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“Players”
Angel episode
Episode no.	Season 4 Episode 16
Written by	Sarah Fain Elizabeth Craft Jeffrey Bell
Directed by	Michael Grossman
Guest stars	Alexa Davalos    (Gwen)
Production no.	4ADH16
Original airdate	March 26, 2003
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Orpheus" "Inside Out"
List of Angel episodes

"Players" is episode 16 of season 4 in the television show Angel. See List of Angel episodes for a complete list.

Contents 1 Plot synopsis 1.1 Summary 1.2 Expanded overview 2 Acting 2.1 Main cast 2.2 Guest stars 2.3 Co-stars 3 Writing 3.1 Arc significance 3.2 Quotes 4 Production details 4.1 Translations 5 Timing 6 External links 7 See also

Gwen Raiden returns to ask Gunn to help her rescue a little girl from a wealthy and powerful tycoon during a posh party at his high-tech security mansion. Gunn soon realizes he’s been tricked by Gwen: her target is actually a high-tech military device titled L.I.S.A. which will enable Gwen to control her electrical powers and touch other people. Meanwhile, Angel and the rest of his team, researching Cordelia’s sudden pregnancy, are hindered by an overprotective Connor.

The gang reels from the shock of Cordelia's very sudden pregnancy. She tries to explain what happened and why she kept it from them, but no one is quite sure how to take the news. Connor reveals that it's his child, but he walks off when the others don't show much support and question what's growing inside of Cordelia. Whatever kind of baby Cordy's carrying begins to visibly kick inside of her and she calmly tells them that they'll understand when the baby arrives. Gwen meets with a nervous man by a fountain for a trade. She gives him money in exchange for the information she needs for one of her thefts. After the exchange, they discuss his noticeably suspicious appearance, but then a bolt of lightning strikes her from above and the man runs.

Wesley, Gunn, Lorne, and Fred talk about Cordelia's pregnancy, Connor's demon qualities and their reaction to the news of the baby. Angel emerges from the office, having heard the whole conversation so far. He breaks the news that Lilah was already dead before Angelus got there and after apologizing to Wesley for his loss, tells the others that not only do they have to figure out about Cordy's pregnancy, but they have to find the Beast's Master and deal with it as well. He assigns Lorne to the job of looking for info with his contacts and has Fred and Wesley begin research on the baby. Gwen interrupts their planning and asks for Gunn to help her deal with a problem. Cordelia checks on Connor, who's sitting alone in a dark room. He questions why she seemed to lie to him and told him to kill Angelus, but she explains that it was her instincts that lead her to the conclusion that Angelus was a threat. She continues to explain that she may ask him to do other things before the baby arrives, but there will be a good reason for them all.

While he admires her collection of figurines from around the world, Gwen explains to Gunn her predicament: a young girl has been kidnapped as a result of a bad deal between companies and she needs help to rescue the girl. She shows him a blueprint of the compound where the girl, Lisa, is supposedly held and explains her plans of entering. The two later arrive by limo at the compound, dressed in formal wear for a dinner party. They make it through security, but as Gwen hands her invitation over, an alarm goes off. Security officials try to escort the couple off to the side and Gwen begins to remove her gloves, but Gunn has a better idea. Speaking in Japanese, Gunn introduces himself to the man in charge and the kidnapper, Takeshi Morimoto. Gunn creates a story of the past to try and provide himself and Gwen credibility then offers Mr. Morimoto a gift: a stone figurine he stole from Gwen's collection at her home. Before security can continue with their efforts, Mr. Morimoto invites the two to remain at the party.

Fred and Wesley research and talk about the strange relationship between Cordelia and Connor. Wesley explains how he understands the situation and Fred realizes he's talking about his relationship with Lilah. Gwen and Gunn walk around the party room and talk about their luck at getting in. She shows that she stole the figurine back and then they spot the girl guarded across the room. Gwen walks off to investigate, leaving Gunn to mingle with the crowd. Cordelia visits Angel in his room and questions whether he's figured anything out about the beast's master. He notes the actions that he knows the Beast's Master was responsible for, not the Beast. Cordelia mocks Angel's idea that the Beast's Master could do such things as kill Lilah, but Angel's certain and believes the delusional creature that is the Beast's Master will eventually make a wrong move they can prey on.

Gwen finds Gunn at the party and informs them they have to act now because the girl is scheduled to be killed that night. She explains that her plan is to create a distraction while he gets the young girl out. As she knocks a cart over, Gunn grabs the young girl and runs, but Gwen turns to a guard and points out Gunn's departure. In a back room, Gunn tries to reassure the young girl, but she just cowers away and then Gunn is knocked out by a guard. Gunn wakes up and begins to fight with several guards. After quickly and easily knocking them all out, he resumes his attempt to get the girl to safety. The little girl tells him that she's Mr. Morimoto's daughter, not kidnapped, and Gunn realizes that Gwen used him for her own private mission. He finds her breaking into a safe for a special military tool, L.I.S.A., and yells at her for taking advantage of him. Gwen explains that the tool is a prototype that regulates components of the body for the purpose of stealth. She convinces him to stay and help her finish, but once they have the item, they find themselves trapped by Morimoto and his men.

