I've Got You Under My Skin - 1ADH14
Written by David Greenwalt and Jeannine Renshaw - Directed by Robert David Price - First Aired on February 15, 2000
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: Angel accidentally calls Wesley 'Doyle' while he is arguing with
Cordy, who has just made inedible brownies. We later learn Angel feels pangs
of guilt over Doyle's untimely death. Suddenly, Cordelia receives a vision
about a young family. When Angel and Wesley visit the residence, they notice
a boy sleepwalking in the street. Angel saves the boy, named Ryan, from an
ongoing car. When Angel goes inside the house to get cleaned up, Wesley
takes a look around and deduces one of the members of the family is
possessed by a demon. Meanwhile, to show their undying gratitude for Angel's
bravery, the family invites him over for dinner the following evening.
Wesley informs Angel about the demon presence and the next day, they create
a brownie recipe that will reveal the demon's presence. During desert, Ryan
puts on a demon face and Angel brings the to family Angel Investigations to exorcize it. While
Cordy stays with the family, Wesley and Angel go to the local church to find
the priest to exorcize the demon, but they soon learn from the nun that the
priest died six months earlier. Wesley decides he will perform the exorcism
and begins the ritual. The strength of the Ethros demon is such that he will
most likely kill whomever is performing the exorcism because of its need to
inhabit another body, so Cordelia travels into town to purchase a box to
contain it. However, the box is too small, and the Ethros demon escapes
after its expulsion. Angel and Wesley track him and kill him, but not before
learning Ryan was evil before the demon ever entered his soul. They go to
the house and rescue Stephanie, Ryan's sister, from a fire he had started.
Ryan is taken into police and social services custody, and the family thanks
Angel for his work.
The Long: After a ''previously on Angel'' segment (see Continuity #1) we open on Wesley showing off his latest demon hunting knife to Angel. Cordelia cooks brownies, but they don't smell appealing. Wesley gets upset when Cordelia attempts to cut the obviously rock hard brownies with his knife. During the following arguement Angel accidentally calls Wesley ''Doyle'' and embarises himself, then leaves (see Reference #1). At a house in the two children bicker over toys as their parents send them to bed. After the children go to bed the parents lock them in their room. (Listen to the teaser here.)
Unfinished.
Creature Feature
Angel and Wesley mention the supposedly extinct Kek demons, who can only
be killed by a knife with the Mark of Keklorum. They may also hibernate.
The demon of the week is an Ethros demon. They appear to be pale humanoids with
large wrinkles on their faces and yellow eyes. They have pointed teeth
and deep inhuman voices. Although they have a physical body, they can turn
to energy and possess people. They have a tendency for mass murder, and try
to corrupt the souls of those they possess and kill those around them. They
can scan the surface thoughts of those near them, imitate voices, and
possess some level of telekinetic power. They are vulnerable to the cross
and holy water and can be bound by certain circles. They secrete a green glowing fluid called plakticine both in
normal form and when possessing others. The possessed victims have enhanced
strength and can manifest a demonic appearance. If the host of an Ethros
demon ingests eucalipsis powder they manifest their demon aspect and go into
a fit. The demon can be forced out by an exorcism ritual. When an Ethros is
cast out it immediately seeks another body to inhabit. The demon is expelled
with such force that the newly inhabited rarely survives. When wounded an
Ethros demon seeks primordial volcanic basalt to aid in it's regeneration.
This is not the first possessing demon depicted, the demon Eyghon from The Dark Age
could possess sleeping humans.
In order to trap an Ethros demon an Ethros box must be used, an item made of 600 species of virgin
woods and hand crafted by blind Tibetan monks. This box will hold an Ethros
demon for 1000 years.
We have mention of a Shorshack demon, who seems similar to an Ethros demon.
A Shorshack box is pieced together by mute Chinese nuns, and although it
attracts an expelled Ethros demon, it cannot hold one.
The main plot about a possessing demon seems loosely based book The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, where a demon possesses a young girl and a priest has to cast it out. In 1973 it was made into a film which happened to include actor John Mahon as the language lab director. John plays Trevor Lockley in season 1 of Angel.
