Angel (TV Series) Inside Out (2003) User Reviews

An episode that tries to explain things

[katierose295 · 7/10 · 6 March 2007]

This isn't my favorite episode, but it does set up the rest of the season. The introduction of Jasmine will drive the next four episodes and help set-up season five. It also tries --sorta unsuccessfully-- to explain the season's happening so far. You really need to see it if you're watching the season on DVD.

"Inside Out" revolves around Evil Cordy giving birth. Team Angel has discovered that she's not really Cordy and is holding her at gun point. As they demand answers, Conner arrives, beats them up and drags Evil Cordy to safety. Team Angel tries to figure out what's happened. Angel goes to that other dimension looking for Skip, the demon who took Cordy to the Higher Plane back in season three. Angel quickly realizes that Skip is a Black Hat. The two of the fight and Angel drags him back to the Hyperion, where Team Angel locks him in a mystical circle and demands some answers. Skip says that they're all idiots and the Evil Cordy's baby is some sort ultimate power. It's controlled everything for years, especially Conner's birth, so that it can be born. The only way to stop it is to kill Cordy's body. Angel is heartbroken, but goes looking for her. When Skip escapes his magic cage, Wes shoots him.

Meanwhile, Conner is upset that Team Angel tried to attack Evil Cordy. She insists that they wanted to kill the baby and it has to be born.. NOW. The only way to induce labor is to smear her stomach with the blood of the innocent. Conner goes out and kidnaps a teenage girl to kill. An ghostly vision of Darla appears trying to stop him. Thanks to Evil Cordy's interference, Conner believes that Darla is a trick form Team Angel and helps Evil Cordy slice the girl's throat. Evil Cordy goes into labor as Angel arrives. He looks at her face and says, "I'm so sorry." He raises his sword. But by then Evil Cordy has given birth... Too a full grown woman. Conner and Angel fall to their knees before her as she whispers "Angel"

There are some good parts to this episode. I always snicker when Angel sighs that Conner isn't evil. "He's just confused... Again." And I'm really glad that Angel knows that Cordy didn't sleep with his son. That part, at least, has got to be sort of a relief. And I like that the first thing he wanted to know from Evil Cordy is "Where's Cordelia?" He loves her and he needs her back in his life. When he realizes that he may have to kill her body to save the world, he's so heartbroken. I'm not sure Angel really could've done it. (Although, it does tie in nicely with Buffy stabbing him with a sword back in BTVS season two's "Becoming Part Two" and Angel's later actions in season five's "Hole in the World.") As it is Angel, has the sword raised over Cordy's body and he hesitates just a second too long as he stares at her, giving Jasmine time to be born. Also, I really like Darla being in this episode. I like to think that she's at least partly "real Darla" and that she's finally found some peace. Finally, I like Wes shooting Skip in the head. It seems like Wesley is the only White Hat in the Buffyverse who can use a gun successfully.

On the down side, Conner can't come back from this in my book. You don't kidnap & help murder an innocent girl and emerge with any likability. Not if you're human (Pardoning Spike and Angel). Not if you have control of your own mind and body (Pardoning Cordy). Not if you have a soul. It just can't be done. (Well, unless you're Andrew and Jonathan on BTVS. I still like them, for some reason.) Anyway, I've never been a Conner fan, but this episode just sinks him forever. Maybe, I'm biased.

Also, am I really suppose to believe that the entire series to this point has been full of manipulated events so Jasmine could be born? 'Cause I'm not buying that. It flat-out doesn't make any sense. The only way that Jasmine could be born is by killing Gunn's sister, sending Fred to Pylea and having Wes sleep with Lilah? Why? How did that Beast guy blotting out the sun even ties into this? Is it already Jasime controlling Cordy's body or is it something else? Did Lorne's spell really wake it up? How? Is it that demon thing that Skip put into Cordy back in season three's "Birthday?" Am I just totally off base or does this have a certain "made-up-as-they-go-along" quality? Honestly, I just sort of shrug all this aside as kinna silly and move on with the season like its a whole new storyline.

