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Post by Gin on Feb 4, 2009 23:12:28 GMT 1
from imdb
#4.03 The House Always Wins
Original Air Date: 20 October 2002 Directed by Marita Grabiak Writing credits: David Fury
Episode Cast David Boreanaz ... Angel Charisma Carpenter ... Cordelia Chase J. August Richards ... Charles Gunn Amy Acker ... Winifred 'Fred' Burkle Vincent Kartheiser ... Connor Alexis Denisof ... Wesley Wyndam-Pryce Andy Hallett ... Lorne Clayton Rohner ... Lee DeMarco Morocco Omari ... Spencer Jennifer Autry ... Lornette #2 Matt Bushell ... Security Guard #3 Tom Schmid ... Well Dressed Man Sven Holmberg ... Delivery Guy Brittany Ishibashi ... Vivian Diana Saunders ... Bejeweled Woman Gloria Alexandra ... Lornette #1 John Colella ... Croupier Rod Tate ... Bruiser Beyondka Fields ... Featured Dancer Tara Archuleta ... Featured Dancer Jill Landess ... Featured Dancer Olga Shalyganova ... Featured Dancer Kristine L. Lenmark ... Featured Dancer Marina Vantskous ... Featured Dancer Natalya Filatova ... Featured Dancer Suzanne Brasington ... Featured Dancer Nicole Cocacevich ... Featured Dancer Krisanne Malloy ... Featured Dancer Kristin Hillier ... Featured Dancer Tiffany Deal ... Featured Dancer David Fury ... Tropicana Guest (uncredited) Petra Jorgensen ... Tropicana Guest (uncredited) Kelly A. Manners ... Man (uncredited)
Plot: Angel, Gunn and Fred head to Las Vegas to see Lorne only to find that he is being forced to steal people's destinies. Once Angel's is stolen, only Cordelia can help. Meanwhile a friend unexpectedly shows up at the hotel.
Trivia * CAMEO:(David Fury and Kelly A. Manners) In the front row of Lorne's Las Vegas concert.
Goofs * Errors in geography: As the gang enters Las Vegas and they're trying to figure out where Lorne is performing, they see a billboard for Lorne playing at the Tropicana. When Gunn and Fred successfully sneak Lorne out of the casino, they state that they came out "by Glitter Gulch." Glitter Gulch is downtown on Fremont Street. The Tropicana is on "The Strip" on S Las Vegas Blvd. over 5mi away so there is no way they could walk out of the Tropicana and end up by Glitter Gulch.
Soundtrack * "Lady Marmalade" Written by Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan Performed by Andy Hallett * "It's Not Easy Being Green" Written by Joseph Raposo Performed by Andy Hallett
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Post by Cynni on Feb 5, 2009 19:00:45 GMT 1
from http://www.cityofangel.com:
Episode 3, Season 4 Title: "The House Always Wins"
Written by: David Fury Directed by: Marita Grabiak Original Air Date: 20 October 2002
Teaser:
From a Los Angeles rooftop, we move between scenes of Angel watching Connor below while Cordelia watches Angel from above. Angel looks down into a dark alley as Connor fights a vampire unaware that his father is above. We find out that Connor has continued the mission in his own way; Angel has kept his distance and instead gives his son "advice" from above. From high, really high above, Cordelia looks down on Angel's spying but is annoyed that he doesn't seem to be worried about her. She yells, "Help Me!" Angel raises his head as if he heard her, but the fight below gets intense and the vamp is about to escape. Dad assists by dropping a cement vase in the demon's path and it is enough to give Connor a chance to stake it and he disappears into the night.
Angel speaks, "I know you're there, watching me." Cordy is elated but unfortunately, he's referring to Fred and Gunn who have followed him, concerned that Angel has been skulking and is distracted. They ask for some direction and Angel proposes a "little retreat."
A few hours later, Angel, Gunn and Fred drive into Vegas in his black convertible. Marquee lights flash and twinkle on the strip as Elvis sings in the background: Viva, Las Vegas!
