Episode Trivia
Birthday’s flashbacks
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While Cordelia is with Skip in 3.11 Birthday, he shows her flashbacks on television screens at the mall. The first shows the kiss from 1.09 Hero when Doyle transfers his visions to her.
Cordy: “Oh my god. - Doyle.”
Skip: “This is where it happened, big cosmic whoops. - Doyle was never meant to give you those visions.”
Cordy: “The why did the Powers let him?”
Skip: “Well, they’re usually pretty good at catching that sort of thing. What they didn’t count on where his feelings for you.”
Cordy: “You mean - Doyle gave me the visions because - he loved me?”
Skip: “I can’t answer that. What I can tell you is that it was a mistake.”
The second is from the party in City Of. Similiar to football announcers, Skip explains how her life would have gone differently with a diagram on the screen.
Cordy: “Hey! I remember that night.”
Skip: “You’d been in LA for a few months, things had been kind of lean, and who should you run into?”
Skip: “Your entire life changed that night. In ways you couldn’t imagine. Indescribably painful ways, I think you’ll agree. Now, what if the play ran a little different? (The picture on the screen rewinds) You’re on the sideline over here, (Skip points and a white x appears on the lower right corner of the screen) talking to a couple wanna-be moguls. Angel is down field here. (A circle appears around Angel’s head in the back of the screen) Instead of cutting through the middle to meet Angel, (two white intersecting lines appear on the screen) what if you’d been forced to counter? What if this guy, (a circle appears around another man in the crowd) who happens to be a very powerful talent agent, flanks you (A white line connects the circled agent to the X denoting Cordy’s position) and drew you off side? (A white line leads from the X in the right lower corner of the screen over to the left corner and another X) What would happen then?”
Cordy: “I’d, ah, score a touchdown?”
Candy Land
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The following line is from 3.11 Birthday:
Skip: “You may wanna think about that. The only way you get to keep the visions is by becoming - part demon. The process isn’t easy. It’ll make your vision pain feel like a stroll through Candy Land. And even after the pain subsides the effects of the transition will be numerous and unpredictable. You may never be able to lead a human life again.”
Skip is referencing the Hasbro children’s game, Candy Land.
David Denman
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David Denman played Skip in Angel. He appeared in an episode of David Boreanaz’s show Bones as Phil Garfield, and played Roy in the US version of The Office. David has also appeared in When a Stranger Calls, Night Stalker, Big Fish, The Singing Detective, Out Cold, The X Files, Chicago Hope and ER.
Demon deformities
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In 3.11 Birthday, Cordelia checks to see if she has any demon deformities, including horns and a tail. These are also the first things that Buffy checked herself for in the Buffy episode 3.18 Earshot when she gained an aspect of a demon.
Forgettable kiss?
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In the Angel episode 3.11 Birthday, when Cordy is in the alternate world where she is famous, she meets Gunn and Wesley and the have this conversation:
Gunn: “Hey, is it true that you and Wes were, you know, that you had a little…?”
Cordelia: “Humiliating kiss where he drooled all over my chin? Yeah, but I’ve worked really hard to repress it.”
Wesley: “Right. Well, as much as I’m enjoying this forced death march down memory lane.”
This is a reference to the kiss that Wes and Cordy had in the Buffy episode 3.22 Graduation Day (Part Two).
Gladiator
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The following dialogue is from 3.11 Birthday:
Skip: “We’ve been over this. I respect what you’re trying to do. It’s noble and heroic, and all that other Russell Crowe Gladiator crap.”
Cordy: “You’ve seen…”
Skip: “Didn’t love it.”
This is a reference to the 2000 Oscar Award winning film Gladiator and it’s star, Russell Crowe.
Hospital visits
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The following dialogue is from 3.11 Birthday:
Wes: “Seltrex is a highly powerful migraine medication.”
Gunn: “Maybe we should get her to a hospital.”
Angel: “So they can do what? Do what they did last time, strap her to a bed and tell us there’s no hope?”
Wes: “Angel is right. Seltrex is potent but - it doesn’t cause the catatonia.”
Angel is referencing events from 1.22 To Shanshu In L.A. When Vocah overloaded Cordelia with visions, it was necessary she’d be strapped down in the hospital for her safety.
Hubbub
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The term hubbub has been used on the following occasions:
Glory: “So, what’s the hubbub, bub? What do you got against old Benjy?”
Lorne: “What’s all the hubbub, bub?”
5.06 The Cautionary Tale Of Numero Cinco:
Lorne: “That’s not the hubbub I’m hearing, honeybuns. Word on the web has you sucker-punching Grandpa Moses.”
Jude Law
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The following dialogue is from 3.11 Birthday:
Fred: “Did you make a wish?”
Cordy: “I sure did. Ah, Jude Law was a little busy, huh?”
Cordelia is referencing the English actor, Jude Law. He’s been in such films as The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, I Heart Huckabees, and The Holiday.
