Angel/Recap/S01/E09 Hero
You never know your strength until you're tested.
Angel Investigations help a clan of half-breed demons (a mongrel race resulting from the breeding of demons and humans) hiding from a fanatical Naziesque group known as the Scourge.
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- Anyone Can Die: Doyle is killed.
- Armor-Piercing Slap: Cordy is angry that Doyle has been hiding his demon nature from her.
- Bad Bad Acting: Cordy and Doyle in their add for Angel Investigations.
- Call Back: The demon teen talks about how humiliating it was that the only time he could walk among humans was on Halloween, referencing the fact established in Buffy the Vampire Slayer that demons avoid Halloween because it's crass.
- Captain Obvious
Commander Trask: "You lied to us, half-breed."
Angel: "You catch on quick, football-head."
- Continuity Snarl: The Whedonverse established on Buffy that pure-blood demons don't exist in this dimension (and those that did would be powerful beings like the Mayor was trying to ascend into in "Graduation Day").
- Much later the series gave something of an Author's Saving Throw when a drawing of Illyria's true form resembled a giant squid, hinting that the Scourge were a bunch of posers.
- Cowardly Lion: Doyle
"Well, if it's a fight they want -- can't someone else give it to them?"
- Dark Is Not Evil: The Lister Demons are peaceful race.
- Dying as Yourself: Doyle embraces his half-demon identity before his Heroic Sacrifice.
- Empathy Doll Shot: Doyle finds a pair of children's shoes in the room where the demon family was massacred
- Fantastic Racism: The Scourge are pure-blood demons on a fanatical mission to kill all Half Human Hybrids.
- Good Is Not Nice: Angel threatening the Harbourmaster.
Angel: "Certify that the ship is carrying an inspected cargo of medical waste. No one looks inside that ship or stops it from leaving harbor. If they do, I'm going to feel that it's your fault. Then look for me to get a little bit peckish."
- Heartbroken Badass: Angel after the events of the previous episode; apparently he's become even more broody, if that's possible.
- The Hero: Turns out to be Doyle, not Angel.
- Hero Stole My Bike: Cause that's what heroes do. Anyway, it was a Scourge motorbike, so that's OK.
- Hunter of His Own Kind: Angel convinces the Scourge leader that he's so full of self-hatred he wants to join their cause.
- I Resemble That Remark
Cordy: "What do you think I am, superficial? So you're half demon. That's so far down the list, way under 'short' and 'poor'!
- Last Kiss: Doyle and Cordelia.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The opening scene of the episode.
Cordy (voice over): "Okay, we fade up on an aerial shot, downtown, skyscrapers, lights, yada, yada, yada. We hear a Narrator, preferably famous -- maybe that bald Star Trek guy or one of the cheaper Baldwins, and he says: 'It's a big, bad city out there.' Cut to a woman walking down a dark, spooky street - alone. We'll cast some beautiful, young actress, maybe an up-and-coming starlet whose carrier is on the verge of taking off (we see Cordy walking down a dark street). Anyway, she's all nervous, right? Mucho vulnerable. The voice guy says: 'danger lurks around every corner.' Boom! She's attacked by a big, ugly goon, with a knife. She screams: 'Help! Is there no one to help me?' 'Well now there is someone to answer your call. (We see a dark figure in a long trench coat) He'll protect you, (dark guy beats up big, ugly goon), catch you when you fall! You can count on it. (Camera pulls in on Angel's face and he says to the camera:) 'And you can count on me, because I'm the Dark Avenger'."
- Meaningful Echo: The words Doyle says at the end of the cheesy commercial Cordelia films become painful when the commercial is replayed at the end after he dies. "Is that it? Am I done?"
- My Greatest Failure: Refusing to lend aid to a group of pacifist Brachen demons who were trying to escape The Scourge. Later that night, Doyle experienced his very first vision — that of the entire Brachen clan being slaughtered.
- A Nazi by Any Other Name: The Scorge wear grey well-fitted uniforms of a cut fashionable in 1940's Europe, and drive trucks and motorcycles from the same era.
- Neck Snap: Not Quite Dead Doyle survives Angel breaking his neck because he's in Game Face.
- The Nose Knows
Angel: "I smell something."
Doyle (tasting the food): "Still warm. They left in a hurry."
Angel: "Not food. (Throws a carpet aside revealing a trap door) Fear."
- Percussive Prevention: Doyle knocks out Angel to stop him making the Heroic Sacrifice.
- Percussive Therapy: Angel is pounding a punching bag.
Doyle: "Hey. Is this a private catharsis or can anyone watch?"
- Phlebotinum Bomb: The Beacon can destroy any creature with human blood.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves / Tested on Humans: The First Mate is killed to demonstrate the Beacon.
- Rousing Speech: The Scourge commander, Tiernan, does his Hitler rap.
"Incredible, isn't it? He makes it all so clear."
Cordy: "Well, the guy is a bona fide hero; would it kill him to put on some tights and a cape and garner us some free publicity?"
Doyle: "I don't see Angel putting on some tights... (Takes a deep breath and shakes his head) Ah, now I do, and it's really disturbing."
- Trojan Prisoner
- We Hardly Knew Ye: In part due to Actor Existence Failure -- Joss had always wanted to have a Sacrificial Lion, though Real Life Writes the Plot was also in play due to Glenn Quinn's drug addiction. Whedon wanted to bring him back later, but Quinn died of a drug overdose in 2002.
- We Need a Distraction: Cordy pretending Doyle is playing charades to cover his having a vision in public.
- Zeerust: The Beacon has lots of 1930's era switches and dials.
"Is that it? Am I done?"
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