Spoiler Slayer

Just as I was about to call it a night, news started coming in about Episode 13. I'll give them credit, for a show that supposedly was going to have a hard time doing flashback episodes, they're certainly going all out. Due to time constraints, I'm not going to have time to do a full detailed rundown tonight.

Note: The summary was updated yet again, as new info on Commander Petrie was released. I will continue to update this summary as info comes out.

Angel: Episode 13

The teaser opens on the Atlantic Ocean, in the year 1943. A German U-boat is silently cruising on the surface. We have flashed back to World War II, as the crew of the sub (members of the United States Navy), are under attack by something in the sub with them. They radio desperately for help, as their crewmates including the captain, are killed.

(gap)

In the present, Fred is talking to a man named Lawson. He says he's an old friend of Angel's, but Fred has never heard of him. Lawson explains that there's a lot about Angel she doesn't know, and we flashback to...

Angel's apartment - 1943, in New York City. It's a dump, and the post-Soul/pre-Buffy Angel is staring glumly at the wall. Suddenly, the door is kicked in by two members of The Initiative (that's what they call them). After a short skirmish, Angel is held at bay with a stake and crossbow. Into the apartment strolls Commander Petrie and Mr. Fury.

(gap)

Petrie asks if Angel is up on the events in the war. Essentially, they are losing the battle with the German U-Boats. A few days ago, an American team captures one of the new-generation U-Boats that are causing the most damage. However, they received a distress call and haven't heard from them since. Since it's so deep, no human can get down there. This is why they need Angel. Since Petrie is the head of the 'Government Research Initiative', this is why they've been keeping tabs on him. They know he is souled and feels that he would be a perfect solution. Angel isn't interested, until Petrie reminds him that he doesn't have a choice. To further convince him, Fury shows him some documents that detail what was on the sub.

Back on the submarine, Lawson, Spinelli, and the other crew members are holed up in the forward compartments. A German, named Heinreich, is tied up in a corner. Lawson is bragging that if they can bring the submarine back to America, they'll be famous. The others are a bit doubtful, as they are not in control of the sub and have a limited air supply.

They hear screaming from the other side of the bulkhead. It's the other members of the prize crew being slaughtered and Lawson wants to go out and rescue them. This forces Spinelli to pull a gun to stop him and the schnitzel is about to hit the fan when they hear a loud thud... on the outside of the hull. The sounds is something moving along the hull and towards the torpedo room.

When they arrive, they hear whatever it is knocking on the door to the torpedo tube. The knocking is morse code, and Lawson convinces the others to open it. Out pops a very wet Angel.

Meanwhile, back in the present. Wesley walks into his office to discover a bound and bruised Fred in a chair.

(gap)

Angel has just finished giving marching orders to the remaining crew. He's impressed that they are ready to follow him. The first thing, they need to get the manacles chained to Angel's feet.

Two of the crew, while getting a pair of bolt cutters, are impressed by Angel's strength. They liken him to Captain America. In the interim, Lawson fills Angel in on the remaining members of the crew.

(gap)

Angel has hooked up with Spike and two other vamps on the other side of the bulkhead. Spike is glad that Angel is there, figuring that the Germans were going after the worst vampires on the planet. Angel asks to be introduced to the others. Spike introduces Nostroyev and The Prince Of Lies to Angel. He introduces him as Angelus. Both vampires are impressed, although Nostroyev tries to one-up him with his past deeds. Bragging about his reputation, and the fact that he was Rasputin's boyfriend. Angel acts like he has never heard of him (and maybe he hasn't). Spike jumps in, explaining that he freed the others after he got loose. He explains that if he knew that Angel was imprisoned in the forward compartments, he would have freed him too. Then again, they were pretty busy killing sailors.

Spike explains that they've killed them all. They are all ready to go forward and kill the rest, but Angel talks them out of it. His logic is if they kill all the men, who will get the submarine to port. Spike figures they can do it, setting off an alarm while trying to demonstrate how easy it would be. Nostroyev figures that they can kill all but one of them. Angel tries to stop him from going forward, and when Nostroyev begins arguing, Angel dusts him. Spike and The Prince grudgingly agree not to kill the humans.

(gap)

Back in the present, Angel is going over research in his penthouse. He looks up and discovers that Lawson (a much older version), has managed to get into the building. Lawson seems impressed at how far Angel has come over the past several decades. Angel recalls that he was going to kill Lawson the next time he saw him, Lawson laughs it off and says that he's there to talk.

Back in 1943, Angel tells the others to stick tight and stay sharp as they exit the forward bulkheads. The enter the control room and discover Spike and The Prince. Angel introduces them and tells Lawson if he needs their help, he has it. Lawson and his men start getting the ship under way. Spike is goofing around, playing at being the captain. Lawson and Angel go to the engine room, where Angel asks what next. Lawson reminds Angel that he's supposed to be in control, and lets slip that he knows Angel isn't working for the Navy. Angel tries to explain, but Lawson seems fine with this fact.

(gap)

Everyone is in the control room, trying to control the sub with the few men they have. Spike is not pleased to be left out of the action. Something causes Angel and Lawson to go elsewhere, where they discover that the Prince is attacking Heinreich in the galley. The Prince has been going through some documents and is enraged at their contents. Angel tries to pull him off Heinreich, to no avail. Right as he's going to kill the German, Angel stakes him.

Heinreich mutters thanks, to which Angel hits him and knocks him out. Some of the others are shocked at the fact that the Prince 'dusted'. Lawson and Angel are trying to figure out why The Prince went mad, at which point Spike enters with more documents.

Later, the three of them begin to interrogate Heinreich. They are playing good vamp/bad vamp, with Spike in the role of bad Vamp. Heinreich is cowed a bit by seeing vamp-face Spike, but in German says that Spike could never understand. Lawson, who can speak a bit of German, asks Heinreich about the papers. He still doesn't want to talk, until Lawson explains that they can't stop Spike from killing him.

Heinreich spills, talking about the Nazi's plans to control vampires by operating on their brains. Spike realizes that this why the Prince was trying to kill the German. Heinreich reveals that they were less than a year away from commanding an undead army. Spike figures that they went for the best to start with. Lawson is disgusted at the depths that the Reich will stoop to, which causes Heinreich to chuckle. The Germans aren't the only ones with that idea, looking over at Angel. Lawson is shocked to realize that Heinreich could be telling the truth.

(gap)

Later, Spike is burning the documents, when suddenly a loud explosion rocks the ship. They are under depth charge attack from several destroyers. They begin to maneuver to avoid the attacks.

Haven't had the time to digest all the info, but I think this give an overall view of what's going to happen. Definitely not a time-travel story, which means that we will be seeing the old pre-soul and pre-chip Spike. Angel is more intriguing, as it goes quite a bit against the accepted canon for his souled years before Buffy. This is the vampire who didn't care about anyone in the 50's, but he's apparently working for the United States government and being quite the champion during World War II..

(Thanks to 'T' for staying up late and providing the information).