Rm w/a Vu - 1ADH05
Written by David Greenwalt and Jane Espenson - Directed by Scott McGinnis - First Aired on November 2, 1999
Synopsis -
Creature Feature -
Cool Quotes -
References -
Continuity -
Goofs -
Trivia -
The Morgue -
Cast -
Famous Faces -
Points Of View
Synopsis
The Short: From the WB11 home page: Cordelia Chase lives in the projects, and she's not happy about it. When she returns one evening to her roach-infested digs, she decides that desperate times calls for desperate measures and moves into Angel's apartment. Angel, unthrilled by his new roommate situation, makes a pact with Doyle: if Doyle can find Cordelia new digs, Angel will help him out with his debt negotiations. Doyle holds up his end of the bargain and finds a stunningly beautiful one-bedroom apartment. At first, Cordelia's on top of the world, but she soon gets the willies. Drawers open and close, furniture moves, and the wind blows to and fro. After some research, Angel learns that the apartment was owned by a woman who mysteriously died in the 1950s. Even more compelling is the number of single-woman suicides that have occurred in the apartment since her occupation. He and Doyle figure out that there is a ghost that is somehow murdering the women.
While Angel is away doing research, Cordelia is lured back to the apartment and is confronted by the apparition. At first she is overwhelmed, but she later gathers her moxie and sends the ghost back to her rightful place.
The Long: We open on Cordelia showing off her acting talents to Doyle, and complaining about her inability to get a part in a trash bag commercial (see Reference #1). He consoles her until the phone rings (see Goof #1). Angel appears annoyed at Cordelia for not getting the phone, but the answering machine gets it. The call is from Cordelia's old friend Aura. Cordelia doesn't want to talk to her because she knows Aura will ask about her acting jobs and want to know where she lives. Doyle offers let her stay at his place, but she blows him off. Cordelia leaves and Doyle decides to talk to Angel about Cordelia. Angel tells Doyle about her friends in school and how her parents lost all their money (see Reference #2). At Cordelia's apartment she runs into nothing but problems. Mucky water explodes from the sink, then she discovers cockroaches crawling all over the television set.
As she calls the management she steps on a pile of dead roaches and it freaks her out. She calls Doyle for help. At Doyle's apartment he walks in as the phone rings and is about to pick it up when he is greeted by a horned demon. (Listen to the teaser here.)
Doyle is greeted by a demon looking to collect money Doyle owes (see Reference #3). Not having the money, Doyle gives the demon a dresser drawer to the face instead, and runs off. Since Doyle never answered the phone, Cordelia shows up at Angel's, luggage in tow, and invites herself in, but she's hardly a gracious houseguest. The next morning Doyle shows up with a bruised hand from fighting the demon and discovers Cordelia freshly showered in Angel's apartment. Doyle suspects for a moment that Angel and Cordelia had sex together, but Angel assures him Cordelia is just staying over until she finds a better apartment. Doyle asks if anyone called for him lately asking for his address, and Cordelia says yes, a relative. Angel notices the bruise on Doyle's hand. Doyle makes small talk with Cordelia as she redecorates Angel's place (see Continuity #1). Angel says a big guy is here to see Doyle and Doyle bolts, only to find Angel waiting at the back door.
Angel wants to know what Doyle is hiding. Doyle explains how he owes debts to people who hired the demon. Doyle asks if Angel could help. Angel is already sick of Cordelia living there, so Angel makes Doyle a deal with Doyle, find Cordelia an apartment, and he'll take care of the demon. After a frustrating day of apartment hunting, Cordelia agrees to check out a place recommended by a guy Doyle knows. Angel checks out Doyle's place and is jumped by the same demon. Doyle shows Cordelia the apartment his guy found, which isn't even on the market yet because the last owner just left. She loves it, and the price is a steal, so she takes it. As they walk off a ghostly face bulges from the wall watching them (see Goof #2).
