Episode Trivia
Barry Manilow
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
The first song Angel first sings in Caritas in the episode 2.01 Judgement is “Mandy” revealing his secret shame - a love of Barry Manilow (”I think it’s kinda pretty”). He also listens to the song in the episode 4.15 Orpheus, and sings a version for Jasmine in 4.19 The Magic Bullet.
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Angel and Spike say:
Angel: “Yeah, I never told anybody about this, but I…I liked your poems.”
Spike: “You like Barry Manilow!”
In 2.06 Guise Will Be Guise, Lorne says to Angel:
“You don’t have to sing. A break for you, a break for me, and a break for Mr. Manilow.”
Casper
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Casper the friendly ghost was a cartoon and movie character who wanted to make friends with humans.
In 5.02 Just Rewards, Angel says to Spike,
“You’re not in this world… Casper.”
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Spike says, “Or playing Casper with one foot in the fryer.”
In 1.05 Rm W/A Vu, Cordy says to her ghost, “Listen good, Casper, you haven’t won a thing here!”
In 4.07 Apocalypse, Nowish, Gunn says of a ghost, “Yep, Casper’s dealing with the big boys now.”
In the Buffy episode 2.06 Halloween, Buffy calls Willow “Casper” when she sees her in her ghost costume.
Effulgent
details | 12 comments | suggested by Mel
In the Angel finale 5.22 Not Fade Away, Spike finally has a chance to read his poetry to an appreciative audience. Here is the full poem that he was writing in a flashback in 5.07 Fool For Love:
“My soul is wrapped in harsh repose,
midnight descends in raven-colored clothes,
but soft-behold!
A sunlight beam
cutting a swath of glimmering gleam.
My heart expands,
’tis grown a bulge in it,
inspired by your beauty….
effulgent.”
Spike recites the poem in a biker bar and the crowd love it. Whilst they are applauding, Spike shouts,
“That was for Cecily! All right. This next one’s called The Wanton Folly of Me Mum.”
This is a reference to 7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me, when we saw Spike’s mother make a pass at him.
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Angel finally tells Spike that:
“Yeah, I never told anybody about this, but I… I liked your poems.”
Frankenstein
details | 2 comments | suggested by Jess
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly’s Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, was first published in 1818, but the story of Frankenstein’s monster has been retold numerous times.
- 2.02 Some Assembly Required: Daryl Epps is brought back to life by his brother, who then sets about making a ‘girlfriend’ for him using the body parts of various dead girls.
- The villain of season four, Adam, was clearly based on Frankenstein’s monster. Professor Walsh created him to be a super-monster, made of different demons and humans. Although Shelly never named Victor Frankenstein’s monster in the book, she did at times refer to him in talk as “Adam,” obviously referencing the story of Adam and Eve from The Bible. Buffy’s Adam definitely parallels Shelly’s Adam: Both monsters were built out of a pure want to do good and help people, but the monster turns and becomes a killing menace.
- 4.04 Fear, Itself: Giles says, “It’s alive!”, which is from the 1931 movie Frankenstein.
- 4.05 Beer Bad: Buffy’s “Fire bad” line comes from the 1931 movie. The monster in the movie (played by Boris Karloff) is chased by angry villagers with torches, when he shouts, “Fire Bad!”
- 4.14 Goodbye Iowa: the shot with Adam and the little boy is an homage to the 1931 movie Frankenstein. When Frankenstein’s monster escapes, he walks through a forest and comes upon a little girl, Maria, who is throwing flowers into a pond. The monster joins her in the activity but soon runs out of flowers. At a loss for something to throw into the water, he looks at Maria and moves toward her. In all American prints of the movie, the scene ends here. But as originally filmed, the action continues to show the monster grabbing Maria, hurling her into the lake, then departing in confusion when Maria fails to float as the flowers did. This bit was deleted because Karloff - objecting to the director’s interpretation of the scene - felt that the monster should have gently put Maria into the lake. This scene is restored in the video cassette reissue. Both monsters were created using body parts from other people/demons and both encountered a child and expressed curiosity, which ended in the child’s death.
- 5.16 Shells: Gunn says:
“Everything you know, or there won’t be enough of you left to stitch back together, Frankenstein.”
- 5.04 Hell Bound: Nina says to Angel:
So, what? You’re, like, a Frankenstein?
Gandhi
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
In 3.01 Anne, Buffy says:
“Hey, Ken, wanna see my impression of Gandhi?”
