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Judgment (Angel)

"Judgment" is episode 1 of season 2 of the television show Angel. Written by David Greenwalt and directed by Michael Lange, it was originally broadcast on September 26, 2000 on the WB network. In this episode, when Angel accidentally kills the demonic protector of a pregnant woman named Jo, he takes over as her champion. She is seeking protection for her unborn child from the mystical Tribunal, which requires her champion to defeat a challenger in single combat. Meanwhile, Wolfram & Hart have resurrected the long-dead vampire Darla to seek revenge against Angel.

Plot

Lilah visits Lindsey's office where Darla is enjoying classical music. She talks of how she can feel Angel, and slowly her memory begins to return. Cordelia is at acting class until she gets a "911" message on her beeper and has to leave. Wesley is throwing darts to impress a young woman when he also gets a message on his beeper. The two meet Angel at a gym where they put an end to a demon performing a sacrificial ritual in a room behind one of the gym mirrors. Cordelia has a vision about a Prio Motu demon, and for more information they go to Caritas, a demon karaoke bar and safe haven, to seek out Wesley's demon informant Merl who knows where to find the Prio Motu demon. Lorne is introduced as the Host of the bar, an Anagogic demon who can see into the hearts and read the future of those who sing, but Angel refuses to sing in public, saying its one of three things he never does. Angel finds the Prio Motu demon along with a pregnant woman. He kills the demon, but then the woman, Jo, tearfully informs him that the demon was protecting her and her unborn child. Feeling guilty about killing the demon, Angel tracks down Merl and is informed of the location the Prio demon was living at as well as the importance of the child.

Angel finds Gunn hunting vampires in a bad part of town and asks for help in finding the Prio Motu demon's hideout, which is empty except for a talisman that may be of use. Angel asks Gunn to deliver the talisman to Wesley and Cordelia while he waits for the pregnant woman to return. When she does, Angel offers his help, but she's not eager to accept it as he has done her nothing but harm. Demons attack, and Angel sends Jo to Cordelia's place while he fights them off. Gunn shows up at Cordelia bearing the talisman, followed by Angel. Jo never showed up.

Wesley determines that the talisman identifies a champion for the Tribunal, a mystical organization that offers protection. To get more information, Angel is forced to sing karaoke in front of the Host - he mangles "Mandy" (This is, incidentally, the first indication that Angel is familiar with contemporary American pop culture; throughout his appearances on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he was consistently depicted as a "cultured" sort, reading centuries-old works from France, Great Britain, and elsewhere in direct contrast to the thoroughly modern Spike.). The Host tells Angel where the woman's trial will take place. Jo finds herself alone, with no champion and no talisman as the trial begins, and just as the tribunal announces that her life is to be taken, Angel arrives to fight for her, and is able to destroy his demonic opponent. Angel goes to visit Faith, now serving a long prison term, and they talk about redemption and Barry Manilow.

Acting

J. August Richards joins the regular cast and is billed in the opening credits as of this episode. This is also Andy Hallett's first appearance as The Host, also known as Lorne. Hallett is a regular guest star from this episode on, and eventually joins the regular cast.

Eliza Dushku's name was displayed in the closing credits to keep her appearance a surprise.

EJ Gage, who plays Mordar the Bentback, also played one of the movers in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Buffy vs. Dracula", which aired immediately before this one on their original broadcast.

Main cast

Guest stars

Production details

This is one of the first episodes on Angel in which demons are shown of being capable of doing good. Angel experiences guilt after killing Jo's demon protector because he killed "an innocent being" and "a soldier like [him]self", and because it never occurred to him that a demon could be either of those things.