Spike's losing his grip on reality.

Written by: Steven S. DeKnight
Directed by: Steven S. DeKnight

Spike finds himself disappearing more frequently. He's terrified that he will lose his hold on reality completely and become trapped in Hell.

It's revealed that Pavayne - a warlock surgeon known as the Reaper, who likes to use his magic to torture rogue spirits - is tormenting Spike. As the ghost vampire struggles to survive, he discovers that with some effort, he can influence the real world.

Fred tries desperately to find a way to stabilise Spike's condition, and creates a device to make Spike corporeal once more. However, it's Pavayne that becomes corporeal thanks to Spike's sacrifice, and the Reaper is trapped in mortal form, to be held captive for ever more at Wolfram and Hart.

Quiz: - ten quick questions.

Trivia:
In the buff: The US screening of the episode was preceded by a warning, promising: "partial nudity". Sadly, you don't get to see any more of Spike than you might in your typical Austin Powers movie, and even though Fred takes a shower, Amy Acker's dignity is preserved behind some very steamed-up glass.

Prophecy boy: Spike becomes aware of the Shanshu Prophecy - that claims a vampire with a soul will be a key player in an upcoming Apocalypse - and thinks that it could apply equally well to himself, as well as Angel. The Prophecy has been around since the end of Season One, and is a key reason why Wolfram and Hart have resisted killing off Angel - in case he's destined to be working for the bad guys during this Apocalypse.

Oh, Mandy: Spike pokes fun at Angel's love of Barry Manilow. Angel had previously sung the Manilow standard Mandy at Caritas in season two's Judgement, and reworked the lyrics in tribute to season four's big bad, Jasmine, which he sang with Connor in Magic Bullet.

Reaper or Reaver?: Pavane actor Simon Templeman is no stranger to vampires - he plays demi-god vampire Kain in Crystal Dynamics' cult Legacy of Kain/Soul Reaver series of videogames.

Review:
Angel goes all horrorshow this week, with some unusually gruesome scenes of chop-chop fingers and spiked eye. Never fear, though, as the many hot shirtless Spike (and threadless Fred) scenes do much to take the chill off.

Oddly, despite being a vampire show and all, horror is generally not Angel's forte. It's all the more pleasing then, that it comes off so well here. Pavayne packs quite a gory punch, his sepulchral tones and sicko spectral surgery adding greatly to the fear-factor here. The medium scene could hold its own amongst many a more classic head-exploding scene. And if you're after concepts that have you waking up screaming and shivering in the middle of the night, then Pavayne's eternal prison should do you rightly, guv.

It's also nice seeing Spike portrayed as something more than just the wise guy. He may be full of bluster and bravado - "Vampire ghost here! Bloody well invented scared of the dark!" - but we know there's much more to him than that. Here James Marsters gets the chance to show Spike's more reflective side, giving our William's character a lot more substance. Puns all intended.