"Shiny Happy People"

 

Episode 18 of Season 4

"We're going to change the world!”

 

Original US airdate: April 9th, 2003

Rewatched: April 21st, 2024

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• Writer: Sarah Fain & Elizabeth Craft

• Director: Marita Grabiak

• Guests: Gina Torres

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Cordy’s in a coma, something Angel Investigations does not seem particularly worried about, the hotel has been damaged by the earthquake, and a new being, technically Connor’s child and Angel’s grandchild, has arrived. She does not seem like the scary big bad the team anticipated. In fact, Angel and Connor are giddy about her, claiming they’ve been saved. Wesley seems a bit skeptical about this, trying to convince Angel that he may be under a spell, until Jasmine arrives at the hotel. Now, everyone at Angel Investigations is under her spell.

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It does, however, seem to be that Jasmine, who still technically has no name and in fact will have the gang brainstorm a name this episode, wants good. She tells them she is one of the Powers That Be, and that the Powers are good, the demons are bad, and man is the balance between them. She claims she’s returned to help good win. She explains that all the bad that happened so far this season was merely birthing pains, and that it took a miracle for her to be born. She tells Angel that Connor is the life he won in the trials, when he couldn’t save Darla, and Jasmine needed this miracle to come to Earth.

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Jasmine’s presence makes Angel so happy he wears a white and yellow striped shirt, and fears he may lose his soul. Jasmine brings peace to Wesley and Gunn, telling them their both loving Fred should bring them closer, not drive them apart. She’s also able to be the friend Fred has been longing for. Jasmine promises to eradicate all evil and leave only beauty. She promises to end loneliness and doubt. But… while so far she seems good, her big promises should be doubted. Loneliness and doubt are part of being an adult in this world. Ending them means a world of black and white, with no gray areas.

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The danger Jasmine poses becomes clear when Fred sees her true gruesome face. She visits a young man, hospitalized since he attacked Jasmine and Angel beat him. He and Fred both see Jasmine’s true face, and when Jasmine touched him, she made him gruesome, too, by disfiguring his face. Fred begins to doubt that Jasmine is truly good. She tries to convince Wesley, but sees that Wesley doesn’t believe her, and that he is tipping off other Angel Investigations members to her lack of faith. Fred tries to kill Jasmine, then flees. The rest of Angel Investigation quite easily decide to kill Fred.

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This easy decision to go after Fred more than anything shows that Jasmine may be a Power That Be, but she isn’t fully good.

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"The Magic Bullet"

 

Episode 19 of Season 4

"I'm not like you. Not a champion.”

 

Original US airdate: April 16th, 2003

Rewatched: April 28th, 2024

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• Writer: Jeffrey Bell

• Director: Jeffrey Bell

• Guests: Gina Torres, Danny Woodburn, Patrick Fischler

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Fred is on the run. The episode opens with Gunn and Wes, who both love her, chasing her through LA. This is against the backdrop of the still shiny happy people surrounding her. Everyone who meets Jasmine fall in love with her. The hotel is filling up with people. Angel and Connor even sing a song, "Oh Jasmine", a riff on "Mandy" in her honor at open mike night. Everyone is happy. And, they’re becoming more connected. The team develops a type of telepathy with each other, with Jasmine, and with her followers. It is the most connected Angel Investigations has ever been. Except Fred is not part of that. 

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The sinister nature of Jasmine is shown not only in her chasing Fred through LA, but also in her treatment of her followers. She picks several a day to come and talk to her. She later tells Connor she’s eating them. Evidently, she needs to consume people to stay alive. Ultimately, this episode will show that Jasmine cannot be a force of good. Not only does she eat people, but her unconditional love is actually very conditional on believing and following her. When first Fred, then the rest of Angel Investigations, see Jasmine for who she truly is, she is not forgiving.

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Fred is having a hard time keeping safe in LA once Jasmine can use telepathy to track her, but she does manage to solve the problem of why she sees Jasmine differently. She figures out it was Jasmine's blood and sets it up so Angel, Jasmine and the others will come for her. When they confront her, she shoots through Jasmine and hits Angel, allowing Jasmine’s blood to enter Angel. Angel then sees Jasmine for who she is and flees with Fred. Angel tells Fred she did the right thing, but she says she’s not a champion, only alone and scared. Angel contradicts her, and he is right. Fred is very strong. She survived Pylea. She knows when to run and hide, but she also knows when to fight, and can plan her way out of most issues she faces. She is a strong member of Angel Investigations.

