aired on: September 26, 2000

written by: David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon

directed by: Michael Lange

Huddled at their temporary office in Cordelia's apartment, the gang reviews a dry erase board full of cases in progress when Cordelia has a vision of a demon. Research identifies it as a Prio Motu demon, and Wesley thinks they'll need some help with it. He calls on a friend named Merl, a demon who hangs out at The Caritas, a demon safe haven - which is also happens to be a demon karaoke bar. Merl tells them the Prio Motu they're looking for is a killer who hangs out in the subway tunnels. On their way out, the Host, a green-skinned psychic demon, tries to get Angel to sing; he explains that when you sing, you bare your soul, and he can read your spirit. But Angel's not interested in karaoke. He's got a demon to find.

In the subway tunnels, Angel finds a scared pregnant girl - and then the Prio finds him. After a struggle, Angel snaps its neck, killing it. But instead of thanking Angel, the girl bends over the dead Prio's body, crying. She tells Angel that the demon was protecting her from things Angel couldn't handle - like the Tribunal.

Meanwhile, at Wolfram & Hart, Lilah and Lindsey talk with Darla, Angel's old flame, who they brought back in the box at the Raising. Darla senses that Angel is in town, and remembers that he killed her. Lindsey tells her that when she feels ready, she should start thinking about giving a little back.

Back at the office, the team tries to figure out what went wrong, and what to do next. Angel believes the Prio was an innocent soldier, like him, and that whatever its mission was is his now. Wesley and Cordelia get to work figuring out what the Tribunal is. Angel heads out to find Merl - he wants some answers. Merl says he lied about the Prio because there's a price on the daughter the girl is carrying. Local brokers are offering big bucks, but with the Prio around, nobody could get close; Merl wanted Angel to kill the Prio to make it easier to get to the girl.

What Merl doesn't know is where the Prio lived, so Angel recruits Gunn to lead him through the underground tunnels to find the demon's home. They find it, but the girl isn't there. Angel also finds a medallion, which he sends with Gunn to Cordelia and Wesley. After Gunn leaves, the girl arrives. She doesn't understand everybody's concern about her baby. Angel asks her to let him help; she agrees, and says first they need to find the coat of arms - the Prio said if she presented it to the Tribunal, maybe they'd call the whole thing off. What she describes is the medallion Angel sent to the office with Gunn. When he tells her he found it, but that it's not with him, she gets turns to leave, frustrated. "Stop helping," she says. But when she opens the door, a demon is waiting.

Angel slays the demon, and heads back to Cordelia's with the girl. When more demons attack, though, Angel sends her on ahead.

Gunn arrives at Cordelia's with the medallion, and Wesley gets to work researching it. But when Angel arrives, there's no sign of the girl.

Angel is frustrated; he thought he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, that he was almost human. Cordelia tries to encourage him; it may be a while until he works his way out, but he will, and she will be with him until he does.

Then Wesley rushes in the room. The medallion is a coat of arms to be presented when going before the Chair of Judgment - the Tribunal. But this is no court of law - it's a fight to the death. And there's no way to tell when it will happen; it can rise up whenever. Angel says they have to find the girl, whatever it takes.

What it takes is karaoke. Angel takes the mic and delivers a painful rendition of Barry Manilow's "Mandy." Reading Angel's aura, the Host tells him the Tribunal will appear wherever the girl is - and where to find the girl.

Angel finds her, and as she arrives, so does the Tribunal - three ancient mystics who rise from the ground on red thrones. There is also a man on a horse, who drops his coat of arms on the ground before them. They ask the girl where her champion is. She says he is dead, and asks for asylum, but they say it is not theirs to give. With no coat of arms and no champion, her life is forfeit. Then the other coat of arms is tossed on the ground next to the first. Her champion has arrived.

Angel mounts the other horse, and the two riders approach each other, ready to joust. After a few runs at each other, they are off their horses on and their feet. The challenger drives a sword through Angel's gut, doubling him over. As the Tribunal declares the champion defeated, and awards the girl to the challenger, Angel rises. He pulls the sword out, comes up behind the challenger, and slices off his head for the victory. The girl and her daughter are now under the protection of the Tribunal.

Later, Angel visits Faith in prison. She's having a rough time. Angel admits he sang Barry Manilow in public. "The road to redemption is a rocky path," Faith says. "You think we might make it?"

Angel replies, "I think we might."