"The Magic Bullet"

Written by Jeffrey Bell
Directed by Jeffrey Bell


In which Fred, on the run after trying to kill Jasmine, conspires to show Angel and the others the truth when she realizes how Jasmine’s control can be disrupted...

Synopsis - Analysis - Memorable Quotes - Observations


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Synopsis

As the episode begins, Fred eludes Wesley and Gunn as they track her down in the city. She manages to get into the storm tunnels before they can find her.

Back at the hotel, Lorne deals with the crowds trying to book a room, trying to get close to Jasmine. The crowd is awed when Jasmine comes down the stairs, and she graces a few of them with personal messages. Angel and Connor meet up with Gunn and Wesley as they return, and the group bemoans the fact that Fred has managed to escape so long. As they return to the lobby, Jasmine picks a couple of her Devoted to join her in her room.

Fred, in the meantime, returns to a bookstore called “The Magic Bullet”, which deals in conspiracies and other oddities. She is looking for books on mind control. Unfortunately, the owner of the shop has fallen under the spell of Jasmine’s siren song. Fred pretends to be one of the Devoted, and the owner assumes that Fred is trying to use the tactics of the CIA to spread Jasmine’s love. He pulls out a book for Fred, but not after revealing that he has a gun in the drawer behind the counter.

Angel and Connor track Fred’s scent in the tunnels, and Connor explains the kind of training Holtz gave him when they were in Quar’toth. They realize that Jasmine wants them back at the hotel, and when they arrive, she explains that they are all becoming more connected. She wants to use that to find Fred in a more direct way.

They join hands, and Jasmine has them think of Fred. Using the eyes of the Devoted, Jasmine tracks Fred down at a motel. Just in time, Fred realizes that people are acting oddly, and she runs for it. The Devoted try to catch her by any means necessary, and one of them rams his car into another parked car. When the cars explode, the driver steps out, and even while on fire, he tries to grab for Fred.

Through the connection, Jasmine gets burned from the effects of the fire. Jasmine refuses medical treatment, and explains that she saw Fred. Jasmine assures the others that all of the Devoted now know what Fred looks like, and they will contact her when she is found. Meanwhile, she sends the gang back downstairs, so they can build on the connections growing between them. She also asks them to send up some more of the Devoted for a personal audience.

Fred walks down a deserted road, but when she is discovered, she falls down the nearby embankment and then down into a cave. She is immediately attacked by a small demon with sharp teeth. She takes up refuge with the demon, despite his unhappiness with the situation.

Back at the hotel, Wesley warns the crowd of Devoted about Fred and her wiles, and then Lorne presents them with a surprise treat: Open Mike Night. Needless to say, this is an interesting mix of expressions of love.

Meanwhile, Fred holds off the demon with a hatchet. The demon reveals that he was once an executive, but now he’s on the run from Jasmine and her Devoted. Fred wants them to band together to figure out how to break Jasmine’s hold on people, but that is derailed when the demon reveals his true colors. He attacks Fred, and manages to bite into her arm. She takes him out with a hatchet to the head, only to realize when she checks her wound that blood is the key.

Not long after, Fred is standing in front of “The Magic Bullet” again, surrounded by the Devoted. She steps into the store, where the owner tells her that Jasmine is coming for her. It doesn’t take long for Jasmine to show up, with Angel and Connor at her side. Jasmine rewards the owner with the “truth” about the assassination of JFK.

Jasmine tries to sway Fred to her cause, but Fred pulls the gun out of the drawer behind the counter and shoots Jasmine in the shoulder. The bullet rips through Jasmine and strikes Angel. He is wounded, but not enough to stop him from slamming Fred to the floor and putting the gun under her chin. But when he looks at Jasmine, he sees the same thing that Fred has been seeing. The spell is broken.

Jasmine, suddenly understanding what her blood can do, tells Connor that Angel has been infected by Fred. Fred uses the distraction to blow a few more holes in Jasmine, until Connor knocks her over the counter. Connor does the same to Angel, who then runs out of the back door with Fred. Jasmine, aware that her blood breaks her hold on the Devoted, orders the owner of the store to burn it to the ground. He remains inside.

