"Home" is the season finale of the fourth season of Angel and the eighty-eighth episode in the series. Written and directed by Tim Minear, it was originally broadcast on May 7, 2003, on The WB network.
Synopsis[]
Angel and the gang are made an offer they can't refuse when they are given the opportunity to take over Wolfram & Hart and obtain all of the firm's secret and powerful information. Meanwhile, Angel has a chance to change the future for his son Connor, who is physically and emotionally lost and wandering through the city.[1]
Summary[]
Angel has returned to the Hyperion Hotel following the death of Jasmine, finding Lilah Morgan waiting for him. Wesley refuses to believe that it is actually her, but Angel confirms that she is indeed Lilah but is also still dead as her contract with Wolfram & Hart extends long after her death. Lilah explains that once she's finished with the gang she'll be returning to hell, but, for now, she is there to make them an offer on behalf of the Senior Partners.
Lilah explains that the Senior Partners have decided to offer Angel Investigations control of the Wolfram & Hart L.A. branch, now restaffed and rebuilt, as a reward to them for ending world peace. The gang argue this viewpoint, as Jasmine was creating a world where no one had free will as well as eating people. Lilah reminds them that, in this world, all suffering would have ended and everyone would have been happy for the simple cost of a couple of dozen people a day, but, instead, chaos and destruction still abound, for which Lilah thanks them. Although Angel and the others struggle with the idea they may have caused more harm than good, Lilah tells them that limo will be waiting outside the hotel before dawn the next morning to take them on a grand tour to help them make up their minds.
Meanwhile, Connor wanders the streets of LA, which is still filled with riots following the breaking of Jasmine's spell. He then spots a cop on a roof planning to kill himself. Connor initially tries to help talk the man down, but, when he learns the cop had a family he would have left behind, Connor gets angry and starts to beat him.
At the hotel, the gang work on locating Cordelia and Connor but come up with nothing. Lilah's offer is weighing hard on everyone's minds, knowing what they could do with the massive resources that are being offered to them. When Gunn brings up the idea of at least taking the tour, Angel tells the others that he can't stop them from going but warns they'll be corrupted even before the limo ride is over. Angel then leaves to look for Connor. Everyone else decides to head to bed.
The next morning, Fred wakes up and decides to take the tour being careful not to wake anyone else up. When she gets outside, she finds the limo already there while Wesley is deciding if he should enter. Fred tells him she thought she'd be the only one, and Wesley responds he knew he wouldn't be but didn't expect her to go along too. Just then, Gunn appears as well, reasoning that they should go along to at least see what Wolfram & Hart are up to. Wesley muses that it seems that humans are indeed the most corruptible seconds before Angel reveals himself having decided to also check out what Wolfram & Hart are offering. He opens the limo door and finds Lorne has been there for a while enjoying the amenities.
Arriving at Wolfram & Hart, the gang are overwhelmed to walk into a huge lobby with the workers all welcoming "Mr. Angel" to the building. Lilah then arrives with four guides, who will show them each around a relevant part of the firm. The gang object to being split up, but Lilah points out they could have blown up the limo if they were intending to kill them, and she offers them all guns if they want extra protection. The gang accept the reasoning, with Wesley pointing out the firm has never tried to deceive them. Fred picks up a semi-automatic and the group splits; Lorne is sent to the Entertainment Division with Preston, Wesley is partnered with the fellow Englishman Rutherford Sirk, Gunn is assigned to the beautiful Lacey Shepard, Fred gets the company of the fellow scientist Knox, and Angel will be escorted by Lilah herself.
Gunn speaks to his guide, unable to understand why he is being offered a job too since his special skill is only muscle, which he knows the firm will likely have plenty of. They briefly stop outside the security office, and Gunn assumes this is why he's here, but his guide explains they have bigger plans for him.
Fred converses with Knox, who she assumes to be the head of the Practical Science Department. Knox explains that he just reports to the head, who would be Fred if she takes the job. Fred is barely able to believe that she's being offered such a job, and she is left even more amazed to find the lab she'd be running is completely staffed and filled with state-of-the-art equipment.
Wesley's guide takes him to the firm's collection of books. Wesley is unimpressed to find a small collection, but Sirk explains that the Wolfram & Hart source books can call upon any text in the firm's archive, and he proves it by summoning up the text of the obscure Devandiré Sibylline Codex. Wesley knows that Sirk is a former Watcher and stole it from the now-destroyed Council, and Wesley cuts his tour short by knocking Sirk out.
Lilah shows Angel what could be his office, complete with its own private elevator and access to a motor pool. Angel is unimpressed and decides he's seen enough. Lilah shows him another feature by opening the blinds, exposing the vampire to direct sunlight. Angel raises his hands to protect himself but then notices he's not bursting into flames. Lilah explains that all the windows in the building have necrotempered glass to prevent Angel from bursting into flames during the day. Angel allows himself to enjoy it for a few seconds before asking Lilah to close the blinds. He again makes to leave, refusing to allow himself to become part of the problem, but Lilah argues that, with Wolfram & Hart's resources, Angel could make much more of a difference and make the world like he wants it to be. In the end, she argues, the world doesn't need an unyielding champion, but someone who knows the value of compromise.
