Spoiler Slayer

Pandora has posted her summary for 'Time Bomb' at Mythical Boards. As usual, be sure to check out the site (registration required) for the full summary and discussion. Read on for the highlights from the episode.

Angel: Time Bomb (5.19)

- As spoiled earlier, Illyria does rescue Gunn from the torture dimension.

- Wesley and Gunn reconcile, with them discussing how hard it is to have Illyria around.

- Illyria and Spike are sparring in a training room, when she is has a sudden attack/cramp.

- Later, Angel explains that he doesn't trust her. Hamilton and the Senior Partners also want her taken out of action.

- Illyria confronts Wes, feeling that he has betrayed her by trying to bring back Fred in the prior episode (when he broke the Orlon Window).

- Meanwhile, the story with Amanda (the young mother who is going to give her child to the Fell Brethren), kicks in.

- Illyria begins to have more frequent attacks, these begin to propel her through time.

- In the future, she sees Angel encouraging Wesley to shoot her with some device. She then goes back in time to when she was fighting with Spike.

- She thinks Wes and the others are behind these attacks.

- At Hamilton's urging, Wes investigates and discovers that Illyria's energy can't be contained in Fred's shell.

- Angel and the others go to discuss this with Illyria in the training room.

- When they arrive, she attacks. In short order she dusts Spike, kills Wes and Lorne, then cuts off Angel's head.

- She then has another attack, and finds herself talking to Angel in the past. She has another, and this time Angel travels with her.

- They pop in and out of time, until they finally arrive in the training room after Illyria has killed everyone. Angel doesn't understand what's happening.

- Illyria explains that they are caught in a time paradox, and Angel should be very familiar with paradoxes (referring to their current status at Wolfram and Hart).

- She then self-destructs, destroying everything and everyone.

- Angel finds himself in the past, on the way to confront Illyria. This time, he's able to save Spike and the others.

- He explains what's about to happen, to which Wes adds that he can save her.

- In order to do so, she will lose most of her energy. She resists at first, but eventually allows Wesley to stop the process.

- Even though drained of most of her power, Illyria is still herself. Wesley believes he needs to continue helping her find her way in this world.

- Back in his office, Angel tells Gunn that the contract with the demons is binding. Amanda must give her child to the Fell Brethren.

- Gunn protests, but Angel reminds him who their clients are, and that they are there to serve them.

This fits in with little information I had received earlier, although instead of dimension-hopping, it was time-travel. Also, while this doesn't indicate that Illyria will assume more of Fred's personality, that does appear to be partially what she is able to do in the following episode (when she fools Fred's parents). It is also setting up the 'evil Angel' that we will see more of in 'Power Play (5.21)'. I can also add that some additional information I've received, does pretty much confirm that this is all an act, a ploy to fool the Senior Partners that he has finally 'seen the dark'.