Angel gets the upper hand against the demon he is fighting, Griff, and asks who hired him to collect on Doyle. Griff says he is now supposed to kill Doyle because he didn't pay, but Angel talks him into letting Doyle live if he pays up. As Cordelia lies sound asleep in bed in her new apartment, finally settled in, creepy stuff begins. Drawers slam on their own and the radio plays old music. As Cordelia wakes a voice whispers ''What do you think you're doing here?'' At Angel's place Angel explains to Doyle how the demon had orders to kill Doyle for not paying up, but he can pay up to live now. Angel wants to know why Doyle lives the way he does, but Doyle says he has bright spots in his life, like Cordelia. At Cordelia's place the glass of water on her night stand boils and the bed levitates. Cordelia cries that she's from Sunnydale and she's not scared.
The next morning Cordelia gets up and gets ready for the day as a very dead-looking lady appears in the bathroom mirror watching her. As Cordelia tries to clean up things start to slam about and wind blows, but Cordelia is unimpressed by the haunting (see Cool Quotes #1). When Doyle and Angel stop by, the creepiness continues. Though Cordelia tries to pretend it's not happening, the guys catch on fast. The word DIE appears in blood on the wall. Angel says she should leave the place, but Cordelia likes the apartment. Doyle suggests they cleans the place. Cordelia threatens the ghost that she would rather die then give up the apartment (see Reference #4). The guys get her out of there to figure out what to do next. After they leave we hear a voice cheerfully agreeing with Cordelia about dying.
Back at the office, the gang researches Cordelia's building to figure out who's haunting it, and why. Cordelia thinks she needs this apartment to prove her punishment for her old life is over (see Continuity #2). Doyle discovers Maude Pearson, who built the building, died there in 1946. Cordelia thinks that has to be it (see Reference #5). The spell to rid the place of the ghost is complicated, but Doyle knows a guy who can get the things they need (see Reference #6-7). Angel decides to check out the death with Kate. Cordelia stays alone in the office doing more research (see Reference #8). Later, Cordelia takes a call from Angel, who tells her to meet him at the apartment. Once there, Cordelia doesn't find Angel. She finds the ghost of Maude Pearson instead, who's become quite good at sounding like Angel. Cordelia tries to leave, but the door is locked. The ghost says it's too bad Cordelia wouldn't leave son alone.
At the police station Angel researches Maude's death other deaths at Cordelia's apartment with Kate. Kate teases Angel that he's almost acting like a real private investigator (see Reference #9). They find that there was an investigation into Maude's death. The police suspected Maude was killed by her son who disappeared when she died, but never proved anything. Angel realizes there might be other deaths and has Kate check for suicides in the apartment. They discover three of them, all single women in Cordelia's apartment. Angel calls the office and finds Doyle there. They listen to the messages on the answering machine and hear Angel telling Cordelia to meet him at the apartment, but Angel never made that call. They rush to save Cordelia. Back at Cordelia's, the ghost of Maude has a little conversation with the new tenant. In the car Angel tells Doyle that Maude was killed by her son and the ghost is taking out revenge on other single girls in the apartment.
Cordelia gives in and says she will leave, but Maude wants Cordelia dead now. The ghost fashions an electrical-cord noose for her and hangs Cordelia from the ceiling. As Cordelia hangs, close to becoming another apparent suicide, Doyle and Angel bust in to save her. As they try to get rid of the ghost with a spell, things get a bit dodgy, with debris flying everywhere, and Maude still spooking Cordelia. Cordelia is totally broken down and can't help them fight Maude. Angel decides they need to leave, but at the door, they're greeted by Griff and two thugs. All three have guns pointed at them.
Griff says he lied about letting Doyle pay. With things swirling everywhere, Angel and Doyle fight the thugs, and Maude gets in on the act. Maude scares off the human thug. Maude launches knives through the air. The knives fell one of the demons. Maude grabs Cordelia and takes her back into the bedroom. There, Cordelia bargains for her life, while Doyle and Angel duke it out with Griff in the living room. Maude pushes the wrong button, calling Cordelia a ''stupid little bitch.'' Cordelia stands up to Maude, telling her off like the bitch she is (see Cool Quotes #1 and Reference #10-11). Cordelia's new-found venom seems to scare off Maude. Angel is able to snap Griff's neck. There's something strange in Cordelia's eyes as she returns to the living room. Cordelia starts bashing at the wall with a lamp, and Maude reappears, but Cordelia doesn't stop until she's broken through the brick, and exposes a skeleton.
