Through the Looking Glass (Angel episode)
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| “Through the Looking Glass” | |
|---|---|
| Angel episode | |
 |
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| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 21 |
| Guest stars | Mark Lutz Tom McCleister Adoni Maropis |
| Written by | Tim Minear |
| Directed by | Tim Minear |
| Production no. | 2ADH22 |
| Original airdate | May 15, 2001 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Over the Rainbow" | "There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb" |
| List of Angel episodes | |
"Through the Looking Glass" is episode 21 of season 2 in the television show Angel. See List of Angel episodes for a complete list.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
Trapped in the Pylea dimension, Angel and the group work overtime to survive, starting when Cordelia finds herself appointed ruling princess of Pylea by an order of priests and ordered to mate with a human-like creature called the Groosalugg. Meanwhile, Angel (immune to the dimension’s sunlight) seeks to help Lorne the Host bond with his estranged family, which takes a turn when Angel saves a runaway human slave, named Winifred “Fred” Burkle, the same L.A. librarian who was sucked into Pylea five years earlier. Also, Wesley and Gunn manage to escape from the castle only to end up as captives of human Pylean rebels plotting to overthrow the monarchy.
[edit] Expanded overview
The guys are all shocked to see Cordelia in the position of princess, but as Cordy talks of her new high role, the guys are desperately waiting for her to release them. She jokingly demands their heads be cut off, but quickly restates herself. After she dismisses the guards, the guys go for the food and Cordelia recounts her stay so far in Pylea and how she became princess. The Host reveals that his people have been waiting for one cursed with the sight that will save them all. While pondering ways to get back home, the gang notices that Angel has a reflection that they can all see in a full-length mirror.
Angel is torn away from his reflection to go visit the Host's family and maybe find information on a portal. The priests express their distastes in Cordelia as princess, but agree to deal with her until a "com-shuk" has occurred. The Host, who has requested to be called Lorne, and Angel arrive at the family's house. Lorne receives an interesting reception from his mother. After Landok appears and identifies Angel as a hero, Lorne's mother changes her opinion of the "cow" and allows him into the house. Angel is given new clothes and made the special guest of their upcoming village feast, enjoying every second of it while Lorne is left ignored.
When looking through books at the castle, Wesley discovers that the books are written in trilogies and no one is complete without two others. Some information on the cursed one is found as the "com-shuk" is discussed as something she will have to do with a Groosalugg. The gang considers asking the priests to translate the books for them, but upon looking on the images on the covers of three books: a wolf, ram and hart, they worry about trusting the priests and think thoughts of an evil law firm. Angel tells stories to the people of Pylea while Lorne waits a distance away, eager to go back.
Silas, one of the priests, arrives and at their request, informs Cordelia and the others that the Groosalugg has been summoned and that the "com-shuk" is a mating ritual. Landok offers Angel the honor of "swinging the crebbil in the Bach-nal," and Angel agrees to take part, but the Host knows what this means and tries to stop Angel. Angel finds that he is wanted to behead a human so the people of Pylea can feast on it. Fred is the human brought forth, but Angel refuses to kill her. The two are able to make an escape when Lorne begins to sing, causing severe pain to all of his people.
Wesley and Gunn try to lead Cordelia to escape through a sewer tunnel, but while they make it, the priests catch her before she can get anywhere. Fred leads Angel to a cave where she has clearly been staying for a long while. Fred talks nervously and crazily as she writes on the walls of the cave. Angel finds Fred's driver's license and realizes she is the girl from Cordy's vision. She doesn't believe him when he tells her of her life in LA and how she got to Pylea because it's been so long, she's doesn't want to believe.
Cordelia is heavily guarded and tended to while she sits on her throne, worried about meeting the demon. However, when Silas introduces the Groosalugg, a handsome and muscular young male, Cordelia suddenly considers the mating option. Angel tries to lead Fred to the castle, but guards on horseback find them and Angel must fight. Instead of his usual vampire visage, a green, spikey demon appearance takes over his face. The demon has complete control over Angel, allowing him to attack one of the guards, brutally ripping through the body with his super sized teeth. The other runs and Angel takes off as well, leaving Fred frightened and alone.
