Blood Money

Season 2, Episode 12
Written by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith
Directed by R.D. Price
Original Airdate: 23 January 2001

“I’ve known Angel since Juarez in the twenties. We had a little disagreement over a senorita. I called him out. We fought for three and a half hours.”
Boone

REGULAR CAST

David Boreanaz as Angel
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
J. August Richards as Charles Gunn

GUEST CAST

Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
Sam Anderson as Holland Manners
Julia Lee as Anne Steele
Gerry Becker as Nathan Reed
Mark Rolston as Boone

CO-STARRING

Matthew James as Merl
Jeffrey Patrick Dean as Dwight
R. Martin Klein as Husband
Jason Padgett as Holden
Jennifer Roa as Serena
Deborah Carson as Liza

SYNOPSIS

At Cordelia’s apartment, Wesley and Gunn play the board game Risk, until Cordelia tries to kick them out so she can sleep. They discuss plans to start their own company without Angel until Cordelia gets a vision about a large two-headed, fire-breathing demon. Angel bumps into a woman who runs a teen centre. At the hotel, Angel reveals that he took her wallet and has a table and wall full of pictures and information on the woman. Wesley and Gunn slowly approach the demon in the sewers and find themselves in over their heads with the 20-foot demon.

Angel confronts Merl in his apartment, demanding information about Anne, the woman running the shelter. She’s connected to Wolfram and Hart, so Angel visits the shelter and talks to her. Anne raves about Wolfram and Hart’s help with the shelter and the plans for a charity fundraiser named the Highway Robbery Ball to gather money with the help of celebrities. A large demon name Boone confronts Merl for information on Angel and Merl is persuaded to provide that information.

Angel surprises Lilah in her car and he expresses his happiness at being able to play the game now that he understands that there aren’t any rules. Lilah tells Lindsey how worried she is about Angel, but their discussion is cut short as Boone arrives unannounced, wanting to deal with a grudge against Angel. Boone explains his past with Angel and the fact that they have a battle to finish. Wesley and Gunn rave about slaying the demon and despite their incredible fear, they’re excited about their victory. The group leaves to look at a prospective location for their new business while arguing over its name.

Angel shows up at the shelter late at night and Anne jokingly asks if he’s stalking her. Angel offers all the evidence necessary to confirm that he is, and then tries to warn her that Wolfram and Hart are going to steal money from the fundraiser. Lindsey arrives and pretends to be protecting Anne, bringing Boone with him to fight with Angel. Lindsey tries to defend the law firm to Anne but the information Angel’s provided her worries Lindsey and he discusses the dangerous possibilities with Lilah.

Wounded from the fight, Angel returns to the shelter and Anne expresses that she cares about the shelter and is willing to ignore just about anything if it means the success of the shelter. Angel gives her a tape to play at the fundraiser but Anne refuses to risk the shelter. At the Ball, a video of Holland entertains those at the fundraiser. Lilah introduces Anne to one of her bosses, Mr. Nathan Reed while Lindsey reviews the security plans for the ball.

While actors collect money and jewellery from the rich attendees, Angel reveals his presence, which leads to a fight between the vampire and Boone on the balcony and they eventually fall to the main floor. Lindsey searches for the incriminating tape Angel has, but it’s revealed that Angel has no tape and Boone is actually working with Angel. Anne plays the tape Angel gave her before Lindsey and Lilah can stop him, but the clips of Cordelia and Wesley doing embarrassing things for the camera help Angel reveal that he never had anything to incriminate the lawyers in the first place. To add even more embarrassment to the situation for Wolfram and Hart, Boone has taken off with the donations.

Lindsey confronts Mr. Reed about not being able to kill Angel, and it is revealed that Angel is an important figure in the upcoming apocalypse, but because his role is unclear, he must stay alive. Boone confronts Angel at the hotel, offering the 2.5 million dollars in charity donations a bet for a fight between the two of them. Again wounded from battle with Boone, Angel presents the money and jewellery to Anne for the shelter. She isn’t too disturbed by the fact that there is real blood on the money.

TRIVIA

The comment at the party about one of the television drama’s sexuality changing and why is a direct note to critics of the Willow and Tara’s relationship on Buffy.

CONTINUITY

Anne first appeared using the alias Chanterelle and then Lily in the Buffy episodes Lie to Me and Anne. In the latter episode, she assumed Buffy’s alias Anne, apartment, and job.

Despite not recognizing each other, Angel and Anne met briefly in the episode Lie to Me when he went to investigate the Sunset Club.

Cordelia will hold a grudge on Angel for giving her clothes away until he replaces them with gifts in Disharmony.

Anne says she used to think that vampires were “the coolest” until she met one, referring to when Spike led an attack on her vampire worshiper club in Lie to Me.

GOOFS

As Angel is saying, “You screw with me,” the same shot of Lilah looking back at him is shown twice.

When Angel supposedly vanishes from Lilah’s car, his coat can still be seen on the left side of the screen.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

EPISODE
Redefinition / Happy Anniversary

STORY ORDER
Triangle / Checkpoint