History Recap / AngelS01E21BlindDate

* BadBoss: Mercer is 'terminated' permanently for trying to steal one of W&H's clients.

* BlofeldPloy: Mercer is killed instead of Lindsey; at first this just looks like a BaitAndSwitch, but it turns out Holland knows all about his treachery.
* BloodSplatteredInnocents: Averted as Lindsey isn't innocent. He does get Mercer's blood over his nice white collar though.
* BreadEggsMilkSquick: Holland notices his young protégé Lindsey is dissatisfied in his job, and spends an entire scene lecturing him about life. He then segues into why Lindsay should get cracking on an abusive sob story for Vanessa, as she's preparing to do something messy which (on the slim chance she gets caught) would require a strong defense in court.

* CreepyTwins: Most companies have drug tests. [[BigBrotherIsEmployingYou Wolfram & Hart has mindreadings.]] Lindsey and his collegues are lined up against the conference room wall (in a scene highly reminiscent of a firing squad) while a pair of [[Film/AViewToAKill Grace Jones]]-like identical twins pace around the room menacingly.
* DamselInDistress: The Holy Triumvirate, a trio of blind children from different parts of the world who, according to the Scrolls that Angel collected, would one day be able to "see into the heart of all things" and pose a threat to Wolfram & Hart.

-->zzzzzzzz...I'm sorry. I nodded off. Did you get to the part where you're evil?

* DressingAsTheEnemy: Angel suits up to impersonate Wolfram & Hart's lawyers. This is the second time he's waltzed right into their headquarters with nothing but a suit and briefcase - the first instance was in "Five By Five".

* GlassCannon: Angel opens the vault and is jumped by the demon. He merely blows a powder in its face and the demon collapses. "Thank you, Wesley."

* HoldingTheFloor / MalcolmXerox: Gunn standing in the center of Wolfram & Hart's lobby declaiming, "Damn, here it is! Evil white folks really '''do''' have a Mecca!" It really needs to be seen to be believed. SugarWiki/{{Funny Moment|s}}.

* IgnoredEpiphany

* TheLittleDetecto / PsychicRadar: Among the security measures at Wolfram & Hart are demons shamans who monitor the threshold of their office building for vampire intruders. They squeal when they sense a vampire, but they can't pinpoint a location or sense numbers. The system's poor performance record is lampshaded throughout the series.

* IronicNurseryTune: In the original promo for this episode, Vanessa is humming "Three Blind Mice" when she is preparing to murder the children ([[BlackHumor nice]]), but in the actual episode she doesn't.

* BreakingSpeech: Holland, who can read Lindsay like a book, explains that life is not about "good or evil", only power.

* IronicNurseryRhyme: In the original promo for this episode, Vanessa is humming "Three Blind Mice" when she is preparing to murder the children ([[BlackHumor nice]]), but in the actual episode she doesn't.

* AscendedExtra: Jennifer Badger, who plays Vanessa, has previously served as Creator/CharismaCarpenter and ElizaDushku's stunt doubles on both ''Buffy'' and ''Angel''.

* ShoutOut: Gunn's "WHAT ABOUT THE BLACK MAN?" speech is probably a Shout Out to the famous "black skins" speech in ''ComicBook/{{GreenLantern}}''. Since it is later revealed that Gunn is a superhero comic fanboy, it may be a Shout Out in canon as well.

** Cordelia calls up Willow to enlist her help in translating the encrypting discs. "Guess what ''they've'' been doing all week?" Actually, the Scoobies have been busy decrypting Adam's files (a plot point in the ''Buffy'' episode "[[{{Recap/BuffyTheVampireSlayerS4E21Primeval}} Primeval]]", which aired concurrently with this one).

* DefectorFromDecadence: Lindsey, a man of stout stomach, draws the line at ordering a hit on children. [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] when Holland dangles a paycheck over his head.
* DisabilitySuperpower: According to her Wolfram & Hart dossier, Vanessa wasn't born blind; she blinded ''herself'' at age 21 and spent five years in India studying with cave-dwelling monks.
* DistressedDamsel: The Holy Triumvirate, a trio of blind children from different parts of the world who, according to the Scrolls that Angel collected, would one day be able to "see into the heart of all things" and pose a threat to Wolfram & Hart.

* HeyItsThatGuy: That vampire Gunn and his crew are lugging into Wolfram & Hart? That's [[RoosterTeeth Joel]] [[RedVsBlue Heyman!]] Caboose is a vampire!

