December 6, 2006
3.05 - A Temporary Thing
Elsbet and her boss step things up a notch. Many secrets are shared.
Dark Mother, hear my plea.
-- Elsbet
TEASER Elsbet and her boss (who we learn is named Willem) are reviewing an ancient tome. Inside the old book is a woodcut of a winged humanoid creature, wreaking havoc and killing humans. In the background, an amorphous tentacled creature lurks. Elsbet intends to conduct a dangerous ritual, which worries Willem. Later, Elsbet writhes, covered only in blood, in a strenuous ritual. Hooded acolytes chant around her, and there's a statue of the tentacled creature. One of the acolytes, a vampire in game face, asks if she wants to go on; Elsbet does not relent, and invokes her dark gods.
It's Saturday, November 19, 2005 and the Domingues are throwing a party to celebrate the restoration of their home. The festivities include jugglers, mime statuary, and live music. Armstrong is leading tours of the house. Desiree has invited Detective Leslie Abingdon, and Armstrong finally starts to grasp the true nature of their relationship.
Lisa, you are a nanny mulcher.
-- Trey
Meanwhile, Lisa frustrates Trey with her desire to summon a demon nanny for Rebecca. Armstrong suggests that a familiar or a golem would be more reliable than a demon, while Desiree recommends Charlie the Bracken demon. Recalling that Charlie's best friend was the oft-herbally enhanced Xavier, Trey is less than thrilled with the idea.
Armstrong's mother Mahalia finally gets to meet Desiree. She also asks Lisa about her baby and whether shes resuming her Watcher duties. Armstrong's dad William wants to know why Javier hasn't shown up yet. For the past few weeks, Javier (wanting to make political connections) has been trying to meet William, a New Orleans selectman. William had planned to intoduce Javier to Lilly (guest start Salma Hayek) a professional campaign manager. (Little does he know that they've already met.)
Nadja and Zoey are outside, talking about Slayer stuff. Nadja's also worried about the continuing rift between Lisa and her son Ben, whom Lisa gave to her mom for adoption. Zoey reveals that she's adopted too, and she understands why Ben needs time to sort out his feelings over Lisa and her new adopted daughter.
Armstrong worries that Javier may be experiencing another blackout. Desiree remembers from a past vision that Javier has frequented the vampire drinking club Upstairs@Le Fanu. Nadja and Zoey look for him there, but he's not around. Zoey's repulsed by the establishment, but it's something entirely different that makes her nauseous. Nadja has been similarly sick throughout the day.
The Krewe goes to the dojo to look for Javier using magic. Armstrong invokes the voodoo spirit Papa Legba. The spirit possesses Armstrong and declares that Javier is at a metaphysical crossroads; the decisions Javier is about to make can have a drastic effect on his destiny. The Krewe may help him, but only if he allows them to. Unfortunately, Papa Legba gives no hint to his actual physical location.
Later that night, Lisa discovers Becca talking to her "imaginary" friend, "Unca Toby." Lisa complains that Toby's scaring off the nannies, and she wants him to go away. Toby laughs and assures her that if she really wanted him to go he'd be gone. Trey wakes up and walks in on the scene. He leaves after a protracted argument with Lisa.
CUT SCENE Nadja and Zoey sleep fitfully, plagued by dreams of a terrible future. They awaken, separately, and stumble to the kitchen. Nadja screams when she sees that Zoey appears to be visibly pregnant. When Zoey screams as well, Nadja looks down to see that she's in the same condition.
When we come back from commercial, everyone is gathered around a pair of freaked-out slayers. Armstrong tries to keep them calm while Lisa and Desiree make with the research. Lisa examines the Watcher.net file on the supernatural pregnancy of Cordelia Chase; there doesnt seem to be much similarity to the current case as both Slayers claim to be virgins. Desiree finds a passing reference to the Codex Malarfasius, a prophecy that involves a Slayer's child. Rupert Giles agrees to ship them a copy of that text and several that refer to a 16th Century Dutch witch named Elsbet.
This is, pardon the pun, a Hail Mary kind of play.
--Mahalia Domingue
Mahalia arrives and brings a "different sort of magic" to test the girls. Nadja is skeptical at first, but relents when she learns that all Mahalia has in mind is a simple pregnancy test. The tests show both girls to actually be pregnant. The girls both notice that their children are quick to express their displeasure when anything threatens them.
While the Slayers try to sleep, Mahalia tells the Krewe that the spell used on the girls was a very powerful sort of blood magic, and that the casting of the spell was difficult and dangerous to the caster. It can be undone, but doing so will require three drops of blood from the target of the spell and -- more troublesome -- three drops of blood from the caster. Mahalia provides a vial of a sparkly gray powder; the Krewe are to add the blood to that, seal it up in a leather pouch, and crush it by stomping on it.
I don't think I can lie to her. - Lisa
Okay. Stand out in the hall. - Desiree
Based on Mahalia's warning that the caster of this spell is extremely powerful, the Krewe immediately suspects Elsbet. Lisa and Desiree try to interrogate Claudia and Lilith based on their connection (through Carmilla) to Elsbet. (Lilith is very displeased that the crazy stalker is back.) Our girls eventually figure out that these girls don't know Elsbet and likely didn't know that Carmilla was a vampire.
