From The TV IV

Waiting in the Wings is the thirteenth episode of the third season of Angel, and the fifty-seventh episode overall. The gang goes to the ballet, but when Angel that this is that same performance (dancers and all) he saw a hundred years ago, they investigate a conspiracy that flares up emotions between Cordelia and Angel, as well as Gunn and Fred.

Guest Stars: Andy Hallett (Lorne), Mark Harelik (Count Kurskov), Mark Lutz (Groosalugg)

Co-Stars: Summer Glau (Prima Ballerina), Thomas Crawford (Manager), Don Tiffany (Security Guard)

Contents 1 Plot Overview 2 Notes 2.1 Monster of the Week 2.2 Body Count 2.3 Music 3 Arc Advancement 3.1 Happenings 3.2 Characters 3.3 Referbacks 4 Trivia 4.1 The Show 4.2 Behind the Scenes 4.3 Allusions and References 4.4 Memorable Moments 5 Quotes 6 Reviews

[edit] Plot Overview

[edit] Notes

[edit] Monster of the Week

• Count Kurskov: Count Kurskov is a fairly powerful wizard who had a ballet company. After discovering the prima ballerina in an affair with another man, he removes her from time and forces her to make the same performance every night. She is eventually freed when Angel smashes his source of power.

[edit] Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1/2	Kurskov's Minions	Angel	Stabbed	Backstage
3	Kurskov's Minion	Wesley	Stabbed	Backstage

[edit] Music

Music is listed in order of appearance in the episode:

• Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - Ooo Baby Baby

[edit] Arc Advancement

[edit] Happenings

• Pylea: After freedom was given to the Pylean people in the second season finale, they deposed Groosalugg and set up a people's republic of sorts.

[edit] Characters

• Gunn and Fred: Gunn and Fred have their first kiss and presumably begin a much deeper relationship.

• Groosalugg: Groosalugg, Cordelia's true love from Pylea, has found his way into this plane of reality and caught up with Cordelia.

[edit] Referbacks

• BtVS - 2x19 - I Only Have Eyes for You: Prior to a high school dance at Sunnydale High, there were several instances of the same fight between a boy and a girl occurring where they get into an argument and the boy shoots the girl with a phantom gun. The possession is broken when Buffy takes on the spirit of the boy and Angelus unwittingly takes on the spirit of the girl. He forgives Buffy after being shot and everything goes back to normal.

Angel: Look, I've been possessed by the spirits of old lovers before. Never goes well.

[edit] Trivia

[edit] The Show

[edit] Behind the Scenes

• Ratings: On its first airing, this episode scored a 4.0/5 in the overnight Nielsen ratings. It was ranked 6th out of the 18 WB shows which aired that week.
• Genesis: The idea for this episode came from Amy Acker, who mentioned to Joss Whedon that she used to be a ballerina. Whedon decided to write a dream sequence in which Fred and Wesley dance, replacing the two leads of the ballet. The rest of the episode was built around that one scene. The scene was shot, but was cut from the final episode (much to the chagrin of Whedon). The scene exists as a special feature on the Angel season 3 DVDs.
• Credits: The guest star credit for Mark Lutz is held until the end of the episode in order to keep Groosalugg's appearance a surprise.

[edit] Allusions and References

• Giselle: The ballet being performed throughout the episode is Giselle, a French ballet about a woman who falls in love with a nobleman disguised as a peasant. When she figures out his deception, she collapses and dies. In the second act, her undying love saves the nobleman from being consumed by vampiric ghosts and the two pledge their love to each other.

• Spinal Tap: This is Spinal Tap is a mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about a fictional heavy metal band called Spinal Tap. At one point in the movie, the band is attempting to make it from their dressing room to the stage, but get lost backstage. They spend several minutes going around in circles before finally figuring out where to go.

Cordelia: You wanna wander around backstage like Spinal Tap for the next…ever?

[edit] Memorable Moments

[edit] Quotes

• Angel: Back in the day I'd always get box seats. Or I'd just eat the people who had them.
  Cordelia: Don't let's reminisce.

[edit] Reviews

• Overall Grade: no reviews yet
• Review Breakdown: A+: 0 A: 0 A-: 0 B+: 0 B: 0 B-: 0 C+: 0 C: 0 C-: 0 D: 0 F: 0