Act I:
As our crew drives into Las Vegas, Angel reminisces about his last visit to the City of Sin, when there were just sand dunes. They are there to see Lorne so that Angel can be read and return to his path. Fred informs them that Lorne is playing at The Tropicana, but Angel points out that it is a high profile casino, not the place to find a demon singing but to add to their disbelief they are met with a large billboard with a photo of Lorne announcing his act.
Inside The Tropicana, Lorne performs before a 30-piece orchestra while Angel, Fred and Gunn look on in amazement. Lorne charismatically entertains the crowd along with a set of beautiful green dancers with red horns and bustier, the dancing Lornettes. Fred realizes that the audience must think it is all makeup and that Lorne is not really a demon from another dimension. He breaks out into "Lady Marmalade" and plays to the audience, allowing some members of the audience to sing. He passes straight by our crew, not even acknowledging them and gets an audience member named Vivian to sing. She is celebrating her going away to Paris to study the culinary arts.
After the show, a large group of fans are waiting for Lorne backstage, among them our three friends. We find out that Angel met the Rat Pack back in the day, seems Angel did have a life at one time. Lorne comes out and signs an autograph and ignores his beloved LA friends again and makes a bee line for his dressing room. Angel gets upset and tries to break through the crowd and calls to Lorne. The guards keep him back and when Lorne's personal bodyguard asks him about Angel, he explains, "Just some old fans of mine."
Once inside his posh dressing room, Lorne enjoys his drink brought by a Lornette. The owner of the casino enters and compliments his performance, while the bodyguard takes out a seating chart but Lorne asks if "this" could be done later. The bodyguard responds with a punch to Lorne's stomach and the owner threatens to "pink slip" another girl from Lorne's act. Our talented crooner gets to work and points to the seating chart and describes three members' destinies; a future senator, a future Pulitzer prize winner and Vivian, a future chef with three, five-star restaurants. This makes the owner very happy and wishes Lorne a terrific second show as he presses a small remote control in his hand. As he leaves, steel bars seal the door locking Lorne inside a prison.
Act II:
At Wesley's apartment and makeshift headquarters for his private eye business, the boss is on the phone with a special someone. Call waiting interrupts and Wes's voice changes, business-like he accepts Angel's clients, since Angel is away. He orders his employee to obtain the items on the list he handed him and then orders him out. Wes gets comfy on the sofa and his voice softens once more. Things are getting steamy over the phone with Lilah Morgan.
Back at The Tropicana, Gunn and Fred are playing black jack, while Angel is worried that Lorne hasn't contacted them yet. Angel watches one of the Lorgnette's walk up to Vivian and hand her a special chip. The chip allows her to play a game that will give her the chance to win a million dollars. Vivian is elated and quickly walks behind the curtain to enter the game room. Angel stops the Lornette and convinces her to hand Lorne a note. She reluctantly agrees and smiles at Angel's charming face.
Angel takes a moment to walk through the casino, noticing the players' somnambulist-like actions playing the machines. He senses something is wrong, but doesn't know what it is. From up above our Cordy comments on his keen vampire senses picking up the evil mojo inside the casino but what about her? Can't he sense her? In frustration, she yells his name out and Angel turns his eyes upward as if he could hear our enlightened Cordy.
At the Black Jack table, Fred's pile of chips is growing, while Gunn's has diminished. It seems that Fred can count cards. She points out the Angel must feel really lonely with Connor and Cordy out of his life. She sees Angel behind them and continues to chat with Gunn, but suddenly without their notice, Angel is carried off by two guards. Gunn and Fred decide to find Lorne but Angel has now disappeared.
Outside the casino, Angel is dragged into the street and the guards try to beat him up, but he turns vamp and takes them down. "This place was so much friendlier when the Mob ran it!" On his way back, he sees Vivian walking into the street with an empty plastic cup in her hand. Angel saves her from an oncoming car, but she seems calm and only remarks that she needs more quarters because she has to "play to win".
Gunn and Fred sneak backstage and check out the unusual security around Lorne's dressing room. Gunn finds this very suspicious and more difficult for them but they spot a girl coming out of the Lornettes� dressing room and they get an idea.
