Habeas Corpses

From his rooftop perch, a devastated Angel (David Boreanaz) tears himself away from the sight of Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) making love with Connor (Vincent Kartheiser). The next morning, Cordelia has a "what have I done?" moment when she wakes up and realizes she just slept with the son of the man she loves. Unfortunately, the troubled and now love-struck teen isn't ready to be let down gently. Confused as ever, he goes straight to Wolfram & Hart looking for answers about his mysterious connection to The Beast (Vladimir Kulich). But the terrifying demon itself soon shows up to unleash utter carnage on the evil law firm's employees. Lilah (Stephanie Romanov) is the only person to make it out -- and then only after suffering grievous wounds at the hands of The Beast and being rescued by Wesley (Alexis Denisof). As Lilah heads off into the sewers for cover, she tells Wes that Connor is still trapped inside the building, whose mystical defenses have rendered it virtually impregnable. Wes assembles Angel, Fred (Amy Acker), Gunn (J. August Richards), and Lorne (Andy Hallett) for a rescue mission that pits them against not only The Beast, but also an army of Wolfram & Hart lawyers who have been reanimated as zombies. They escape only with help from The Girl in the White Room, the mysterious entity who dwells in the top floor of the Wolfram & Hart building. The girl tells them that the answer to The Beast's origins lies among them, then teleports the gang to safety just as The Beast finishes draining her life force. Back at the hotel, a bitter Angel tells Cordelia to leave -- and to bring her new boyfriend with her. Originally broadcast Jan. 15, 2003, on the WB network, "Habeas Corpses" marked season four, episode eight of the supernatural soap opera. Beginning with this episode, the network moved the program to a new time slot at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesdays -- its second new night in under a year. With a plot revolving around zombies, a dystopian office complex, a malfunctioning elevator, and an inscrutable urchin, "Habeas Corpses" struck many fans as an homage to the video game and film Resident Evil.