The aftermath of last week's amazing episode.

For want of a better description, Angel is in a state of shock.. as with Fred and Gunn.. of Wesley there is no sign, though we know he's lying half dead in a park somewhere.

Then Angel seemed to batten down the hatches emotionally while he and Fred and Gunn look for a way to rescue Connor. My heart ached when his control slipped when Fred suggested calling Cordelia, and Angel mentioned "presents for Connor".. but that control was quickly back in place.

He kidnapped Linwood whatever his name was from W&H... and for a moment, i truly thought Angelus had returned when Angel slowly and meticulously arranged his instruments of torture on the table behind him. Shades of Becoming there i think... he wasn't evil per se... just.. wicked and very determined to do whatever it took to get his son back, and if that meant torturing and maybe killing a human, then so be it. It was chilling stuff to watch.

The White Room.. and the way Angel was going to readily snap Lilah's neck if that's what the little girl told him would get his son back.. and she played an excellent part.. old for her years i thought.

And the calling of Sahjhan.. and their final encounter in his home.. Telling Angel that the prophecy was a fake, and that it was Connor that was meant to kill him. I think Angel was fully prepared to meet his maker until Justine returned with the urn... (and how did she know what it was, and what it would do... would Holtz have told her? ).

And yep, they found Wesley.. i was a little puzzled by the way Angel kept saying "he can't be dead"... perhaps Lorne's pep talk about the road to forgiving himself was to begin to forgive Wesley was starting to make some sense to him. I truly believed that, until Angel visited Wesley in his hospital room and after telling him that it was Angel, not Angelus talking, completely flipped out. I sat there open mouthed with shock. I had expected Angel not to be exactly understanding about what had happened, but that reaction was... unexpected.. and then.. not...

An outstanding episode again.

PS.. i lost count with the episode count.. i think i got the numbers wrong somewhere, and this is episode 17 instead of last weeks... i'm sure someone will correct me ..