Original Air Date: October 26, 1999

Teleplay by David Greenwalt
Story by Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt
Directed by Vern Gillum

Summary

Over at Angel's office, Cordelia is complaining about all the bills for the office and that they need to start charging their clients. Doyle agrees but Angel doesn't feel right asking people for money. Doyle suddenly has a vision of a lady in some work place. Her name is Melissa Burns at Barnswell Paper Products. Angel heads off to find her.

After celebrating someone's birthday at the office, Melissa receives a huge bouquet of flowers from someone named Ronald. Melissa is a little unnerved and heads to the washroom where she swallows some pills. She then heads to her car and runs into Angel, he gives her his card and he tells her to call that number if she's ever in any trouble. Melissa goes to bank and runs into Ronald. He acts way possessive about her although she asks him to leave her alone. He refuses to stay away from her because he believes that they're in love. Melissa decides that it's time to pay Angel a visit. She explains that she met Ronald, who's a neuro-surgeon, while she had an operation on her eye. They went on one date and after that he continually called her and sent her things, even though she made it clear that she didn't want to go out with him again. She says that she can feel him watching her, even when she's alone. After Melissa leaves, Angel tries to figure out how Ronald could see her when she's alone and the only thing he comes up with is that Ronald is invisible. That night, Melissa gets into bed and unbekwonst to her, there's an eyeball floating in the air wacthing her. Meanwhile, Ronald is in his office with one eyeball missing from his head.

Angel visits Kate at the police station and tells her about the stalking. She pulls up a report that says that Melissa did file a report against Ronald. She says she'll but a patrol car on her house for at least a night but she can't spare it any longer than that. Angel then goes to Ronald's office and snoops around. The doctor walks in and Angel pretends to be a client. Cordelia's also in ther building, interviewing Ronald's co-worker. The co-worker says that Ronald is great at reattaching limbs but he never tells anyone how he does it.

Back at the office, Cordelia relates the co-workers story. Angel then discovers from a stolen book from Ronald's office that he was at some special retreat with a doctor that specialized in limb reattachments. Angel visits the doctor who explains that Ronald had learned to use his full brain power to become a psychic surgeon.

That night, while Melissa's sleeping in her bed, Ronald is outside by the gate and he has no hands. His hands are crawling under Melissa's covers, she feels then and starts screaming. The guard outside runs in and thinks she's crazy because he can't find anyone in her bedroom. The hands suddenly jump up and start choking the guard. Melissa runs out of the house and runs right into Angel. The hands make their way back to Ronald who is waiting outside. Kate's police squad arrives on the scene and starts checking for prints. Angel and Doyle then figure thast the only way to kill this guy is to cut him into lots of pieces. Angel takes Melissa to his office and tells her to get some rest because she's had a long night. Cordelia and Doyle are going to stay there with her. The phone rings and it's the doctor calling for Angel. Angel pretends to be the client like he was before and says he'll meet the doctor at his office in a few minutes.

At Ronald's office, Angel is shot by Ronald with a poison that kills people by slowing down their heart. Angel quivers on the ground while Ronald leaves the office and heads for Angel's apartment. Body parts begin to creep into the apartment, a hand unlocks the door and the doctor walks in. The doctor shoves Doyle down the sewer hole and Cordelia into a closet. He then heads for Melissa. He holds a scalpel to her throat but she says she isn't afraid of him anymore. Right then, Angel enters the apartment and Ronald's shocked to see him because the poison should have killed him. Ronald throws his body parts at Angel but it doesn't stop Angel from knocking Ronald's head off with a coat rack.

At the office the next day, Melissa drops in and thanks Angel for his help. She then pays the bill, much to Cordelia and Doyle's delight. Cordelia then urges Doyle to have another vision so that they can get more clients.

Summary written by Nika

Quote of the Week

Angel: What is this?
Cordelia: Last week's coffee. Think of it as espresso.
Angel: I think my essophagus is melting.

My Rating

3/5

Nika Summers' Comments

Well this episode was kind of just eh. Not great, not bad, just kind of eh. The body parts crawling all over the place was kind of bizarre but it did make it creepy so that was cool. I would have liked the psychic sugreon theory explained a little more. I had to rewatch that scene with the doctor several times just to figure out what was going on. It's so strange, every time I try to comment on this episode, I just can't think of anything. It was just kind of an episode thta'll be easy to forget about, I guess. They should have developed a little more of the storyline with the doctor, like why he had become like this. All in all, an "okay" episode.

Niki Bartl's Comments

This episode was really creepy - in an old fifties movies feel, you know? Except that eyes hovering and the Thing hand were really freaky. Not to mention that the guy was so stalkerish. I didn't really have a reception to this episode though. I didn't really like it, I didn't really dislike it either. Sometimes I have dreams where I make up episodes of TV shows, and this seemed like a made up version of Angel to me. I wouldn't be comfortable asking people for money either.... how does Angel make all his money anyways? Secret Swiss bank account? This episode was good in a stalkerish sort of way, how it represented the pure creepyness and loss of control you feel when you're stalked. Like when he's standing outside of her apartment, and the police officer lets him off just because he has no hands. And when Angel is comforting her after she ran outside, and the hand is returning to it's "home" wouldn't Angel smell the blood on the nerves? I mean, if he smelled the blod on the bracelet in Reptile boy, I'm sure he could smell the blood coming from the hand. And when Snagel gets the scalpel shoved inside him, wouldn't it create a rip in his sweater when he pulls it out. Or maybe I just couldn't see from the way he was satnding. Anyways, those were my two notes about that episode.To summarize this review, this episode wasn't bad but wasn't good either.

Cast

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