Angel/Benediction

Benediction
Season 3, Episode 21
Airdate	May 13, 2002
Production Number	3ADH21
Written by	Tim Minear
Directed by	Tim Minear
← 3x20 A New World	3x22 → Tomorrow
Angel — Season Three

Benediction is the twenty-first episode of the third season of Angel, and the sixty-fifth episode overall. Angel and Connor bond over fighting vampires together while Cordelia and the Groosalugg drift further apart over her concern with Angel.

David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), J. August Richards (Charles Gunn), Amy Acker (Winifred "Fred" Burkle)

Guest Starring: Vincent Kartheiser (Connor), Laurel Holloman (Justine Cooper), Mark Lutz (Groosalugg), Andy Hallett (Lorne), Stephanie Romanov (Lilah Morgan)

and Keith Szarabajka (Daniel Holtz)

Plot Overview

Having also returned from Quor’toth, Holtz urges Connor – now Steven – to return to Angel. While Angel and his son bond, things may crack when it’s learned that Holtz is back and Angel plans a confrontation.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• There was no monster of the week in this episode.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1/2	Vampires	Angel	Staked	Club
3	Vampire	Connor	Staked	Club
4	Vampire	Angel	Staked	Alley Behind Club
5	Holtz	Justine	Stabbed	Hotel

Music

There is no licensed music in this episode.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Wolfram & Hart: Lilah continues to attempt to wrangle Wesley into becoming an employee of Wolfram & Hart by setting up Justine to be killed in a club full of vampires. He doesn't fall for it and leaves shortly after Angel and Connor break up the fight.

Characters

• Cordelia: Cordelia's demonic power manifests itself once again and disintegrates the knife Connor threatened her with and cleanses his soul of the hell dimension that he was trapped in.

• Holtz: Holtz appears to have moved past his desire for vengeance from the speech he delivered to Angel and the letter that was meant for Connor. However, the fact that he had Justine kill him with two puncture wounds in the neck seems to say differently.

Trivia

Allusions and References

• Boy Wonder: In the Batman comic books, "Boy Wonder" is often used to describe Batman's sidekick, Robin. In the comic book in which Dick Grayson, the first Robin, was introduced, the tagline of the issue used the phrase and it stuck. Writers and producers of the series have often said that there are some intentional parallels to Batman in the series.

Lilah: Who's the boy wonder?

Quotes

• Fred: (about Connor) Okay, so he survived an unspeakable hell dimension. Who hasn't?

• Groosalugg: When Connor was taken from him, he moved Heaven and Tarkna to try and win him back.

Lorne: Yeah, he sure did. Hence our weekly scrubbing of the lobby floor.

• Angel: Listen, um... I, uh, I have to go out for a while.

Connor: It's okay.

Angel: It's kind of my job.

Connor: Yeah. Whatever.

Angel: It could be kind of dangerous. There's a lot of killing and violence. You wanna come?

• Lilah: See you got my invitation.

Wesley: Lilah. Obviously.

Lilah: I thought the "come alone" was a particularly ironic touch. I mean, how else would you come?

• Fred: Looks like we've been following Angel's son's emissions the whole time.

Gunn: Now there's a sentence I don't ever need to hear again.

• Lorne: Oh, hey, kiddo. I didn't see you there. You looking for your dad? Come on. He's upstairs. I'll show you the room. This way.

Connor: I'm not going anywhere with you, demon.

Lorne: I'll tell you what, since you were raised in a hell dimension by a psychopath, and since that happens to be a topic that I know a little something about, we'll just let that slide.

• Connor: Filthy demon.

Lorne: Actually, that's Uncle Filthy Demon to you. Wasn't that long ago – like a week - I was changing your diapers, you little pri—

Cordelia: Hey!

• Cordelia: Wait, Angel, before you go, we have to do that thing.

Angel: What thing?

Cordelia: That thing we do? You know, that thing where I say "Are you sure you know what you're doing?" and "Angel, please think about this" and then you ignore me and rush headlong into trouble?

Angel: Right, that thing. (beat) Okay, we done?

• Cordelia: Angel, please think about this. In fact, don't go there at all.

Angel: I have to.

Cordelia: I know. But don't.

Angel: I'm not gonna kill him even though he deserves it.

Cordelia: Oh, I don't care if you kill him. He stole Connor's childhood, so kill him. But don't lie to your son.

• Holtz: I thought by depriving you of that son it would allow me some measure of justice. I was wrong.

Angel: Taking Connor from me was never justice. It was vengeance.

Holtz: Or maybe vengeance is what I do now. Give back what I took.

Angel: What?

Holtz: I'm an old man now. I have nothing to offer the boy. You can give him what I can't - his purpose. But every time you look upon his face, every time he calls you "father," you will be reminded of that which you took and can never give back. And if that is vengeance, I find I have no taste for it.