REGULAR CAST

• David Boreanaz as Angel
• James Marsters as Spike
• J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
• Amy Acker as Winifred ‘Fred’ Burkle
• Andy Hallett as Lorne
• Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

GUEST CAST

• Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall
• Jonathan M. Woodward as Knox
• Jenny Mollen as Nina Ash
• Marc Vann as Doctor Sparrow

SYNOPSIS

A young boy, ill and watching Smile Time, is coaxed by a puppet to touch the TV screen. As he does, something drains from him, leaving him slumped on the floor with an eerie grin. At Wolfram & Hart, Fred and Knox investigate a rash of similar cases involving hospitalized children with the same unsettling smile. Knox awkwardly gives Fred a Valentine’s card, which she quickly returns. Meanwhile, Nina, the werewolf, arrives, and Angel escorts her to her cage for the night. Their awkward exchange leaves Angel flustered. Later, Wesley teases Angel for not recognizing Nina’s interest in him, urging him not to let his rare chance for happiness slip away.

Fred brings a case to the team – children collapsing in front of their TVs between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m. Angel heads to investigate the studio. Before leaving, Fred hints at Wesley driving her home, but he misses the cue and calls for a driver instead. At the studio, Angel discovers a janitor under a spell and a mysterious room labelled “Don’t.” Inside, he finds a man with a towel over his head and a glowing egg-shaped object. The egg emits a blinding light, knocking Angel into some boxes. When he wakes, he’s a puppet.

Back at Wolfram & Hart, Angel calls Fred, who rambles about biological causes until Angel shouts that it’s mystical. He summons the team to his office, where they’re stunned to find him as a puppet. Struggling to suppress laughter, they focus on the case. Angel, however, becomes distracted by Smile Time on TV. Nina arrives, and Angel hides under his desk, tipping over a bin and alerting her. Hurt by his behaviour, she leaves. Spike enters, laughing hysterically at Puppet Angel, prompting a fight that spills into the lobby, revealing Angel’s puppet form to the entire office.

Gunn and Lorne visit Gregor Framkin, the puppet maker behind Smile Time. Framkin dodges their questions, and they leave empty-handed. Unbeknownst to them, Framkin is controlled by Polo, one of the Smile Time puppets. Polo gathers the others, revealing their plan to harvest children’s innocence – stored in the “nest egg” – to sell in hell. Their next show will give them enough power to dominate their demographic.

At Wolfram & Hart, Puppet Angel apologizes to Nina for his earlier behaviour, but she wolfs out and attacks him. Lorne finds Angel bleeding cotton and calls for help. Meanwhile, Gunn visits the doctor who enhanced his knowledge, now slipping away. The doctor offers a permanent fix if Gunn helps him bypass red tape on a shipment.

In the lab, Fred, Wesley, and Knox analyse a Smile Time tape. Fred sends Knox home, leaving her alone with Wesley. Just as she’s about to confess her feelings, Wesley notices something in the tape – a clue to Framkin’s methods. Angel, struggling to sew himself back together, is joined by Wesley and Fred, who explain Framkin’s deal with devils to boost ratings. Gunn arrives, revealing the puppets are the true culprits. Angel grabs his sword, ready for battle.

The team storms the studio as the show begins. Angel and Gunn fight the puppets while Fred and Lorne target the nest egg. Ratio, one of the puppets, attacks Wesley mid-spell. Fred steps in, pulling a gun on Ratio before completing the spell. Angel and Gunn defeat the puppets, and Wesley and Fred destroy the nest egg, ending the threat.

At Wolfram & Hart, Nina wakes up surrounded by bits of Angel, fearing she’s eaten him. Angel reassures her and invites her to breakfast. Elsewhere, Fred shares good news with Wesley, who suggests they rest. Frustrated by his obliviousness, Fred grabs and kisses him. Shocked at first, Wesley quickly reciprocates, and the two embrace.

TRIVIA

CONTINUITY