Angel: Couplet

"Angel...you're the reason we've all come together. It's your mission which animates us. We each contribute, it's true, but you...you're unique. You're like one of these rare volumes, one of a kind."

- Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

"Couplet" is the fourteenth episode of season three of the supernatural action series Angel and the fifty-eighth episode of the series overall. It was directed by Tim Minear with a script written by Minear and Jeffrey Bell. It first aired on the WB Network on February 18th, 2002.

Cordy & Groo
Angel continues to feel pangs of silent jealousy as Cordy's relationship with the Groosalugg deepens. These feelings intensify when Cordy reveals that she is having issues of intimacy due to the supernatural nature of both she and Groo. She wants to have sex with him, but is afraid that were she to do so, she might pass her prophetic visions onto him, thus handicapping her usefulness to the team. Wesley suggests finding some sort of paranormal prophylactic.

Meanwhile, Angel meets a new client, Mrs. Frakes, who is convinced that her fianc, Jerry, is cheating on her due to the affects of some sort of love spell. He assigns Gunn and Fred to do surveillance on Jerry.

Later, Cordy is in her room with Groo when she has a vision. She sees an image of a black-skinned demon with spikes on his back. They determine that this creature is a Senih'D and that its primary insinct is to feed on hapless victims.

Monsters in the sewers
Angel and Groo track the Senih'D to the sewers and encounter it. They swap blows with the creature and it escapes to the surface. As it is daylight out, Angel cannot follow, but never fear... Groo is here! The Groosalug (using Angel's favorite broadsword) chases the demon into a park and vanquishes it, much to the gratitude of several onlookers as well as the other members of Team Angel.

Later that evening, Gunn and Fred conduct their surveillance of Jerry at Plummer Park in West Hollywood. They spend half the time making out and fail to see Jerry suddenly vanish. After losing sight of Jerry, they check their surveillance camera and see a group of roots come up from out of the ground and pull him down. They run to the tree that Jerry was standing near, when suddenly, more roots grow up from beneath them and pull them underground. Gunn is able to use his cell phone to call Angel for help.

By this point, Cordy has given Groo a haircut and he is now borrowing Angel's clothes. Angel feels as if Groo is replacing him altogether. Cordy tells them about a demon brothel they can go to where they can acquire a magic potion that will enable Cordy and Groo to have sex without any ill effects. Angel doesn't want to do this, but he also wants Cordy to be happy. They go to the brothel and meet with a woman named Anita, who sells them the potion.

The root of all evil
Angel and Groo then field the call from Gunn and they go off to find him. They go underground beneath the park where they find Gunn and Fred entangled in the roots of a subterranean tree monster. Groo's impulsiveness gets the better of him and he charges into battle, only to be impaled by one of the sharp roots. The tree demon is slowly siphoning life energy from him and is impressed by Groo's power. Angel frees Groo then tricks the tree demon into piercing him with one of its roots. As a vampire, Angel has no life energy to provide it with sustenance. This connection begins to weaken the creature, enabling Angel to get close enough to it to stab it. After the battle is won, Angel frees Fred and Gunn and they all return home. Cordy nurses the Groosalugg's wounds.

Angel gives Cordelia the magic potion as well as a wad of money. He tells her that he wants her to take a vacation so that she can enjoy herself for a while. Some place with sun.

Meanwhile, Wesley has been conducting research on the miraculous strangeness of Connor's birth. After transcribing some ancient text relating to the Nyazian prophecies, he writes the words, "The father will kill the son". He then looks up to see Angel happily snuggling with Connor.

Notes & Trivia

 * Angel was created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt.


 * This episode is included on disc four of the Angel: Season Three DVD collection. It is also included on disc sixteen of the Angel: The Complete Series collection.


 * This episode is production code number 3ADH14.


 * Actor Bernard Addison is credited as Bernard K. Addison in this episode.


 * This is the first and only appearance of the Senih'D demon. It is identified only as "Monster" in the closing credits of the episode.

Quotes

 * Angel: Just tell me what I can do.
 * Cordelia Chase: I need you to help me have sex. With Groo.

....
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Why can't you have sex?
 * Cordelia Chase: I could lose my "visionity".
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: If you wanna play it that way...

....
 * Groosalugg: I shall present this beast's head to my princess as a token.
 * Angel: Right, 'cause she'd love that.

....
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: You should have called one of us.
 * Cordelia Chase: Oh please, like I'm going to bother you guys in the middle of the night because I want sex and can't have it.
 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: Actually, I meant the vision.

....
 * Angelus: He seemed...uh, I don't know, uh...short?
 * Lorne: Oh absolutely. Clearly the guy shrank, all over probably. Why he's nothing but a muscle-y midget. I'm sure once Cordelia gets him home she'll just pop him in a smallish drawer and that'll be that.

Keywords
Angel Investigations; California; Connor; Demons; Hotel; Hollywood; Hyperion Hotel; Impalement; Los Angeles; Love spell; Magic potion; Nyazian prophecies; Plummer Park; Precognition; Prophecy; Senih'D; Stabbing; Vampires