Angel/Recap/S03 E08 Quickening

Holtz seeks his revenge on a modern day Angel. Darla's impending birth attracts the attention of various factions including Wolfram & Hart.

"Psychic: "I can't apologize enough, sir."
 * Bad Boss: Linwood asks a Wolfram & Hart psychic why he didn't see this vampire child business coming.

Linwood: "You're right. You can't. (Laughs) But I'm not without compassion. I'm gonna give you a chance to save your job - and your skin."

(Psychic smiles relieved, then frowns and leans in a bit closer to Linwood)

Psychic: "No, you're not. You're gonna have me killed."

Linwood: "Now, why couldn't you have had that kind of foresight when we needed it?"

(Someone puts a plastic bag over the psychic's head and smothers him)"

"Sahjhan: "It went through a rough patch about sixty years ago, but it's mostly unchanged. Warm beer, boiled meat, bad teeth. That's why I moved to LA.""
 * Bait and Switch Comment: Darla appears to be going to tell Angel to "be careful", but then she tells him to "Just get out of here."
 * Beware the Nice Ones: Lampshaded by Cordelia when Fred borrows a knife off Gunn, grabs Darla and threatens to kill her baby if the vampire cult doesn't back off.
 * Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick
 * "A man works hard...builds something...waters it...grows rich and powerful...leaves his wife for a younger beauty. These are the reasons we take certain blood oaths."
 * "It is I who feel fortunate. A vampire birth is unprecedented. I look forward to dissecting both the mother and the child."
 * British Teeth: Holtz asks if England has changed over the centuries.

"Holtz: "And is this the part of the tale where the demon offers the broken man the chance to change all that?""
 * The Chosen One: A group of vampires naturally assume this would be the case of any child born of a vampire. Wolfram & Hart are scrambling to secure Darla before any other crazies or magical powerbrokers find out.
 * Cow Tools: Dr. Fetvanovich's sinister-looking surgical implements.
 * Cliff Hanger: Angel meets Holtz, while back in the convertible Darla is having her baby.
 * Couldn't Find a Pen: Lilah Morgan is shown pricking her finger in order to sign a legal document in blood.
 * Cut Apart: Holtz and his men surround a house. They appear to be just in time to stop Angelus and Darla killing the women and children within. It turns out the house is empty and Holtz realises after reading a note that the two vampires are at his house.
 * Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon: Lilah threatens to "have your skin peeled off and stapled back on inside out." And there's the vampire cult's way of honoring Darla. They promise the kill the humans and use their blood to nourish her, then "slice you open, wear your entrails as a belt and consume your eyeballs before we worship the miracle child."
 * Deal with the Devil: Sahjhan tells Holtz he'll die a bitter old man who missed his chance to get revenge on Angelus and Darla.

""Alright then, sir. Are you now or have you ever been a vampire? Are any of your friends vampires?""
 * Description Cut: Holtz saying, "Any other surprises I should know about?" to pregnant Darla.
 * Double Reverse Quadruple Agent: Cyril from the Mail Room says he wants to work for Lilah, is actually working for Gavin, then turns out to be a mole for a third party.
 * Distant Prologue: The murder of Holtz's family in York, England 1764. His deal with Sahjahn nine years later.
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: A Wolfram & Hart employee has a demon strapped to a polygraph.

"Recording: "Hi, you've reached the Tittles. We can't come to the phone right now. If you wanna leave a message for Christine, press one. For Bentley, press two. OR TO SPEAK TO OR WORSHIP MASTER TARFALL, UNDERLORD OF PAIN, PRESS THREE.""
 * Eats Babies: Darla does this in the Holtz massacre, and is more than willing to abort her child if she could.
 * Feet First Introduction: Lilah Morgan walking in with Dr. Fetvanovic.
 * Fetus Terrible: Averted -- The Fang Gang assume Darla's child will be some sort of horrible skittering thing that needs killing with flamethrowers, but when they look at the ultrasound...it's a boy!
 * For Inconvenience Press One: On overhearing the talk about Darla, Cyril makes a call on his mobile.