Back at the hotel, the others lament the absence of their goddess, realizing that something is wrong. They just can’t figure out what it is. They see her return without Angel, and rush over to find out what happened. Jasmine tells them that Angel is as dead to them as Fred is, but she hides the truth of how it happened. As Jasmine chooses a few more Devoted to come upstairs with her, with Connor along as her guard, the others agree that Angel and Fred must die.

Out in the city, Angel and Fred discuss what happened. Angel is torn apart by the truth about Jasmine, and Fred tells him that she feels the same pain. She still cries at the loss, but she cannot deny the truth. Fred breaks down, finally able to express how scared she’s been. Angel, though, thinks that there might be a way to use Fred’s newfound cure to help the others. When they hear someone coming, Fred kisses Angel, only partially as a ruse. But it doesn’t work, and they need to fight their way to safety.

Back at the hotel, Jasmine brings three of the Devoted into her room, while Connor stands outside. Jasmine orders the three to disrobe, and she begins to heal herself in the mirror. Her flesh mends itself, seemingly without effort. Connor seems to feel a contented warmth as an odd green glow emerges from under Jasmine’s door. Soon Jasmine steps out, bathed in light. Connor is awestruck by her beauty...and is not at all bothered when Jasmine tells him that she ate the three Devoted.

Meanwhile, Angel and Fred break into Cordelia’s room. Angel hates his plan, but Cordy’s current state makes it a little easier. He is about to slice Cordy’s wrist when she suddenly reaches out to stop him. Fred, though, warns him that people in comas sometimes act without conscious thought. Angel continues, but then Lorne steps in before they can leave with Cordy’s blood. Lorne notices that Cordy is bleeding, and then recognizes Angel and Fred.

Shortly after, they send a restored Lorne out into the lobby to convince Gunn and Wesley to follow him upstairs, supposed to meet with Jasmine. Despite feeling no such summons, they go along, and soon Lorne knocks them out. Moments later, they are also “restored”, though they are very unhappy about it. Fred explains that Angel assumed that Cordy’s blood would have the same effect as Jasmine’s, thanks to the circumstances of Jasmine’s birth.

They realize that they need to escape the hotel and plan out their attack, but Angel insists on getting Connor back first. Wesley goes to retrieve him, and they ambush Connor in one of the deserted rooms. At first, Connor seems to have been restored, but when they let him go, he calls out for help.


Analysis

This episode was written and directed by the main architect of this season of “Angel”, and so perhaps it is only logical that this episode should embody the best and worst of the series since David Greenwalt’s departure. Against all expectations, Jeffrey Bell has demonstrated some true talent and ability, something that was far from evident during his tenure on the “X-Files” writing staff. At the same time, there are some weaknesses that still need to be worked out of the current “Angel” paradigm.

The best elements of this episode are the overall plot progression and the focus on characterization. If the characters had not been written as well as they have been, then Cordelia’s behavior wouldn’t have been so obviously off the mark. At the same time, many of Connor’s choices this season have become more clear in light of Jasmine’s power. While it’s true that this season has seemed a little aimless at some points, there is a distinct plot arc being explored. In all honesty, last season meandered just as much, and this season suffers from covering some similar ground.

The humor is also very distinctive. While “Angel” has always adhered to the quirky style of humor that Joss Whedon brought into the franchise from the beginning, there has also been a turn in recent seasons towards the unexpectedly bizarre. The bookstore owner in this episode is a perfect example of this brand of humor, providing a character that is extreme on the one hand, yet perfectly in keeping with the world of the series.

At the same time, this has led to some of the less effective moments in the series, where the attempt to be witty and purposefully strange simply doesn’t work as well as the writers might have hoped. The demon that Fred encounters in this episode is a perfect example. It’s not hard to see what they were going for, but it’s common ground by now, and in light of the current plot thread, it feels like a waste of time.