A flashback shows that Maude's son Dennis never ran off, Maude buried him alive in the wall, because she didn't want him marrying his fiancee and leaving her. When she finally had him all sealed up, though, she keeled over dead of a heart attack. Dennis' ghost, now finally set free, finishes Maude off for good. At Doyle's place Doyle installs a new deadbolt on his door. Angel wants to know how Doyle got this way, but Doyle evades him, asking for time. At Cordelia's place Cordelia talks on the phone with Aura about how great her new apartment is and the celebrities she lives near (see Reference #12). As she mentions a roommate she never sees to Aura the ghost of Dennis cleans up the place and watches television.
Creature Feature
Maude and Dennis Pearson are ghosts, the spirits of dead humans who still
walk the Earth in an ethereal form. They seem to be able to become invisible
and have telekinetic powers. Maude displayed the power to imitate voices.
We also see two Kailiff demons in this episode. They seem to be humans with rows of horns on their head and face, big noses and eyebrow ridges. Both of them work as money collectors and hit men.
More light is shed on vampires and the invitation rule. We learn that vampires can be invited in a home even if they are nowhere near the home at the time, and the home isn't even purchased yet.
Cool Quotes
- Cordelia: ''You know what? I get it. You're a ghost. You're dead. Big accomplishment! Move on! You see a light anywhere? Go towards it, okay? Uh, cold wind, scary! What are you going to do? Chap me to death? What else have you got?''
Cordelia shows some attitude to the spirit world. Listen to the quote here.
- Maude: ''You better be sorry, you stupid little bitch.''
Cordelia: ''I'm a bitch.''
Maude: ''Take off the bed sheets, make a noose. Go on. It'll all be over soon.''
Cordelia: ''I'm not a sniveling whiny little cry-Buffy. I'm the nastiest girl in Sunnydale history. I take crap from no one.''
Maude: ''You're going to make yourself a noose and put it around...''
Cordelia: ''Back off poligrip! You think you're bad? All mean and haunty? Picking on poor pathetic Cordy? Well, get ready to haul your wrinkly translucent ass out of this place, because lady, the bitch is back.''
Glad to have the real Cordelia back! Listen to the quote here.
References
- Cordelia: ''They gave it to a blonde that showed up in a
skintight leather cat suit. She is supposed to be a housewife. She looked
ridiculous. She looked like Catwoman taking out the cat-trash.''
Catwoman is a costumed cat-burglar, from Batman by DC Comics. Also referenced by Willow
in Halloween. Seen here played by Julie Newmar.
- Angel: ''I think she is one of Cordelia's group. People
called them the Cordettes. A bunch of girls from wealthy families. They
ruled the high school. Decided what was in, who was popular. It was like
the Soviet Secret Police if they cared a lot about shoes.''
After the death of Joseph Stalin the police force of the Ministry of State
Security of the Soviet Union was absorbed into the force of the Ministry of
Internal Affairs (M.V.D.) under Lavrenty Beria, who was arrested less than a
year later. This force was then divided. The organization dealing with state
security was transferred to the Committee of State Security under the
Council of Ministers of the U.S.S.R.; known by the initials K.G.B., it was
understood to be primarily a counterintelligence agency. The body that
carried out duties performed elsewhere by the normal uniformed police was
the militia. Prior to 1956 it was centralized under the Ministry of the
Interior, but in December of that year the administration was decentralized.
Units were subject to control by the higher organizations of the militia, by
the soviet of the local administrative area, by the local representative of
the procurator general of the U.S.S.R., and by the courts. In 1960 the M.V.D.
was abolished, and in some areas the militia was itself replaced by Public
Order Detachments made up of workers, builders, farmers, teachers, and
students. Two and a half million citizens were enrolled into these
detachments as voluntary militia. Two years later these new detachments were
being criticized in the Soviet press for using their powers in too
high-handed a way. To the outsider it seemed as if the Soviet Union had
found that a highly centralized police service was not accountable to the
public and that better responsiveness required drastic decentralization,
even to the extent of occasionally relying upon citizen volunteers.
