Angel/The Magic Bullet

The Magic Bullet
Season 4, Episode 19
Airdate	April 16, 2003
Production Number	4ADH19
Written by	Jeffrey Bell
Directed by	Jeffrey Bell
← 4x18 Shiny Happy People	4x20 → Sacrifice
Angel — Season Four

The Magic Bullet is the nineteenth episode of the fourth season of Angel, and the eighty-fifth episode overall. Fred discovers the cure to Jasmine's mind control capabilities and attempts to apply the cure to her inner circle so that she has some help in stopping Jasmine's new army.

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

and Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndam-Pryce)

Guest Starring: Gina Torres (Jasmine), Danny Woodburn (Creature), Patrick Fischler (Ted)

Co-Starring: Terrylene (Deaf Woman), Mia Kelly (Woman), Andre Hotchko (Man in Lobby), Ajgie Kirkland (Black Man), Michael McElroy (Young Boy), Chad Williams (Rock Dude), Phyllis Flax (Very Old Woman), Amy Raymond (Weeping Woman), Steve Forbess (Mexican Man)

Uncredited: Jack Gill (Man In Car), Abigail Margulis (Lovely Follower), Brian Renner (Pedestrian), Thom Williams (Possessed Man), Zakk Wylde (Himself)

Plot Overview

Fred, alone but known by everyone around her due to Jasmine's magic, discovers how to reverse the mind control. She discovers that she became immune when she was washing Jasmine's shirt. Fred goes to a book store in open sight so that Jasmine will come to her. She does, along with Angel and Connor. Fred shoots Jasmine, and the bullet goes through her shoulders and into Angel's. This cures Angel, who then looks at Jasmine and sees the rotten flesh that Fred sees. They both are forced to flee.

The two of them return to the hotel, where they extract some of Cordelia's blood. Angel guesses that because Cordelia housed Jasmine as a baby that they two might share blood. When Lorne enters the room, they hold him down and cure him, which works. From there Lorne brings in Gunn and Wesley who are both cured. Before leaving Angel wants to get Connor as well. Wesley brings Connor into the room and they apply the cure. He seems to be fine, but then walks into the hallway and shouts to others that the traitors are in the hotel.

Notes

Monster of the Week

There is no monster of the week in this episode.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Demon	Fred	Head Split by Axe	Lair
2/3/4	Followers	Jasmine	Consumed	The Hyperion

Music

Music is listed in order of appearance in the episode:

• The Beach Boys - "Wouldn't It Be Nice"

• Barry Manilow - "Mandy"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Big Bad: Fred discovers that mixing the blood of Jasmine with an infected person's causes them to break free of Jasmine's control. She uses this cure to bring back Gunn, Wesley, Lorne and Angel. Meanwhile, it is suggested that Jasmine's power comes from consuming her followers.

Characters

• Connor: Connor is apparently immune to the cure, possibly because of his connection to Jasmine as her "father."

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: On its first airing, this episode scored a 3.4/5 in the overnight Nielsen ratings.

Allusions and References

• Houdini: Harry Houdini was an illusionist and escape artist who gained popularity during the early 1900s. One of his most famous acts was the Chinese Water Torture Cell, in which he'd be locked in a steel and glass cell filled with water.

Gunn: This close and she pulled a Houdini.

• Art Bell: Art Bell was an American broadcaster who is best known as the creator and host of the syndicated radio show Cost to Coast AM, which focused on paranormal themes.

Ted: There's nothing really good on since Art Bell retired.

• Hobbits: In J.R.R. Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, the protagonists are a subset of humans called hobbits. They average about three and a half feet tall and are unusually long-lived. Gunn likely refers to the film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, released in 2001 starring Elijah Wood and Sean Astin.

Gunn: Hobbits. And you watch movies?

• The Greatest Story Ever Told: Starring Max von Sydow, The Greatest Story Ever Told is a 1965 film about the life of Jesus Christ. Towards the end of the episode, Lorne also refers to himself as Judas Iscariot, the apostle who betrayed Jesus, further highlighting the theme of Jasmine as a messiah.