The subplot about Ryan is more
closely taken from the 1976 film The Omen, where a boy is born
evil.
What I found most interesting was the nun's ability to tell Angel was a
vampire on sight and her knowledge of demons in general. This indicates
the church is not as oblivious to the demon world as most people and that
certain people may have demon detection abilities.
Probably the most original monster of the story is Ryan Anderson himself.
A mere human boy who has no soul. The Ethros demon tried to possess him,
but became trapped inside him.
Cool Quotes
- Ethros demon: ''Do you know what the most frightening thing in the world is? Nothing! That's what I found in the boy. No conscience, no fear, no humanity, just a black void. I couldn't control him. I couldn't get out. I never even manifested until you brought me forth. I just sat there and watched as he destroyed everything around him. Not from a belief in evil, not for any reason at all... That boy's mind was the blackest hell I've ever known.''
Angel: ''The marbles, that was you.''
Ethros demon: ''When he slept, I could whisper in him. I tried to get him to end his life, even if it meant ending mine.''
Angel: ''You sleepwalked him in front of the car.''
Ethros demon: ''I had given up... hope. I know you bring death. I do not fear it. The only thing I have ever feared is in that house.''
Probably the most original part of the episode, the ancient evil demon was the victim of a small boy! Listen to the quote here.
References
- Cordelia: ''I think Mr. Too-Much-Cologne is the pot calling the kettle stinky.''
This is a reference to the old saying ''That's the pot calling the kettle black.''
- Cordelia: ''Well, mama is telling the truth about Akron, and
before that Miami and Baton Rouge, all within the last three
years.''
Akron, the fifth largest city in the state of Ohio, was once the rubber tire manufacturer for the country; in the 1970s, Akron was profiled in the news media because of its around-the-clock culture dependent on factory shifts. Akron is considered to be an example of a Midwest industrial city, past its prime.
(Thanks to Melissa Evans for this information.)
Miami, Florida is the Capitol of the Caribbean, especially its financial capital. It is well populated by people from countries all around the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Miami's first language is Spanish; its second language is English. Miami suffers from racial tension, multicultural misunderstanding, and hurricanes. It is blessed with a great climate, near-tropical wildlife, and beautiful art & architecture.
(Thanks to Melissa Evans for this information and to Poppedijn for the picture of Miami.)
Baton Rouge, the "red stick," is the capitol city of Lousiana, on the Mississippi River. Southern Louisiana is the home of Cajuns, Acadians who were expelled from Nova Scotia in Canada by the British, in 1755. Baton Rouge is relatively industrial compared to its "neighbor" downriver, New Orleans, where four out of five dollars are tourist dollars.
(Thanks to Melissa Evans for this information.)
- Wesley: ''Tends to go in for mass murder. You've heard of
Lizzie Borden? She killed her parents with an axe?''
Cordelia: ''I remember the children's rhyme, and how come they're
all full of death and cradles falling, and mice getting tails cut off?
Anyway, the whole thing needs a ratings system, don't you think?''
Lizzie Borden (1860-1927) was suspected of murdering her stepmother and
father. Her trial became a national sensation in the United States. The
rhyme about her went ''Lizzie Borden took an ax, and gave her mother
forty whacks, and when she saw what she had done, she gave her father
forty-one.'' The story was the basis for the 1975 film The Legend
of Lizzie Borden staring Elizabeth
Montgomery. The Borden home is now a bed and breakfast who have a web
site at http://www.lizzie-borden.com/.
She also referenced the children's rhyme Rock-A-Bye Baby and
Three Blind Mice.
- Cordelia: ''Oh, I wonder if I should put plastic down. Angel,
are you expecting any big vomiting here? Because I saw the movie.''
The film Cordelia refers to is most likely the 1973 film The Exorcist which was based on
a 1971 novel by Peter Blatty. Plot: A visiting actress in Washington, D.C.,
notices dramatic and dangerous changes in the behavior and physical make-up
of her 12-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, a young priest at nearby Georgetown
University begins to doubt his faith while dealing with his mother's
terminal sickness. And a frail, elderly priest recognizes the necessity for
a show-down with an old demonic enemy.
