Episode Trivia
Angelus’ origin
details | 1 comment | suggested by Wynter
In 1.15 The Prodigal, once Liam has been sired, he returns home to murder his family, and his sister, believing he was dead, thinks that he has come back as an angel. This could be the reason that Darla decided to call him Angelus, which is the Latin for “angel”.
Bob Fimiani
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Bob Fimiani played Mr. Ward, the head of the Initiative in 4.20 The Yoko Factor and 4.21 Primeval, who ordered the Initiative to be closed down and the earth salted over. Bob also played ‘Grounds Keeper’ in the Angel episode 1.15 The Prodigal and ‘Codger Demon’ in the Angel episode 3.01 Heartthrob. He played ‘Elder Gamman’ in Joss Whedon’s show Firefly, in the episode ‘Our Mrs. Reynolds’.
Bruce Seth Green
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Bruce Seth Green directed several episodes in Buffy’s seasons one and two. He also directed the Angel episodes 1.03 In The Dark, 1.15 The Prodigal and 2.09 The Trial. Bruce is not a relation to Seth Green, despite their very similar names. Bruce has worked on Airwolf, Knight Rider, MacGyver, Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, American Gothic, Gilmore Girls and V.
Christina Hendricks
details | 2 comments | suggested by Meghann
Christina Hendricks played a barmaid in Angel’s 1.15 The Prodigal. She also played Saffron in Firefly’s ‘Our Mrs. Reynolds’ and ‘Trash’.
Hendricks has also appeared in Beggars & Choosers, The Big Time, The Court, ER, Miss Match, Tru Calling, Without a Trace, Las Vegas and Mad Men.
Cordelia’s surnames
details | 15 comments | suggested by Jess
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.
Darla’s return
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
The first appearance of Darla (Julie Benz) on Angel was in 1.15 The Prodigal, in a flashback to when Darla first saw Angel. She was staked by Angel in the Buffy episode 1.07 Angel three seasons earlier, and seen briefly in a flashback to Angel’s siring in 2.21 Becoming (Part One).
John Mahon
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
John Mahon played Kate’s father, Trevor Lockley, in Angel’s season one. He has also appeared in Enterprise, Bull, Just Shoot Me!, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The X Files, Frasier, L.A. Confidential, Roswell, Knots Landing, Hill Street Blues, Knight Rider, The Rockford Files and The Exorcist.
Kwaini demons
details | 4 comments | suggested by Mel
Kwaini demons are generally peaceful, articulate, gentle, and always female. Their adrenal glands are usually the size of a walnut, but could become enlarged. This occured in some Kwaini when they became addicted to a drug which contained eye of newt. It had an effect on them similar to that of PCP on humans - increased strenth and violent behaviour. A dead Kwaini demon should be buried in virgin soil with a simple Latinate incantation.
Liam
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
We find out in 1.15 The Prodigal that Angel’s name before he became a vampire was Liam. He was born in 1727 and was sired by Darla in 1753, making him 26 when he was sired. His first kill as a vampire was a grave-digger who came across his recently unearthed grave, followed some time later by his younger sister and father.
Mark Ginther
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Mark Ginther, who played the horned demon in Buffy’s 6.05 Life Serial, has previously appeared on Angel as ‘Lasovic’ in 1.16 The Ring and “Head Demon Guy” in the episode 1.15 The Prodigal. He has done stunts for Daredevil, Big Fat Liar, Jurassic Park III, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Wild Wild West, Arlington Road, BASEketball, George of the Jungle, Batman & Robin and Joe Versus the Volcano. Mark has appeared in The Master of Disguise, Babylon 5, Con Air, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.
Prodigal stage directions
details | add a comment | suggested by Mel
The following are stage directions from the script for 1.15 The Prodigal:
The first time we see the head demon:
“OUT OF THE SHADOWS waddles (or walks or skips or whatever Mister Miller is devising) HEAD DEMON GUY. And boy, is he ug-leeee.”
The demon’s death:
“He [Angel] snatches it [the axe] from the air and brings it around in a perfect arc - decapitating Head Demon Guy, whose name now takes on a nicely ironic meaning, for the reader, anyway.”
When Kate mourns for her father, the stage directions read:
“And off this urban Pietta… (referring to that statue of Mary holding the body of Jesus after he was taken off the cross)… [Kates’s] father dead body lies where it was. It’s clear she hasn’t picked up the phone, has done nothing. She’s Ophelia.
And as Liam approaches his terrified father, ready for the kill:
“Angel looks, well, fabulous, actually. Reeking with taste, dripping with style.”
Trevor Lockley
details | 1 comment | suggested by Jess
Trevor Lockley was Kate’s father - a police officer like his daughter. He raised Kate by himself after her mother died, but had trouble showing emotion or even approval toward his daughter. After his retirement, Trevor became involved in some shady dealings for extra money, which eventually led to him being murdered by vampires.