She then kills Ken and says:
“Well, you know, if he was really pissed off.”
Peace-loving Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) worked for over 20 years to help secure rights for Indians in South Africa. He then spent the rest of his life trying to free India from British rule. He was assassinated by a religious extremist.
In 3.15 Consequences, after Faith killed Alan Finch, she said:
“The guy I offed was no Gandhi.”
In 5.04 Hell Bound Spike says:
“Oh, put your martyr away, Mahatma.”
In The Ring:
Cribb: “Idiot. Thinks he can get out of this by pulling a Gandhi.”
Locked in a box
details | 3 comments | suggested by Meghann
The following dialogue is from 5.20 The Girl In Question:
Spike: “Can’t we just… lock her away in a box where no one can ever touch her? You know? Like we did with Pavayne?”
Angel: “I don’t think she’d let us. Uh, she’s pretty strong.”
Spike is referring to Matthias Pavanye’s punishment in 5.04 Hell Bound.
Angel: “Sure it’ll hold him?”
Eve: “Permanent storage. If there’s anything Wolfram & Hart excels at, it’s keeping their unmentionables unmentioned.”
Angel (to Pavayne): “Congratulations. You get to live forever, unable to move, to touch, or to feel… or to affect anything in the world around you. But don’t worry—I had ‘em give you a window. Welcome to hell.”
Matthias Pavayne
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Matthias Pavayne, also known as ‘The Dark Soul’ and ‘The Reaper’, was an English aristocrat doctor from the 18th century, seen in 5.04 Hell Bound. With a vast knowledge of the dark arts, Pavayne liked to perform unnecessary procedures on his patients. The Los Angeles offices of Wolfram & Hart were built on the site of a Spanish mission and Pavayne’s blood was used to deconsecrate the land.
His knowledge of the dark arts allowed Pavayne to remain within this world by feeding the lost souls within the W&H offices to Hell and keeping him out of it’s reach. Pavayne saw Spike as perfect offering and attempted to get Spike to go into the black void of Hell. However Spike, with the help of Fred, was able to make Pavayne corporeal, and placed him in a storage unit within W&H unable to move, to touch, or to feel, or to affect anything in the world.
Never take me to hell
details | 1 comment | suggested by Jess
When the lights suddenly go out in 5.07 Lineage, Spike shouts,
“You’ll never take me to Hell, Pavayne!”
This is a reference to the episode 5.04 Hell Bound, in which the ghost of Pavayne was trying to send Spike into Hell. Spike is clearly still frightened by the experience.
Pinocchio
details | 6 comments | suggested by Matt1997
In 6.07 Once More, With Feeling, when he notices the strength of one of Sweet’s henchmen, Spike says:
“Strong. Someday, he’ll be a real boy.”
This is a reference to Italian author Carlo Collodi’s children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio which features an animated marionette whose dream is to become human. The story was made famous by Walt Disney’s film Pinocchio.
In 1.22 To Shanshu In L.A., Wesley realises that the Shanshu prophecy means that Angel will become human after fulfilling his destiny. The gang have the following conversation:
Wesley: “Well, it’s saying that it won’t happen tomorrow or the next day. He has to survive the coming darkness, the apocalyptic battles, a few plagues, and some - uh, several, - not that many - fiends that will be unleashed.”
Angel: “So don’t break out the champagne just yet.”
Cordy: “Yeah, break out the champagne, Pinocchio. This is a big deal!”
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Spike says, “To making me a real boy again?” - an echo of the comment he made in the Buffy musical. It’s also a Pinocchio reference.
In 5.10 Soul Purpose, Freds says that Spike, “Deserves to become a real boy.”
In 5.14 Smile Time, Lorne says of the injured puppet-Angel:
“Medic! Doctor! Is there a Gepetto in the house?”
Gepetto was Pinocchio’s wood-carver father.
Ruddy basement
details | 4 comments | suggested by Bakatulip
In 5.10 Soul Purpose, Spike gets bitter about his new home being a basement:
“Great. Another ruddy basement.”
Spike lived with Xander in his basement in Buffy’s season 4, in Buffy’s basement in season 7, and in the basement of Sunnydale High at the beginning of season 7.
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Spike takes an elevator at Wolfram & hart. As the elevator opens, he says:
“Had to be the basement.”
