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Episode 2.9 - The Lion's Den

Air Date: 2006/01/31
Episode Synopsis | Guest Stars | Memorable Quotes

Episode Synopsis

After Lauren's sudden collapse Ethan, Jalen, and Patrick rush her to the hospital. Since it is well after midnight, they decide to break into the neurology department where Ethan is able to perform a quick diagnosis. What he learns is not helpful, Ethan can find no medical explanation for her unconsciousness and odd brain-wave activity. Rather than check Lauren into the hospital and risk Wolfram & Hart getting their hands on her again, the three steal some of the hospital equipment (EEG, EKG, etc) and take it back to the house, where they set up an observation room in the basement to monitor Lauren's condition. As they are trying to explain what is happening to her, Lauren's sister Emma receives a vision of vampires attacking a Chinese restaurant.

Patrick, Jalen, and Dana follow up Emma's vision and leave Ethan to try and explain things to Emma. Ethan gives her a rough history on the group and what he knows about the visions. Meanwhile the other three arrive at the restaurant from the vision and find a half dozen vampires who have just killed one of the employees. The group dispatch five of the six vampires and Jalen interrogates the sixth. When he discovers that the vampires were just out for a hunt, not acting out some part of a larger scheme, Jalen decapitates the last vampire. The three return to the house to find that in the course of the explanations Ethan and Emma have managed to finish most of a bottle of vodka.

At the Wolfram & Hart offices the next morning Alexandra Morelli takes great delight in revealing to rival attorney Travis McCauley how badly he has screwed up. Not only was he tricked by Ethan into getting one of the firm's demon sorcerers to recast the spell that severed Lauren's connection to the Powers, but he has also lost the sister who was broken out of the hospital the previous evening. Before he can fully assimilate this information, Travis is called to a meeting with upper management, again much to Alexandra's delight.

The next night the group decides that in order to help Lauren they need to find out exactly what happened to her; and the only place that has that information is Wolfram & Hart. Ethan and Emma stay behind again while Patrick, Jalen and Dana work out how they will get into the W & H offices. They decide that a break-in after dark is the best bet. Patrick will provide a distraction for security while Jalen sneaks Dana into Travis McCauley's office. The three enter the office building from the roof, which they discover also has a penthouse attached. Whatever is living in the penthouse, however, is triggering Patrick's supernatural danger sense more than anything he has ever encountered so they give it a wide berth as they make their way into the building. Once inside Patrick takes the elevator to attract attention while Jalen and Dana take the stairs down to the floor with Travis' office.

The distraction pays off as Patrick is confronted by vampire security several floors below where the other two are. Inside Travis' office Dana is able to hack into Travis' computer files and reads up on his files concerning Lauren. She learns that Wolfram & Hart have been interested in Lauren since she was at least sixteen, and that it is related to something called the Cassandra Project. Dana also confirms the groups' suspicions about the connection between Dr. Abrams at the mental hospital and Wolfram & Hart as well as learning that Lauren's boss, Brian Harker, has also been working for the law firm. Dana is not able to learn the details about what W & H did to Lauren to sabotage the visions, but she does discover the name of the demon wizard who cast the spell and where he lives. Meanwhile Andrew Cross has arrived at the office building, having learned that Patrick is inside. He begins ordering Wolfram & Hart security around until confronted by the security chief, who questions Cross' authority. Cross quickly intimidates the security chief into submission and continues giving orders. Sensing Cross' presence in the building, Patrick gives the signal to go and the three head for the roof. Once topside they make their escape via a zip line to an adjoining building. Just as he leaves the roof, Patrick glances back towards the penthouse and sees a white haired figure watching him. The man in the penthouse is the Count, though Patrick does not know this.

Patrick, Jalen and Dana immediately head for the address of the demon wizard, hoping to get there before Wolfram & Hart can warn him. At the rundown apartment building where the wizard lives Jalen keeps a watch below while Patrick and Dana head for the apartment. Patrick breaks down the door, and trips a protection spell in the process. The spell is powerful enough to handle a common thief, but it only slows Patrick down a bit (though the magical blast from it does fry his coat). Inside the apartment the wizard tries to flee, using a spell to freeze Patrick in his tracks. Dana grabs Patrick's sword and holds the demon at bay, getting him to tell her the details of the spell he cast. After he is done, she forces him to unfreeze Patrick and the two are debating what to do with the demon wizard when Jalen tells them that he sees Wolfram & Hart security vehicles approaching. The three leave the demon behind and flee in Patrick's car.

Back at the house Dana explains what she has learned. It seems that for some reason Wolfram & Hart recast the spell the previous night and this is what caused Lauren to fall into the mystic coma she is now in. The spell was designed to temporarily break Lauren's connection with the Powers That Be. They combined this with a spell that, when the connection tried to reset itself, tricked the connection into thinking Emma was her Lauren thus transferring the visions to her. When the spell was recast it had a different effect because Lauren no longer had the visions. Instead of breaking Lauren's connection with the Powers That Be it seems to have broken her connection with this plane of reality. While her body is still here, her spirit has been flung somewhere else. Since this effect was unintended there is no way to know exactly where Lauren's spirit is; and for the time being she is on her own. Also, until Lauren's spirit manages to return to her body they cannot switch the visions from Emma back to her.

Guest Stars

Emma Sheppard: Jennifer Sky
Alexandra Morelli: Jessica Steen
Travis McCauley: Michael Weatherly
Andrew Cross: Nicholas Lea
The Count: James Morrison

Memorable Quotes

Ethan: Your sister gets these visions from the Powers, and now you have them for some reason.
Emma: Visions? So that's what the headaches are called.

Dana: They'll probably have vampires, I'll bring my axe.

Dana: It involves blood sacrifice.
Patrick: I have no problem with that.
Dana: Stop channeling evil Patrick.

Jalen: Black SUVs, the official vehicle of Wolfram and Hart security.

W & H Security Chief: Who do you think you are ordering us around?
Andrew Cross: You know who I work for.

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