There are also some issues with dialogue in this episode. Sometimes it is dead-on perfect, like the exchanges between Fred and the owner of the bookstore. Then you get something like the line that Wesley was given regarding kidnapping Connor. It just didn’t fit at all, at least as it was staged in the scene. The implication is that Wesley was trying to hurt Angel for ripping away the happiness of Jasmine’s spell. But considering that Wesley wants Angel to forgive that mistake, why bring it up at such a terrible time?

The final scene is perfectly illustrative of the plot conveniences that sometimes undermine the strength of the overall plot arcs on “Angel”. In this respect, last season was not very different. The writers tend to let characters suddenly forget to be cautious, or make simple errors of judgment, all so that something specific can happen. Jasmine’s long-term influence was meant to largely smooth over past mistakes. So why would the gang suddenly trust Connor, when they know that he’s been Jasmine’s dupe almost all his life? Why wouldn’t they think about the possibility that Connor’s blood might react differently, since he is Jasmine’s father?

The same elements were at play during the third season, and that kept the series from reaching the next level. As excellent as the season arc was last season, many of the individual episodes couldn’t completely rise above the plot conveniences and failed attempts at humor. This season the episodes are generally stronger, proving that some lessons were learned in the meantime. At the same time, the overall plot arc has been more contrived, apparently due to the bad choices of David Greenwalt’s first replacement and the decision to work in Charisma’s pregnancy.

It’s interesting to see such flaws in the final scene, especially in contrast to the much better confrontation between Fred and Jasmine in the bookstore. Fred’s plan to “cure” Angel works very well, but even then, there are some curious questions. Why didn’t Fred aim for the head when shooting Jasmine? Wouldn’t it make more sense to try to destroy the evil, rather than just damage it?

There is also the matter of dredging up Fred’s old attraction to Angel, something that hasn’t been addressed in quite some time. Why is this suddenly back in the forefront, especially when it is clear that Angel is still in love with Cordelia? Oddly enough, that scene almost suggests that Fred is not going to survive much longer. There’s nothing specific to pin that theory on, but with a huge conflict coming in the next couple of episodes, who knows what could be a hint?


Memorable Quotes

LORNE: “Hey, preaching to the choir! I thought our Lady of the Perpetual Sea-breeze was the real deal, until our divine Miss J walked in through that door and into my ass...”

LORNE: “I can show you an X-ray...”

SHOPOWNER: “Not a huge demand for photo books on serial killer autopsies when you’re living in a utopian wonderland.”

SHOPOWNER: “Don’t get me wrong...I’ve still got the implants in my head, and the CIA is still listening in...it just doesn’t bother me anymore!”

OLD LADY: “I have 37 cats, and I’ve just changed all their names to Jasmine!”

DEMON: “I got your demon jihad right here!”

LORNE: “And tonight the role of Judas Iscariot will be played by...”

WESLEY: “I’ll get him. I’ve kidnapped him before.”


Observations

- This episode was written and directed by Jeff Bell, who is perhaps best known for his horrible scripts on “X-Files”. Needless to say, he’s found his voice as the showrunner for “Angel” this season!

- Was everyone’s feed for this episode laced with static in the teaser, or was it just the NYC area?

- The owner of the bookstore has to be an homage to the Lone Gunmen of “X-Files” fame...

- Why is James Clavell even on the shelves in that store, anyway?

- Is “Making Mind Control Work for You” a real book?

- Was that asparagus hanging from that demon’s face?

- Every single bit of Open Mike Night was priceless...disturbing, but priceless...

- Connor is a much better singer than Angel!

- Nice to see that Angel continues to have problems with the whole “sneaky” thing...but why didn’t anyone hear the noise and check on Cordy?

- That shot of Lorne with the baseball bat is rather well done!

- How can there be deserted rooms in the hotel, if so many of the Devoted have been seeking a place to stay near Jasmine? Wouldn’t the rooms all be stuffed with people?

Overall, this episode succeeds in bringing the gang, as expected, into conflict with Jasmine and her legion of Devoted. With only three episodes left, it shouldn’t take long for the battle to begin, and if this episode is any indication, it could be a costly victory.

I give it a 7/10.


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