The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco (5 Nov. 2003)

It turns out that the Wolfram & Hart mail guy is more than he seems. He and his brothers were once demon fighters. But, when he lost his family in battle, he gave up on being a Champion. ... See full summary »

Director:

Jeffrey Bell

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), David Greenwalt (creator),

Stars:

David Boreanaz, James Marsters, J. August Richards

Cast

Episode cast overview:
David Boreanaz	...	Angel
James Marsters	...	Spike
J. August Richards	...	Charles Gunn
Amy Acker	...	Winifred 'Fred' Burkle
Andy Hallett	...	Lorne
Alexis Denisof	...	Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Danny Mora	...	Number Five
Bruno Gunn	...	Security Guard (as Bruno Gioiello)

Storyline

It turns out that the Wolfram & Hart mail guy is more than he seems. He and his brothers were once demon fighters. But, when he lost his family in battle, he gave up on being a Champion. When one of his old foes comes to town, though, he has to help Team Angel defeat it.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to agatha christie | cage fighter | aztec god

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 November 2003 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode's plot is reminiscent of the "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" episode "Legacy of Terror". See also trivia for Angel Episode 5.7 "Lineage".

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Goofs

The business card that the Wolfram & Hart lawyer hands to Numero Cinco has a spelling mistake. It reads "Wolfram & Hart - Attorney's at Law".

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Quotes

Lorne: Holy tornado, it's true!
Spike: Yeah, it was amazing! Angel went right off on the mail guy.
Lorne: Oh this must've been one major smackdown!
Angel: There was no smacking!
Lorne: That's not the hubbub I'm hearing, honey buns. Word on the web has you sucker punching Grandpa Moses.
Angel: The web?
Lorne: Don't sweat it, sweetie pie. I've got my flack-catcher spinnin' this into PR gold. And once the word spreads that you beat up an innocent old man, well the truly terrible will think twice before goin' toe to toe with our Avenging Angel.
Spike: ...

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Connections

References Wonder Woman (1975)

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Soundtracks

"Guero Canelo"
by Calexico

User Reviews

It gets better with repeated viewings

I think this episode gets better with repeated viewings. The first time I watched it, I thought it was kinna dull. It really takes seeing the whole season to understand it's main point about fallen Champions and how Number 5's story parallels Angel's coming fears. Anyway, it's not the best episode of the season, but it has some good parts and might deserve a look if you're watching on DVD.

The episode revolves around Number 5, the Wolfram & Hart mail guy who's been wheeling his little cart around the office all season. It turns out that he was once part of a group of Champions called the Number Brothers. He and his four brothers had many heroic battles against demons and evil. When his brothers died battling an Aztec Warrior monster, though, Number 5 gave up. The Aztec Warrior returns every 50 years, eating the hearts of Champions and looking for a magical pendant. The Warrior is back and Team Angel is trying to fight it. But when the Warrior doesn't try and rip out Angel's heart, he is worried. He's a Champion, right? Wes and Gunn argue that Angel's heart is a shriveled up little walnut. Since the Warrior wants to eat the hearts, it wouldn't give him any sustenance. Angel isn't convinced. He feels disconnected and lost. So does Number 5. They're both forgetting their original mission. The two of them wind up working together. They kill the Warrior and Angel takes charge of the mystical pendant. Meanwhile, Spike is growing more interested in the Shanshu Prophesy and what it might mean for him.

There are some great parts to this episode. I really like everyone's reaction to Angel "attacking" Number 5. The old guy threw poor Angel threw a window, but as Spike & the internet spread the tale, it's soon twisted into Angel waging war on the geriatric community. Fred is so horrified when she hears that Angel may have hurt Number 5 that I just have to laugh. And I enjoy the scene of Angel, Spike, Gunn & Wes driving around. Spike gets to ride in the front seat because he called shotgun. "I thought we were doing a weapons check." Wesley grumbles. Also, it's cool that Spike suggests that the Warrior's weak spot could be his heart, because of the "poetry" of it. It ties in with his past. And I like Angel pouting because the Aztec Warrior wouldn't take his heart. "I know you're feeling rejected." Wes soothes and it's such a silly thing to be upset about that I always end up smiling. Finally, I think it's cool that the show is finally starting to address the problems that Spike's soul may have on the Shanshu Prophesy. I don't think that Wesley had even considered that the Prophesy might be meant for Spike until Spike started asking about it. Wes gets sort of defensive, saying that it can apply to any ensouled vampire... Who's not a ghost. But, it's pretty clear that he suddenly starting to think about the questions Spike's bringing up. Wes wants Angel to have the Prophesy and his talk with Angel about having hope in his future is just a really sweet moment.

Like I said, I really only started appreciating this episode after I saw it a few times. The connection between Angel and Number 5 is fairly obvious. As the season rolls along, Angel starts losing more and more of himself. Just as Number 5 has. But, the really interesting connections come when you realize that Number 5 lost all 4 members of his family in battle. In the end that's how many Angel looses, too. Thinking back to season two's "Lullaby" with Darla telling Angel that Conner was the best thing that they ever did together, you can take things even further. Number 5 has given up everything and is disgusted that no one remembers all the good he did. Angel gave up his old life and is growing weary because no one can remember the best thing he ever did... Creating a son. As he argues with Number 5, Angel snaps that at least he isn't standing alone in a graveyard wearing a mask. "You will be." Number 5 responds, which is a sad foreshadowing of the future. And finally, there's Angel telling Number 5 that they don't fight for rewards, but because it's the right thing to do... Something that will come into play in the season finale.

On the down side, the episode can be slow in places. It has a lot of flash backs of people that we don't really know. (I do give it points for remembering Holland Manners, though.) Also, I'm not exactly sure what the deal is what with Number 5's dead brothers. Are they ghosts or what?

My favorite part of the episode: The devil's robot. I kinna picture this 1950s sci-fi movie, tin can of a thing, painted red and breathing fire as it lumbers along. It's just a great image.