Angel/Guise Will Be Guise

Guise Will Be Guise
Season 2, Episode 6
Airdate	November 7, 2000
Production Number	2ADH06
Written by	Jane Espenson
Directed by	Krishna Rao
← 2x05 Dear Boy	2x07 → Darla
Angel — Season Two

Guise Will Be Guise is the sixth episode of the second season of Angel, and the twenty-eighth episode overall. Angel goes to see a mystical swami about his Darla obsession and Wesley assumes Angel's identity to protect the life of a wizard's daughter.

David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), J. August Richards (Charles Gunn)

Guest Starring: Andy Hallett (Caritas Host), Art LaFleur (T'ish Magev), Brigid Brannagh (Virginia Bryce), Patrick Kilpatrick (Paul Lanier), Todd Susman (Magnus Bryce)

Co-Starring: Danica Sheridan (Yeska), Saul Stein (Benny), Frankie Jay Allison (Thug #1), Michael Yama (Japanese Man #1), Eiji Inoue (Japanese Man #2), Ed Trotta (Man)

Plot Overview

Angel is sent to see a swami at the Host’s advice in order to help him with his ordeal with Darla. In his absence, Wesley assumes his identity in order to help a businessman protect his daughter.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• Yeska: Despite being referred to as a goddess by Magnus Bryce, Yeska is actually a Davric demon. Davrics refuse to serve humans and only grant them extra power when one sacrifices a virgin woman to her on his 50th birthday. The sacrifice is eaten live by Yeska after a ritual is performed.

Body Count

There were no on-screen deaths in this episode.

Music

Music listed in order of appearance in the episode:

• Sonny & Cher - "I Got You, Babe"

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Wesley: While posing as Angel, Wesley strikes up a romantic relationship with Virginia Bryce, the woman he's protecting. He saves her life and becomes known as a bodyguard and detective for the stars.

Referbacks

• 2x01 - Judgement: Angel sang "Mandy," a song by Barry Manilow, the first time that he got on stage at Caritas, seeking the host's help.

Host: You don't have to sing. A break for you, a break for me, and a break for Mr. Manilow.

Trivia

The Show

• First Appearance: This episode marks the first appearance of Virginia Bryce, the daughter of Magnus Bryce and Wesley's brief love interest.

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: On its first airing, this episode scored a 4.4/6 in the overnight Nielsen ratings. It was ranked 5th out of the 17 WB shows which aired that week.

• In the scene in Caritas, one might notices Wesley looking off screen to the left multiple times. This was part of a scene that got cut in which he was chatting up a woman by impressing her with his knowledge of demons. However, he's pulled away by Cordelia at which point Angel tells him she's a Tarbo demon that was "a minute away from plunging an ovipostor" into his navel and "spitting a larva" into his colon.

Allusions and References

• Rocky: Rocky is a series of films starring Sylvester Stallone about Rocky Balboa, a down and out boxer who attempts to make it big. In the first two movies, Rocky experiences both physical and emotional defeat, often sacrificing the enjoyment of one for the other and vice versa. In Rocky III, Rocky is no longer the underdog and many fans felt that it made his character less likeable.

Host: You're Rocky and Rocky II and half of the one with Mister T. Tell me about it.

• Riverdance: Riverdance is a theatrical show centered around Irish step dancing. The show was created by Michael Flatley, the self-proclaimed "Lord of the Dance" and is often parodied because of the unique style that dancers use, particularly the fact that they never move their arms from their sides.

Magev: You're wimping. This isn't Riverdance. Fight!

• Yoda: In the second (or technically fifth) Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker journeyed to Dagobah to train with Yoda, a Jedi master who sent himself into exile when he was unable to stop the Empire from taking hold of the galaxy. In the movies, Luke went to Yoda for guidance and to set him back on the correct path, just as Angel does in this episode.

Magev: I don't know how long I can keep up this Yoda gag.

• Shemp: When the Three Stooges first established their vaudeville act, Samuel "Shemp" Howard was a founding member alongside Moe and Larry. Although he left shortly after the group's formation, he returned after Curly had a stroke. Despite being a founding member of the group, many saw Shemp as a poor replacement for Curly, hence Cordelia's remark.

Cordelia: It's like they don't even know you're a Shemp.

Quotes

• Gunn: He's got a plan.

Wesley: A plan?

Angel: Yeah. I get to the offices before they stop me.

Gunn: See? What? That's the plan? Walking real quick was the plan?

• Gunn: Okay, what I want to know is, how I live in L.A. all my life and not notice weird-ass stuff was going on?

Cordelia: Oh, the ass is even weirder than you think.

• Gunn: Wait. Are you saying... Is he gonna sing? Oh God, is Angel gonna sing?

• Host: (to Angel) You don't have to sing. A break for you, a break for me, and a break for Mr Manilow.

• T'ish Magev: You need to get over her. Okay, what does she look like?

Angel: She's beautiful. Small, blonde.

T'ish Magev: Right. So here's what you do. You go out and you find yourself some small, blonde thing. You bed her, you love her, you treat her like crap, you break her heart. You and your inner demon will thank me, I promise.

Angel: Um...

• T'ish Magev: (after being caught in the lip by a fighting hook by Angel) What are you doing?

Angel: (vamped out) Getting in touch with my inner demon.

• Cordelia: (to Wesley) What is wrong with you? You've got like, delusions of Angel. You're not him. You can't do stuff on your own.

• Cordelia: Gunn, what happened?

Angel: He got hit.

Cordelia: By who? The swami? Swamis don't hit. Swamis swam.

• Angel: Were you in Virginia?

Wesley: That's beside the point.