At the office, Angel tries to remember an ancient code from Lilah's book that may tell them something about the Master. Cordelia tries to disguise her displeasure that they could be getting crucial information about her and tries to spill coffee on the paper, but Angel's not-so-accurate memory of the text save her the trouble. Lorne returns with news that he has information on a ritual that can be performed to restore his empathic powers and that he has to go off on his own to do it. Meanwhile, Gwen is determined not to give up L.I.S.A., and loses control over her power, sending a constant electrical bolt through Mr. Morimoto and his men. Gunn knocks Gwen down and breaks the electric current, realizing that she wanted L.I.S.A. for herself to deal with her "shocking" power and they leave together. In an empty building, Lorne prepares the ritual to restore his empathic powers, while unknown to him, Cordelia watches from a hidden spot above.

At Gwen's place, Gunn and Gwen talk in the aftermath of their robbery then Gunn suggests they test out the tool to see if it actually works. Gwen lies down on her bed and exposes her back. Gunn carefully puts the tool on Gwen's back and it works into her system. As a test, he touches her back and finds that he's not electrocuted and she's been fixed. She's relieved and in the moment, the two kiss. Without much human contact in all her years and knowing that L.I.S.A. is only a prototype, Gwen's reluctant to let things continue, but Gunn convinces her otherwise and they continue to kiss. Lorne begins the ritual and starts to sing as Cordelia slowly descends some stairs and approaches with a raised knife. Before she can strike, the lights suddenly turn on, exposing Cordelia and Angel standing behind her. Cordy turns and finds Fred and Wesley are also there, both with guns pointed at her and Lorne refers to a Magic 8-ball to find out if Cordy's been bad. Lorne then turns to read the Magic 8-ball, and it says "definitely".

• David Boreanaz as Angel
• Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
• J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
• Amy Acker as Winifred Burkle
• Vincent Kartheiser as Connor
• Andy Hallett as Lorne
• Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

• Alexa Davalos as Gwen Raiden

• Dana Lee as Takeshi Morimoto
• David Monahan as Garrett
• Hope Shin as Little Asian Girl
• Wendy Haines as Over-Jeweled Woman
• Michael Patrick McGill as Checkpoint Guard
• John Fremont as Security Guy

• The gang (sans Connor) discovers that Cordelia has been evil and tricks her. Connor also questions why she seemed to lie to him and tell him to kill Angelus.

• Italian title: "Giocatori" ("Players")

• Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:

Location, time (if known)	Buffyverse: January 2003 - Spring 2003 (non-canon = italic)
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.11 Showtime
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.12 Potential
L.A., 2003	A4.11 Soulless
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.13 The Killer in Me
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.14 First Date
L.A., 2003	A4.12 Calvary
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.15 Get It Done
L.A., 2003	A4.13 Salvage
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.16 Storyteller
L.A., 2003	A4.14 Release
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me
L.A., 2003	A4.15 Orpheus
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.18 Dirty Girls
L.A., 2003	A4.16 Players
L.A., 2003	Angel book: Nemesis
L.A., 2003	Angel book: Book of the Dead
L.A., 2003	A4.17 Inside Out
L.A., 2003	A4.18 Shiny Happy People
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.19 Empty Places
L.A., 2003	A4.19 The Magic Bullet
L.A., 2003	A4.20 Sacrifice
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.20 Touched
L.A., 2003	A4.21 Peace Out
L.A., 2003	A4.22 Home
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.21 End of Days
Sunnydale, 2003	B7.22 Chosen

• "Players" at the Internet Movie Database

v • d • e The Buffyverse
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Expanded Universe	Comics • Fray • Novels • Fan films • Slayer timeline • Tales of Slayer (prose) • Tales of Slayers • Tales of Vampires • Video Games Anywhere But Here• Auld Lang Syne • Asylum • Bad Bargain • Blackout • The Chain • Dark Congress • Deathless • Go Ask Malice • Long Way Home • Masks • No Future For You • Portal Through Time • Shadow Puppets
Auxiliary	Academia • Cast & crew • Rare promos • Unofficial parodies • Undeveloped productions Buffy Animated • Collectible Card Game • Guidebooks • Magazines • RPGs
Powers	Angel Investigations • Circle of the Black Thorn • Order of Aurelius • The First Evil • The Initiative • Knights of Byzantium • Monsters Old Ones • The Powers That Be • Ra-Tet • Scooby Gang • Senior Partners • Watchers' Council • Wolfram & Hart
People	Adam • Amy • Andrew • Angel • Anya • Buffy • Caleb • Connor • Cordelia • Darla • Dawn • Doyle • Drusilla • Eve • Faith • Fred • Giles • Glory • Groo • Gunn • Hamilton • Harmony • Holtz • Illyria • Jasmine • Jenny • Jonathan • Joyce • Kate • Kendra • Kennedy • Lilah • Lindsey • Lorne • Master • Mayor • Oz • Prof. Walsh • Riley • Robin • Snyder • Spike • Tara • Warren • Wesley • Willow • Xander
Places	L.A. • Sunnydale Bronze • Buffy's residence • Caritas • Hellmouth • Hyperion • Library • The Magic Box • Pylea • Sunnydale High
Music	• Music in Buffy & Angel Buffy album • Dingoes Ate My Baby • Film • Radio Sunnydale • Live Fast, Die Never • Once More, with Feeling
Key terminology	Demon • Slayer • Vampire • Watcher • Werewolf • Witch Children of the Senior Partners • Shanshu • Sunnydale Syndrome
Canon	Buffy • Angel Tales of the Slayers • Tales of the Vampires • The Origin • Season Eight • After the Fall • Fray