Fred’s dealing with the lure of Wolfram and Hart. Gunn is learning more about Spike’s past, and getting hints at Angel’s as well. And Angel’s still missing from the scene, with no guarantee of return. It’s a whole new world in Los Angeles and it’s up to a brave few to defend it from whatever evils lurk in the shadows.
Note: This recap may contain spoilers!
Fred has had a difficult childhood. She’s always been seen as odd and ultimately unreachable because of her gifts. But perhaps her struggles are because the world just doesn’t understand her true potential. Lilah does, and she’s tempting Fred to open herself up to the possibilities of what she can really do. And to help her on that journey is Wolfram and Hart.
The lure of power is indeed strong, as is the thrall of Baphomet. Lilah has locked Fred up with the monster, hoping she will talk to him. Fred refuses at first, demanding to be let free, but soon his convincing seems to take hold and she listens to what he has to say. Too bad it seems to have tapped into something more primal in Fred, as we will soon see.
Meanwhile, Gunn and Spike are bonding over at Angel’s place. Or, at least Gunn’s trying to figure out Spike’s deal with Angel. Spike may be a vampire with a string of deaths in his wake, but he’s nothing compared to Angel. Spike gives a hint that Angel has had a very violent past, but he does not tell Gunn the entirety of what that means. It’s not his story to tell, after all. Besides, they’ve got more important things to focus on at the moment. Namely, rescuing Fred.
Angel’s a got hidden stash of weapons at his place and Spike breaks into it to help them be armed for their mission to take on Baphomet. Death and violence is a part of who he is, and it must be an accepted part of Gunn’s life as well if he has any hope of surviving this new path. But Gunn’s still thinking of life as confined by the societal limits he is used to. Spike tries to help him understand that there is no control in the world, only chaos. The sooner he understands that, the safer he will be.
Unfortunately, they have to deal with a bit of chaos before they even leave Angel’s place. They come under attack by some unseen gunmen and Spike does his best to protect Gunn in the ensuing battle. The vampire pushes Gunn to the side and saves him from being gunned down before taking a whole slew of bullets through his body. Then he lets his inner demon out and goes full-vampire to take on their attackers. Not a pretty sight, but it does the job. And they dispose of the bodies before heading out to save Fred. Wolfram and Hart have them on their radar now and no one is truly safe.
What they find at Baphomet’s location is just as gruesome as the scene they came from. There are a ton of bloody bodies strewn around and Fred’s right in the middle of them with blood on her hands. She can’t remember what happened, but she did talk to Baphomet, so whatever was said between them must have lit a spark within her. Despite her unease at what transpired, Spike does try to assure her that the world is better off with the bad men killed, even if she did it. Perhaps not a cure-all for her guilt, but it does help a little.
As we end the issue, we see the formation of a dedicated team – Spike, Gunn, and Fred. Wolfram and Hart aren’t done with them, so it’s up to the three of them to save Los Angeles on their own, since there’s no guarantee Angel will return. I look forward to seeing where this will lead them!
Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
You might also like:
