Review of Episode 18, Season 3 "Double or Nothing" Baby Connor has been whisked away to that evil and nefarious hell dimension we've all heard so much about but have never seen, Angel's gone ballistic, again, and tried to smother Wesley to death, and Wolfram & Hart have vowed to do whatever it takes to bring Angel down. And now for a lull in the action, so what next? How about a little stand-alone eppy for Gunn? "Well, there's that." First, let us review our main characters starting with Cordelia: She's back! With the return of Cordy from her long, sunny respite with Groo she sports yet another new do-the Claire Danes look no less-and is focused on soothing everyone of their troubled hearts. Which leaves me to ask, 'Who is this woman and what have you done with the real Cordy!?' In her conversations with Angel and Gunn she is quite the prolific one with the meanings of life and love, yet I was stymied that a visit to Wesley in the hospital was not included. Lorne: For the past several episodes I have been waiting for a purpose to unfold that would give him some major worth yet again he stands useless and lost, rather content to remain the Hyperion's chief cook and blood washer. With Caritas in limbo and Connor no longer in need of his nanny services what is a good-humored, velveteen voiced Pylean to do? Fred: While the emotional gamut has certainly been met as of late, I was genuinely surprised at her response to Wesley's actions. Surely someone would side with him. They've stressed for the most part that they understand why he did what he had but once again, a member of AI has been ousted, with backs turned and the 'Don't Come Back' sign hung on the lobby door. Gunn: Rounding out to the main topic of the night I must object to Gunn's actions on several counts. Firstly, that he would 'sell his soul' for a car! Okay, guy and all, but really. The 17-year old justification doesn't fly either, which leads to the other fact that I can't believe that he would just walk into a demon infested Casino and not be all hell-bent on cleaning the place out. This is the old Gunn, the Vampire Hunter, the one dude in all the world who would stake a vampire with a soul, back in the day. Also I think Angel's audience is a bit too mature to not see his breakup with Fred coming a mile away, perhaps even, just as quickly as she did! Still, I can't help thinking that there's more to what Fred said as she left Wesley's hospital room, "It was all for nothing." Not that this episode was for nothing, it has placed all the cards on the table, so to speak, and just as Angel is about to move forward we all can expect that something's on its way back to kick him on his ass again! Jenoff Jenoff (reborn) Syd Fryzylckaf Monica Fryzylckaf Casino Demon Repo-Guy Demons Galore! Hats off, or is that heads, to Robert Hall's demonic creations! And to Dayne Johnson whose applications of the makeup, especially Jenoff's, was superb! If this wasn't a fright fest I don't know what was. Creatures from every aspect of doom and gloom cast their benevolent slime and mucus upon us, showing the extreme, excellent talents that grace this faction of the Angel crew! I give it... Review by CoA Council member, Swoop

CoA Stakes Rating Guide = Disappointing, stake it, bury it! = Not too bad, Lacking a few graves. = Typical Dark Avenger saves the day Saga. = Better still, Quality Headstones. = Outstanding! Reward it with mortality!

Groo: Is there evil to vanquish? Gunn: Oh, thanks, bro. I got it. Just a little mucous demon under Alvarado and Clark. I’ll be back soon. Fred: Don’t forget your machete. Gunn: (playfully) Yes, dear. Groo: He is very fortunate to have such a woman looking after his weapon. Lorne: (chuckling) I’m not touching that one. Fred: (to Wesley) Gunn and I found your notes about the baby (pauses) the prophecy. You took him because you thought Angel was going to kill him. You were trying to protect him. Both of them. I just wanted you to know I understand that. (pauses) And I also wanted to say, I thought what Angel tried to do to you was wrong, and I’m sorry. But he was right to blame you, Wesley. You should have come to us. You should have trusted us instead of going to Holtz behind our back. You were supposed to be our friend, and you didn’t even… If Angel sees you again he’ll kill you, Wesly. This time for real. Don’t come back to the hotel. Ever. (walking away) The prophecy was false. Angel was never going to hurt Connor. It was all for nothing. Gunn: (on seeing the Skench demon) Okay, definitely not a leprechaun. Repo Man: You made a deal, signed a blood oath. You think that’s an arrangement you can get out of? Gunn: Who said I’m trying to get out of anything? Repo Man: You’re planning on giving your soul to another, aren’t you? Gunn: What are you talking about? Repo Man: Some broad. You’re falling for her hard. Gunn: Fred. Repo Man: I don’t know. We don’t get a name, just an image. We keep an eye on the Akashic records. You think we wouldn’t know when one of our souls is about to be transferred? (pause) Isn’t Fred a guy’s name? Gunn: (on losing his soul) There’s got to be something else, something else he can take. Repo Man: (sarcastically) Gee, I have never heard that one before. Cordelia: If there’s one thing I learned living on a hellmouth, every day is precious. You never know when it may be your last. Gunn: I never figured I’d be around this long. Or have this much. Cordelia: Some people never know one day of joy. You’re lucky. Gunn: I guess I am. Cordelia: So, live a little. Angel: (staring at the empty crib) You think you know something about living because you have this really long life. And that’s really all you have, I mean, in my case anyway. And then one day you wake up, and you have something else. Cordelia: A future. Angel: (long pause) I had a son. Cordelia: The truth is, if you lived another 200 years you’d never forget how Connor was taken from you. And you shouldn’t. You loved your son, Angel. And you’ll go on loving him and missing him. And you’ll go on living too. You’ll do that. Angel: I don’t know how. Cordelia: You don’t need to. The 'how' works itself out. Life will just keep on happening. There will be people who need us, so we’ll help them. Because that’s what we do. Fred: (on Gunn) I know I said he said those things to me, but he would never say those things to me. Cordelia: Those things he said? Fred: Exactly. That’s why I know he’s in trouble. Angel: (confused and way behind) Let me get this straight. You and Gunn are dating? Jenoff: You offering me your soul? Angel: A chance to win it anyway. Jenoff: How stupid do I look to you? You’re a vampire. I can smell it from here. Angel: Take a bigger whiff. I’m a vampire with a soul. Jenoff: Oh. (intrigued) You’re that vampire. Angel: (after slicing off Jenoff’s head) It’s over. No need to say thanks. Gunn: You’re right. If killing him was that easy, I’d have done it myself. (Janoff’s head begins to grow back) Groo: Now we fight. Angel: (quickly) Uh, anybody else in here owe this guy? (crowd all converges on Janoff and finishes him off) Fred: Just one last thing. Gunn: Name it. Fred: Who did you trade your soul for? Gunn: That was a long time ago. Fred: I know, but just tell me, and we’ll never talk about it again. (long pause) Charles. Gunn: It was way before I met you. Fred: You must have wanted her pretty bad to trade your soul. Gunn: I guess I did. Fred: Just tell me. Gunn: It (pauses) it was a truck. I was 17 years old, and I traded my soul for a truck. Fred: (incredulous) Not this truck? Gunn: Don’t go dissin’ my girl. Fred: Oh, Charles. (giggling) Your soul wasn’t worth air conditioning? Gunn: Look, back in the day, this truck kept me alive. Helped me save a lot of other lives, too. I know it sounds dumb, but I didn’t think a soul was that big a deal. I didn’t think I had a future then. Now I do. (kisses Fred) Fred: What is it about you that makes me melt? Gunn: Maybe it’s that I love you. Fred: That’s got to be it. Quotes by Council member, Seeker