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Post by Gin on Feb 4, 2009 23:32:36 GMT 1
from imdb
#5.16 Shells
Original Air Date: 3 March 2004 Directed by Steven S. DeKnight & Joss Whedon (segments "Fred flashback"- uncredited) Writing credits: Steven S. DeKnight
Episode Cast David Boreanaz ... Angel James Marsters ... Spike J. August Richards ... Charles Gunn Amy Acker ... Illyria Andy Hallett ... Lorne Alexis Denisof ... Wesley Wyndam-Pryce Jennifer Griffin ... Trish Burkle Mercedes McNab ... Harmony Kendall Marc Vann ... Doctor Sparrow Jonathan M. Woodward ... Knox Gary Grubbs ... Roger Burkle (uncredited)
Plot As Angel and the gang try desperately to bring Fred back, Wesley begins to understand that the ancient demon Illyria, now fused with Fred's body, is here to stay. Exhausting all options for saving Fred, the gang switches gears to stop Illyria and her plan for global domination.
Goofs * Continuity: In the opening scene, Wesley lets some tears fall over Fred's death. In some shots his face is wet, in others it is dry.
Soundtrack * "A Place Called Home" Performed by Kim Richey
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Post by Cynni on Feb 5, 2009 19:07:11 GMT 1
from http://www.cityofangel.com:
Episode 16, Season 5 Title: "Shells"
Written & Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight Original Air Date: March 3rd, 2004
Teaser:
Opening with a recap of last weeks episode through to Illyria being 'born' though Fred's body, Wesley stands up to face her calling for Fred as Illyria approaches the mirror to inspect her new form then realising Fred is gone Wesley states, "Illyria." Angry that he dare approach her and shocked that humans are not extinct by now, she informs him she knows nothing of Fred nor does she care and tells him they are done before turning her back as Wesley picks up a huge axe.
Act I:
Wesley strikes the back of Illyria's head but the weapon breaks as, unperturbed, she confesses that she remembers Winifred Burkle and witnessing Wesley's grief she is disgusted by it. Wesley tells her that humans run the earth and attempts to persuade her to leave until they are finally gone but she is bound to Fred's body and is unable to change that but thanks him for opening her eyes; if the world is overrun by humans she has work to do and with that she picks up Wesley and throws him against the wall before leaving.
On the Wolfram & Hart jet, Spike complains that he is unable to get drunk before reminding Angel that they couldn't have sacrificed thousands of people and she would not have wanted them to. Angel agrees then informs Spike he has been unable to reach Wesley leading Spike to the realisation that she is gone. Angel wonders what 'gone' really means because in their world death does not have to be the end.
A bloody and beaten Knox lies slumped in a chair in Gunn's office as Harmony begs Gunn to allow her to torture him. Wesley arrives and Gunn tells him Knox is involved but Wesley says that it doesn't matter as Fred is gone, explaining how Illyria took over Fred's body. Gunn thinks it is still Fred even though she is being controlled but Wesley is sure Fred is gone, and Knox admits that she was the most beautiful perfect woman he ever met and that is why he chose her. Wesley is ready to shoot Knox but Gunn, choked, tells him he knows how he feels but they may need Knox. Wesley breaks down explaining how he felt her die, she was shaking with pain and terrified and yet so brave, finally he whispers, "She's gone!" as Angel arrives; he knows but he plans to get her back.
Angel explains to the gang that it was too late for Drogan to help as Lorne berates himself for not reading Knox when he sang for him and as Angel tries to placate him he apologises as he has to leave, unable to handle the situation. Gunn agrees with Lorne that they should have seen it coming but Angel assures them all that, according to Drogan, the sarcophagus was preordained to be released and they could have done nothing to stop it. Gunn admits this is not strictly true as the sarcophagus did get stuck in customs but someone got it out and he is working on it. Wesley is not satisfied with this and angrily reminds them all that the only thing left of Fred is a shell but Angel and Spike both point out that her soul is the key and it is out there somewhere and they will find it. In need of the big guns, Wesley suggests Willow [BtVS] who according to Spike is in South America and Angel says they will track her down but in the meantime they must contain Illyria.
In Gunn's office, Harmony is watching Knox when suddenly the internal window breaks as Illyria pulls him through the window. As Harmony faces up to her, Illyria throws her across the lobby as the employees watch in horror and Knox gushes that he knew she would come for him and how much he worships her.
