Angel/That Old Gang of Mine

That Old Gang of Mine
Season 3, Episode 3
Airdate	October 8, 2001
Production Number	3ADH02
Written by	Tim Minear
Directed by	Fred Keller
← 3x02 That Vision Thing	3x04 → Carpe Noctem
Angel — Season Three

That Old Gang of Mine is the third episode of the third season of Angel, and the forty-seventh episode overall. A string of demon homicides has been occurring at random, but when Gunn finds out that his old crew has been comitting them, his loyalties are strained.

David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce), J. August Richards (Charles Gunn), Amy Acker (Winifred "Fred" Burkle)

Guest Starring: Andy Hallett (Lorne), Jarrod Crawford (Rondell), Khalil Kain (Gio)

Co-Starring: Matthew James (Merl), Giancarlo Carmona (Gang Kid), Steve Niel (Huge & Horrible), Josh Kayne (Cowering Demon), Sam Ayers (Tough Guy Demon), Heidi Marnhout (Fury #1), An Le (Fury #2), Madison Gray (Fury #3)

Plot Overview

Wesley and Angel begin investigating a rash of seemingly random demon slayings. Gunn, questioning the point, discovers that they’re being committed by his old crew, now directed by a new member. The information puts Gunn in a situation of contemplating where his loyalty rests.

Notes

Monster of the Week

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

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Merl	Demon	Torn Apart	Merl's Home
2	Yarbnie	Gio	Eviscerated	Tunnels
3/4/5/6/7	Demon	Gunn's Crew	Shot	Caritas
8	Vampire	Gunn's Crew	Staked	Caritas
9	Demon	Gunn	Shot	Caritas
10	Gio	Demon	Head Eaten	Caritas
11	Demon	Rondell	Shot	Caritas

Music

Music is listed in order of appearance in the episode:

• Patsy Cline - "Crazy"

• Larry J. Henley and Jeff Alan Silbar - "Wind Beneath My Wings"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Caritas: The anti-violence spell is cast by three furies each month, it specifically deters demon violence but not any possible human violence. The club is also shot up by Gunn's former gang and is apparently located in Chinatown.

Referbacks

• 2x11 - Redefinition: Angel used the rope torture method to extract information out of Merl when he was attempting to change into something darker to cope with Darla'a existence in the world.

Merl: I want back the three months I spent in therapy after being hung upside down in a sewer.

• 1x20 - War Zone: There are several references to Gunn's introduction episode, particularly the death of Alanna. In the episode, she was kidnapped by vampires and turned. She then tried to seduce Gunn into becoming a vampire as well, but he killed her instead.

• 2x19 - Belonging: George was killed by vampires in the park where the crew set up traps to capture and kill a vampire. His body was cremated and the ashes were spread over the river.

Rondell: I ain't heard word one from you. Not since we spread what was left of George in the river.

• 2x20 - Over the Rainbow: George's death directly caused Gunn to decide on coming with Angel, Wesley and Lorne to the alternate dimension. Although, Rondell probably isn't speaking literally here.

Rondell: Some of us were even starting to wonder if you were still in this world.

• 2x14 - The Thin Dead Line: Wesley was shot by a zombie police officer who was determined to kill anyone who broke the law or stood in his way from enforcing it. The gunshot left him in a wheelchair for several episodes and he lost a great deal of blood.

Wesley: The last time I was merely wounded. It took months to heal. Wounded, if I recall, in an attempt to help you.

Trivia

The Show

• Final Appearances: This episode marks the final on-screen appearances of Merl and Gunn's crew.

• Cut Scene: In the original script, a scene where Cordelia and Fred talk and better express why Cordelia doesn't "get" Fred was cut for time. The dialogue is as follows:

Cordelia: You're exactly the sort of girl who would have hated me in high school.

Fred: Oh, I'm sure that's not true.

Cordelia: No, no it is. I pretty much saw to it. I was a cheerleader, had power, popularity. You didn't know me then.

Fred: No, I didn't. I knew you when you were a princess.

Cordelia: Uh, right. Anyway...

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: On its first airing, this episode scored a 4.3/6 in the overnight Nielsen ratings. It was ranked 5th out of the 16 WB shows which aired that week.