Vampire invitation rule
details | 18 comments | suggested by Jess
In vampire mythology (and the Whedonverse), a vampire cannot enter a person’s home unless it has been invited. This is first seen in the Buffy episode 1.07 Angel:
Angel: “It’s all right. A vampire can’t come in unless it’s invited.”
There has been some debate as to whether Buffy actually invited Angel into her home in that episode, but she does quickly say to him, “Get in! C’mon!” as they’re being chased by vampires. When Angel first became a vampire he returned home to kill his family. From 1.15 The Prodigal:
Father: “Be gone, unclean thing! A demon can not enter a home where it’s not welcome. He must be invited!”
Angel: “That’s true. - But I was invited.”
Angel looks to the doorway. His father turns and sees Angel’s sister slumped against the wall.
Dad: “Och!”
Angel: “She thought I returned to her – an angel.”
A vampire can enter a public place such as a school or hospital (this is seen in 2.17 Passion and 2.18 Killed By Death). In 2.17 Passion Angel says the sign outside the school says ‘Romatia transicara edicatorum’ which translates to ‘Enter all ye who seek knowledge’. Vampires can also enter hotel rooms, which are considered public. In 2.09 The Trial, Angel says to Gunn after he has entered a motel room:
Angel: “Oh, Motel, public accommodation. She didn’t live here.”
Another vampire invitation rule is clarified in 5.02 Real Me: only someone who lives in a residence can invite a vampire in:
Xander: “Yeah, actually, she– Harmony– kind of happened to sort of get an invite.”
Buffy: “You guys can’t invite her in. I mean, only someone who lives here can…
If the owner of a house is dead, a vampire can enter. This is seen in 3.21 Graduation Day (Part One) when Angel enters the home of the dead Professor. It is also seen explicitly in 1.15 The Prodigal (Angel can only enter the home of Kate’s father after he has been killed) and in 2.04 Untouched (Angel enters when a victim on life support dies). In the latter example we see a visible barrier ripple when Angel tries to enter.
When a vampire is invited into a home once, it can enter again at any point, unless a reversal spell is done. The spell was first seen in 2.17 Passion, after Angel lost his soul and started stalking Buffy. The last words of the incantation (read by Willow at Buffy’s house) are “Hicce verbis consensus rescissus est,” which translates into English roughly as “By these words permission is rescinded.” Buffy uninvited Spike from her home in 5.14 Crush, Harmony was uninvited in 5.02 Real Me, and Dracula was uninvited in 5.01 Buffy Vs Dracula.
There have been several goofs/continuity errors concerning vampires and invitations in the Whedonverse:
- When Angel and Buffy are running from the Three in 1.07 Angel, they take refuge in Buffy’s house. As they close the door, one of the Three gets his arm through the door before Buffy forces him back out. But he was a vampire and also uninvited, so how did he get his arm in?
- A similar event occurs in 2.16 Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered - when Drusilla pushes Buffy’s door down, her hands go into the house - but Drusilla was never invited in.
- Angel says that he needs an invitation to enter Buffy’s dorm room in 4.20 The Yoko Factor, but Sunday and her gang didn’t need one in 4.01 The Freshman. This doesn’t count only for Buffy - the vamps are able to access Eddie’s room as well, and presumably they can get into the rooms of the other students they killed. How do they do that?
- In 1.17 Eternity, how can Angel jump through the window into Rebecca’s apartment to save her from the intruder? He was never invited in, and Rebecca only said to him to “Stop by”. Is this enough of an invitation?
- In 1.18 Five By Five, Faith is torturing Wesley in the apartment of the man she injured previously in the episode. When Angel finds them, he walks straight into the apartment… no invite needed. If Faith had killed the man, Angel would not have required an invitation. However, in 1.19 Sanctuary, the following dialogue is heard between Kate and a fellow officer:
Kate: “So do we think she is the one who threw the party here?”
Kendrick: “The guy who lives here identifies her as the woman who mugged him. Put him in the hospital, stole his keys, his wallet. We’re lifting prints now. My bet is - we get a match.”It’s apparent he is alive, therefore Angel should not have been able to enter his apartment. (It’s possible that Angel called the victim to ask permission to enter but this would be a very strange conversation indeed!)
- There is some confusion over who invited Spike back into the home he shared with his mother in 7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me, but this could have been a servant who lived there.
- In 5.15 A Hole In The World, Angel and Spike enter Lindsey and Eve’s residence without an invitation.
West Hollywood
details | add a comment | suggested by Wynter
In 1.15 The Prodigal, the following dialogue takes place about Angel:
Trevor: “What’s wrong with him? Is he married?”
Kate: “No.”
Trevor: “West Hollywood?”
West Hollywood is an area of L.A. which is known known to have a significantly large gay population. Trevor is obviously wondering whether Angel is gay.
[Goof] Vamp breath
details | add a comment | suggested by Mel
We know that vampires can’t breath but when Angel first comes out of his grave in 1.15 The Prodigal, we can see both his and Darla’s breath in the cold air.