Angel/Untouched

Untouched
Season 2, Episode 4
Airdate	October 17, 2000
Production Number	2ADH04
Written by	Mere Smith
Directed by	Joss Whedon
← 2x03 First Impressions	2x05 → Dear Boy
Angel — Season Two

Untouched is the fourth episode of the second season of Angel, and the twenty-sixth episode overall. A girl with telekinetic powers is pulled between her friend at Wolfram & Hart and Angel.

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

Guest Starring: Stephanie Romanov (Lilah Morgan) Sam Anderson (Holland Manners) Daisy McCrackin (Bethany Chaulk), Gareth Williams (Mr. Chaulk), Julie Benz (Darla)

Co-Starring: David J. Miller (Man #1), Drew Wicks (Uniform Officer), Michael Harte (Detective), Madison Eginton (Young Bethany)

Plot Overview

Angel tries to help a young woman who possesses telekinetic abilities. However, she’s unknowingly being emotionally manipulated by Lilah so as to groom her into becoming a Wolfram & Hart assassin.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• Bethany Chaulk: As a result of some childhood trauma, most likely stemming from being abused by her father, Bethany Chaulk developed psychic powers that manifest in telekinesis. However, she can't consciously control her abilities. Instead, she blacks out momentarily during moments of extreme stress and things around her aren't where she left them. With Angel's help, she learns to use her power constructively.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1/2	Would-be Rapists	Bethany	Crushed by a Dumpster	Alley

Music

Music listed in order of appearance in the episode:

• The Opus Music Library - "At the Fairground"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Wolfram & Hart: Much like the blind woman from "Blind Date", Wolfram & Hart is attempting to turn Bethany into an in-house assassin. They hired the "rapists" to attack Bethany in hopes of unlocking her powers.

• Angel Investigations: Angel starts to pay Gunn on a case by case basis for his help.

Characters

• Angel: Darla has been using calynthia powder to keep Angel sedated while she has her way with him. This explains the long periods of sleep he's been getting.

• Gunn: Gunn's finely crafted hubcap axe makes its first appearance in this episode. Despite how goofy it looks, it becomes one of his main weapons of choice over the course of the series.

Referbacks

• BtVS - 3x08 - Lover's Walk: Cordelia refers to an incident back in Sunnydale when she fell through an old, decaying staircase and was impaled on a piece of re-bar. This was actually taken from a similar experience from Charisma Carpenter's childhood.

Angel: You know how hard it is to think straight with a re-bar through your torso?

Cordelia: Actually, I do. Benefits of a Sunnydale education.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: On its first airing, this episode scored a 4.6/6 in the overnight Nielsen ratings. It was ranked 4th out of the 17 WB shows which aired that week.

Allusions and References

• Ebeneezer: Cordelia refers to Ebeneezer Scrooge, the antagonist of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. In the story, Scrooge is a miserly money-changer who values his wealth over anything, even the well-being of his employees. In the story, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts, who show him visions of Christmas in the past, present and future. At the end of the night, he reforms out of fear of his own mortality.

• Mr. Bill: Mr. Bill is a claymation character who regularly appeared on Saturday Night Live. In each Mr. Bill sketch, he would wind up getting crushed or otherwise maimed in some kind of accident. The "Oh noooooooo!" that the officer says after referencing Mr. Bill is a reference to his catchphrase, which he would yell whenever he was in the midst of being harmed.

• The Incredible Hulk: On the Incredible Hulk television series, Bill Bixby was well known for the phrase, "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." When enraged by something, David Banner would transform into a giant green monster known as the Hulk, played by Lou Ferrigno.

Angel: You wouldn't like me when I'm happy.

Memorable Moments

• Lilah gives the word to her operatives to "pull the trigger" on Bethany. After Angel successfully calms her down, there is a knock at the door and, after she realizes that the man at the door is her father, Bethany blows out all the windows on the top floor of the hotel.

Quotes

• Cordelia: You are such a sheep. You've never had a single opinion you didn't read in a book.

Wesley: At least I've opened a book.

Cordelia: Oh, don't even try with the snooty, woolly boy. I was top ten percent of my class.

Wesley: What class? Advanced bosoms?

• Cordelia: You can't fire me. I'm vision girl.

• (applying a bandage to Angel)

Cordelia: I can't get this bandage to... Stop moving!

Angel: I'm not.

Cordelia: Well, then, stop breathing.

Angel: I don't breathe.

Cordelia: Then stop flexing your manly boob muscles, or whatever.

• Angel: Do you know how hard it is to think straight with a rebar through your torso?

Cordelia: Actually, I do. Benefits of a Sunnydale education.

• Gunn: The fair Cordelia. You still saving my life?

Cordelia: Every minute.

Gunn: How's that working out?

Cordelia: You're alive, aren't you?

• Cordelia: (about Bethany) There's something. She's got a vibe. I'm getting a vibe. She's vibey.

Wesley: I didn't notice a vibe.

Cordelia: Well, all evidence to the contrary, Wes, but you're not a woman.

• Bethany: I could make you happy.

Angel: You wouldn't like me when I'm happy.

• Gunn: I'm still dealin' with this man's ugly-ass living room set. Some people just shouldn't have money.

• Cordelia: Don't bone my boss.

Bethany: What?

Cordelia: Angel. He's strictly a no-bone.