Act II:
In the lab, as Knox professes his love for her, Illyria realises he is her Qwa'ha Xahn, her priest, and he shows her a closed wound in his chest, containing ancient sacraments which he placed close to his heart according to the ancient ways. She is disappointed that the world is not how she left it and Knox apologises that there is nothing he can do to change it, but she tells him she can as she rips off her clothes.
In his office, Angel speaks to Giles by phone and learns that Willow is in the Himalayas on an astral plane and can not be contacted. As he wanders away Wesley apologises to Gunn for taking out his frustrations on him admitting he has lost all reason but Gunn looks away as, consumed by guilt, he apologises too.
Angel finishes his call, throwing the phone at the wall before admitting they are on their own but nothing has changed and they need to find Illyria, at that moment Harmony arrives to tell them what happened.
In the lab, Illyria places her hand on top of the sarcophagus and a suit of leather armour spreads up her arm and over her body as she tells Knox she is ready to begin. Angel, Spike, Gunn and Wesley arrive, complete with armed security and Illyria recognises Angel as a warrior but asks if this is all they can muster against her. Wesley informs her they have enough bullets to stop her temporarily as Angel says she should have stayed dead with the rest of her kind; she has taken something very precious of theirs and they want it back. He orders her to stand down, promising not to harm her in the process but she declines his offer and throws him through the window of both the lab and the building. Turning on the rest of them she casts a spell placing them in a time warp and as they all move in slow motion she escapes with Knox. As they walk past the building outside, time is returned and Angel crashes to the pavement outside but they have already gone.
Arriving back in the lobby, Angel asks how Illyria escaped them and as Spike recalls things becoming blurred, Gunn says that she was moving super fast while they were moving really slowly as Angel realises she can alter time. Angel asks Wesley to go through all of Knox's files and tear apart the sarcophagus for clues and as Wesley heads off with Harmony, Gunn mentions he has some contacts he could check out.
Entering Angel's office Spike recalls that in the lab, even though Illyria looked like Fred, there was no scent and it seemed like Fred wasn't even there and Angel sadly agrees as he takes a dagger from the wall. Spike admits that he wants Fred back as much as anyone but seeing her like that he wonders if she really is gone but Angel will not hear of it; he lost Cordelia to a demon host and there is no way he will let it happen again.
Harmony trashes the lab as Wesley, staring at the sarcophagus, comes to the realisation that Fred was just curious, and running his hands along the surface he tells Harmony that Fred always had a need to know how things worked, what made them special, and he confesses that he hates her a little for it. Handing Wesley the crowbar, Harmony reminds him that the girl of his dreams loved him which is more than most people get; he knows but says it is not enough. In anger he smashes the crowbar down on the sarcophagus over and over before finally lifting the purplish jewel and holding it to the light where he sees that it has markings relating to time. He pockets the jewel as he thinks it may be useful and Harmony hands him Knox's cell phone which has been wiped of incoming and outgoing calls but there are 3 missed calls from the same person.
Arriving at Dr Sparrow's office, Gunn threatens his life if he does not divulge everything he knows and demands to know how they get Fred back but Sparrow confesses they can't which Gunn refuses to believe. Sparrow reminds Gunn of their deal as Gunn, in tears, begs him to reverse it and bring her back, but Sparrow tells him there is nothing left to bring back, her soul was destroyed during the resurrection of Illyria and he has to live with it. Just then Sparrow is knocked out by a rifle but and Wesley asks Gunn if he has anything to tell him.
Act III:
Aiming the rifle at Gunn, Wesley explains that Knox was in touch with Sparrow and asks if what Sparrow said about Fred's soul is true, demanding to know what Gunn has done. Gunn explains that he was losing all his knowledge, the thing that made him feel special and Sparrow could fix that so he signed a custom release form but he had no idea anyone would get hurt. Wesley reminds him that nothing from Wolfram & Hart is for free and Gunn confesses that he couldn't go back and he didn't think it would be them, would be Fred. Wesley understands that and he can forgive it but adds that Gunn knew what was happening to her and he didn't say anything, he let her die. He grabs a knife from the doctor's surgical table and stabs Gunn in the stomach admitting he is less forgiving about that.
