Angel/Soul Purpose

Soul Purpose
Season 5, Episode 10
Airdate	January 21, 2004
Production Number	5ADH10
Written by	Brent Fletcher
Directed by	David Boreanaz
← 5x09 Harm's Way	5x11 → Damage
Angel — Season Five

Soul Purpose is the tenth episode of the fifth season of Angel, and the ninety-eighth episode overall. Eve attaches a parasite to Angel's chest which forces him into a paralyzed state in which he hallucinates heavily.

David Boreanaz (Angel), James Marsters (Spike), J. August Richards (Charles Gunn), Amy Acker (Winifred "Fred" Burkle), Andy Hallett (Lorne)

and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)

Guest Starring: Sarah Thompson (Eve), Mercedes McNab (Harmony Kendall)

Co-Starring: Ciara Hughes (Blue Fairy), Rob Evors (Man), Jodi Harris (Woman), Carmen Nicole (Lana)

Uncredited: Christian Kane (Lindsey McDonald)

Plot Overview

While Angel is suffering from dreams where he feels he's lost his way, Spike has assumed his role as helping the helpless, steered by Lindsey who claims to have visions and calling himself Doyle.

Notes

Monster of the Week

• Selminth Parasite: The Selminth parasite injects the host body with an anesthetic that numbs the host to its attachment. After the person is subdued, it pumps neurotoxins into the host's body, which causes hallucinations, fever dreams and paralysis. If it remains on the host for too long, the host goes into a permanent vegetative state.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Vampire	Spike	Staked	Alley
2/3	Vampires	Spike	Staked	Shipping Dock

Music

Music is listed in order of appearance in the episode:

• The Supersuckers - "Junk"

• The Righteous Brothers - "My Darling Clementine"

Arc Advancement

Characters

• Lindsey: Lindsey is masquerading as Doyle, Angel's connection to the Powers that Be from the first several episodes of the first season. He uses this personal ruse to guide Spike towards saving lives and (eventually) helping Angel but he clearly has ulterior motives. Also, the tattoos that he has are keeping him out from the eye of the Senior Partners

Referbacks

• 1x01 - City Of: On his first mission from Doyle, Angel failed to save the girl he was trying to help, but did manage to save Cordelia from an ancient vampire. There are several other small references to this episode as well, including Spike using the wrist-stakes in the exact same way that Angel did.

Lindsey: From what I hear Angel didn't save the girl on his first mission.

Trivia

The Show

• Archive Crossover: Although Sarah Michelle Gellar doesn't appear in this episode, clips of her dialogue from "The Prom" can be heard while imaginary Spike is having sex with her imaginary body double.

Behind the Scenes

• Direction: The reason why Angel doesn't do a whole lot in this episode is because David Boreanaz underwent knee surgery shortly before the episode was shot, making it impossible to act naturally. So, the episode revolves around Angel's dreams and his staggering makes sense in this context.

• Uncredited: Lindsey is not credited in this episode in order to continue to keep his reappearance a surprise. In the original script, his character was called "Sean" to further detract from spoilers.

Allusions and References

• Machiavelli: Niccolò Machiavelli was a brilliant political theorist who famously penned the political treatise, The Prince. Machiavelli most notably stated that the ends justify the means and that a strong leader must understand that cruelty and vice may be necessary to retain power.

Gunn: We open a can of Machiavelli on his ass.

• Matchabelli: Although Gunn is talking about the political philosopher, Niccolò Machiavelli, Harmony mistakes him for Prince Matchabelli perfume, a high class perfume line that includes fragrances such as Cachet, Windsong, and Aviance Night Musk.

Harmony: It's Matchabelli, Einstein, and it doesn't come in a can.

• Sex Pistols: The Sex Pistols were a British punk band in the 1970s. Along with the Ramones and the Clash, they are considered to be one of the founding forces of punk music, despite releasing only one album. Spike has shown appreciation for this genre in the music in the past by listening to the Dead Kennedys after stealing Angel's Viper and the clothes he was wearing when he killed a Slayer in the 1980s.

Wesley: "Vigilante reportedly killed 2 vampires at a gas station, then asked the women he saved if they'd, quote, like to get a bottle of hootch and listen to some Sex Pistols records with him."

• Jaws: Fred directly quotes a line from the Stephen Spielberg film Jaws. In the film, Richard Dreyfuss is removing the contents of a smaller shark's stomach and pulls out a license plate. He and Fred use the same line to describe where the shark/vampire has been.

Fred: Came up the Gulf Stream, huh?

• Miami Vice: Spike makes a reference to the popular cop drama, Miami Vice. The show starred James "Sonny" Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs as two detectives paired together who investigate crimes in their hometown of Miami.

Spike: Well, look who's come to call— Crockett and Tubbs.

• For the Man Who Has Everything: The plot of this episode seems to crib heavily from the Alan Moore penned Superman story, For the Man Who Has Everything, which originally appeared in Superman Annual #11. In the story, Mongul sends Superman a box with a Black Mercy parasite in it. The parasite latches onto the person and pumps neurotoxins into the body, causing the person to hallucinate. Superman imagined a world where Krypton never exploded that was, like Angel's final vision, supposed to be his ideal world. Like Angel, Superman was saved through the intervention of an ally that is often seen as his antithesis: Batman.

Quotes

• Spike: Who the bloody hell are you?

Lindsey: Your new best friend.

• Lana: Thank you! Thank you! That thing was going to kill me.

Spike: Well, what do you expect? Out alone in this neighbourhood? I got half a mind to kill you myself, you halfwit.

Lana: What?

Spike: I mean, honestly, what kind of retard wears heels like that in a dark alley? Take two steps and break your bloody ankle.

Lana: I was just trying to get home.

Spike: Well, get a cab, you moron. And on the way, if a stranger offers you candy, don't get in the van! Stupid cow.

• Lorne: Hey, down in front!

Harmony: Yeah, Angel. You're blocking the apocalypse.

• Fred: We didn't sell out; we're changing the system from the inside.

Gunn: You know, when you say it out loud, it sounds really naive.

• Angel: Spike?

Spike: No need to thank me. Just helping the helpless.