Lilah hands Angel a file on the upcoming Sunnydale apocalypse as well as an amulet that is supposed to be crucial in the final battle. Angel still isn't interested, until Lilah points out that, with the firm's help, he could find Cordelia and Connor in ten seconds. Angel tells Lilah that he's truly sorry for what happened to her, but he intends to leave with his friends. As he goes to exit, Lilah gets a call from the Senior Partners and switches on the TV for Angel; a news report is playing about a hostage situation involving explosives in progress at a sporting goods store. The security cameras reveal that it's Connor.
Angel grabs Lilah by the throat and accuses her and the Senior Partners of setting him up, but she insists that they have nothing to do with Connor's actions. He demands that they make Connor stop what he's doing, but Lilah reminds him they have no control over him. She then warns Angel that, if he leaves now, the offer will be rescinded. Angel tells Lilah that she and the other workers are everything that's wrong with the world, before beginning to make his own offer.
Gunn's tour guide takes him to the next part of his tour, and he is unnerved when he realizes that they are going to the White Room. Despite his protests, he finds himself in the room and meets the the little girl's replacement: a black panther. Gunn's initial fear is replaced by curiosity as he looks into the cats eyes.
At the Jackson Sports store, the hostages are wired to the main explosive. Connor orders a man to hold his scared daughter properly despite the arm he broke. Connor then realizes Angel has arrived, and isn't surprised as he leaps down to face his son.
In Wolfram & Hart's records room, Wesley punches out the guard and starts searching through the firm's files. Lilah appears and admits she is surprised he took so long to make it. Although Lilah thinks that Wesley has come to plunder the Senior Partner's secrets, he instead reveals what he came for Lilah's eternal contract with Wolfram & Hart. He burns it, telling his former lover that she deserves to rest in peace. Lilah responds that she knew what she signed on for, and she tells Wesley to look in the drawer again. Wesley finds the contract has been returned completely unharmed. Lilah thanks him for the thought but points out that such a contract is not so easily done away with.
In the store, Angel tries to talk Connor down. The boy shows Angel that everyone is wired, including himself and the still comatose Cordelia. Angel tries to assure Connor that he will get over losing Jasmine like the rest of the gang had to, but Connor protests that it has nothing to do with her; he doesn't feel pain or sadness or anything, and, as far as Connor is concerned, this means he's as dead as Angel. Angel tries to apologize for not being there for him growing up and assures Connor that, no matter what, he loves him and so did Darla, which is why she sacrificed herself so he could live. Connor accepts that Angel tried to love him but not enough to stop Holtz from taking him away. He then asks Cordelia's unconscious form why she stopped loving him too.
Connor and Angel talk about Jasmine's hold and how she knew that Angel would turn against her when he knew the truth. Angel promises Connor that he's going to take back all his mistakes and help him start again, but Connor assumes this to be just another lie. Connor decides to end his pain by killing everyone, and he goes to set off his bomb. Angel leaps to action, disconnecting Connor and beating him back before releasing all the hostages. Connor and Angel then begin to fight, with Connor trying to set off Cordelia's explosive. Angel forces Connor to the ground and promises his son that he truly does love him and is about to prove it; he swings the knife down to Connor's neck.
Back at Wolfram & Hart's lobby, the gang start to reconvene. All have been left impressed by what they've seen, with Gunn telling the others that he intends to take the job even if the others don't. Wesley concurs that they could do a great deal of good with what they could gain by accepting what the Senior Partners are offering. Fred asks if they're seriously considering accepting the offer, when Angel appears and tells everyone he's already accepted on behalf of all of them. The others are shocked at his executive decision, but they were going to make the same one anyway. Lilah compliments Angel on his decision and confirms that Cordelia is safe and being cared for by the firm as well as assuring that they'll do what they can to wake her up. Angel then asks to see "him," and, although Lilah initially protests that it wasn't part of the deal, she soon acquiesces; after all, he's the boss. Lilah hands Angel the file on Sunnydale and the amulet, telling him a limo is waiting to take him to Connor. As he leaves, the rest of the gang are left wondering who Connor is.
A family sit down to dinner, with Connor among them. This version of Connor is happy and healthy. As the family prepare to eat in celebration of Connor getting in the top tenth percentile with the pick of any college he wants to go to, the boy makes a toast to family. From outside, Angel watches and turns to leave.
Continuity[]
- The nature of Lilah's contract with Wolfram & Hart binds her even after death. In this episode, she returns, undead, at the behest of the Senior Partners. The very same thing happened to her former boss, Holland Manners, who was killed in "Reunion," but returned, undead, in "Reprise," to do the firm's bidding.
- Lilah teases about Angel not being the only one that came back from hell, which he did in "Faith, Hope & Trick."
