Angel, Cordy, and Wesley return to the Hyperion semi-triumphantly. Gunn admires the sword and asks, "Can I play with it?" Angel obligingly hands it over as Fred asks where Connor is. "Patrolling," Wesley answers. Fred looks very nice in this scene, incidentally. Maybe it's because her hair is pulled back softly, and it looks less severe than usual. Or maybe it's because for most of the scene, her mouth is closed. Gunn waves the sword around experimentally, then accidentally chops a table in half. Oh no, Angel misses Wesley's pratfall comedy, so he's making Gunn into the MoG clown. Bad Angel! Wesley says that now they need to find Satan. Cary says, "All I could Kolchak was a rumor of bad mojo rising down in the warehouse district." Fred adds that piercing Satan's brain with the magic sword will kill him, and then "the energy used to block the sun should be released." Gunn and Fred explain that the bad news is, all that energy may kill anyone nearby, even Angel. Angel stoically says, "I'll let you know." Cordy protests, but Angel decides it's time to make a speech. And then I protest, but it's too late. Angel says, "You made a difference, each of you. Not just to me, but to the world." Blee blah "there for each other" bloo bleh "believe in each other" blab bloob champion-cakes. This is when I decided was what Angel wants most of all is a regular Buffy-style finale where everyone's conflicts are suddenly resolved and the whole gang works together to defeat the villain, and, inevitably someone has to make a dumb speech. Sometimes a really dumb speech. I honestly can't decide if the things I liked most about the episode were intentional. It definitely works as a season-finale parody, but some of those elements are inevitable given the situation, so I just don't know. And as long as it makes me laugh, I don't much care.

After the ads, Satan says, "I grow weary of your cowardice, Angelus. If you will not stand with me, then suffer the agony of my wrath." Great stuff. So Angel's gone from Spielberg to Lucas for inspiration. Although I hope the episode ends before the next step in that progression: Schumacher. That's too terrifying to contemplate. Satan notices the sword Angel is holding and asks, "Is that what I think it is?" Angel goes into battle mode, and shouts at everyone to get out. Instead, Cordy rushes to the weapons cabinet while Angel fends off Satan. Wesley drags Cordy toward the door along with the others. Satan asks supervillainy questions. Angel quips. More fighting. Satan insists, "It doesn't have to be this way," but Angel disagrees. Satan grabs the sword in his hand and squeezes, finally shattering it. Then he grabs Angel by the throat, which is when Angel makes those amusing choking noises that we saw in ads two weeks ago. They're tricky. Satan asks, "Did you really think you'd win? Your feeble skills are no match for the power of the dark side. You have paid the price for your lack of vision." Not really, but see how well it fits? Whereupon he's attacked by Connor, and drops Angel. "The boy joins the father in death," Satan says, and Connor responds, "No, in kicking your stony ass." I can understand how, at this point, some people might have believed this was...well, "really happening," for want of a better description. I cannot understand how any of those people could also think this was a good episode. Connor fights with Satan while Angel struggles to pick up the broken sword-point. Connor is knocked down, and then kicked against the front desk. Satan grumbles, "Such arrogance. So much like Angelus." Connor looks up and smirks, "His name is 'Angel'!" Satan spins around, and Angel thrusts the broken sword through Satan's skull. "Consider your ass kicked!" Angel quips, and then hurries a safe distance away as Satan growls and explodes into a blaze of fire.