"Angel: "Nobody's gonna do anything until we know exactly what's going on. Now, if anybody has a problem with that they should leave now. (Darla goes to leave -- Angel pulls her back) Not you.""
 * Heel Face Revolving Door: A smirking Darla refuses to help when the vampire cult says they'll kill the humans to nourish her, until they mention cutting Darla up. Darla quickly jumps off the table to stand next to Angel. "OK, I'm in."
 * Hypocritical Humor

""The buildings [in the 21st century] are taller, machines more powerful, and you can get really great Thai food at two in the morning.""
 * If I Do Not Return: Angel tells the others to wait five minutes while he retrieves the prophecy. If he's not back they're to leave. Six minutes later Cordy is preparing to leave, with only Fred objecting, when Darla has her Screaming Birth.
 * Insecurity Camera: Goes to a Snowy Screen of Death just when Holtz is confronting the Spec Ops team. Also the audio cut out when Darla's name was mentioned, so Wolfram & Hart only know who the pregnant lady is when Lilah recognises her from the footage.
 * Ironic Echo Cut: The Teaser shows Darla and Angelus killing Holtz's family. On hearing a baby cry Darla asks, "Are you going to do it [kill the baby], or shall I?" Cut to Darla in the present day asking Angel the same question regarding her own child.
 * The Last of These Is Not Like the Others: A Running Gag with Sahjahn.

"Commander: "I'm confident my men will be able to capture and retrieve the target. The larger question revolves around subsequent extraction of the target's cargo."
 * Layman's Terms

(Linwood looks blank)

Gavin: (quietly) "Getting the baby from Darla.""

"Angel: "Me. A father. To a son. You know what that means?"
 * Mad Doctor: Dr. Fetvanovich
 * Magical Security Cam: Averted
 * Mook: Grappler demons are recruited by Sahjhan to aid Holtz. The Wolfram & Hart Spec Ops team is seen for the first time.
 * Negated Moment of Awesome: Lilah Morgan makes a phone call to a shirtless Professional Killer whom we see meditating in a Lotus Position. He grabs his katana using Psychic Powers and later does a Super Window Jump into the middle of the operating theatre while screaming "DIE!", only to get swarmed and killed in seconds by the vampire cult members.
 * Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Fred's Human Shield tactic appears to be working. Fred whispers in Darla's ear that they don't know her knife can't hurt the baby. Darla says sarcastically, "They do now. Vampires have great hearing."
 * Oh Crap

Fred: "We're surrounded by vampires?"

Angel: "No, it's a human bo..." (looks up and sees the vampire cult) Oh. We are surrounded by vampires.""

"Sahjhan: "I'll take you to them. Two centuries into the future."
 * Subverted when the vampires drop to their knees and start worshipping the baby. Double Subverted when they announce they'll sacrifice the humans present to nourish the child.
 * Ominous Multiple Screens
 * Protective Charm: The baby cannot be physically harmed, so abortion is out of the question.
 * Sarcasm Mode

Holtz: (contemptuous) "Through black magic and sorcery."

Sahjhan: "No. On a mule cart. Of course through black magic and sorcery. I'm a demon.""

"Gavin: "Keee-yi-ha ow. Someone doing an incantation?"
 * Saying Sound Effects Out Loud: A W&H minion is transcribing the surveillance recordings of last week's episode.

Transcriber: "No. Angel started training female one in martial arts. I think she got in a lucky punch.""

"Darla: "Something's wrong. The pain..."
 * The Scapegoat: Linwood says that if Wolfram & Hart can't fix this fiasco the buck stops with him. Lilah can't hide her smirk as she gives her sycophantic praise, only for Linwood to inform Lilah that he means he'll name her as the scapegoat.
 * Screaming Birth

Angel: "You like pain."

Darla: "This is different. I want it out -- now!""

"Fred: "It probably wouldn't hurt to wait another minute, right? I mean, what's the worst thing that could happen in another minute? (Darla goes into labor) Ask a stupid question...""
 * Sinister Surveillance: Gavin Park has placed hidden cameras in Angel Investigations.
 * Sound-Only Death: Linwood decides to avert the Why Don't You Just Shoot Him? trope and orders the Spec Ops team to shoot the mysterious sword-wielding figure who's turned up looking for 'Angelus'. The cameras choose that moment to go on the fritz, but everyone smirks at the sound of fighting, gunshots and then a loud scream. Linwood picks up the radio and calls the Spec Ops team. No-one answers.
 * Tempting Fate


 * They Would Cut You Up: Everyone is eager to dissect Darla -- either for religious reasons or just to find out how she could give birth in the first place.
 * Vampire Invitation: Angelus and Darla get around this by greeting Holtz's daughter by name, claiming to be friends and asking if they can come in; when Sarah nods Angelus says, "Is that a yes, then?" causing her to state it verbally.