Angel/Somnambulist

Somnambulist
Season 1, Episode 11
Airdate	January 18, 2000
Production Number	1ADH11
Written by	Tim Minear
Directed by	Winrich Kolbe
← 1x10 Parting Gifts	1x12 → Expecting
Angel — Season One

Somnambulist is the eleventh episode of the first season of Angel. A vampire sired by Angel in the 1700s comes to Los Angeles to relive the killing of his family.

David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)

Guest Starring: Elisabeth Rohm (Kate Lockley), Jeremy Renner (Penn)

Co-Starring: Nick McCallum (Skateboard Kid), Kimberliegh Aarn (Precinct Clerk), Paul Webster (Uniform #1), Brien DiRito (Task Force Member #1)

Plot Overview

When a woman is killed with resemblances to one of Angelus's old traits, Wesley suspects Angel has reverted to his evil nature. However, Angel's only knowledge of the crime is through a nightmare he had. He soon discovers that one of his sired is in town, carrying on the murder pattern. Kate is on the killer's trail, but along the way she makes a horrifying discovery that will change her worldview.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• Penn: Penn is a Puritan turned vampire sired by Angelus during the late 1700s or possibly early 1800s. Angel taught Penn how to kill and Penn adopted Angelus' methods as his own. He killed his family and left Angelus' mark and continued to do so in the 1920s and 1960s using the same methods and types of people. He's exceedingly predictable because he goes to the same places and kills the same people each time.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Jessica Halpren	Penn	Blood Drained	Alley
2	Penn's Sister	Penn	Blood Drained	Alley in 1700s
3	Penn	Kate	Staked	Beneath the Police Department

Music

There is no licensed music in this episode.

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Angel: In the late 1700s, Angel used a cross to mark his victims. During this time period, he sired Penn, who took up the tradition.

• Kate: Kate discovers Angel's secret, as well as the fact that vampires are real. After the initial shock, she starts to research about vampires and breaks off her professional relationship with Angel. However, she doesn't kill him, so it's presumed that she may just need time to accept his past.

Trivia

The Show

• Credits: Glenn Quinn has been officially removed from the opening credits as of this episode. He is replaced with Alexis Denisof, who also replaces him in the "group shot" following the single credits.

• Cut Line: While attempting to convince Angel to take the license plate problem to Kate at the beginning of the episode, Cordelia had an argument that was cut. She said, "Just remind her that if it wasn't for you she'd be the curdled gooey leftovers of a proto-Babylonian Burrower demon. Or words to that effect. You'll pretty it up."

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: On its first airing, this episode scored a 4.9/7 in the overnight Nielsen ratings. It was ranked 4th out of the 15 WB shows which aired that week.

Allusions and References

• Gallagher: Gallagher is a prop comedian whose act primarily revolves around smashing fruit and other things with the "Sledgeomatic." Because of this, many audience members in the first several rows are given plastic shields to avoid fruit debris.

Cordelia: No lie. Gallagher’s changed his act more often than this dude has in the last two centuries.

• Lady Hamilton: Lady Hamilton was the mistress of Lord Horatio Nelson, an admiral for the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars who was later regarded as their greatest hero. Hamilton was also the mistress for a great deal of other men before Nelson, and also posed for the "Goddess of Health" painting.

Wesley: You'd be locked up faster than Lady Hamilton's virtue!

• Apt Pupil: Apt Pupil is a novel written by Stephen King about a boy who seeks out a Nazi and forces him to tell him about the war from his perspective. Eventually the boy becomes a killer and takes the Nazi as a mentor.

Penn: Oh crap. You're him. He. The guy. Apt Pupil boy.

Quotes

• Cordelia: Something wrong? You stopped yammering.

• Wesley: You recall earlier this morning, that mix-up with the dentist's mail and newspaper? That's when I saw this.

Cordelia: Oh my god. You cut up Dr Folger's newspaper? You're going to get us kicked out of this building!

• Cordelia: You're not going to come in here and accuse Angel like this.

Wesley: Cordelia!

Cordelia: No! I don't care how many files you have on all the horrible things that he did back in the Powdered Wig Days. He is good now. And he is my friend. And nothing you or anyone else can say will make me turn on a friend.

Angel: (walking in) Cordelia. He's right.

Cordelia: (to Wesley) You stake him and I'll cut his head off.

• Angel: Killing dreams. Always the same. I stalk them, toy with them, mark them while they're still alive. And before they can die from their fear, I feed on them.

Cordelia: Okay, so you've been having nightmares. It doesn't mean you--

Angel: They're not nightmares. I've enjoyed them.

Cordelia: Oh.

• Cordelia: (while tying Angel to the bed) My glamorous L.A. life. I get to make the coffee and chain the boss to a bed.

• Cordelia: Great news, sports fans - there's been another killing.

• Wesley: (to Angel) You can't walk into a police precinct with intimate knowledge of these murders and claim a 200 year-old Puritan's responsible. You'd be locked up faster than Lady Hamilton's virtue. (to Cordelia) My apologies.

Cordelia: That's okay. I don't - I don't know what that meant.

• Kate: Angel, are you okay? Not that the brooding "man of mystery" thing isn't working for you. I mean it is, a lot.

• Angel: Its gotta end.

Penn: Why? Because you say so? Yeah, how does that work exactly? Do you just wake up one morning and decide "okay, now I'm good"? No, Angelus, it doesn't end. It never, ever ends. It just goes on and on.

Cordelia: That's not the only thing that goes on and on.

• Penn: You're right, Angelus. My work was getting stale. I appreciate the critique. So look for something new, innovative... something shockingly original. Just think of the worse possible thing you can imagine, and I'll see you there.

• Penn: You approved of me in ways my mortal father never did! You're my real father, Angelus.

Angel: Fine! You're grounded.

• Cordelia: People really do change.

Angel: Yes, they do... and sometimes they change back. If the day ever comes that I--

Cordelia: Oh, I'll kill you dead.

Angel: Thanks.

Cordelia: What are friends for?