The Girl in Question (Angel episode)
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| Angel episode | |
| "The Girl in Question" | |
 In a flashback Angel and Spike are captured by the Immortal's henchmen |
|
| Episode № | Season 5 Episode 20 |
|---|---|
| Guest star(s) | Tom Lenk Carole Davis Irina Maleeva |
| Writer(s) | Steven S. DeKnight, Drew Goddard |
| Director | David Greenwalt |
| Production № | 5ADH20 |
| Airdate | May 5, 2004 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous episode | Time Bomb |
| Next episode | Power Play |
"The Girl in Question" is episode 20 of season 5 in the television show Angel. See List of Angel (series) episodes for a complete list.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
Angel gets a phone call from a man he had sent to keep watch on Buffy and is told that she is in trouble in Italy. While there, Angel and Spike must also bring the head of a demon back to L.A. to prevent a demon war.
Angel and Spike come to learn that Buffy is dating The Immortal. They decide that she must be under his spell. Flashbacks to the last century indicate past problems Angelus and Spike had with The Immortal, who had sex with Darla and Drusilla together.
After some ups and downs for Angel and Spike this episode ends with the two finally accepting that Buffy is most likely quite happy with The Immortal and going back to LA with the demon head.
[edit] Expanded overview
Gunn finds out that a demon gang war will start unless the head of one of the leaders is recaptured from Rome. So, Angel and Spike travel to Rome to retrieve the head. They find out that Buffy is dating their archnemisis "The Immortal". Flashbacks are shown that explain why Angel and Spike hate "The Immortal". He slept with Darla and Drusilla simultaneously while his minions held Angel and Spike in chains. They discuss the matter and conclude that Buffy must be under some sort of love spell - why else would she be dating a dark, centuries-old supernatural creature who may or may not be evil? Spike declares that it must be a spell, and Angel agrees. What else could it be?
They are able to locate the head. They visit Buffy's apartment and find Andrew there. He said that he lives with Buffy and Dawn, and Buffy went to a club with "The Immortal". They go to the club and see Buffy from a distance. They get distracted and leave the demon head on a table (it's in a bag) and it is taken from them by an ugly demon (who works as a butler for The Immortal) and some minions. Angel and Spike fight the minions and "accidentally" hit each other a few times, too. The demon butler gets away with the head and mocks the heroes as he leaves. Angel and Spike argue over how "if they had their resources", that they would be able to find the head. Spike points out that there is a Wolfram&Hart in Rome.
Meanwhile, at Wolfram and Hart, Fred's parents show up and Wesley ushers them into his office to tell them what has happened to her. He is about to tell them when Illyria walks in the door looking and acting exactly like Fred. Later, while her parents are being shown Fred's office, Wesley confronts Illyria. She then explains that she cannot bear to witness their grief in addition to Wesley's. She can feel and see Wesley's grief as a physical pain and wanted to spare Fred's parents. She explains that she chooses the form that she wishes to appear as. After Fred's parents leave, Wesley asks her if she got what she wanted from that experience. Illyria answers "Yes", and Wesley then orders her never to do it again.
Angel and Spike go to Wolfram&Hart and are greeted by a very friendly, Italian vampire woman and she tells them that they have to give the demon money for the head. She says that they do ransom things like that all the time. So, Angel and Spike go to make the drop. They fight The Immortal's butler and his minions, until finally the butler gives them the bag in exchange for the money. They open it and in it there is a bomb counting down to 3,2,1...
It explodes. The camera shows everything blows to bits. Spike and Angel walk through a gate and Spike is complaining about his ruined jacket that he ripped off a dead slayer. They go back to Wolfram&Hart (Rome) and the Italian lady tells them that they always do that to first-timers. There are several references in this show to violent Americans who always try to use force to get what they want. She also replaces their damaged clothing. Spike and Angel declare their intentions to go home. They return to Buffy's apartment (for the 5th time!) and Andrew tells them to let her move on, while he leaves the apartment with two hot chicks. Frustrated by their inability to contact Buffy and by the demon butler's chicanery on The Immortal's behalf, they decide to go home.
Illyria follows Wesley into his office, still appearing and speaking as Fred. She states that she wishes to explore the relationship further and does not understand why Wesley is angry when he obviously loved Fred. He replies that she is not Fred and that he is sickened by the sight of her. He tells her to be anything as long as it's not Fred. She appears somewhat confused and when he leaves the room changes back into her usual form. "As you wish" she says.
When Angel and Spike return home, they find the head on Angel's desk with a note signed by The Immortal. They are outraged because they hate the guy, and this is the second time he "distracted" them (by getting his butler to do the dirty work for him both times) while he put the moves on "their" girl. They declare their intentions to get over Buffy and move on with their lives, which is clearly going to be easier said than done.