The Groosalugg talks to Cordelia, showing her how his human qualities make him unappealing to his people, but very intriguing to Cordelia. He talks of how he battled with demons and others in order to end his existence, but he defeated them all and earned his name for bravery and strength. Lorne is brought before Cordelia for judgment and he is almost sentenced to death, but Cordelia pardons him and then kicks him out so she can be alone with her future mate. In the woods, Wesley and Gunn walk around lost until the demon Angel attacks them. It takes a moment before Wesley recognizes Angel's tattoo, but the demon won't let Angel recognize his friends.
A short distance away, Fred coats her hand in blood and is able to lure Angel away from his friends with the smell. Gunn is badly wounded and then matters are made worse as a group of what appears to be humans surround them. Demon Angel sees his reflection in water at Fred's cave and is suddenly motivated to switch back to human form. Cordelia explains to the Groosalugg that she is not a princess, but he doesn't believe her because of what he was told. Silas tells his fellow priests that the princess has requested paper so she can write proclamations and do good for Pylea. He doesn't like the fact that she has not taken part in the com-shuk yet, and decides she needs to be informed more clearly.
Gunn and Welsey find themselves tied up by rebels who want to send a message to the castle. Gunn and Wesley try to convince the rebels that they know the princess and suggest they use them to contact her. The rebels agree, but their idea involves decapitation and loses its appeal. Fred comforts Angel as he painfully deals with the aftermath of being controlled by the demon. He concludes that his friends saw what he really was and now he can never go back.
Cordelia's proclamation writing is interrupted by Silas who brings forth a large platter and orders Groosalugg out of the room. He tells her she and Groosalugg are just tools and she will do what she is told. Cordelia refuses to accept that. Suddenly though, she is shocked into silence as Silas reveals Lorne's head displayed on the platter.
[edit] Writing and acting
[edit] Production details
[edit] Quotes and trivia
Joss Whedon performed the role of Lorne's brother, Numfar, who performed the dance of joy and dance of honor for a while on camera.
When Angel is telling stories to the children, he tells them "I cut the evil lawyer beasts hand off and he screamed and screamed... then I left" refers to "To Shanshu in L.A." when Angel cut Lindsey McDonald's hand off. Also Landok asks Angel to "tell the tale of the sorcerer who could remove his limbs and reassemble them at will" which refers to the season one episode "I Fall to Pieces".
The look of demonic Angel in Pylea resembles much Jem'Hadar alien warriors from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The only difference is the skin color: here it's greenish, Jem'Hadars are grey-ish.
[edit] Translations
- German title: "Ein Thron für Cordelia" ("A throne for Cordelia")
- Italian title: "Attraverso lo specchio" ("Through the looking glass")
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Arc significance
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: January 2001 - Spring 2001 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.12 Checkpoint |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.12 Blood Money |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.13 Happy Anniversary |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.13 Blood Ties |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.14 The Thin Dead Line |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.15 Reprise |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.14 Crush |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.16 Epiphany |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Wisdom of War |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.15 I Was Made to Love You |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.17 Disharmony |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Vengeance |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.16 The Body |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.18 Dead End |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Haunted |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.17 Forever |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.19 Belonging |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Ugly Little Monsters |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy comic: 'Chaos Bleeds' prequel |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy video game: Chaos Bleeds |
| L.A., 2001 | Tales of the Slayer: Again, Sunnydale |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.18 Intervention |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Tempted Champions |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Little Things |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Crossings |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Sweet Sixteen |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.19 Tough Love |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.20 Over the Rainbow |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.20 Spiral |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.21 Through the Looking Glass |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.21 The Weight of the World |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B5.22 The Gift |
| L.A., 2001 | A2.22 There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Death of Buffy: Lost & Found’ |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Death of Buffy |