Moments later, Fred steps into the hallway in green skin and red horns and walks past the guards who think Fred is there to give Lorne a "diddle" before his next act. Inside, Lorne nearly smashes a bottle over her head but is elated when he recognizes Winifred. She had no idea he was prisoner but Lorne explains that he practiced the �universal code� for help by asking about her non-existence pet dog, Fluffy. Unfortunately, Fred wasn't too keen on that clue. Lorne explains that the owner of the casino, Lee DeMarco, was once a second rate lounge magician until he took hold of a truly mystical item and now uses Lorne to help ruin lives. It has to do with a game.
In the casino, Angel forces his way into the Million Dollar game room. The wheel is spinning as DeMarco greets him and throws him a chip that Angel catches and tosses on the table as he refuses to play. The chip magically into place. Before Angel can beat up DeMarco for information on what happened to Vivian, the house "wins" and the chips are collected. Angel forgets why he was there and quietly accepts the plastic cup full of quarters "on the house" and all the players exit to play the slot machines.
Act III:
Outside Lorne's dressing room, the guards hear Fred scream and she runs out to inform them that Lorne has escaped after he threw up his skeleton and slithered down the bathroom drain. The guards quickly sound the alert and run inside, while Lorne sneaks outside in a trench coat and hat. Gunn ties the door knobs together with a piece of curtain tie and they run for it.
Inside the trading room, the bodyguard hands DeMarco a sheet of information on Angel and he discovers that Angel plays a pivotal role in the apocalypse; an incredible future has been stolen without even trying. He immediately instructs the guard to inform their brokers and Wolfram & Hart.
In the casino, Gunn finds Angel playing the slot machines and asks him to keep the guards busy for as long as possible, while he gets the car and agrees to pick him up outside. Gunn, Fred and Lorne run outside and try to find the car to make a getaway.
As they search for the car, Lorne finishes the story behind DeMarco for Gunn. DeMarco is into trading futures on the Black Market, people's destinies that is, for the highest bidder. The better the destiny the higher the price and thanks to Lorne, DeMarco knows who will have the brightest future. People can bid for a destiny to change their life. The victims never have any purpose or succeed but most spend their life playing at the slot machines. Gunn realizes that Angel has become a victim. Fred, Gunn and Lorne are quickly being surrounded by guards on the Las Vegas strip when Lorne spots a street musician singing nearby and grabs the microphone and does what he does best. He hits a really high note and holds it until lights from nearby casinos begin to explode. The crowd panics and our crew gets away, leaving the guards searching the running crowds.
Finally safe away from the public, Gunn jumps on Lorne for betraying Angel to DeMarco but the truth is that our Lorne refused at first but after DeMarco killed one of his dancing girls, he changed his tune. Gunn backs down and realizes that Lorne had no choice. They finally find the car and head back to the casino.
Outside the casino, Fred and Lorne wait in the car, while Gunn runs inside to get Angel. Angel does recognize Gunn but wants nothing to do except continue playing. The guards catch Gunn and drag in Lorne and Fred from outside. Angel returns to his playing, while the others are taken away.
Act IV:
In his trading office, DeMarco is happy to have his crooner back and decides to kill Gunn and Fred.
From above, Cordy is worried sick and can't think of how to get Angel into the trading room. She is not allowed to intervene but our Cordy starts to think.
With his last quarter, Angel becomes a winner. DeMarco watches Angel wins on the security monitor and he is quickly dragged inside since it is impossible for someone without a destiny to win. DeMarco questions Angel to see if he has regained his destiny but Angel convinces the evil trader that it must have been a glitch in the machine. He orders the winnings be paid to Angel in quarters and Gunn and Fred be taken to the desert. Gunn resists and a guard points a gun on Fred but Angel turns vamp face and fights back. The guards are quickly overtaken and Lorne breaks the mystical orb containing all the stolen destines. The destinies, now freed, return to their respective owners and Angel snaps out of it. Our crew is glad to have their boss back and the finally leave the casino.
It's night when our crew returns home from their road trip. Angel is mystified on how he won at the slot machines and why he fought the guards if he was not supposed to, but Lorne offers that he was fighting for the futures of his friends. They step inside and Angel lays eyes on, "Cordy?" She has returned but has only one question, "Who are you people?" The real question is: What happened to our Cordy?
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