"Parting Gifts" is episode 10 of season 1 in the television show Angel. See List of Angel (series) episodes for a complete list.

Plot synopsis

Summary

Angel and Cordelia, still reeling from the death of their friend Doyle, have a run-in with an old friend, Buffy’s former Watcher, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, a leather-clad, rogue, demon hunter. Meanwhile, Cordelia discovers that Doyle has passed on his gift of visions from the Powers That Be, which gives her unbearable headaches. When one of Angel’s clients, a black marketer demon, named Barney, learns of Cordelia’s new powers, he abducts her to auction off her powers of sight to a group of wealthy demons and humans, including some lawyers from Wolfram & Hart.

Expanded

Angel goes to the Oracles to ask for Doyle back, but they cannot help him. A demon runs from someone on a motorcycle. Cordelia is really hurt and working for some memory of Doyle. She leaves Angel alone for an audition. The demon that was running from the motorcycle goes to Angel for help, but Angel is reluctant to help the demon named, Barney. Barney has the ability to read people's emotions. Cordelia breaks down into tears at her audition and then when she tries the scene again, she suddenly gets a vision.

The man on the motorcycle continues to track the demon he's after. Cordelia returns from her audition and goes right to Angel and kisses him. Realizing that Doyle gave her the visions when he kissed her, she's kissing everyone she can to try and get rid of it. He leaves Cordelia to watch Barney and try and remember what she saw in her vision. He goes to check out Barney's apartment and runs into the motorcycle man. After pulling a crossbow on Angel, the man reveals himself to be Wesley Wydaham-Pryce. Angel talks to Wesley and finds that he was fired from the Watcher's Council and is now a rogue demon hunter.

Barney tries to talk to Cordelia and she tells him about Doyle. Without realizing who he is, Cordelia kisses Wesley but is disappointed that the visions are still with her. After researching the demon, and finding that Wesley was hunting a Kungai demon, Angel goes off alone to find it. After bargaining for in information, Angel finds the Kungai demon, but he is dying because the horn on his forehead was ripped off. Cordelia tells Barney about the visions and he tells her she received a great gift from Doyle. While Cordelia makes coffee, Barney makes a call and reveals that he took the horn from the Kungai demon, and is now interested in Cordelia's powers.

Wesley shows up and helps Angel by attempting to translate the Kungai language. He can't seem to translate enough of it though before the demon dies. Barney suddenly starts to pick on Cordelia's weak emotions, and makes her feel bad. Cordelia is tied up, and pretends to get a vision so that she has the opportunity to escape. Angel and Wesley return to the apartment and find Cordelia gone. Angel finds a drawing she drew from her vision, and recognizes it as a statue.

With Angel's research and Wesley remembering more of the Kungai language, the two go off to a hotel where the statue was sent for auction and hope to find Cordelia. Cordy however, wakes up in a room and overhears the plans for her eyes to be sold for their ability to see the future. When put up for sale, the bidding starts low, but Cordelia tries to stall by encouraging buyers to pay more. A lawyer from Wolfram and Hart finally offers the winning bid, and asks for the eyes to be extracted. Angel and Wesley arrive just in time and while Angel fights, Wesley sets Cordelia free.

Wesley and Barney get into a fight and Cordelia picks up the Kungai horn that was for sale and stabs Barney with it. At Angel's apartment later, Wesley packs up his things while Angel fixes breakfast. He makes a big deal about leaving until Angel offers him breakfast as well.

Episode Cast & Factions

Angel, Cordelia Chase (both Angel Investigations)
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (former Watcher)

Barney the Empath Demon, Hank (both Ramsay Hotel Auctioneers)
Mac (Wolfram & Hart)
unnamed human and demon bidders
Ramsay Hotel belhop

unnamed Kungai demon

Soon
Old Korean Woman
unnamed reptile demon

unnamed producers

Bestiary

Barney

Barney refers to himself as an "Empath demon", meaning he has the ability to sense the emotions of other beings around him. Barney also runs periodical auctions at Ramsay Hotel, in which the empowered organs of demons and other supernatural beings are sold to the highest bidder, often involving the mutilation of the original owner of the organs. Barney seemingly enjoy his line of work despite the fact that as an empath, he would be capable of feeling the suffering of his victims. Barney has pink skin, four small horns in his forehead and pointy ears and nose.

Kungai demon

Kungais are a race of demons of asian origin and repitilian features. They are known for being deadly and very powerful. These demons have a Tak horn, capable of draining the life force of those stabbed on it, on their foreheads and also have the abilty of sticking to walls and ceilings. These demons speak their own language.

Hank

Hank is Barney's dim-witted partner, and a human being. He assists Barney cataloguing organs and sometimes performing the organ extractions.

Mac

Mac is a lawyer of African American origin that works for the law firm Wolfram and Hart. She's also a regular bidder at Barney's auctions. She attends the auctions in order to obtain empowered organs, such as Cordelia's eyes, for Wolfram & Hart.

Bidders

Besides Mac, the Auction is attended by a large number of both human and demon bidders.

Unnamed reptile demon

Unnamed reptilian demon: The demon Angel meets at the Korean spa is a humanoid demon with gray, scaly skin, two horns at the sides of the head and protuding shoulders. Looks simular to a Fyarl demon.

Writing and acting

Production details

Quotes and trivia

Continuity

Arc significance

Cordelia starts receiving visions from the Powers That Be.
Wesley comes to LA and joins forces with Angel.

Timing

• Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:

External links

Reviews

• Peripheral Visions Review
• Section 31 Review
• Swing the Sickle Review