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Angel and Fred, however, are still on the run, with Jasmine’s followers everywhere. They realize they need the others. First, they end up kissing in an alley so Jasmine’s followers don’t take note of them, then they go to the hotel, rightly assuming it’s not just Jasmine’s blood but also Cordy’s that will break the spell. They free Wes, Gunn and Lorne from Jasmine, but fail with Connor, who has always seen her true face. The gang is a bit dejected about losing Jasmine's love, but a lasting effect of her love on them seems to be their better teamwork. Perhaps this will help them defeat her.

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A final note on Connor. He has always seen Jasmine’s true face but followed her anyway. This is fulfilling what Cordy told him, that having a family would be his second chance and I do think Connor sees this in Jasmine. He’s not worried that she’s eating people or how she looks, she is his chance to have a family and a mission that is free of his father and Holtz. It may seem a bit strange, but not only was Connor raised in hate by Holtz, he was also raised in a hell dimension, and he was raised to be a hunter. In this episode, he tells Angel how Holtz used to tie him up and see how long it took Connor to find him again. He was not really given much love at all, and Jasmine is finally giving him that.

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"Sacrifice"

 

Episode 20 of Season 4

"Someone who knows the truth has to live through this.”

 

Original US airdate: April 23rd, 2003

Rewatched: May 5th, 2024

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• Writer: Ben Edlund

• Director: David Straiton

• Guests: Gina Torres, Avery Kidd Waddell, Micah Henson, Jeff Ricketts

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Angel Investigations is faced with the question of what they would do to save the world. Oddly, this question is more common on Buffy than on Angel, and it’s interesting to experience this theme in another context.

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With Angel Investigations, except Connor, fully aware of Jasmine’s true identity, they need to get out of the hotel fast. Angel stays behind to face Conor and anyone else, telling the gang someone who knows the truth needs to live. Wes, Fred, Gunn and Lorne escape to Angel’s car. Angel beats Connor to a pulp and follows. Eventually, followed everywhere by Jasmine’s followers, they flee underground. The gang is concerned about Cordy, worried they didn’t take the time to save her, but Angel tells them to forget Cordy. The heart gets in the way. He also tells them he has no plan.

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In the meantime, Jasmine moves Cordy and won’t tell Connor where she is. Jasmine is sensing that Connor is not fully behind her, and she talks to him, telling him:

This world is about to kneel before me and shed all its avarice, all its woe. I will free them from the loneliness, from the empty horror of their lives. They won’t know what hit them … We’ll be a family Connor, together as one, forever, it’s going to be beautiful … To belong, to truly be a part of something, you have to surrender to it completely. Cordelia has done that, but you … there’s a part of you you’ve kept from me. Your pain … Pain has been the only constant in your life. The one thing that has never abandoned you. You think that pain is yours to keep, and bear alone, but it’s not. I want it. I want everything you are. Connor, father, let it go. Let me have it.

This passage shows how cunning Jasmine is. She is not truly, 100% evil. She does recognize Connor’s issues and wants to help him, but she demands everything, 100% from those who follow her. This is not healthy either. She can take his pain, but she can’t let Connor be his own person. Connor is right to have doubts.

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Eventually, Angel and the gang run into a group of vampire hunters living in the sewers who Gunn knows from his days before Angel Investigations. They’ve been underground since the sun disappeared and have no idea what is happening above ground. Angel is haunted by Connor’s blood on his hands. It wasn’t easy for him to beat his son. But he had to. Someone has to save the world. Fred and Gunn also find a moment to talk about murdering Professor Seidel. Here, they seem to truly find closure. Fred questions whether they are now fighting for a heartless world, for the right to be uncaring shells. Gunn tells her they’re fighting for survival, but for Fred, it’s not enough. Gunn brings up the murder, saying that Fred did what she had to do then.  Fred admits that, but says it’s different because she felt it. You can’t be heartless and save the world, even if you sometimes have to ignore your feelings.

 

The hunters in the sewers, however, are being stalked by some sort of monster. Angel Investigations tries to help, but Wesley is taken by the monster, and Matthew, a young boy whose family was killed by vampires and who has taken refuge with the hunters in the sewers, sees Angel’s true face and runs. Matthew makes is above ground, with Gunn and Fred chasing him. Gunn punches him out, hoping to save him from Jasmine. They bring him back unconscious. But Gunn was too late. Matthew is now a follower. Jasmine knows where they are.