- Lilah explains she's not a vampire because she was already dead when Angelus drank from her ("Calvary"). To be sired, the vampire and the victim have to exchange their blood ("Welcome to the Hellmouth").
- Lilah bears the mark of where Wesley hit her with an axe to behead her in "Salvage."
- Fred mentions the Beast destroyed the L.A. branch of Wolfram & Hart ("Habeas Corpses"), but Lilah explains it's been restaffed and free of zombies.
- The Angel Investigations team argue with Lilah about Jasmine consuming people, which was first revealed in "The Magic Bullet."
- Wesley's Wolfram & Hart guide, Rutherford Sirk, comments that the Watchers Council no longer exists, a reference to its destruction in "Never Leave Me."
- Following the events of this episode, Angel takes a trip to Sunnydale for "End of Days" and "Chosen," bearing an amulet that Spike will wear in the battle at the Hellmouth.
- The toast that Connor offers to his new family at the end — "To family" — is the same as that offered by Wesley in Angel's hallucination at the beginning of the season, in "Deep Down."
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Angel
- Beast (Only mentioned)
- Big Cat
- Cordelia Chase
- Connor
- Darla (Only mentioned)
- Winifred Burkle
- Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan
- Charles Gunn
- Daniel Holtz (Only mentioned)
- Jasmine (Only mentioned)
- Knox
- Mesektet (Only mentioned)
- Lilah Morgan
- Matthew Partney (Only mentioned)
- Preston
- Colleen Reilly
- Laurence Reilly
- Richardson
- Jill Richardson (Only in picture)
- Sarah Richardson (Only in picture)
- Lacey Shepard
- Rutherford Sirk
- Buffy Summers (Only mentioned)
- Tracy (Only mentioned)
- Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
- Unidentified news anchor (Only in video)
Organizations and titles[]
- Angel Investigations
- Conduit to the Senior Partners
- Los Angeles Police Department
- Reilly family
- Senior Partners (Only mentioned)
- Slayer (Only mentioned)
- Watcher
- Watchers Council (Only mentioned)
- Wolfram & Hart
Species[]
- Demon
- Half-demon
- Human
- Vampire
- Zombie (Only mentioned)
Events[]
- Battle at the Hellmouth (Only mentioned)
Locations[]
- Los Angeles
- Lubbock, Texas (Only mentioned)
- 6200 Crestwood Boulevard (Only mentioned)
- Sunnydale (Only mentioned)
Objects[]
- Champion's amulet
- Devandiré Sibylline Codex
- Necrotempered glass
- Soul (Only mentioned)
- Wolfram & Hart source books
Death count[]
- None.
Behind the scenes[]
Production[]
- This is the last episode with Charisma Carpenter and Vincent Kartheiser as regulars. They will each make guest appearances in season 5.
- The sporting goods store that Connor has seized is a theater at Paramount Studios. The peak of the logo can be seen on the balcony.
- The scientist Knox is played by Jonathan M. Woodward, who also plays Holden Webster in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Conversations with Dead People."
- Originally, Tim Minear wanted to call Rutherford Sirk's character "Hitchcock" as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock and a reference to the Hitchcockian qualities of Wolfram & Hart, but it was deemed too obvious. They gave him the name "Sirk" instead after Douglas Sirk, a director who was a contemporary of Hitchcock.[2]
Broadcast[]
- "Home" had an audience of 2.6 million households upon its original airing.[3]
Pop culture references[]
- Lilah compares the tour of Wolfram & Hart with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
- Knox mentions Dungeons & Dragons while talking to Fred.
- Fred calls Knox "the MacGyver of Wolfram & Hart."
- While showing Angel his office, Lilah and Angel make reference to the game show Let's Make a Deal.
Goofs[]
- The word "Boston" is clearly visible on the supposedly LAPD vehicles surrounding Connor in the sporting goods store.
Music[]
- Andy Hallett — "Something's Coming"
- Robert J. Kral — "Home"
- Robert J. Kral — original score
International titles[]
- Czech: "Rodina" (Family)
- Finnish: "Uuteen kotiin" (To a New Home)
- French: "Une vraie famille" (A Real Family)
- German: "Ein verlockendes Angebot" (A Tempting Offer)
- Hungarian: "Otthon" (At Home)
- Italian: "Una nuova casa" (A New Home)
- Portuguese (Brazil): "Para Casa" (To Home)
- Russian: "Дом" (Home)
- Spanish (Latin America): "Hogar" (Home)
- Spanish (Spain): "Hogar" (Home)
- Turkish: "Ev" (Home)
Adaptations[]
- Tim Minear provided the audio commentaries for this episode on the Angel Season Four on DVD set.
Gallery[]
Promotional stills[]
Behind the scenes[]
Advertisement[]
References[]
- ↑ "angel: Home." TheWB.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2004.
- ↑ Tim Minear. Angel Season Four on DVD; audio commentaries for the episode "Home." [DVD]. 20th Century Studios, September 2004.
- ↑ "Nielsen Ratings for Angel's Fourth Season." Nielsen Ratings for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, & Firefly. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.