Sarah Thompson
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Sarah Thompson played Eve in Angel. She was born on October 25, 1979 in Los Angeles, California. She attended Columbia University and went on to appear as Bobbi in the television series, Soul Man and Beth in the 1997 film, The Ice Storm. In 2000 Sarah got the recurring role of Dana Poole in Boston Public and has appeared in A Wake In Providence, Cruel Intentions 2, Malibu’s Most Wanted, The Division, Touched by An Angel, Going to California, The Sopranos, Line of Fire, Madigan Men, and Freaky Links.
Sarah is married to Brad Kane, Who played Tucker Wells in Buffy’s 3.20 The Prom.
Shanshu Prophecy
details | 9 comments | suggested by Jess
For reasons unknown, even to himself, Angel stole the Scrolls of Aberjian whilst in Wolfram & Hart and gave it to Wesley to translate. Wesley discovered in 1.22 To Shanshu In L.A. that the scrolls contained a prophecy about a vampire with a soul who would be restored to a human, after fulfilling his destiny.
The Shanshu prophecy tells that the vampires will play a major role in the Apocalypse. Wesley realises that “Shanshu” means both to live and to die - so the vampire will become human and, as all mortals, eventually die. The trials the vampire would have to endure are unclear, but they would clearly be hard and numerous. No indication of time was given to the prophecy, but it filled Angel with a new hope that he would be redeemed.
Wesley: “Ah, the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu. Become human. - It’s his reward.”
Cordy: “Wow. Angel a human.”
Angel: “That’ll be nice.”
This hope remained with Angel until the fifth season, when he began to doubt himself. Having taken over the L.A. branch of Wolfram & Hart, another vampire with a soul suddenly comes on the scene - his old nemesis, Spike. Spike had fought to regain his soul and had died saving the world, making Angel jealous on a basic level, and deeper, feeling the prophecy may in fact regard Spike. Spike was first told about the prophecy in 5.04 Hell Bound. Angel acted disinterested in the prophecy, but it was revealed that it would be the vampire who drinks from the Cup of Perpetual Torment that will become human. After a race to the cup, and a huge fight, Angel was defeated by Spike, who drank from the cup, only to discover that the story was a hoax.
Angel began to lose his way, but was finally put back on track by Cordelia, seemingly ressurected, who gave him a final vision, showing him the Circle of the Black Thorn, agents of the Senior Partners. Deciding to perform what would most likely be a suicide mission, Angel and his team assassinated each member of the Circle, thereby delaying the Apocalypse for an untold amount of time. In order to learn of the identities of the Circle members however, Angel had to infiltrate the group. To prove his loyalty, Angel was forced to sign his name, with his own blood, on the Shanshu Prophecy, thereby revoking his part in it.
Spike: “What do you think all this means for that Shanshu boogaboo? If we make it through this, does one of us get to be a real boy?”
Angel “Who are you kiddin’. We’re not gonna make it through.”
Simon Templeman
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Simon Templeman, who played Matthias Pavayne in 5.04 Hell Bound, has also appeared in Charmed, Just Shoot Me!, Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Northern Exposure, Mad About You, Melrose Place, Father Dowling Mysteries and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Spike’s Liam
details | 4 comments | suggested by Mel
In 5.04 Hell Bound, Spike calls Angel Liam, which was Angel’s name before he became a vampire. We found this out in 4.06 Spin The Bottle.
Steven DeKnight
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
Steven DeKnight was a writer on Buffy and a writer and director on Angel. He was also a supervising producer and writer on Smallville. Steven met Joss Whedon originally to talk about the animated version of Buffy, but eventually Joss asked him to write for the show itself.
The White Room
details | add a comment | suggested by Jess
In 3.17 Forgiving, Angel tortures Linwood Murrow, who agrees to give him access to the White Room, an inter-dimensional space used by Wolfram & Hart to house an entity that serves as the Conduit to the Senior Partners. The White Room is a guarded secret and few know how to access it.
To reach the White Room in 3.17 Forgiving, Angel enters an elevator and presses the following buttons: 18, 23, 20, 28, 27, emergency button, and a button which appears after this sequence.
The White Room is also seen in the following episodes:
- 4.08 Habeas Corpses: the Beast kills the conduit in the form of a little girl.
- 4.22 Home: Gunn accesses the White Room and meets a black panther.
- 5.04 Hell Bound: Gunn takes Angel to the White Room and makes a deal with the panther conduit to save Spike.
- 5.15 A Hole In The World: Gunn goes to the White Room to try and save Fred but has a fight with the conduit in the form of himself.