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Wesley, in the meantime, is having a nice chat with his captor, a giant bug from a world that loved Jasmine first. Except, she had no name there. The bug claims that flesh magic is older than word magic and talks about the power of names. Wesley figures out the bug has been hunting people to make his magic, and that Jasmine’s real name will break her spell. Evidently, the high priest in the bug’s world knows the name, but no human can breathe their atmosphere. The rest of Angel Investigations find Wesley, after fleeing from the hunters, and with Connor (who still seems connected to Angel) and the national guard in hot pursuit. The bug monster is killed, and Wesley figures out how to make a portal to his world. Angel must go alone to get the name, as he is the only one who can survive, and he must leave his team behind. Someone who knows the truth has to live through this, and the heart gets in the way. To save the world, Angel must leave his friends behind. And he does.

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"Peace Out"

 

Episode 21 of Season 4

"And look where free will as gotten you.”

 

Original US airdate: April 30th, 2003

Rewatched: May 12th, 2024

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• Writer: David Fury

• Director: Jefferson Kibbee

• Guests: Gina Torres, Stepahnie Romanov

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The episode starts by highlighting Connor’s belonging in Jasmine’s world and Angel Investigation’s isolation, an interesting role reversal. Angel Investigations learns that Jasmine has been eating people and viewers learn that Connor has always seen Jasmine’s true face. Later in the episode, Connor finds where Cordy has been taken and talks to her:

It’s started, Cordy, the new beginning. Wish you’d wake up and see it. It’s what you wanted … Why you came to me. You know, what this is all about. Protecting our baby, Jasmine, so she can be and make this world a … kind of place you’d want. … Not harsh and cruel the way Angel likes it so he has a reason to fight … Like that’s what gives their lives any meaning… I’m not like them. I just wanna stop. Stop fighting. I just wanna rest. … But I can’t. It’s not working, Cordy. I tried. Tried to believe. … Jasmine, she’s bringing peace to everyone, purging all their hate and anger, but not me. … I know she’s a lie. … My whole life’s been built on lies. … I guess I thought this one was better than the others.

It's truly a good look at Connor’s issues. He is right, his life is built on lies and his feelings may never let him truly he at peace with Angel and his gang. He was hoping he’d found his place, but since he is, deep down, a good person, he has his doubts about what Jasmine is promising.  

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The gang, minus Angel, is imprisoned by Jasmine is the basement of the hotel. They know that Jasmine is going to have her world debut and they fear they will be all alone once that happens. Angel, however, has managed to find, more or less, what he needs in the alien dimension. He has to fight to get Jasmine’s name, as the creature who knows it will only say it with his dying breath. The Guardian of the Word, who watches the creature who really knows the name, questions Angel’s motives for fighting. Angel thinks his friends are dead, he’s fighting for a world that doesn’t care about him and for a son he will lose anyways. But it’s Angel. He’s doing it because it’s the right thing.

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He is able to bring the head of the creature back to earth, where its dying breath causes Jasmine’s name to heard. Everyone sees who she is and they run. LA becomes a riot zone, as people go through their feelings of loss, and Jasmine has lost some but not all of her powers (she’s still extremely strong, but can’t glamor people into worshipping her). Angel goes after Jasmine when she runs out of the hotel. When he find her, they have a conversation:

Jasmine: There are no absolutes. No right and wrong. Haven’t you learned anything working for the powers. There’s only choices. I offered paradise. You chose this.

Angel: ‘Cause I could. Cause that’s what you took away from us. Choice.

Jasmine: And look where free will has gotten you.

This exchange underlines the importance of free will on Angel, which makes sense. Without free will, there can be no redemption and this theme is the cornerstone of the series. In fact, Angel offers Jasmine a path to redemption, but she refuses. Angel and Jasmine fight. Then Connor shows up. Jasmine assumes he’ll be on her side, but Connor kills her. This does not seem to be Connor’s moment of redemption, as he doesn’t stay with his father, but runs off. Angel returns to the hotel.

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The rest of the gang has freed themselves from the basement in the meantime. It should be noted that Angel’s assumption that Jasmine most likely already killed them led him to not searching for them on his return. The gang is not quite sure what happened, only that the hotel is now empty. They do find the head and assume Angel has returned. They are on their way to find him when Lilah shows up at the hotel. When Angel returns from his fight, he is happy to find the gang there, but very taken aback to see Lilah, who is supposed to be dead.

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"Home"

 

Episode 22 of Season 4

"Prove it.”