Kungai reference
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In 3.11 Birthday we hear the following conversation:
Cordelia: “Yeah, we go way back. Back to, uhm, when - you had two arms, which, by the way…”
Wesley: “Ah, Kungai demon a couple of years ago.”
This is a reference to the Kungai demon Wesley tracked down in 1.10 Parting Gifts.
Marti’s Cordy
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The theme tune to Cordelia’s TV show Cordy, heard in the episode 3.11 Birthday, was written by David Greenwalt and sung by Buffy writer/director Marti Noxon.
Reading Cordy
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In the following dialogue from 3.11 Birthday, Lorne references his experience reading Cordy in 3.02 That Vision Thing.
Lorne: “Knock, knock. How is she?”
Angel: “The same. You ready?”
Lorne: “As I’ll ever be.”
Cordy: “For what? What’s he gonna do?”
Lorne sits down on the edge of the bed.
Lorne: “Although I’m sort of wishing I brought my helmet. Last time I tried this I got blown across the room.”
Sea-breeze
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Lorne’s favourite drink is a sea-breeze (Vodka, cranberry and grapefruit), especially if it’s made by his bartender, Ramone (who later left).
In 2.05 Dear Boy:
Host: “Hey, Rico! Top off my sea-breeze, earn my everlasting devotion, huh?”
Lorne: “Thank you, Ramone. I was just thinking I’d rather be drinking. (to Angel) He’s a treasure.”
In 2.09 The Trial:
Host: “People try to kill you everyday. I’m talking about Ramone. Over heard us, betrayed me. The man was a world-class bartender. He made a sea-breeze that took you to Tahiti. Mmm. He’s off the menu now.”
In 2.13 Happy Anniversary he says:
Lorne: “Fairly typical Wednesday crowd. A Torto demon and his parasite were murdering the Everly Brothers, which is nothing compared to what Elian had done to my sea-breeze!”
(Flashback to Lorne and the bartender)
Lorne: “Is this a difficult concept? Were we absent the day they taught sea-breeze in bartender school? Vodka, cranberry, fresh grapefruit juice. Which requires a real live grapefruit. One
you must cut and squeeze, not pour from a can.”
Host: “…Oh. The man is such a moron. You have no idea how I’m suffering since Ramone left.”
In 3.11 Birthday:
Lorne: “Oh, for the love of god, somebody get me a sea-breeze.”
Lorne: “I got a sea breeze that’s gonna up and leave with someone else if I don’t get to her soon.”
Lorne: “Well, ever tried a Sea Breeze?”
We also see him drinking this drink in 4.04 Slouching Toward Bethlehem, 5.05 Life Of The Party and 5.16 Shells.
Skip
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Skip was a metal-clad unclassified demon who worked for the Powers That Be, by overlooking Billy’s torture in an unknown hell dimension in 3.02 That Vision Thing. His will kept Billy locked in the cage of flames while robbing him of his ability to scream. He fought Angel, who freed Billy to help Cordelia. Skip later appeared as Cordelia’s demon guide when her visions made her slip into a coma in 3.11 Birthday. He was responsible for showing her how her life could be without Angel, and making her part-demon when she refused to turn her back on her friend.
He assisted Cordelia to ascend and become a higher being, and later tried to further Jasmine’s coming by telling Angel to kill Cordelia in order to save the world. He was eventually shot and killed by Wesley.
The Matrix
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Joss Whedon is a big fan of the movie The Matrix, and it’s been referenced in Buffy a few times. In 4.17 Superstar, Jonathan claims to have starred in The Matrix. In 7.09 Never Leave Me, the butcher calls Andrew “Neo” because of the long, black leather coat he’s wearing (Keanu Reeves’s character Neo wore a similar coat in The Matrix). The final fight between Buffy and Adam in 4.21 Primeval was clearly inspired by the movie too.
In the Angel episode 3.11 Birthday, Skip says:
“Loved that flick. When Trinity’s all ‘Dodge this!’ and the agent goes and crumples to the…and I’m not really instilling any awe any more, am I?”
Turn back time
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When Cordelia asks Skip in 3.11 Birthday if The Powers That Be can turn back the time, Skip tells her they don’t go for that much. The one time we know they did turn back time, was in in 1.08 I Will Remember You.
Wonder Woman
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Joss Whedon was chosen to direct the 2007 movie version of Wonder Woman, but later stepped down due to disagreements over the script. Cordelia’s birthday cake in the episode 3.11 Birthday is decorated with an image of Wonder Woman. Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, has openly said she would like to star in the new movie version of Wonder Woman.
In 5.06 The Cautionary Tale Of Numero Cinco, Lorne says to Fred:
“Oh, you’re all woman. You’re everywoman. You’re Wonder Woman!”
In 7.10 Bring On The Night, Xander and Andrew compare the school basement to issues 297-299 of the Wonder Woman comic ‘Catacombs’.