Lorne: Then you should know this is the greatest story ever told.

• Regis: Regis Philbin is a popular television personality who is most famous for his hosting of shows like Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Philbin's talk show has been syndicated since 1988 and is commonly rated among the top three talk shows.

Gunn: I still don't understand why you don't just sashay into a TV studio, say "Scoot over, Regis" and sweet-talk your love to the whole wide world.

• JFK Assassination: Jasmine tells Ted that Oswald acted alone. She refers to the John F. Kennedy assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963. Because of the trajectory of the shots and footage of the gunshots taken from the crowd, there are many conspiracy theories about whether or not Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. One popular theory was that the actual shooters were on a grassy knoll on the opposite side of the motorcade and Oswald was their patsy. The title of this episode refers to that theory.

Jasmine: Dallas. November 22, 1963. There was no second gunman. Oswald acted alone.

• The Amazing Kreskin: George Joseph Kresge, Jr., better known as the Amazing Kreskin, is a mentalist. He gained popularity in the early 1970s and hosted television shows like The Amazing World of Kreskin and The New Kreskin Show.

Gunn: That's some gift you got there, Kreskin.

Goofs

• Gunn opens up the top of Connor's shirt. It's clearly just unbuttoned despite the sound accompanying it being a tearing sound.

• The cut Wesley makes on Connor's chest changes between shots.

Quotes

• Lorne: I thought Our Lady of the Perpetual Seabreeze was the real deal 'till the divine Ms. J. walked right through that door and into my ass. (off his look) Uh, which is where my heart is. Physiologically. I can show you an x-ray.

• Connor: Why would anybody reject love?

Gunn: Maybe 'cause she has a history of doin' that.

• Fred: So, you don't worry that it's possible for someone to send out a biological or electronic trigger that effectively overrides your own sense of ideals and values and replaces them with an alternative coercive agenda that reduces you to little more than a mindless meat puppet?

Ted: Wow. People used to think that I was paranoid. I mean don't get me wrong. I still got the implants in my head. The CIA is still listening in, it just doesn't bother me anymore. Instead, I - I beam Jasmine's love up to their satellite, you know, share the love with those MK-Ultra bastards.

Fred: That'll teach 'em.

• Very Old Woman: I have 37 cats and I've just changed all their names to Jasmine.

• Fred: You don't live here?

Creature: Do you live in a dirt hole?

Fred: No.

Creature: Do you want to live in a dirt hole?

Fred: No.

Creature: Then why the hell do you think that I live in a dirt hole?

• Fred: I'm so sorry.

Jasmine: It's okay. I forgive you.

Fred: No. I'm talking to Angel. I hope he can forgive me.

• Lorne: I can't believe little ole Fred managed to sway Angel back to the dark side.

Gunn: Evil, not evil, evil again. I wish he'd make up his mind.

• Angel: You did the right thing. Took a lot of courage.

Fred: I've been so alone... and scared. I'm not like you. Not a champion.

Angel: Everything I see says different.

• Connor: Where are those people?

Jasmine: I ate them.

Connor: Cool.

• Lorne: Tonight the role of Judas Iscariot will be played by Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan.

• Angel: But what I do know is that I'm not leaving this hotel without my son.

Wesley: I'll get him. I've kidnapped him before.

• Connor: I'll kill you!

Angel: It'll pass.

Lorne: Yeah, right, 'cause Lord knows he's never tried that before.

Reviews

• Overall Grade: A-, 1 reviews
• Review Breakdown: A+: 0 A: 0 A-: 1 B+: 0 B: 0 B-: 0 C+: 0 C: 0 C-: 0 D: 0 F: 0
• This episode is very solid. While I don't like season 4 for the most part, once Jasmine enters the picture things become more interesting. The scene where Fred shoots Jasmine, which picks up her blood, goes through her shoulder, and then into Angel's, is a bit of a stretch in the believability department, but I'll take it. This episode does open up a lot of questions on how they are going to take down Jasmine and end her mind control over the city. --MateoP 19:05, 14 June 2006 (EDT)