- Angel: ''Wesley, you don't even have sales resistance. How
many Thighmasters do you own?''
Wesley: ''The second one was a free gift with my Buns of
Steel.''
Thighmaster is an exercise device advertised by actress Suzanne Summers. Also
referenced by Larry in Phases.
Buns of Steel is a popular workout video series.
- Rick: ''Blessed be.''
Blessed be is a common Wiccan term, basically a wish of goodwill toward
someone or something. Also referenced by Willow in Hush.
(Thanks to the BuffyGuide for this entry.)
- Paige: ''Well, we'll just have to write the Nestle bunny about
that. It's way past bedtime.''
The Nestle Quick Bunny, also called the Nesquick Bunny, is the cartoon
mascot of Nestle Quick Chocolate Milk Mix. The official web site for Nestle is at http://www.nestleusa.com/.
Continuity
- Angel: ''Previously on Angel.''
Parting Gifts - Wesley reveals he was sacked by
the Watcher's Council.
Somnambulist - Kate says she
trusts Angel then discovers he is a vampire.
- Ethros/Ryan: ''The good fight, yeah? Guess who's here, Angel?
He's talking to me right now. Doyle wants to ask why you couldn't protect
him.''
Hero - Doyle dies protecting Angel, Cordelia
and a number of half demons and humans from the Scourge. In fact when
Ryan speaks in Doyle's voice it seems to be an exact out take from what
Doyle said to Angel before he died.
Note: The nun said that the priest they are looking for died six months ago.
Goofs
- When Angel gets up out of his desk after the credits have rolled, you
can see his reflection in the finish, despite the fact that he is a vampire and should cast no reflection.
- Paige says they have burgler bars on the windows early on in the episode, but when Angel has to save Stephanie he breaks in through a window with ease. Maybe they only had bars on Ryan's window?
Trivia
The Morgue
- Ethros demon: In the sea caves, axed to death by Angel.
Cast
Starring:
David Boreanaz as Angel (Also did some of the voice for demon Ryan.)
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce (Also did some of the voice for demon Ryan.)
Guest Starring:
Elisabeth Rohm as Detective Kate Lockley
Will Kempe as Seth Anderson
Katy Boyer as Paige Anderson
Anthony Cistaro as the Ethros Demon
Jesse James as Ryan Anderson
Co-Starring:
Ashley Edner as Stephanie Anderson
Patience Cleveland as the Nun
Jerry Lambert as Rick The Clerk
Glenn Quinn as Allen Francis Doyle (Uncredited, voice heard coming from Ryan.)
Jeremy Renner as Penn (Uncredited, seen fighting Angel in a flashback to Somnambulist.)
Famous Faces
Anthony Cistaro, who played the Ethros demon also had a part of Trask in Hero.
Although you probably don't recognize her, Katy Boyer, who played Paige
Anderson, played the part of 01 (right) in the Star Trek: The Next Generation
episode 11001001 1.15.
Points Of View
Mathew:
Okay, definitely inspired by a certain film we all know, some would say
ripped off, but I'll be generous. It was a little hard for me to believe
they found some glowing ooze in the garbage and determined it was an Ethros
demon so quickly. I was definitely not enjoying the dark humorlessness of
this episode until the very end, when they reveal the secret of Ryan's true
nature. I didn't see that one coming. I was glad to see Kate show up but
still be distant to Angel. Here's to hoping we see more of her and Ryan in
the future.
Ness:
The one reason I like this episode is we learn more about Wesley. We find
out he was abused by his father and that adds more depth to the character.
He's not some cardboard figure staying around and getting knocked down. I
also enjoyed Angel and Cordelia's talk about how much they both miss
Doyle. It really shows how close the two are becoming. I just didn't get
the deal with Ryan and how he doesn't have a soul. How is that possible if
he's human?
Page by Webmaster Mathew - March, 2002
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.
We have mention of a Shorshack demon, who seems similar to an Ethros demon.
A Shorshack box is pieced together by mute Chinese nuns, and although it
attracts an expelled Ethros demon, it cannot hold one.