- Doyle: ''It's all about money. What about friendship and
family all those things that are priceless, like they say in those credit
card commercial?''
MasterCard has commercials about how many things
are priceless but ''for everything else, there's MasterCard.'' Also
referenced by Faith in Consequences.
- Cordelia: ''Listen good, Casper, you haven't won a thing here!
I'll die before I give up the apartment, you hear me? I'll die!''
Casper is a comic book
''friendly ghost'' from Harvey
Comics who has inspired television and films. The most popular of which
was the 1995 film of the same name. Plot: Furious that her late father
only willed her his gloomy-looking mansion rather than his millions,
Carrigan Crittenden is ready to burn the place to the ground when she
discovers a map to a treasure hidden in the house, but when she enters the
rickety mansion to seek her claim, she is frightened away by a wicked wave
of ghosts. Determined to get her hands on this hidden fortune, she hires
afterlife therapist Dr. James Harvey to exorcise the ghosts from the
mansion. Harvey and his daughter Kat move in, and soon Kat meets Casper, the
ghost of a young boy who's ''the friendliest ghost you know.'' But
not so friendly are Casper's uncles, Stretch, Fatso and Stinkie, who are
determined to drive all ''fleshies'' away. Ultimately, it is up to
Harvey and Kat to help the ghosts cross over to the other side. Also
referenced by Buffy in Halloween.
- Cordelia: ''It's her, I know it. That place has that weird
little old lady smell, like, like violets and aspercreme.''
Aspercreme is a creme to relieve arthritis pain.
- Angel: ''Well, this is not an easy spell. I mean, hawthorne
berries and lungwort and bile.''
Hawthorn contains bioflavonoid complexes that are reputed to help to improve
circulation to the heart muscle. Hawthorn supports the efficiency of the
heart and promotes a healthy circulatory system. Hawthorn is also noted as
being an antioxidant in the cardiovascular system. Some people use it in
cleansing water to purify and remove bad vibrations. Lungwart is reputed to
restore one's brain and sexual power.
- Cordelia: ''Oh, goody! Another one of Doyle's guys. Tell me,
is this the same guy that helped me find my poltergeistalicious apartment?''
Poltergeist is 1982 horror
film. Plot: A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the
ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of
everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorize the family before
they kidnap the youngest daughter.
- Cordelia ''Little old lady ghost. How come Patrick Swayze
is never dead when you need him?''
Patrick Swayze is an
actor who starred as Sam Wheat in the 1990 film Ghost. Plot: Sam and Molly are a
very happy couple and deeply in love. Walking back to their new apartment
after a night out at the theatre, they encounter a thief in a dark alley,
and Sam is murdered. He finds himself trapped as a ghost and realizes that
his death was no accident. He must warn Molly about the danger that she is
in, but as a ghost he can not be seen or heard by the living, and so he
tries to communicate with Molly through Oda Mae Brown, a psychic who didn't
even realize that her powers were real.
- Kate: ''Well, you see the thing about detectives is that they
have resumes and business licenses and last names. Pop stars and popes,
those are the one-name guys.''
Angel: ''You got me. I'm a pope.''
One named pop stars include Cher,
Madonna, Prince, Sting and others.
The Pope is the leader of the Roman Catholic church.
- Cordelia: ''Back off poli-grip!''
From the official web site: ''Super Poli-Grip® denture adhesive holds
dentures tight so you can feel confident that you will have a secure and
comfortable fit throughout the day. Super Poli-Grip® forms a seal to help
keep food from getting stuck between your dentures and gums, and denture
adhesives like Super Poli-Grip® can help alleviate gum irritation when used
consistently as part of an effective oral care regimen. So go ahead and
laugh, smile, talk, or enjoy your favorite foods with Super
Poli-Grip®.'' The official web site is at http:/www.poligrip.com/.
- Cordelia: ''Well, get ready to haul your wrinkly translucent ass out of this place, because lady, the bitch is back.''
The Bitch Is Back is the title of a 1974 song by Elton John. You can download a clip of the song here.
(Thanks to Starshine of the Watcher's Diary for the picture.)
