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"Salvage" is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of Angel and the seventy-ninth episode in the series. Written by David Fury and directed by Jefferson Kibbee, it was originally broadcast on March 5, 2003, on The WB network.

Synopsis[]

When Angelus meets up with The Beast, he learns that the rain of fire, blacking out the sun and stealing Angel's soul was all part of The Beast's mysterious master plan to bring Angelus back. Meanwhile, Wesley releases vampire slayer Faith from prison to help capture Angelus.[1]

Summary[]

Angelus, who has been stalking Lilah, is disappointed when he finds her already dead. Wesley and Gunn discover him holding her body, drinking whatever is left of her blood. Angelus escapes through a window and the two to assume he killed her. Wesley and Gunn return to the lobby with news of Lilah's death. Lorne suggests protecting the Hyperion Hotel with the same magic that forbids violence in the Caritas club. When the group realizes that Angelus could have turned Lilah into a vampire, Wesley offers to prevent her potential rising.

Angelus visits a demon bar — where he is raucously received — to question the patrons on the whereabouts of the Beast.

In the basement, Wesley prepares to behead Lilah. After an imaginary conversation where he apologizes for their "not-a-relationship," he finally brings down the axe.

Connor intends to destroy Angelus despite Cordelia's protests, but, when he starts to leave, Cordelia faints mid-speech and Connor stops to care for her.

Meanwhile, Faith works out in the Northern California Women's Facility, when another prisoner attacks her with a knife. Faith efficiently knocks the woman out, who claims that she's doing it for money. As the corrections officer hauls the other prisoner away, reassuring Faith they saw how she was attacked, Faith notices the knife that was used.

Angelus follows the scent of Lilah's blood to the weapon used to kill her, in the Beast's possession. The Beast says Angelus is a part of his master's plans, but Angelus refuses to take orders and leaves. Cordelia — revealed as the Beast's master — is disappointed. The Beast apologizes for his failures and she forgives him, then the two kiss.

Lorne performs the Sanctorium spell, and Wesley returns from the basement saying he intends to restore Angel's soul. Wesley visits Faith at the prison to ask for her help; she's initially disinterested, although, upon learning that Angelus has "returned," she crashes through the glass, knocks out the prison guards, and jumps out of the high window with Wesley. Faith tells him that she won't kill Angelus because of Angel's crucial role in her life and Wesley admits that's precisely why he chose her for the job. When they arrive at the hotel, Faith asserts herself as commander. Connor is displeased with her decision to rescue Angelus instead of killing him, but Faith makes it clear her plan is the only plan.

Angelus, after overhearing a Slayer is in town, immediately calls Buffy's house, where Dawn confirms that she's still in Sunnydale. Angelus is interested to find he'll be facing "the other one." Connor leads Faith, Wesley and Gunn into a factory, where Angelus has erected a "Welcome Faith" banner. Despite Faith's orders, Connor beheads the first vampire that crosses his path. Faith yells at him for disobeying her and then tells him to go home because he refuses to listen to her. The two fight, but Faith is clearly stronger and eventually holds a crossbow to Connor's throat in warning. Connor returns to the hotel with Gunn, while Wesley and Faith split up to search the factory.

Faith finds Angelus with the Beast. The creature beat her badly until Angelus stabs the Beast with a dagger made of the Beast's bone, having realized the only thing strong enough to penetrate the demon's body was something that was made from him. This manages to destroy the Beast, however Angelus is dismayed to find that this really does restore the sun. Faith knocks out a large window, flooding the room with sunlight and forcing Angelus to keep his distance.

At the hotel, the gang rejoices in the return of the sun and Connor goes upstairs to tell Cordelia. Connor sings Faith's praises until Cordy interrupts with news that she's pregnant with his child.

Continuity[]

  • Faith escapes jail. She had been in since "Sanctuary," when she voluntarily turned herself over to the police.
  • Wesley tells Faith about Angel having a kid ("Lullaby"), Connor growing up in a hell dimension ("A New World"), and Cordelia spending the past summer as a higher being ("Deep Down").
  • Connor asks Faith why Slayers are always girls, to which she answers that she just guesses girls are better at it. In the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "Potential," Andrew asks the same question and Dawn gives him the same answer.
  • The dagger Angelus uses to kill the Beast was fashioned by the Beast himself from his own bones and presented as an offering to Jasmine in the last episode, "Calvary."
  • Angelus recalls the fantasy in "Awakening" in which killing the Beast would bring the sun back.

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Organizations and titles[]

Species[]

Events[]

Locations[]

Objects[]

Rituals and spells[]

Death count[]

  • Unidentified girl, blood drained by a vampire.
  • Rosaria, staked by Angelus.
  • Two vampires, staked by Faith.
  • One vampire, beheaded by Connor.
  • The Beast, stabbed by Angelus.
  • Paco, burned by the sun.
  • Karl, burned by the sun.

Behind the scenes[]

Production[]

  • This episode introduces Cordelia's pregnancy to the plot, incorporating Charisma Carpenter's real-life pregnancy into the show. 18 years later, in 2021, she would claim Joss Whedon belittled her pregnancy, suggested an abortion, and punished her for not having one by making her work late hours and firing her in the following season.[2]

Broadcast[]

  • "Salvage" had an audience of 2.3 million households upon its original airing.[3]

Pop culture references[]

  • The Birth of a Nation: Lorne says, "The birth of a notion, kids!"
  • The Wizard of Oz: Lorne says "Ding dong the beast is dead."
  • Rocky: Angelus: "Come on, Rocky. If that's all you got you better throw in the towel and call it a night."
  • The Beastmaster: Angel says to the Beast, "When the Beastmaster's ready to peek out from behind your skirt, have him give me a call."
  • Speed: Referenced in Angelus' line "The question is, what do you do hotshot? What do you do?"

Music[]

International titles[]

  • Czech: "Záchrana" (Salvage)
  • Finnish: "Pelastusoperaatio" (Salvage Operation)
  • French: "Le retour de Faith" (The Return of Faith)
  • German: "Licht in der Dunkelheit" (Light in the Darkness)
  • Hungarian: "Mentő akció" (Salvage Operation)
  • Italian: "Salvataggio" (Salvage)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): "Salvamento" (Salvage)
  • Russian: "Спасение" (Salvage)
  • Spanish (Latin America): "Salvaje" (Wild)
  • Spanish (Spain): "Salvamento" (Salvage)
  • Turkish: "Kurtarma" (Salvage)

Gallery[]

Promotional stills[]

Behind the scenes[]

Quotes[]

Angelus: "Aw, crap! You mean killing the Beast really does bring back the sun? I thought that was just Angel's retarded fantasy!"

References[]

  1. "angel: Salvage." TheWB.com. Archived from the original on October 9, 2004.
  2. Charisma Carpenter, "My truth. #IStandWithRayFisher." Twitter, February 10, 2021.
  3. "Nielsen Ratings for Angel's Fourth Season." Nielsen Ratings for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, & Firefly. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008.
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