My favorite part of the episode: Lorne summarizing Conner and Cordeila's escape. "Kid Vicious did the heavy lifting, Cordy just "Ma-wah-ha-ha-ed" at us. It's so perfectly described that I grin every time I hear it.

One Of Season Four's Greatest!

[borgter · 9/10 · 19 June 2008]

I LOVE Steve Dekinght! He has worked on my favourite shows including: Buffy, Angel, Smallville, Spartacus and they're usually my favourite episodes! He is awesome and has a brilliant creative mind! (Not to mention he has the same first name as me!)

But this episode basically tries to explain away the previous four seasons of the show and explain how every decision that the gang have made has led them to this moment. I love those kind of plot devices - something that has a big scope to it, and dares to explain major plot details even as much as the entire show! Just like season Three's, "Birthday" did, with the crossing of their paths. I enjoy that kind of concept immensely.

The Skip Interrogation scenes made this episode for me - but I really wish Skip had explained Wesley's part better. Instead of "Sleeping With The Enemy" I feel it should've been "Stealing His Kid" or something like that. I mean how does sleeping with Lilah affect things? I guess it brings Lilah to the hotel for "Cordevlia" to kill, but taking Connor would've been far clearer as then Connor grew up quickly in a Hell dimension and thus could be the father of Jasmine etc.

Doesn't that make much more sense?

Anyways...I was quite moved actually by the performance of both Vince Kartheiser and the young innocent victim that was sacrificed by Connor and "Cordevlia". It was very well executed. (Excuse the pun).

Now, I have this crazy idea, (I love tying Buffy and Angel shows together) but what if Darla was really The First?! Trying to self-preserve itself as if Jasmine was born, there would be an end to The First's power source (Evil, Hatred etc). I dunno, just seemed like a great way of tying the shows together. (Especially since season 4 of Angel and 7 of Buffy occur at the same time, so The First was active in that period).

This got me to thinking, was it actually Jasmine that released Angel from Hell over on Buffy in Season 3? Many things have claimed credit for it, such as the PTB and The First, but if Jasmine had so much power, as she has affected and coerced so many other events in the character's lives, that it most likely was Jasmine that returned Angel to Earth....But even though I like to find ways of tying things together, I don't particularly like to believe that theory and I'll stick with "it was the PTB", idea. Sort of like it was his destiny to return and thats that. Not Jasmine, not The First just simply, Fate. I think that's better.

Overall, this is one of my favourite episodes of the season AND of the series as a whole and why I felt compelled to review it. (For some reason, Season One's "I've Got You Under My Skin" is another of my all time favourites). Some people may feel it was a cop-out by weakly explaining the series and away ruined the show yadda yadda yadda. But I actually enjoyed this concept and is part of why I loved this episode so much.

P.S. Love your reviews KatieRose295!

Good vs Evil

[kingsx_64 · 8/10 · 19 March 2020]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about this plot line with Jasmine and her role in everything. Some are asking that since Jasmine manipulated things so far back, that nothing the Angel crew does matters. And that's just not what they are saying. Good vs Evil have been at war with each other forever. And if you look at the whole Jasmine 'war' and how she intervened, it helped her win some battles. But on the other side the exact same thing is happening for the 'good guys' in the form of the 'Powers that be'. It's a war. Jasmine won some battles, but our gang won the Jasmine 'war'. The whole point of the show is never give up. Keep fighting, no matter what. So even with her meddling, you have to keep fighting. They didn't say she controlled everything. They said she 'tried' to control everything. But our heroes still and will always have free will, to keep fighting. Choice. She couldn't beat that. They continued to fight for choice. And they won.

