Players

As the newly re-ensouled Angel (David Boreanaz) come to grips with the impending arrival of his grandchild, the gang tries to research what the little tyke might look like. The secretly evil Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) doesn't bother to share the fact that her offspring is already wriggling, rippling, and morphing inside her belly, nor does she let slip to daddy-to-be Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) that she's been emotionally manipulating him from day one. Meanwhile, super-powered thief Gwen Raiden (Alexa Davalos) reappears seeking help from Gunn (J. August Richards) on a mission to rescue a kidnapped little girl. Once again Gwen's story turns out to be a self-serving fabrication, though Gunn enjoys helping her achieve her actual goal: the theft of a top-secret military prototype she believes will enable her to control the electricity that crackles through her body and kills everyone she touches. Despite his reputation as just a piece of muscle, Gunn uses his smarts as well as his brawn to help Gwen get her wish. He's rewarded when the shy virgin allows him to become the first man ever to get past first base with her without being electrocuted. Meanwhile, back at the hotel, The Host (Andy Hallett) heads into seclusion to complete a ritual that will realign his empathic abilities. Anxious to prevent Lorne from "reading" her perverted aura, Cordy prepares, literally, to stab him in the back. Just then, the lights come up and Angel appears, rueful that his suspicions about Cordelia's treachery have been confirmed. Originally broadcast March 26, 2003, on the WB network, "Players" marked season four, episode 16 of the supernatural soap opera.