In his office, Angel furiously throws Wesley against the wall, demanding to know how stabbing Gunn became part of the agenda as Wesley assures him he will probably live. Angel wonders if that is supposed to make it ok, but Wesley shouts that nothing is alright as Fred's soul was destroyed resurrecting Illyria, Angel is devastated. Wesley updates him on Gunn's deception and points out that he let her die but Angel admits he did too; he could have saved her but only in place of the lives of thousands. Wesley is visibly shocked but Angel reminds him that he must put it aside and focus on Illyria. Spike arrives, after having tortured Sparrow; he has a name - Vahla Ha'nesh.
In his office, Wesley shows Angel and Spike a drawing of Vahla Ha'nesh, the temple of Illyria in one of his source books; situated in Los Angeles millions of years ago it remains so although in a different time stream and Illyria is the only one able to open the gateway.
Illyria and Knox enter a vacant building where the gateway lies, but as she attempts to open it she finds it is blocked and Knox admits that Wolfram & Hart may have locked it. She has heard of them but is surprised at their status as they were weak in her time, Knox tells her not to worry as he has a skeleton key.
Harmony brings some papers to the hospital for Gunn to sign but he is sure Angel would not want him signing anything and she admits that is what they are about before asking if it is true what they are saying about him. As he says yes, she asks how he could do that and he admits that he was weak and didn't know where he fitted but none of his reasons are important now because she is gone because of him. Finally he breaks down whispering, "I'm sorry".
Back in the vacant building, Knox has placed some bones on the floor which, as they disappear, should open the gateway but just then Angel, Spike and Wesley appear. Illyria wonders if they think killing her will bring back Fred and as Angel acknowledges the fact that it won't, she is surprised that they seek a battle they can not win. Angel tells her that he will not see innocents die in order for her to regain her world and she asks if he would fight for their lives, including Knox, to which he presses that if it came to a choice between her and Knox he would, just like he would for any other human. Suddenly, Wesley shoots Knox and Angel turns to him to ask if he was even listening.
Act IV:
In the courthouse lobby, Knox lay dead on the floor. Illyria is offended that Angel thinks the death of her Qwa'ha Xahn matters to her. He admits that Knox wasn't the problem, but she is. Angel, Spike and Wesley attack in full force but they are no match for her strength, speed and skill. She catching both blades of Spike and Angel and tosses them aside like rag dolls. Wesley fires both pistols as Illyria warps time but Angel pulls out the gem from her sarcophagus and lands his first punch. Again gaining the upper hand, Illyria opens a portal to her temple as Wesley fires and follows her through it just as it closes, leaving Angel and Spike behind.
On the other side, Wesley lands on the marble floor of an inner chamber as Illyria ascend a staircase. She speaks out loud that they are too late, her army will rise and this world will be hers once again. But her world no longer exists; only shattered, desolate remains of Vahla Ha'nesh stand before her. Wesley holds his gun to her head but another portal opens and Illyria disappears before his eyes.
Back in Angel's office, he informs Spike and Wesley they must close the gateway to Illyria's temple permanently. It's time to regroup and take care of their new threat. Wesley heads off to Fred's lab as Spike confesses to Angel that he wants to stay and give what's left of his life for the fight that is coming. He admits it will be a lot bigger than Illyria.
Wesley is packing up Fred's things up in her office when Illyria appears and wonders why he grieves for a single life. She states that Fred cannot return to him, yet there are fragments of her that remain. When Fred's brain collapsed electric spasms channelled into Illyria's function system, memories. Her voice changes to that of Fred as Wes asks her to leave. But Illyria has nowhere to go; her kingdom is dead and she is unsure of her place. She must learn to walk in this world and asked Wesley to help. If she abides by his rules he'll help her, because she looks like Fred.
We see Gunn lying in his hospital bed, Harmony sitting at her desk and Lorne in his room with a drink in his hand. Spike sits on the lobby steps of Wolfram & Hart as Angel sits at his office desk, deep in thought. Wesley places the last remaining items of Fred's things in a box as Illyria gazes at her sarcophagus.
In a flashback we see Fred packing her car and giving her mother a final hug as she heads towards Los Angeles. At the wheel, a smile comes to her face as she drives off down the road.
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