Angel/Deep Down

Deep Down
Season 4, Episode 1
Airdate	October 6, 2002
Production Number	4ADH01
Written by	Steven S. DeKnight
Directed by	Terrence O'Hara
← 3x22 Tomorrow	4x02 → Ground State
Angel — Season Four

Deep Down is the first episode of the fourth season of Angel, and the sixty-seventh episode overall. Angel and Cordelia are still missing, but their friends don't lose hope on whether or not they'll find them. Meanwhile, Lilah makes a powergrab at Wolfram & Hart.

David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), J. August Richards (Charles Gunn), Amy Acker (Winifred "Fred" Burkle), Vincent Kartheiser (Connor)

and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)

Special Guest Star: Andy Hallett (Lorne)

Guest Starring: John Rubinstein (Linwood), Laurel Holloman (Justine Cooper), Stephanie Romanov (Lilah Morgan), Daniel Dae Kim (Gavin Park)

Co-Starring: Noel Guglielmi (Driver Vamp), Rod Tate (Bruiser), Ingrid Sonray (Marissa)

Plot Overview

It’s been three months since the disappearance of Angel and Cordelia. Fred and Gunn try to maintain Angel Investigations while trying to track down info on Angel, unaware that Connor is responsible for dropping Angel in the bottom of the ocean where he has several feverish nightmares. Meanwhile, Wesley continues his relationship with Lilah while keeping secrets from her.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• There is no monster of the week in this episode.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1/2	Vampire	Fred	Staked	L.A. Street
3	Vampire	Gunn	Staked	L.A. Street
4	Vampire	Connor	Decapitated	L.A. Street
5	Marissa	Connor	Staked	Rooftop
6	Linwood	Lilah	Decapitated	Board Room

Music

There is no licensed music in this episode.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Wolfram & Hart: The "special project" that Linwood, Lilah and Gavin are a part of is finally named. They're attempting to instigate the apocalypse. As of this episode, Lilah is promoted to the head of special projects when she gets rid of Linwood.

Characters

• Wesley: Although Wesley spends a great deal of time searching for Angel in the ocean, he still leaves Angel Investigations with no intention to return to their ranks.

• Connor: Connor's nick name in Quor'toth was "The Destroyer." The mystical slug parasites referred to something in the dimension by that name, but it was assumed that the demon killed by Connor upon his entrance into the Earthly plain of reality was the destroyer in question. At the end of the episode he is kicked out of the hotel.

• Angel: Angel is rescued from the bottom of the ocean by Wesley and Justine.

Referbacks

• BtVS - 2x22 - Becoming (2): Buffy was forced to kill Angelus and send him to a hell dimension where he stayed until (presumably) the Powers That Be called him back into action. Although he was only gone for just over three months, in the dimension a hundred years had passed.

Angel: But then I got stuck in a hell dimension by my girlfriend one time for a hundred years, so three months under the ocean actually gave me perspective.

Trivia

The Show

• Final Appearance: This episode is Laurel Holloman's final appearance in the series. Whether or not she decided to live her life or "continue being a slave" is unknown.

• Guest star Noel Gugliemi previously appeared in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Life Serial".

Behind the Scenes

• Credits Shuffle: Beginning with this episode, Vincent Kartheiser is added to the billed cast and Alexis Denisof is now listed last in the credits as opposed to third place where he has been in previous seasons, he is also credited as "and Alexis Denisof".

• Cut Line: In the original cut of this episode, Marissa had some more dialogue when being interrogated by Gunn. The following line was cut for time:

Marissa: I didn't see nothing, I swear. You know how dark it is down by the bluffs? And hey, my eyes were never that good. Sure, the creature of the night thing helps, but...

• Where's Dave?: This episode was originally going to be written by series co-creator David Greenwalt, but after a fight with 20th Century Fox, Greenwalt left the series (he is no longer credited as an executive producer) and created Miracles for ABC. As a result, Steven S. DeKnight was tapped to write this episode.
• Recurring Character: In the original draft, recurring character Gwen Raiden was to make her debut in the season premiere. However, that was changed and Gwen's first appearance was moved to a later date.

Allusions and References

• Danke Schoen: Gunn refers to the song "Danke Schoen" by Bert Kaempfert. The song did not become popular, however, until Wayne Newton recorded his own version of the tune in 1963. Newton is a popular singer who frequently performs in Las Vegas to sold out crowds.

Gunn: Mr. Big-hit-in-Vegas is too busy danke-schon-ing the tourists to care about us.

• Evil Dead: Evil Dead is a series of horror films directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell as Ash, a monster fighting hero who at one point has his hand cut off and replaced with a chainsaw.

Gunn: Evil Dead was probably just messing with us.

• Conan: Conan the Barbarian is a popular pulp hero created by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s. The character has since been adapted into comic books, a series of movies and three television series (Conan (1997), Conan the Adventurer, and Conan and the Young Warriors). Gunn particularly references Conan the Destroyer, a film adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Gunn: His nickname back in Quortoth was the destroyer. And unless you put Conan in front of that, I'm guessing it's not a good sign.

• M. C. Escher: M. C. Escher is an artist who specialized in art based on concepts in mathematics, particularly the infinite, tessellations and impossible constructions. One of his most famous works was the picture of two hands drawing each other.

Angel: Kind of a M. C. Escher perspective but I did get time to think.

Quotes

• Connor: The thing with the ax is cool. Huh?

Gunn: Yeah, that was tight. Now you get clean it.

• Wesley: We all get what we deserve. You and Holtz deserved each other. You two have so much in common. Pain, loss, deep-seated lack of anything approaching humour.

• Fred: He's just a boy.

Gunn: Are you sure about that? Offspring of two vampires. Last time I checked that's not supposed to happen. And jumping off a six-story without busting your coconut kind of sways me to the side of not just a boy. I mean, come on, Fred. His nickname back in Quor'toth was "the destroyer". And unless you put Conan in front of that, I'm guessing it's not a good sign.

• Angel: Why is it like this?

Lorne: Well, that's the age-old, bubby. I'll fire you off a postcard if I'll noodle the answer.

Angel: Life should be beautiful and bright. But, no matter how hard I try, everything I touch turns to ashes.

Lorne: Well, there goes that encouraging hug I was planning. Snap to, buckaroo. The only one turning to ashes is that patricidal pup of yours. Hell, I'd take him out myself if I wasn't just a crappy hallucination.

• Linwood: Is that really what you think of me?

Lilah: Yes. And Mr Suvarta agrees with me.

Linwood: You spoke to a Senior Partner?

Lilah: He was really very helpful. Had some great hints on office furniture.

Linwood: This is outrageous. Are you telling me that you went over my head?

(Lilah presses a button and Linwood is decapitated)

Lilah: Just under it, actually.

• Fred: I can't imagine what you've been through, Connor, being taken away by Holtz, raised in that place. It must have been horrible. I know you're still hurting but I promise, it's not nearly as much as you're gonna hurt for what you did to your father.

• Gunn: That's right, sparky, daddy's coming home. And I'm guessing there's going to be a spanking.

• Angel: So... how was your summer? Mine was fun. Saw some fish. Went mad with hunger. Hallucinated a whole bunch.

• Angel: What you did to me was unbelievable, Connor. But then I got stuck in a hell dimension by my girlfriend one time for a hundred years, so a few months under the ocean actually gave me perspective.

• Angel: But I did get time to think. About us, about the world. Nothing in the world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh, and cruel, but that's why there's us. Champions. It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done, or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world were as it should be. To show it what it can be. You're not a part of that yet. I hope you will be. I love you, Connor. Now get out of my house.

• Cordelia: God, I am so bored.