buffy

"Home" is the season finale of the fourth season of Angel and the eighty-eighth episode in the series. Written and directed by Tim Minear, it was originally broadcast on May 7, 2003, on The WB network.

Synopsis

Angel and the gang are made an offer they can't refuse when they are given the opportunity to take over Wolfram & Hart and obtain all of the firm's secret and powerful information. Meanwhile, Angel has a chance to change the future for his son Connor, who is physically and emotionally lost and wandering through the city.[1]

Summary

Angel has returned to the Hyperion Hotel following the death of Jasmine, finding Lilah waiting for him. Wesley refuses to believe that she is the real Lilah, but Angel confirms that she is now undead. Lilah explains that her contract with Wolfram & Hart extends beyond her death; she will return to hell once she's made them an offer on behalf of the Senior Partners.

Lilah explains that the Senior Partners have decided to offer Angel Investigations control of the restaffed and rebuilt Wolfram & Hart L.A. branch as a reward for ending world peace. The gang argues that Jasmine was devouring people and creating a world with no free will. Lilah tells them that all suffering could have ended for the simple cost of a few dozen lives per day. Instead, chaos and destruction have reached an all-time high, for which Lilah is grateful. As Angel and the others struggle with the idea they may have caused more harm than good, Lilah tells them that a limo will be waiting outside the hotel before dawn to take them on a grand tour of the new law firm.

Meanwhile, Connor wanders the streets of Los Angeles, which is still filled with rioters following the end of Jasmine's spell. He spots a policeman on a roof, planning to kill himself. Connor initially tries to help him, but when he learns the officer would have left behind a family, Connor gets angry and starts to beat him.

At the hotel, the gang work on locating Cordelia and Connor to no avail. Lilah's offer is weighing hard on everyone's minds, knowing what they could do with the massive resources that are being offered to them. When Gunn brings up the idea of taking the tour, Angel tells the others that he can't stop them from going but warns they'll be corrupted even before the limo ride is over. Angel then leaves to look for Connor as the others head off to bed.

Fred wakes up in the middle of the night and sneaks downstairs, being careful not to wake the others. She finds the limo parked at the curb, and finds Wesley just outside the doors, as well as Gunn waiting nearby. As they contemplate whether or not they should accept Wolfram & Hart's offer, Angel also appears. He opens the limo door and finds that Lorne has been inside for a while, enjoying the amenities.

Arriving at Wolfram & Hart, the gang are overwhelmed as they walk into a huge lobby with the workers all welcoming "Mr. Angel" to the building. Lilah arrives with four guides who will show them each around a relevant part of the firm. They initially object to being split up, but Lilah points out they could have blown up the limo if they were intending to kill them. When she offers them guns for protection, the gang agrees. Fred picks up a semi-automatic rifle, and the group splits up: Lorne is sent to the Entertainment Division with Preston, Wesley is partnered with the fellow Englishman Rutherford, Gunn is assigned to the beautiful Lacey, Fred gets the company of the fellow scientist Knox, and Angel will be escorted by Lilah herself.

As they tour the facility, Gunn doesn't understand why he is being offered a position since his special skill is solely being the muscle, which he knows the firm will likely have plenty of. They briefly stop outside the Security office, and Gunn assumes this is why he's there, but Lacey explains they have bigger plans for him.

Fred converses with Knox, whom she assumes to be the head of the Practical Science Department. Knox explains that he just reports to the head, who would be Fred if she accepts the position. Fred is barely able to believe that she's being offered such a job and is amazed to find the lab she'd run is fully staffed and filled with state-of-the-art equipment.

Rutherford takes Wesley to the firm's collection of books. Wesley is unimpressed to find such a small collection, but Sirk explains that the Wolfram & Hart source books can call upon any text in the firm's archive. He proves this by summoning up the text of the obscure Devandiré Sibylline Codex. Wesley knows that Sirk is a former Watcher, and stole it from the now-destroyed Council. Wesley cuts his tour short by knocking Sirk unconscious.

Lilah shows Angel his potential office, complete with its own private elevator and access to a motor pool. Suddenly, Lilah opens the blinds, exposing the vampire to direct sunlight. As Angel raises his hands to shield himself, Lilah explains that all the windows in the building have necrotempered glass to prevent vampires from bursting into flames during the day. Angel enjoys the sunlight for a few seconds before demanding the blinds closed. When Angel declines her offer, Lilah insists that Angel could make a huge difference with Wolfram & Hart's resources; the world doesn't need an unyielding champion, but someone who knows the value of compromise.

