Episode Trivia
Anthony Cistaro
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Anthony Cistaro played the Ethros demon in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin, and the Scourge commander Trask in 1.09 Hero. He has also been in Alias, Friends, She Spies, Witchblade, Alright Already, The Nanny, Seinfeld, Cheers and The Method.
Cordelia’s surnames
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Cordelia has a habit of giving people sarcastic new surnames.
She has called Angel:
- “Mr. I Was Alive for 200 Years and Never Developed an Investment Portfolio” in 1.01 City of.
- “Mr. I can’t tail the suspect during the day because I’ll burst into flames Private Eye” in 1.15 The Prodigal.
- “Mr. ‘oh, you’re my big, fat hero!” in 3.05 Fredless.
- “Mr. Distance” in 1.17 Eternity.
- “Mr. Killing Spree” In 3.02 Dead Man’s Party.
- “Mr. ‘I’m so tortured’” in 1.11 Somnambulist.
- “Angel? Mr. Bumpy-face? Hello?” in 4.04 Slouching Toward Bethlehem.
She has called Gunn:
- “Mr. I don’t take orders - now where do I stick my axe?” in 2.11 Redefinition.
- “Mr. Rationalization” in 2.03 First Impressions.
She has called Lorne:
- “Mr. Big Mojo-guy” in 2.11 Redefinition.
- “Mr. Green-Mojo-Guy” in 2.20 Over The Rainbow.
She has called Wesley:
- “Mr. Fussy Pants” in 2.05 Dear Boy.
- “Mr. Grouchy Pants” in 1.16 The Ring.
- “Mr. Don’t Talk to Me Before I’ve Had my Flagon of Oatbran in the Morning” in 1.16 The Ring
- “Mr. Star-schmoozer” in The 2.08 Shroud Of Rahmon.
- “Mr. Too-much-cologne” in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin.
Others have also been named by Cordy:
- To Xander: “Mr. Excitement” in 3.13 The Zeppo.
- To Devon: “Mr. I’m-the-lead-singer-I’m-so-great- I-don’t-have-to-show-up- for-my-date-or- even-call” in 2.06 Halloween.
- To Xander: “Mr. Faithful” in 3.01 Anne.
- To Wesley and Gunn: “Mr. and Mrs. Bickerson” in 3.05 Fredless.
- To Pierce: “Mr. Armani” in 1.07 Bachelor Party.
- To Barney: “Mr. Emotional Radar” in 1.10 Parting Gifts.
- To Kate and Angel: “Mr. and Mrs. Spock” in 1.06 Sense And Sensitivity.
Cordelia has also thrown in a few Misses in her name calling. She has called Buffy:
- “Little Miss Likes-to-fight” in 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two).
- “Miss Not-Over-Yourself-Yet” in 3.07 Revelations.
- “Miss Save-The-World” in 2.13 Surprise.
Cordelia has even called herself a name:
- “Miss one-foot-in-the-grave” in 5.12 You’re Welcome.
Cordy’s brownies
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The script directions for Cordelia’s brownie making in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin were:
“She tries cutting them. They fight back.”
Ethros demons
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Ethros demons have the ability to possess humans and take over their body, seen in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin. They excrete a sticky substance called plakticine, the amount of which one can determine the approximate maturity of the possessing Ethros. It’s presence can be revealed by feeding the demon’s host Psylies Eucalipsis powder. They can be contained within in Ethros Box, which is made of six hundred species of virgin woods and handcrafted by blind Tibetan monks.
I’ve Got You Under My Skin
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The episode title 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin is taken from the song by Cole Porter, first performed in 1946. It has been covered by numerous jazz artists since.
Lizzie Borden
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Lizzie Borden has been mentioned twice during the course of Angel. The first time was in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin while discussing the Ethros demon:
Wesley: “Oh, it can’t hurt you. Only the demon itself is dangerous.”
Cordy: “How dangerous?”
