Angel: Not Fade Away

"Everybody goes on about your soul, vampire with a soul. Nobody ever mentions the fact that you're really a vampire with big brass testes."

- Lindsey McDonald

"Not Fade Away" is the 22nd episode of season five of the vampire television series Angel and the 111th and final episode of the series overall. It was directed by Jeffrey Bell and written by Bell and series creator Joss Whedon. It first aired on the WB Network on Wednesday, May 19th, 2004. In the dramatic conclusion to the show, Angel's friends are shocked to learn that he has joined the Circle of the Black Thorn, but Angel's endgame is to destroy the cult from within and show the Senior Partners of Wolfram & Heart that virtue truly can triumph over evil. Wesley continues mentoring Illyria, desperately holding onto hope that some part of Fred still resides within her. Gunn and Lorne both make personal trips of self discovery and Lorne performs his last mission for Angel. Things continue to heat up as Angel and the gang prepare for the biggest fight of their lives.

Synopsis
Angel briefs his team on his plan to kill all the members of the Circle of the Black Thorn. Marcus Hamilton calls Angel to an emergency meeting of the circle, where the other members express doubts about Angel's loyalties. Angel proves himself to them by irrevocably renouncing his role in the Shanshu Prophecy, thereby giving up his chance to become human.

Back at Wolfram & Hart, Angel meets with his old enemy Lindsey McDonald and enlists him in the planned attack on the Circle. He then the rest of his group that the plan will proceed that night. Angel advises his friends to spend the rest of the day as if it were their last since it "probably is."

Angel visits his son, Connor. Connor reveals that he knows that Angel is his father; his old memories are now "mixed in" with his new ones, and he understands and appreciates why Angel gave him new memories. Lorne has serious reservations about Angel's plan, and his mood is dark and somber. Lindsey spends the day with Eve, who is suspicious of Angel even though Lindsey now trusts him. Gunn spends his day helping Anne at the homeless shelter she maintains. Spike goes to a seedy bar, drinks heavily, and goes onstage to recite a poem that he originally recited in 1880. Wesley spends his day in his apartment tending to Illyria's wounds, telling her there is nothing else he wants and nowhere for him to be. She offers to comfort him in Fred's form, but he refuses the offer.

The team splits up to attack members of the circle separately, making plans to reunite if they survive their missions As they leave, Lorne tells Angel that this is the last thing he's going to do for him, and that they will never see him again. Hamilton, warned of the plan by Harmony confronts Angel, intent on stopping his killing of the Circle's leader. Angel reveals he has already poisoned Duke Sebassis. The two begin to struggle. Gunn, Spike, and Illyria kill their targets. Lindsey and Lorne wipe out the Sahvrin clan; then, on Angel's order, Lorne executes Lindsey, drops his gun, and leaves. Wesley is killed as he knocks out Cyrus Vail; as he dies, Illyria comforts him in Fred's guise, then kills Vail when he revives.

Angel is losing his fight with Hamilton, until Connor arrives to fight on his father's side. Hamilton proudly announces that his blood runs with power, prompting Angel to assume vampiric form and drink his blood, acquiring enough of Hamilton's stength to kill him. Expecting a swift counterattack from the Senior Partners, Angel directs Connor to leave, then manages to rendezvous with his surviving allies (except Lorne).

An army of supernatural creatures descends on the group, and Angel announces "Personally, I kinda wanna slay the dragon," as the episode and series end.

Notes & Trivia

 * This episode is included in the Angel: Season Five DVD collection.


 * Final episode of the series.


 * Production code number: 5ADH22.


 * Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Lindsey McDonald are both killed in this episode.


 * The story of Angel and his supporting cast is continued in the pages of the Angel: After the Fall comic book series by IDW Publishing.


 * Hans Raith is uncredited in this episode.