That Vision Thing
"That Vision Thing" | |
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Angel episode | |
Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 2 |
Directed by | Bill L. Norton |
Written by | Jeffrey Bell |
Production code | 3ADH03 |
Original air date | October 1, 2001 |
Guest appearances | |
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"That Vision Thing" is episode 2 of season 3 in the television show
Plot
Gavin informs
Lilah has a young man wearing a fez sign some papers before meditating on a table. Removing his hat, the man reveals a split skull and exposed brain. As a result of the man's mental efforts, Cordelia gets hit with a massive vision about fire that flings the Host across the room and burns her face and limbs. From his contact with Cordelia, the Host realizes the visions originate from Wolfram & Hart. Angel visits Lilah, who informs him that, unless he uses the key and coin to free an "unfairly imprisoned" man from a hell dimension, the physical effects of Cordy's visions will worsen.
Back at the hotel, Wesley tells Angel the coin and key are items of good nature, so those holding and associated with the objects are likely good as well. Wesley points out that rescuing this man is going against Angel's mission. Angel inserts the key into the coin's hole, which transports him to a hell dimension where he encounters a demon guard protecting a large fiery cube surrounding the prisoner, who is constantly aflame and in agony. The guard, Skip, is holding the prisoner in the fire with his will; he mentions that the prisoner is a particularly heinous monster who has earned such torment. Skip and Angel have a friendly conversation before they break into battle, where Skip is knocked unconscious, and the man is thus freed. Angel and the rest of the gang transport the prisoner to Lilah for the exchange. Lilah has Brain Man in the back of a limo work his magic to end Cordelia's suffering. A phone call to Fred at Cordelia's place confirms its success. The captive man is handed over to Wolfram & Hart, then Angel kills Brain Man by throwing a piece of re-bar through the limo's window and the man's skull. Lilah turns around to find Angel right in her face, threatening to kill her if she goes after Cordelia again. At the hotel, Cordelia makes food and coffee for Angel as thanks for his work and Angel convinces her the guilt she feels for what happened is unnecessary. He'll deal with Wolfram & Hart and the man he set free when it becomes necessary.
Meanwhile, in Central America, Darla visits a Shaman, asking for help to get rid of her baby. She reveals that the father is a vampire. Using some of her blood and herbs, he tries to determine the baby's form and how it could exist in a vampire's body. Unfortunately, what she is carrying is something no one can rid her of, and she resolves that her last option is to seek help from the baby's father.
Production
Writing
"That Vision Thing" was the first Angel script written by
Acting
Actress Charisma Carpenter says that although the visions aren't usually difficult to portray, the physical manifestation of the visions in this episode were "a little bit more challenging than I had anticipated."[5]
This episode marks David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter's 100th appearances as Angel and Cordelia Chase respectively.
This episode is Kal Penn's second appearance in the Buffyverse; he previously appeared in the Buffy episode "Beer Bad" as Hunt.
Arc significance
- This episode introduces Skip, who plays a significant role in season four.
- The man Angel frees is Billy Blim, who reappears in "Billy", later in the season.
- Cordelia asks Angel if bad things are happening to her because she's a bad person. This question echos episodes "Expecting" and "Rm w/a Vu" where she similarly wonders if her actions as a teenager are the cause for her suffering in those episodes.
Reception
The Futon Critic named it the 14th best episode of 2001, saying "The evolution of Cordelia has been one of the best things about this show as of late and this episode put out all the stops. Originally a Girl Friday to Angel, it's here we really see how far the character has come in the five years we've known her."[6]
References
- ^ M., Deborah (2003-12-17), Jeff Bell - Cult Times Magazine Interview, Cult Times Magazine Special Edition
- ^ a b O'Hare, Kate (March 27, 2003). "Skip Tracer". Archived from the original on 2003-04-16. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ^ O'Hare, Kate (October 18, 2001). "Skip the Demon to Return to 'Angel'". Archived from the original on May 9, 2004. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ^ O'Hare, Kate (November 29, 2002). "Almost Human: From Beneath They Devour". Archived from the original on May 9, 2004. Retrieved 2007-12-18.
- ^ Interview with Charisma Carpenter: Visionary acting, BBC
- ^ Brian Ford Sullivan (January 4, 2002). "The 50 Best Episodes of 2001 - #20-11". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
Further reading
- ISBN 9780786437559
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
- "That Vision Thing" at IMDb