* HoldingTheFloor / MalcolmXerox: Gunn standing in the center of Wolfram & Hart's lobby declaiming, "Damn, here it is! Evil white folks really '''do''' have a Mecca!" It really needs to be seen to be believed. CrowningMomentOfFunny

* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: Vanessa was previously under the tutelage of monks who believed seeing with the heart instead of the eyes was the way to truth - thus explaining her [[{{Daredevil}} Matt Murdock]] superpowers. The irony of somebody becoming a serial murderer because she ''found enlightenment'' is not lost on Cordelia.

* GlassCannon: Angel opens the vault and is jumped by the demon. He merely blows a powder in it's face and the demon collapses. "Thank you, Wesley."

* AscendedExtra: Jennifer Badger, who plays Vanessa, has previously served as CharismaCarpenter and ElizaDushku's stunt doubles on both ''Buffy'' and ''Angel''.

<<|Recap/{{Angel}}|>>

* HannibalLecture: Holland, who can read Lindsay like a book, explains that life is not about "good or evil", only power.

* EnlightenmentSuperpowers: Vanessa was previously under the tutelage of monks who believed seeing with the heart instead of the eyes was the way to truth - thus explaining her [[{{Daredevil}} Matt Murdoch]] superpowers. The irony of somebody becoming a serial murderer because she ''found enlightenment'' is not lost on Cordelia.

* DidNotDoTheResearch: Angel angrily announces, "They acquitted her. Hung jury." Actually, it's either one or the other: a hung jury is one that does not reach a verdict, meaning that the accused is still subject to retrial. An acquittal occurs when the jury declares the defendant 'not guilty.'

* TheLittleDetecto: Among the security measures at Wolfram & Hart are demons shamans who monitor the threshold of their office building for vampire intruders. They squeal when they sense a vampire, but they can't pinpoint a location or sense numbers. The system's poor performance record is lampshaded throughout the series.

* CreepyTwins: Most companies have drug tests. [[BigBrotherIsEmployingYou Wolfram & Hart has mindreadings.]] Lindsey and his collegues are lined up against the conference room wall (in a scene highly reminiscent of a firing squad) while a pair of [[AViewToAKill Grace Jones]]-like identical twins pace around the room menacingly.

* ThisIsSparta: "Y'all can cater to the demon, cater to the dead man, but '''''WHAT! ABOUT! THE BLACK! MAAAN?!'''''

* FauxAffablyEvil:

* WalkInChimeIn: As Wesley goes into detail about how the Holy Triumvirate is in seriously hot water, Lindsey appears int he doorway to finish his thought - revealing himself to be very much alive.

* TwoRoadsBeforeYou: Lindsey is faed with a choice of either taking Holland's bribe, or walking out the door. In the end, Lindsey shuts the doors in front of him.

* ImprovisedWeapon: During the BatmanColdOpen, Angel is about to stake one of the vampires when a second one suddenly attacks, causing the stake to roll away. Angel grabs a chain from the conveyor belt overhead, wraps it around his neck, hoists him to the ceiling, and sends him swinging into a convenient stack of wood planks. Poof.

* CreepyTwins: Most companies have drug tests. Wolfram & Hart has mindreadings. Lindsey and his collegues are lined up against the conference room wall (in a scene highly reminiscent of a firing squad) while a pair of [[AViewToAKill Grace Jones]]-like identical twins pace around the room menacingly.

When Angel expresses skepticism at his "born again" attitude, Lindsey explains he grew up in abject poverty, and swore to himself that he'd never again-- Angel acts like he's about to nod off from boredom until Lindsey mentions that Vanessa has been hired to assassinate children. Later, the group plans Angel and Lindsey's break-in at Wolfram & Hart. Lindsey plans to leave his security card for Angel to find, allowing Angel to slip into the demon-guarded vault. Lindsey suddenly remembers the firm's vampire alarms, which will go off as soon as Angel enters at the building, but Angel assures him it won't be an issue.

* CareerKillers: Vanessa works as a freelance assassin for some of Wolfram & Hart's biggest clients.

* PercussiveTherapy: That poor phone. Angel picks it up and smashes it against this office wall after hearing of Vanessa's acquittal.

* {{Hey It's That Guy}}: That vampire Gunn and his crew are lugging into Wolfram & Hart? That's [[RoosterTeeth Joel]] [[RedVsBlue Heyman!]] Caboose is a vampire!

* HoldingTheFloor / MalcolmXerox: Gunn standing in the center of Wolfram & Hart's lobby declaiming, "Damn, here it is! Evil white folks really '''do''' have a Mecca!" It really needs to be seen to be believed.

* TheLittleDetecto: Among the security measures at Wolfram & Hart are shamans who monitor the threshold of their office building for vampire intruders. The system's poor performance record is lampshaded throughout the series.

* OhCrap: Lindsey upon learning that the entire floor is being swept up in a random mind-reading test.

* WouldHurtAChild