 

Original US airdate: May 7th, 2003

Rewatched: May 19th, 2024

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• Writer: Tim Minear

• Director: Tim Minear

• Guests: Stepahnie Romanov, Jim Abele

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Season 4 ends with an offer Angel ends up not being able to refuse. Lilah is back from the dead with an offer for Angel Investigations from Wolfram & Hart. They are being offered the LA office of the firm, newly renovated and re-staffed. Evidently, Wolfram & Hart are happy that Jasmine has been beaten since this ended world peace (and the lack of free will). Of course, Angel Investigations didn’t do it to allow evil to flourish. As Fred says, “We ended a nefarious global domination scheme, not world peace, right?” Technically, everyone’s correct. Jasmine was nefarious. But her removal leaves room for evil. But isn’t free will, and the ability to be evil, make us human? Make life what it is?

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The gang is all invited to take a tour of the offices, with a limo coming to pick them up in the early morning. Although it seems like they won’t take the offer, all of them show up for the tour. On an interesting side note, Gunn and Wes still seem to be getting along, perhaps the only positive, lasting impact Jasmine had. Once at Wolfram & Hart, the group is split up, with each of them getting a personal tour of their possible future Wolfram & Hart area. Fred is shown the science division, Lorne the entertainment division, Wesley is taken to see the library by an ex-Watcher (who lets Angel viewers know that the Council is no more, having been blown up during Buffy season 7). While Wesley is being shown around, he knocks his guide out and find the archives, where he finds and burns Liliah’s contract. He’s hoping to save her, a further sign he did have feelings for her (another is that he’s still carrying the signed dollar bill around with him). Unfortunately, burning the contract doesn’t free Lilah. Finally, Gunn is taken to the White Room, where a panther has replaced the little girl. Gunn and the panther commune, but it’s unclear about it. However, it’s enough for Gunn to decide to take the offer, regardless of what the others decide.

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Lilah takes Angel to his new office and shows him all the fun stuff, like windows that let him be in the sunlight. Angel is skeptical. He fears taking the offer would mean he wouldn’t be able to do good anymore. He fears leading an evil law firm, even if you could use some resources for good, would mean losing his morals. When he questions it, Lilah throws Angel’s previous words about the world being harsh and cruel in his face, telling him that he lives as if the world were good, and that the resources of Wolfram & Hart can help him do that. She also tempts him with intel and an artifact needed in Sunnydale. This is not enough to tempt him, however. He loves Buffy, but he knows she can figure out a way to win without what Wolfram & Hart have (although, looking at how Buffy ended, I’m not sure that’s entirely true). But then Lilah turns on the news. Connor has taken hostages.

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While Angel and his team were entertaining Lilah’s offer, Connor has been off not dealing with his feelings. We first see him on a rooftop, where he convinces a cop not to kill himself over losing Jasmine. When the cop finally comes around and shows Connor the family he will now be going home to, Connor loses it. He can’t understand how someone with family could think about leaving them. Connor beats up the cop. Later, Connor takes hostages at a sporting goods store, rigging everyone, including himself and Cordelia (who is still in a coma), with bombs. Thanks to Lilah tipping him off, Angel goes to confront Connor. Connor lets all his feelings out, explaining that apologies never fix anything and that while he believes Angel loved him, it wasn’t enough to hold on to him and to keep him from being taken to a hell dimension. He also says he doesn’t believe Darla ever loved him, showing that Angelus’s and Cordy’s words hold more power than Darla’s and Angel’s. He claims only Cordy loved him, but she’s gone.

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Angel tells him he wants them to start over, but Connor is skeptical. Connor says “There’s only one thing that ever changes anything and that’s death. Everything else is just a lie. Can’t be saved by a lie. Can’t be saved at all.” The two fight and Angel bests Connor, saving everyone in the store in the process. Angel then says he really loves Connor and Connor asks him what he’s going to do about it. Angel says, “Prove it.” And then Angel kills his son. Sort of. I do believe, despite the prophecy Wesley found supposedly being a fake, that the prophecy is fulfilled in this episode. This season, there was an earthquake, a rain of fire, and blood, and then Angel killed his son.

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It turns out Angel has accepted the offer from Wolfram & Hart. Angel Investigations will now be heading up the LA office of evil. It’s an interesting paradigm shift for the show. In return, Angel has been given some amazing magic. Connor is still alive but has no memories of his old life. Instead, he has new memories and a new family, and no one except Angel knows he ever existed. Thus, Connor is effectively dead. The final scene is Angel on his way to Sunnydale to give Buffy the materials from Wolfram & Hart (the third thing he got out of the deal was care for Cordy). On the way, he stops to look in on Connor with his new family. They are eating dinner and enjoying themselves. It is very similar to Angel’s dream at the beginning of the season when he was still under water, except that Angel is not a part of this happy family. He does, however, look happy that Connor is finally happy. To save his son, Angel not only had to join an evil law firm, but he also had to give up his own dreams of fatherhood. He had to love his enough so much he could let him go.

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