Evil and pregnant? I'm guessing it ain't cookies

[SleepTight666 · 10/10 · 27 May 2007]

Evil and pregnant? I'm guessing it ain't cookies - Definitely among my top 10 episodes of the show, I don't think the show ever produced a more darker episode. Where to begin with the good? Well, I never really knew how I felt about 'Skip', I found him funny but never really bought him being a 'good guy'. I was pretty happy when he did in fact turn out to be one of the bad guys, it worked better and gave him some pretty awesome scenes. His death has to be one of my favorites, 'Wes' is just so amazing with his guns - Well, that can't be right. The best scenes of course, were the 'Connor' ones. 'CordEvila' kept manipulating him because he was still not convinced why the gang had tried to 'kill' her. Eventually she made him bring a girl as sacrifice, because that was the only way to bring the 'baby' before 'Angel' would find them. Julie Benz appeared as, well, 'Darla's ghost and kept telling 'Connor' not to kill the girl. Most disturbing part of the episode was when the girl got her throat cut by evil mama and her blood splattered all over 'Connor's face, and he saw an image of his dead mother. 'Angel' came in at the last minute, ready to kill 'Cordy' for the sake of the world (She was going to die either way *cries*) but was too late and some ebony-type goddess came out of 'Cordy', it was Gina Torrest! Amazing episode all around, I wish 'Connor' would have had more scenes with 'Darla'. CONNOR: Why'd you leave me? Did you hate me that much? DARLA: Baby, no. I wanted to be with you more than anything. CONNOR: You killed yourself. I wasn't even born yet. And you... DARLA: ...did what I had to. My life for yours. I did so many terrible things, Connor, so much destruction, so much pain. You were the one good thing I ever did. The only good thing. I'd die every day for the rest of eternity for you. And this... is how you repay me? CONNOR: You don't understand. We need her for our baby to keep it safe. DARLA: By anointing it in the blood of an innocent? You really think that safety can be plucked from the arms of an evil deed? CONNOR: Good, evil. They're just words. DARLA: Don't let this happen, Connor. Don't let my death mean nothing. (10 out of 10)

The series turned on it's head

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 28 March 2012]

INSIDE OUT

The Good; If nothing else the evil CC versus Darla is so powerful it would get this ep an 8 by itself. But AI versus Skip is also great.

The Bad; The spell seems to require extremely little blood, if they'd just cut her arm they could probably have had enough.

Best line; Skip; "Well that ain't right!" (as Wes puts a bullet through his brain)

Jeez, how did they get away with that? The sacrifices' pleading is just HORRIBLE, she reminds you of Dawn held hostage by Glory ("I just want to go home") but there's no Buffy coming to save her (although in fairness the PTBs do try their best). Can't watch them killing her, this poor girl.

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés Inverting the Hollywood cliché; Connor doesn't save the sacrifice. For once Wes' guns actually work.

In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cheap Angel; 6

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 14 Wes: 6 Gunn; 4 Lorne; 4 Fred; 2

Fang gang knocked out: Angel, Wes, Fred and Lorne all knocked out Cordy: 15 Angel: 17 Wes: 6 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 2 Lorne; 6 Groo; 1 Connor; 1 Faith; 1 Fred; 1

Kills; 1 vamp for Connor, one demon for Wes Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 41 vamps, 57 and 1/2 demons, 5 zombies, 8 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 13 demons+4 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 humans Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 18 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 11 vamps+ 13 demons, 5 zombies, 1 human. Groo; 1 demon Fred; 3 vamp+ 1 demon, 5 zombies Connor; 14 vamps, 5 zombies, 2 demons

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 3 Angel: 3 Gunn; 1 Wes; 1

Alternate Fang Gang: possessed Angel and Connor Cordy: 4 Angel: 11 Fred; 2 Wes; 1 Gunn; 1 Connor; 1

Characters killed: 255

Recurring characters killed; 9;

Total number of Angel Investigations: Connor and CC out Angel, Gunn, Fred, Lorne, Wes,

Angel Investigations shot: Wes catches a ricochet from his own pistol Angel: 12 Wes; 2

