

Season 2, Episode 18
Written by David Greenwalt
Directed by James A. Contner
Original Airdate: 24 April 2001
“That’s my lead! You’re choking my lead!”
Lindsey
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
- Andy Hallett as Lorne
- Gerry Becker as Nathan Reed
- Michael Dempsey as Irv Kraigle
- Mik Scriba as Parole Officer
CO-STARRING
- Meagan Thomas as Young Lawyer #1
- Ted Broden as Young Lawyer #2
- Dennis Gersten as Dr. Michaels
- Kavita Patil as Nurse
- Pete Gardner as Joseph Kramer
- Stephanie Nash as Wife
- Steven DeRelian as Bradley Scott
SYNOPSIS
Lindsey goes about his daily routine to get ready for work, but in the process, he notices his guitar in the closet, which he cannot play. A man and his family go about their morning business before the wife and kids rush off to their destinations. The man follows moments later, a large kitchen knife in his hand. Cordelia gets a nasty vision about the man that sends her flying about the hotel, landing on the floor in tears and unable to speak.
Lindsey and Lilah speak with their boss, Nathan Reed, about their work and upcoming reevaluation. Later, Nathan privately tells Lindsey that he made a surprise appointment for him and rearranged his schedule so that he could attend. At the office, Cordelia tries to recover from her vision while the rest of the crew try to get information from her. She tells him of a man who stabbed himself in the eye, but little more and the guys worry for Cordelia. The guys split up to call hospitals, check out morgues and the streets for any information on the guy from Cordy’s vision.
Lindsey talks with a doctor at a clinic and is informed that Wolfram and Hart has arranged for him to get a new, live hand. During the procedure, a Pockla demon is brought in to perform a brief ritual and complete the attachment of the hand to Lindsey, leaving only a little scar. The next day, Lindsey wakes up, enjoying his new hand. While getting ready, he notices his guitar again, but this time picks it up and plays. Later at the office, Lilah notices Lindsey’s new hand and grows very nervous about her job since Wolfram and Hart spent so much money on her “partner.” The two lawyers meet with a client, Mr. Irv Kraigle about his case. During their chat, Lindsey’s new hand writes on a legal pad, “kill” repeatedly. At home, Lindsey tries to make his hand do something odd, but it doesn’t cooperate.
At the office, Angel has a wide assortment of food delivered as he wanted to get for Cordelia but didn’t want to bother her by asking what she wanted. She appreciates it and as she leaves, she remembers from her vision that the man was happy about his eye before he stabbed it. Wesley and Gunn have found the man’s name, Joseph Kramer, home, and information about his family. Still without enough information, the gang is forced to go to Caritas. On stage, the gang is shocked to find Lindsey singing and playing guitar, well. Angel isn’t entertained by it, but everyone else is amazed by Lindsey’s talents. The host informs them all that Lindsey and Angel need to work together to solve the case but Angel and Lindsey are completely opposed to the idea.
Based on the fact that Lindsey got a new hand and Kramer, a new eye, it’s concluded that somewhere body part transplants are being done. At Wolfram and Hart, Lindsey sneaks into Nathan’s office, using the computer to look up information on Lilah and Fairfield Clinic, where he got the transplant. He later spots Lilah stealing files. Angel discovers information on Lindsey’s hand, finding that it belonged to a Bradley Scott and Cordy discovers he was employed by Wolfram and Hart. Lindsey visits a parol officer for information about the clinic but the man gets violent when Lindsey doesn’t know the code. Before the man can shoot Lindsey in the head, Angel arrives and saves him. Holding the officer by a rope around his neck, Angel demands information.
Wesley and Gunn worry about Cordelia as she seems to be suffering from the visions for as long as the problem remains. Angel and Lindsey head for a building and talk briefly before Angel confirms their location with the parol officer tied up in the trunk. Angel and Lindsey take care of the security guards inside then they head downstairs through a trap door to the place where the body parts are harvested. Lindsey spots Bradley Scott and the man begs to have his life taken. It’s decided to save those still fully in tact and kill the rest before the building is blown up.
The guys feel bad for Cordelia as they realize how much the visions are hurting her and she tries to remain tough through it. At Wolfram and Hart, Lindsey takes full advantage of his new “evil” hand, shooting a security guard and firing shots at Nathan. He knows he was the one chosen to take over, but he suggests Lilah take the job as he’s got other issues to deal with. Lindsey encounters Angel outside by his truck and reluctantly talks to him. Angel offers a friendly warning about cops, then as Lindsey drives away, a “Cops Suck” sign is spotted on the back of his vehicle.
TRIVIA
Lindsey leaves the series at this point and won’t return again until the final season. Christian Kane sang the song ‘LA Song’, which was written for the show specifically. Some of the lyrics hint towards the Apocalypse in season four, starting with Apocalypse, Nowish, specifically the rain of fire.
CONTINUITY
This episode marks the beginning of the visions starting to take a more serious toll on Cordelia’s physical and mental health. In Birthday, the AI team will discover that Cordelia has been having medical tests on her head for over a year.
Wesley points out that Doyle, from whom Cordelia inherited the vision power, was half-demon, and he raises the possibility that the side effects are more than a human can endure. He turns out to be correct, and this eventually necessitates Cordelia become part-demon herself.
The Host has a visibly disturbed look on his face when he reads Lindsey’s future at Caritas. In Not Fade Away, he will be the one to kill Lindsey, remarking, “I’ve heard you sing,” before shooting him.
Nathan’s files include “Manners Massacre,” referring to the deaths in the Manners residence in Reunion; “Bethany Project,” referring to Bethany Chaulk from Untouched; “Drusilla (vampire)”; referring to the firm using her in The Trial; and “Youth Cntr. Project,” referring to the fundraiser for the East Hills Teen Center in Blood Money.
GOOFS
When Lindsey is logging in to the computer, the keyboard is mirrored.
The hand that is being transplanted onto Lindsey’s arm ends at the wrist, but his actual arm had been severed close to the elbow.
The first line on the Fairfield Clinic on Nathan Reed’s computer has “health care” spelled as “heath care.”
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
EPISODE
Disharmony / Belonging
STORY ORDER
Intervention / Tough Love









