that explanation, so it could be that Skip and/or Jasmine are just lying about that. The Doylist explanation, of course, is that the season was written by the seat of their pants as they accommodated Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy and Joss writing her off the show.
• Virgin Sacrifice: A vampire is about to gleefully chomp on a virgin when Connor stakes him and drags her back to Cordy's lair so her blood can be used in the rite.
• Wham Line:
  Angel: (dropping to his knees) My God...you're beautiful.
  Jasmine: (smiling) Angel.
• What Are You: As a smirking Cordelia leaves with Connor, Angel gasps, "Who are you?" A non-verbal Twisted Echo Cut is provided by Lorne's fortune-telling Magic 8-Ball, which displays the words, "Ask again later".
• The Worf Barrage: Skip vs. the Fang Gang. Turns out all that bone-armour isn't just to make him look badass.
• Year Inside, Hour Outside: Fred threatens to use the Sphere of the Infinite Agonies ("every second a lifetime") against Skip if he doesn't talk.
• You Can't Fight Fate:
  Gunn: We make our own choices.
  Skip: Yeah, sure. Cheese sandwich here, uh, when to floss. But the big stuff, like two vampires squeezing out a kid?
  • Or you can just say Screw Destiny...
  FRED: Will it make a difference? We really are just pieces being moved around a board.
  GUNN: Look, Monochrome can yap all he wants about no-name's cosmic plan, but here's a little something I picked up rubbing mojos these past couple of years. The final score can't be rigged. I don't care how many players you grease, that last shot always comes up a question mark. But here's the thing—you never know when you're taking it. It could be when you're duking it out with the Legion of Doom, or just crossing the street deciding where to have brunch. So you just treat it all like it was up to you—the world in the balance—'cause you never know when it is.
  FRED: You been practicing that?
  GUNN: (smiles) Little bit. (chuckles)