I've Got You Under My Skin (Angel)
| "I've Got You Under My Skin" | |
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| Angel episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 14 |
| Directed by | R.D. Price |
| Story by |
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| Teleplay by | Jeannine Renshaw |
| Production code | 1ADH14 |
| Original air date | February 15, 2000 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"I've Got You Under My Skin" is episode 14 of season one in the television show Angel. Just as Cordelia succeeds at opening Angel up about Doyle and the events surrounding his death, she suffers a vision about an ancient Ethros demon, which turns out to have been possessing a young boy, Ryan Anderson, for years. Angel, Wesley and Cordelia perform an exorcism that expels the demon from the child, but it escapes the trap they set and roams free to possess once more. Even worse, they learn that the mass-murdering Ethros demon does not pose the biggest threat to the Anderson family's well-being.
Cordelia finally gets Angel to talk about Doyle's death when she suddenly has a vision. Angel and Wesley go to the envisioned house in the suburbs when a boy named Ryan from the house walks out onto the street. Angel saves him from an oncoming car, and he talks with the parents, Paige and Seth. Noticing that something is off but not sure what is going on, Angel takes advantage of Paige's overflowing gratitude and takes her up on a dinner invitation about which Seth clearly disapproves. Outside, Wesley finds glowing goo called "plakticine" (similar to ectoplasm) oozing from the foundation all around the house and they realize someone in the house is possessed by a powerful mass-murdering Ethros demon. Angel suspects the father, but the only way to be sure which family member is possessed is to have each ingest eucalyptus powder, which will force the demon to manifest. They mix the powder with brownies that Angel brings to dinner, where Angel watches Seth carefully and it isn't until the daughter Stephanie screams that he sees the demon horrifically manifesting in Ryan before the boy falls unconscious. Paige is frantic and accuses Angel of poisoning her son, but Seth supports Angel, reminding Paige that something has been truly wrong with the boy since long before Angel's advent. They agree to attempt an exorcism and take the boy and his parents back to Angel's place for preparations.
Cordelia establishes a magic circle of protection around the bed to bind Ryan there. Stressing that Ryan is not himself anymore, Angel warns Seth and Paige, particularly Paige, that they risk being killed if they break the barrier or go anywhere near the boy. Angel and Wesley try to make contact with the priest reputed to be professionally trained to perform exorcisms but find that he has died and they must attempt the exorcism themselves. Meanwhile, Ryan has seemingly regained consciousness and commences tormenting Paige with guilt at leaving him abandoned and alone in the dark. Her resolve breaks, and when she rushes to his side he begins strangling her; after a tense few minutes, Wesley and Angel rush into the bedroom and manage to pull Paige from Ryan's choke hold, but their efforts send the demon deeper, and the boy again lapses into unconsciousness. Upon learning from Cordelia's research that expelling the demon will send him to the nearest "warm body", Angel sends her to procure an Ethros box from Rick's Magick & Stuff, which is supposed to hold the Ethros demon. Rick's, however, does not have an Ethros Box, so Cordelia instead buys a box intended for another type of demon. While Cordelia shops, Wesley attempts the exorcism. He manages to raise the demon far enough to animate the boy once more, and the Ethros cruelly taunts him about his inadequacies as a youth and as a Watcher until Wesley grows visibly more distracted and vulnerable. He fails. Someone or something telekinetically uses marbles on the table to write the words, "Save me". The demon taunts Angel and he wraps his hand with a length of cloth, grabs the cross and Wesley's small volume of incantations, and strides into the bedroom. Holding the cross pressed to Ryan's chest, Angel ignores the pain of his hand sizzling through the protective layers and begins to chant, his voice growing louder and more commanding as he repeats the ritual phrases until, finally, he shouts, "Now get the hell out!" With an invisible rush, the demon is expelled from the boy, but the box Cordelia bought is unable to contain the demon's energy and shatters.
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