- Cordelia: ''Celebrities are practically on top of me. Oh,
Steve Paymer, that's Dave Paymer's brother, lives right down the hall. Oh,
you'd know him if you saw him.''
Steve Paymer is an
actor, and as Cordelia states, the brother of better known David Paymer.
Steve has appeared on the television shows Will & Grace and Mad About You.
David Paymer is an actor
whose works run back to the 1979 film The In-Laws. He was nominated for an
Oscar for his 1992 film Mr. Saturday Night. He was also
in the film Amistad with Harry Groener, who
played Mayor Richard Winkins in season 3 and 4 of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Continuity
- Doyle: ''Hey, your high school diploma is all burned.''
Cordelia: ''Yeah, it was a rough ceremony.''
Graduation Day
Part 2 - Cordelia's high school graduation ceremony included a solar
eclipse, a giant snake demon, a horde of vampires and a bomb, which probably
scorched her diploma, but it could have been the flame throwers the students
snuck in under their robes!
- Cordelia ''I meant because you used to have that
mansion.''
I Only Have
Eyes For You - Angel was first revealed owning a mansion in Sunnydale
after he, Drusilla and Spike were forced to move out of the factory because
Rupert burned it down.
Goofs
- When Cordelia is giving her practice audition to Doyle she brushes her
hair back behind her ears, then during an angle switch it suddenly moves
back to its original position by itself.
- When the ghost face peers through the wall there is a lamp on the table
to one side of it. During a camera switch the lamp disappears.
Trivia
The Morgue
- Vic: In Cordelia's new apartment, knifed by Maude Pearson's
ghost telekinetically.
- Griff: In Cordelia's new apartment, neck snapped by Angel.
- Maude Pearson: In Cordelia's new apartment (in flashback), heart attack.
- Dennis Pearson: In Cordelia's new apartment (in flashback), buried alive
by Maude Pearson.
- Maude Pearson's ghost: In Cordelia's new apartment, attacked by Dennis
Pearson's ghost.
There is mention of three other deaths, who were ruled suicides, but were
actually caused by Maude Pearson: Margo Dressner on October 3, 1959, Jenny
Kim on October 18, 1965 and Natalie Davis on March 7, 1994.
Cast
Starring:
David Boreanaz as Angel
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Glenn Quinn as Allen Francis Doyle
Guest Starring:
Elisabeth Rohm as Detective Kate Lockley
Beth Grant as Maude Pearson
Co-Starring:
Markus Redmond as Griff
Denney Pierce as Vic
Greg Collins as Keith
Corey Klemow as the Young Man
Lara McGrath as the Manager
B.J. Porter as Dennis Pearson
Lyle Kanouse as the Disgusting Man (Uncredited)
Famous Faces
Beth Grant, who played Maude Pearson, played Iris Finster in the X-Files episode Signs and Wonders 7.09. She was also in the 1991 film Switched At Birth, which also had Alyson Hannigan in it. Beth Grant played Sophie and Alyson played Gina Twigg (age 13-16). Beth was also in the film Dance With Me, which had Harry Groener, who played Mayor Wilkins on Buffy, and was in the film City Slickers II, which had David Paymer in it, who is Cordelia's neighbor's brother! There is a good page devoted to Beth at http://www.what-a-character.com/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=GrantB.
Denney Pierce, who
played Vic, has an online stunt resume at http://www.stuntnet.com/men/denneypierce.htm.
Corey Klemow, who played
the young man, has his own web site at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/CKlemow/. You might recognize him from his Levi's commercial.
I contacted him though e-mail and he was very helpful and had some
interesting trivia about his episode. You
can read what he had to say here.
Points Of View
Mathew:
Okay, definitely the best so far. A Cordelia-centric episode, with a female villain! I was beginning to think all villains were men on this show. Charisma's performance was over the top, and Glenn did very well too. The less we see of Angel the better. I'm glad they kept Dennis around, and the subtle crossover with the Buffy The Vampire Slayer pilot was well done.
Page by Webmaster Mathew - February, 2003
Special thanks to The Complete Buffy Episode Guide for inspiration and
technical help, as well as Buffy episode links and all the readers of the
Watcher's Diary for their feedback in making this page what it is.