Wesley: “Tends to go in for mass murder. - You’ve heard of Lizzie Borden? She killed her parents with an axe?”
Cordy: “I remember the children’s rhyme. And how come they’re all full of death and cradles falling, and mice getting tails cut off? Anyway, the whole thing needs a ratings system, don’t you think?”
The second mention is from 4.17 Inside Out:
Gunn: “Wait a minute. When Gwen and I came in, faux Cordy didn’t have any blood on its clothes. How’d it abracadabra that?”
Wesley: “Lizzie Borden. It wasn’t wearing any.”
Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was a New England spinster and central figure in the axe murders of her father and stepmother on August 4, 1892 in Fall River, Massachusetts. Although acquitted, no one else was ever tried, and she has remained notorious in American folklore. The slayings, trial, and the following trial by media became a cause célèbre; and the fame of the incident has endured in American pop culture and criminology. Dispute over the identity of the killer or killers continues to this day.
The rhyme based on Lizzie goes as follows:
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one.
One can tour and stay over at the home of the murders. This website provides information on the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast.
Ryan Anderson
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Ryan Anderson was a human boy who became possessed by an Ethros demon. Angel exorcised the demon out of him, supposedly making Ryan normal again, but when he spoke to the demon, Angel discovered that the boy had no conscious at all, and the demon had in fact become trapped in Ryan. Ryan took some matches and wedged his parents door shut while he poured petrol in his sister’s room and then set it alight. Angel rescued the girl and Ryan was taken to social services in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin.
Smirking David
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There have been a few instances throughout the show where David Boreanaz has noticeably laughed during a scene.
In 1.10 Parting Gifts, during the scene that Angel and Wesley first come face-to-face and Angel knocks the crossbow from Wesley’s hand, you can see David Boreanaz laughing to himself.
In 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin, as Ryan attacks his mother, you can see David laughing as he runs down the stairs, and again when Wesley points the cross at Ryan and starts speaking Latin. He tries to hide it by putting his head down.
He obviously must have had a lot of fun filming the show.
The Exorcist
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The 1973 movie The Exorcist starred Linda Blair as a child named Regan who becomes possessed by a demon. The film was adapted from the horror novel by William Peter Blatty, and banned in the UK for more than fifteen years. It is referenced a few times in Buffy and Angel:
- In 1.04 Teacher’s Pet, Buffy says that Miss French’s head did a “full-on Exorcist twist”, referring to a famous scene in the movie.
- In 2.19 I Only Have Eyes For You, When Willow suggests an exorcism, Cordelia replies “Are you crazy? I saw that movie: even the priests died!”
- In 3.08 Lover’s Walk, Buffy says of her mother, “her head spun round and exploded” (to which Giles replies, “I’ve been on the Hellmouth too long. That was metaphorical, yes?”).
- In 4.02 Living Conditions, Xander says, “Are you saying that Buffy’s been doing a Linda Blair on us because Kathy’s been sucking her soul?” At the beginning of her possession in The Exorcist, Regan showed dramatic changes in her behaviour, just as Buffy did in 4.02 Living Conditions.
- Buffy name-checks The Excorcist in 7.10 Bring On The Night.
- In the Angel episode 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Cordelia says, “I’m wondering if I should put plastic down. Angel, are you expecting any big vomiting here? Because I saw the movie.” Large parts of this episode are a nod to The Exorcist - in the book and movie, a Catholic priest dies in much the same way as Angel’s Father Fredricks.
Wesley’s father
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We get the first impression that something is wrong in Wesley’s relationship with his father in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin, when he says, “A father doesn’t have to be possessed to terrorize his children. He just has to…” We learn more about this is 2.19 Belonging and 5.07 Lineage.
[Goof] Laughing David
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When Ryan is trying to kill his mother in 1.14 I’ve Got You Under My Skin, Wesley starts chanting in Latin. If you look behind him you can see David Boreanaz laughing.