Episode Trivia
Bob Fimiani
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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’.
Bob Morrissey
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Bob Morrissey, who played the crazy guy who talks to Dawn in 5.02 Real Me, played the same character in 5.20 Spiral and 5.21 The Weight Of The World. He appeared as Dr. Gregson in the Angel episode 3.01 Heartthrob. He has also been in The Terminal, Northern Exposure and Soul Plane.
Daniel Holtz
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Holtz was a notorious vampire hunter in the mid-1700s. Darla and Angelus killed his entire family and turned his daughter into a vampire in 1764, so he sought revenge for their actions. A time-shifting demon named Sahjhan offered to help him to travel in time to find Angel and Darla. In present day L.A., Holtz organised a band of others like him - those who had lost a loved one to vampires. The group included Justine, whose life had been dulled by the loss of her twin sister.
Holtz saw his chance for revenge when Angel and Darla’s son Connor was born. He stole Conner away from Angel to a hell dimension where he raised him as Stephen. Conner returned, now a teenager, and Holtz followed him. Now an old man, Holtz asked Justine to kill him and make it look like a vampire bite for the ultimate revenge - to turn Angel’s son against his real father.
Gem of Amarrah
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The Gem of Amarrah was a legend amongst vampires. The Gem rendered the vampire who wore it invincible. Vampires combed the world for the Gem, but none found it and it was concluded that the Gem must be a myth, not unlike the Holy Grail. In 4.03 The Harsh Light Of Day, Spike discovered the Gem in a ring sealed in an underground crypt in Sunnydale. After Buffy got the ring from Spike she entrusted it to Oz to deliver to Angel, who destroyed it as he was worried it might get into the wrong hands.
In 3.01 Heartthrob, after an invincible vampire attacks Angel and Cordelia, Cordy asks Angel if:
“the Amarrah people [made] cufflinks or belt buckles?”
I Left My Heart in San Francisco
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In Caritas in the episode 3.01 Heartthrob, Lorne sings the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” by Douglas Cross and George Cory.
James
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James was a vampire who, along with his love Elizabeth, accompanied Angelus and Darla to Marseilles in 1767. Angel killed Elizabeth in present day Los Angeles, and James vowed to get his vengeance. He had his heart removed by Dr. Gregson in order to be invulnerable for a short period of time. He told Angel, after a long fight, and just before he died:
“I lived. You just existed.”
Just a man
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Daniel Holtz, who becomes integral to the Angel/Darla storyline, is first mentioned in the season two episode 2.09 The Trial. Angel and Darla have the following conversation:
Angelus: “This man, Holtz, how does he keep finding us?”
Darla: “Well, we stay in the best hotels, order room service, eat the waiters - people talk.”
Angelus: “Holtz is no mere mortal, I tell you that.”
Darla: “Of course he is. He’s just a man, a vampire hunter.”
Holtz doesn’t appear in person until the first episode of season three.
Keith Szarabajka
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Keith Szarabajka played vampire hunter Holtz in season three of Angel. Born on December 2, 1952, in Illinois, he attended the University of Chicago, and Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He studied acting at the Organic Theater in Chicago between 1972-1978.
His has appeared in Charmed, 24, The Inside and Law & Order, and is probably best known for his role as Mickey Kostmayer in the 1980s show The Equalizer. He has also contributed his distinctive voice to several audio books, including Fear Nothing and Seize the Night by Dean Koontz.
Keith’s surname, pronounced “Sharah-bike-ah”, is Polish, meaning “dark fairytale”.
Lur-ite and mur-ite demons
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In 3.01 Heartthrob, the gang discuss lur-ite and mur-ite demons:
Cordelia: “I don’t understand people who worship demons.”
Gunn: “Yeah, especially a lur-ite demon. The stink on that thing. You a prince of the underworld, bro, take a jacuzzi once in a while.”
Wesley: “It’s sad. The only way some people can find a purpose in life is by become obsessed with demons… By the way, Gunn, technically that wasn’t a lur-ite, it was a mur-ite. A subspecies of the lur-ite. The male sports a small telltale fin just behind the third shoulder.”
Matthew James
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Matthew James played snitch-demon Merl in Angel. He also played The Dude in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, with Eliza Dushku, and has appeared in Clean and Til Night.
Nester demons
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In 3.01 Heartthrob, we find out the following information about Nester demons:
Wesley: “What do you know about Nester demons?”
Angel: “Well, they like to live in the walls of people’s homes… they hatch several times a year. Don’t you have to kill the Queen or something?”
Gunn: “Yeah, and if you don’t, they infest again, worse than ever.”
Cordelia: “We killed a bunch of ‘em in Hancock Park a couple of months ago.”
The B word
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In 3.01 Heartthrob, the Angel Investigations gang have the following discussion, referring to their discovery of Buffy’s death (in Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s 5.22 The Gift) in 2.22 There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb.
Wesley: “When Angel comes back…”
Gunn: “When is he gettin’ back, anyway?”
Cordelia: “As soon as he works through his grief a little.”
Gunn: “A little? Buff-”
Cordelia: “Don’t! …say the B-word.”
Gunn: “The “B” word was the love of his life. And he’s what, two hundred and fifty? That ain’t no short life.”
Weapons inventory
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In 3.05 Fredless, Wesley, Gunn and Angel are carrying out an inventory of the weapons cabinet, as Cordelia had moved some “dust-catchers” down to the basement in Angel’s absence, seen in 3.01 Heartthrob:
Cordelia: “No. Angel - keeps complaining that the weapons cabinet is all different.”
Whedon’s actors
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Five actors have appeared in all three of Joss’s TV shows:
- Andy Umberger: played D’Hoffryn in Buffy; Dr. Ronald Meltzer in the Angel episode 1.04 I Fall To Pieces; and Dortmunder Captain in the Firefly episode ‘Serenity’.
- Carlos Jacott: played Ken in the Buffy episode 3.01 Anne; Lawrence Dobson in the Firefly episode ‘Serenity’; and Richard in the Angel episode 1.07 Bachelor Party.
- Bob Fimiani: played the head of the Initiative, Mr. Ward, in Buffy’s season four; ‘Elder Gamman’ in the Firefly episode ‘Our Mrs. Reynolds’; Grounds Keeper in the Angel episode 1.15 The Prodigal, and Codger Demon in the Angel episode 3.01 Heartthrob.
- Jonathan M. Woodward: played Holden Webster in the Buffy episode 7.07 Conversations With Dead People; Knox in Angel’s season five; and Tracey in the Firefly episode ‘The Message’.
- Jeff Ricketts: played Watcher’s Council member Weatherby in Buffy and Angel, and a creepy ‘Blue Glove’ guy in Firefly.