Lilah hands Angel a file on the upcoming apocalypse in Sunnydale, as well as an amulet that is supposed to be crucial in the final battle. Angel is uninterested, insisting that Buffy can handle it herself. Angel then tells Lilah that he's truly sorry for what happened to her, but he intends to leave with his friends. As he goes to exit, Lilah gets a call from the Senior Partners and switches on the television, showing a news report of a hostage situation involving explosives at a sporting goods store. The security cameras reveal the suspect to be Connor.

Angel slams Lilah against the wall, accusing her and the Senior Partners of setting this up. Lilah denies this, reminding him that they — like Angel — had nothing to do with how Connor was raised. Angel goes to leave, but Lilah tells him that the deal is one-time only and will be withdrawn if he goes. Angel furiously tells Lilah that she and the firm are everything that's wrong with the world, then tells her he wants to make his own deal.

Gunn's tour guide takes him to the next part of his tour, and he panics when he realizes that they are going to the White Room. Despite his protests, he arrives alone and meets Mesektet's replacement: a black panther. Gunn's initial fear is replaced by curiosity as he gazes into the panther's eyes.

At the Jackson Sports store, the hostages are wired to a main explosive. Connor orders a man to hold his scared daughter properly, despite his broken arm. Connor then realizes Angel has arrived as the vampire leaps down to face his son.

In Wolfram & Hart's records room, Wesley punches out the guard and starts searching through the firm's files. Lilah appears and admits she is surprised he took so long to arrive. Although Lilah thinks that Wesley has come to plunder the Senior Partner's secrets, he reveals that he is there for Lilah's eternal contract with Wolfram & Hart. He sets it on fire, telling his former lover that she deserves to rest in peace. Lilah tells him that she knew what she signed up for, and she tells him to look in the drawer again; the contract has been returned completely unharmed. Lilah thanks him for the thought but points out that such a contract is not so easily destroyed.

In the store, Angel tries to talk Connor down. He shows Angel that the hostages are wired, including himself, along with a still-comatose Cordelia. Angel tries to assure him that he will get over losing Jasmine, but Connor says that he doesn't feel pain or sadness; he's as dead as Angel. Angel apologizes for not being present during Connor's childhood and professes that Darla loved him so much that she sacrificed her life so that he could be born. Connor believes that Angel tried to love him, but not enough to stop Holtz from taking him away. He then looks down at Cordelia, wondering aloud why she stopped loving him.

Angel promises Connor that he will take back all his mistakes and help him start again, but Connor assumes he is lying. Connor decides to end his pain by killing everyone and reaches for the bomb to detonate it. Angel leaps to action, disconnecting Connor and beating him back before releasing all the hostages. Connor and Angel begin to fight, with Connor attempting to set off Cordelia's explosive. Angel forces Connor to the ground, promising his son that he truly does love him. He tells him he will prove it and swings the knife at Connor's neck.

Back at Wolfram & Hart's lobby, the gang are impressed by what they've seen. Gunn tells Fred and Wesley that he intends to take the job even if the others don't. Wesley concurs that they could do a great deal of good with what they could gain by accepting what the Senior Partners are offering. Angel appears and tells everyone he's already accepted the offer on behalf of the group, as the gang looks at him in disbelief. Lilah assures them that Cordelia is safe and being cared for by the firm; they will do what they can to wake her up. Angel asks to see "him," and although Lilah initially objects, she accepts her new boss' request. Lilah hands Angel the file on Sunnydale and the amulet, telling him a limo is waiting to take him to Connor. As he leaves, the rest of the gang question who Connor is.

A family is having dinner with Connor, now happy and healthy, seated at the table among them. As the family celebrates Connor's graduating in the top tenth percentile and his choice to attend any college, the boy makes a toast to family. Angel smiles as he watches from outside, then walks away.

Continuity

Appearances

Individuals

Organizations and titles

Species

Events

Locations

Objects

Death count

None.

Behind the scenes

Production

Broadcast

Pop culture references

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International titles

Adaptations

Gallery

Promotional stills

Behind the scenes

References

  1. ↑ "angel: Home." TheWB.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2004.
  2. ↑ Tim Minear. Angel Season Four on DVD; audio commentaries for the episode "Home." [DVD]. 20th Century Studios, September 2004.
  3. ↑ "Nielsen Ratings for Angel's Fourth Season." Nielsen Ratings for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, & Firefly. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.