Packing heat; Wes uses his 45's again, he must be a hell of shot to stick one right in Skip's brain. Wes; 8 Doyle; 1 Angel; 3 Gunn; 2

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 5 ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis+Groo+Connor plus possibly the Beast Angel: 5; Buffy, Darla and The Transcending Furies Wes; 3; Virginia, the bleached blonde and Lilah, 1 possible, Justine Gunn; 2 Fred and Gwen. Fred; 1 Gunn Groo; 1Cordy

Kinky dinky: Fred refers to 'whipping' and 'spanked'. Naked Gina Torres plus naked CC doing her Lizzie Borden impression (well Manny wanted to die having a lapdance).

Captain Subtext; Note Fred's little 'Nice suit' comment when Gunn comes back to the hotel, it IS a nice suit but there's obviously some jealousy there

Know the face, different character; 4

Parking garages; 6,

Buffy characters on Angel; 16 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, The Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony

Questions and observations; Poor Connor, boy he's put through the wringer in this one. Connor doesn't want to believe it's Angel, Skip refers to Buffy. So, is the vision that appears to Connor the real Darla brought from the afterlife by the PTBs or is it the First Evil who doesn't want Jasmine mucking up it's plans? Either suggestion is perfectly valid. So how much has AI been manipulated all these years? Shades of classic Dr Who. Angel's attempt to kill CC is reminiscent of Buffy killing him in Becoming pt2

Marks out of 10; 8/10

Retcon Alert

[triciamd · 7/10 · 6 March 2021]

Jasmine is so powerful she made Angel's various writers write the exact words required to bring us to this point. They didn't even know why they did it, until now. THERE IS NO FREE WILL

Lorne: Kid Vicious did the heavy lifting. Cordy just "mwha-ha-ha-ed" at us.

[bombersflyup · 10/10 · 15 June 2018]

Inside Out is about Angel and crew working out that Cordy or something controlling her is the former Beast's master. With the help of Connor she escapes and prepares for the birth, with the sacrifice of an innocent.

An important and engrossing episode, without necessarily being that eventful. Connor's at the fore and has heavy decisions to make, with Darla making an appearance to try and sway him. There's not necessarily a right or wrong for Connor, sometimes the truth's worse. I don't much care for Skip's involvement here, that all their fates have been designed to get to this point. It's fine for Cordy becoming a higher power and all that, but for every other character it's extremely weak. Applying these words to all past episodes which I can't imagine ever doing, having these strong characters without any will. I like Wesley and Fred discussing Cordy and Connor's relationship, becoming an avenue to discuss Lilah.

Definitely one of the darker episodes in contrast to what it's about to be and I like it a lot, despite the flaw.

Too Much Crammed Into One Episode

[Samuel-Shovel · 4/10 · 5 March 2019]

In "Inside Out", after realizing Cordy is a demon, the gang tries to stop her. Connor shows up in her defense and the two run off to hide and have Cordy's child. Angel visits Skip to figure out what is going on. He realizes that Skip is involved with whatever this conspiracy is and brings him back to the hotel. Meanwhile Cordy, has convinced Connor to kidnap an innocent girl and use her as a sacrifice to help with a spell to birth their child. The conflicted Connor has a back and forth with the apparition of his mother before finally siding with Cordy. Cordelia kills the child.

By now Angel has discovered that the being that posseses Cordy is giving birth to itself, using her body as a shell. He heads off to kill Cordy but it's too late. As the episode ends, the new being is born. And Angel and Connor drop to their knees in worship of this beautiful woman. Also, Wesley kills Skip with a bullet to the head.

Man, the writers tried really really hard to cram everything they could into this episode. So much exposition, so much explaining of everything with Skip and this grand scheme, and for what? It still doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. This episode is just overstuffed, like they thought they had 4 more episodes to the arc and then in a panic threw it all in here. It's all a bit much.