• The production number implies this episode was switched in airing order with "That Vision Thing".

• Publicity stills indicate that the demon that emerged from the nervous demon and kills Gio was originally going to be a live action actor in makeup.

Goofs

• At the end of the episode as Angel and Gunn walk away, you can see Angel's reflection in the wet ground.

Quotes

• Angel: That night still haunts me. I'm ashamed of how I treated you, the way I used you. I took what I needed, then I cast you aside and that... that was wrong of me. It was very wrong.

Merl: He's reading!

Angel: I made some notes.

• Merl: Real friend don't need notes.

Angel: We're not friends, Merl! We barely even know each other.

• Cordelia: (about Fred) Sure I like her. What's not to like? She’s sweet and adorable and... seems to be laughing at something that shrub just said.

• Angel: What's this?

Cordelia: "Enemies of Merl" list.

Angel: Hey. Why is my name at the top of this list?

Cordelia: Uh, "A"'?

Angel: Merl and I were not enemies.

Cordelia: Oh, okay, my mistake.

Angel: I'm the one that found the body, remember?

Cordelia: Oh. And that's not suspicious. The one time you pay Merl a social visit and he ends up dead?

• Angel: You know, ask yourself this: if I had killed Merl, would I have... brought doughnuts?

• Gunn: So we find this demon killing machine. What then? We gonna stop it or thank it?

• Angel: Wesley thinks these crimes have been random. I'm starting to think otherwise.

Gunn: Oh?

Angel: Yeah. It's just the way it's happening. It reminds me of things I've seen before.

Gunn: How so?

Angel: I know the pattern. The seeming randomness of it, the chaos. There’s a larger purpose behind every move.

Gunn: What?

Angel: To have fun.

• Cordelia: (while Fred is singing "Crazy" on stage) I swear to God, she picked out the song herself.

• Cowering Demon: (repeating) Oh god, oh god, oh god...

Tough Guy Demon: Shut up! He ain't listening.

• Angel: Look, I want you to go to this address.

Cordelia: What is it?

Angel: Transuding Furies.

Cordelia: Gesundheit.

Angel: Three sisters. Lorne hires them monthly to cast a sanctorium spell on Caritas. Tell them to lift the spell, then I'll be able to fight back.

Cordelia: Yes! They'll lift the spell, then you can fight... all 20 of them and still get killed. Great idea.

• Wesley: This is madness. Angel has a soul.

Gio: He's a vampire.

Wesley: With a soul!

Gio: Whatever. You think that makes him the same as us?

Wesley: No. Better. (to Gio) Better than you, anyway. When he did his pleasure killing he had no soul. You can make no such claim.

• Furies: Mmm... Angel.

• Gunn: (about Angel) You think I won't kill him because he's my friend? That ain't why. Truth is, he can never be my friend. It's on account of what he is. Not his fault, really. Just the way it worked out.

Rondell: He ain't your friend. I am. And you gonna choose that over me?

Gunn: Looks like. It's about the mission, bro. He's got it and you don't.

• Furies: Only Angel is equipped to make good on this debt.

Cordelia: Angel, pfft! I don't know, you know for a guy who's a couple of centuries old, not very big with the wise investing. And, when you say "equipped," that isn't what you mean, is it?

Furies: Mmm... Angel.

• Fred: Although I thought I just might shoot you in the throat instead. Now if I pierce one of your carotid arteries, considering the temperature in here - 'cause I think somebody shot the thermostat - the blood loss is gonna be heavy. And there's a better 'n fair chance I'll puncture a vocal cord and you won't even be able to scream. But you'll want to when the blood loss to your brain results in a cerebral vascular event. That's a stroke. I wasn't tryin' to sound snooty.

• Wesley: (to Gunn) If you ever withhold information or attempt to subvert me again, I will fire you. I can't have any one member of the team compromising the safety of the group, no matter who it is. If you do it again you will be dismissed, bag and baggage, out of a job onto the streets.

• Gunn: No matter what else, I think I proved that you can trust me when I could’ve killed you and I didn't.

Angel: No. You'll prove that I can trust you when the day comes that you have to kill me and you do.