[edit] Writing and acting
Andrew Wells appears in the episode as Buffy's houseguest, a role he has occupied long enough to be "established" as a resident of Buffy's house, explaining how he can invite Angel and Spike within, since vampires may only enter a private residence if a full-time resident invites them in.
It is commonly mistakenly believed that the producers sought Sarah Michelle Gellar for this episode. Another actress played Buffy Summers in a faraway shot of her dancing with The Immortal in a nightclub. In fact the intention of this episode was always that neither Buffy nor the Immortal would be clearly seen. Gellar was actually sought for the penultimate episode "Power Play", but proved unavailable because she was busy finishing the filming of The Grudge. David Fury explains this in an interview with Mike Jozic:
"JOZIC: But wasn't there talk of [Sarah Michelle Gellar] being in "The Girl in Question"?
FURY: There was very, very little talk about that. No, she was never going to be in that. The missed opportunity to see Buffy was always going to be the joke of that. It's the tease of, they're going to see Buffy, and they can't quite get to her. It's sort of the After Hours kind of craziness where it's like, I can't get to her, I can't see her, and that was always pretty much decided.
The person we expected to get and didn't get was Michelle Trachtenberg. We had expected to get her for that episode but she was tied up prepping a movie, I believe, and wasn't able to do it, which is why we brought Andrew back again.
But, Sarah, no. We never expected Sarah to be in that episode. We did think she might be in the second last episode, "Power Play", just like Angel appeared in the second last episode of Buffy's finale. We thought we'd do that but wound up not."
[edit] Production details
[edit] Music
- The score includes Italian-style themes, and dance music during the nightclub scenes.
- Dean Martin - "Take Me In Your Arms" - During the fight in the club.
[edit] Quotes and trivia
[edit] Continuity
Although Angel and Spike have a particularly acrimonious relationship where Buffy is concerned, this adventure (and Buffy having moved on from them both) provides them with somewhat of a bonding experience - they drink together, engage in their most civil dialogue to date, and reminisce about the past. It is also relevant that Andrew, when sending our vampire heroes away, mentions that Buffy does love both of them. In the last episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy had told Spike that she loved him, and he had told her "No you don't, but thanks for saying it."
This episode makes reference to Buffy's speech to Angel in "Chosen".
Angel: But she's not finished baking yet. I gotta wait till she's done baking, you know, till she finds herself, 'cause that's the drill. Fine. I'm waitin' patiently, and meanwhile, The Immortal's eatin' cookie dough!
Andrew: Uh, Spike, is Angel crying?
Spike: No!... Not yet.
[edit] Arc significance
In this episode we find out that Buffy is currently living in Italy with Dawn and Andrew. This episode marks a turning point for Angel and Spike, in that they both finally decide to settle their argument over Buffy and move on with their lives and relationships. Spike never gets the chance to inform Buffy that he is back, and leaves, deciding to let her be happy and not cause her the hurt from knowing of his existence again.
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse: Spring 2003 – 2004 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Sunnydale, Cleveland, Italy, Summer 2003-2004 | Buffy book: Queen of the Slayers |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.01 Conviction |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.02 Just Rewards |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.03 Unleashed |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.04 Hell Bound |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.05 Life of the Party |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.06 The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.07 Lineage |
| Europe, 2003 | Tales of the Vampires: Antique |
| L.A., 2003 | Angel comic: Spike vs Dracula #5 |
| L.A., 2003 | Angel comic: Wesley: Spotlight |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.08 Destiny |
| L.A., 2003 | A5.09 Harm's Way |
| L.A., 2003 | Angel comic: Spike: Old Wounds |
| L.A., 2003/4 | A5.10 Soul Purpose |
| L.A., 2003/4 | A5.11 Damage |
| L.A., 2003/4 | Angel comic: Spike: Lost and Found |
| L.A., 2003/4 | Angel comic: Gunn: Spotlight |
| L.A., 2003/4 | A5.12 You're Welcome |
| L.A., 2003/4 | A5.13 Why We Fight |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.14 Smile Time |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.15 A Hole in the World |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.16 Shells |
| L.A., 2004 | Angel comic: Illyria: Spotlight |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.17 Underneath |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.18 Origin |
| 2004 | Connor Spotlight |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.19 Time Bomb |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.20 The Girl in Question |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.21 Power Play |
| L.A., 2004 | A5.22 Not Fade Away |
| Romania, 2004 | Angel graphic novel: The Curse |
| L.A., 2004 | Angel graphic novel: Old Friends |
| 2004/5/6 | Spike movie |
[edit] Footnotes
↑ Mikejozic.com - David Fury Interview