Lisa and Armstrong continue the fruitless pavement pounding motif by heading to Pazuzu's and Samael's, two local demon hangouts. They get nothing but contempt for their troubles. Nadja, on the other hand, goes to Le Fanu and convinces a vamp named Derek to take a walk with her. Derek is skeptical, but agrees. Despite the fact that Le Fanu is considered "neutral ground," Nadja ties Derek up and tortures him mercilessly. He gives her all the information he has (including the fact that Elsbet's gang has a warehouse on the waterfront, riverside) but she continues the torture anyway. Rumor has it that Nadja later drained and dusted the poor Derek, and that her baby really liked the whole process.
What, did it have two heads? - Zoe
Not exactly. - Desiree
When Nadja wants to know if her child is related to her in any way (or if she's simplay a vessel for some alien entity) the Krewe seeks out a Dr. Peter Miller, a GP that occasionally does work for the Council. Though he doesn't allow the girls to see, the sonograms show very distinct abnormalities: the children have abnormally large heads, long tails, and some sort of vestigial growths on the back that the Krewe take to be wings.
When Dr. Miller attempts to draw amniotic fluid from Nadja, her child makes it very clear that it doesn't want this to happen. Dr. Miller advises against using tranquilizers on the girls as the effect on their fetuses is unpredicatble. He gives Lisa and Desiree the cold hard medical facts: termination seems the only option. Given that he's a GP and not an OB/GYN, he's loathe to perform the procedures himself.
Back at the dojo, Nadja and Desiree try to convince Zoe that their babies aren't human and they need to terminate the pregnancies. This distresses Zoe and she runs away. At a bus station, Zoe calls her mother. Zoe doesnt tell her mom about her condition; she thinks Zoe is studying at Tulane. But the conversation helps Zoe, and she returns to the dojo.
Early the next afternoon, Giles' shipment of ancient tomes arrives. They soon discover that the Codex Malarfasius is written in Latin; Lisa reluctantly puts her research hat on. It doesn't take her long to figure out that the Codex is encrypted. After a number of calls she finally locates someone in the Ancient Languages College at Oxford (her alma mater) who is able to help. He sends his notes which show how to use the dead words in the text as instructions to adjust and use the cipher key. Equipped with these notes and a firm resolve, Lisa learns that the Codex describes a ritual that can bring forth a true demon from the child of a slayer. Lisa faxes her notes to the Watchers Council for future reference.
Giles also sends a copy of Magazennis Guide to Witches Through the Centuries and other books related to witchcraft. Desiree reads of the 16th Century Elsbet, a very powerful witch who terrorized her neighbors for many years and survived multiple attempts on her life. She had piercing blue eyes and the ability to generate lightning and fire. A woodcut leaves little doubt that this is the same Elsbet currently in residence in New Orleans.
To blow off some steam, Lisa and Desiree spar with Melissa and Antoine. Desiree is unusually aggressive and Melissa notices that Lisa's chi is no longer centered.
Meanwhile, Zoey confesses to Nadja that her biological mother considered an abortion before giving birth to her, which explains her reluctance to consider terminating her own pregnancy, however abnormal it may be.
Primed for battle, the Krewe heads out to the waterfront warehouses (No one asks Nadja how she got this lead). Desiree takes Becca's Hello Kitty sippy cup to collect Elsbet's blood; the inappropriateness makes Zoey nauseous. Armstrong uses his ability to perceive the spirit world and sees a vortex of some kind over one of the warehouses. Lisa infiltrates the building and finds an enormous cache of automatic weaponry. She tries to disable the rifles but guards force her to withdraw. The slayers stake out the building, and they spot Elsbet driving away in a limo.
I see it's book club night.
- Lisa
After Lisa uses one of her Private Investigator friends to trace the limo's license plate Desiree wheedles some crucial clues out of the limo company dispatcher. Lisa then uses another PI contact to track the limo: they find a house in the Garden District rented to one Elizabeth de Kooning.
The Krewe enters the house unimpeded. Elsbet invites them into her study in the back of the house. She's accompanied by five vampires, who are under orders to not harm the slayers. (They have no such orders for Lisa, Armstrong, or Desiree.) Elsbet calmly invites Nadja to sit next to her. Nadja tries to bite her, but the being inside her compels her to stop her attack. Her belly starts to glow, as does Zoey's.
Nadja instead bites one of the vampire acolytes who is shocked by her behaviour. Zoey, similarly compelled, trades blows with Lisa. Recognizing the futility of fighting 5 vampires, 2 Slayers, and 1 witch all at once, Lisa shifts gears to take out the vampires.
Armstrong beheads one of the vampires with his sword. Lisa is pinned down by another vampire, but she outmaneuvers it with a majestic flip and chops its head off. For her efforts she receives a prize: Elsbet brutally fries her with a burst of lightning. Turnabout is fair play: Lisa pulls out a pair of guns and empties both clips at Elsbet. The sorceress is able to deflect most of the bullets but the last one grazes her shoulder.
Mazel tov this.
- Armstrong
Nearby, Desiree is doubled over by a wicked left from the remaining vampire. On the verge of unconsciousness, she uses her telekinesis to collect Elsbet's blood into the sippy cup. Armstrong kills the last vampire while Desiree drops Elsbets blood into the magical pouches that will restore Nadja and Zoey.
Nadja beats down Lisa, who isn't fighting back. To Lisa's shock, Nadja bares her fangs and sinks them into Lisa's neck. Desperate to end the fight, Lisa draws a dagger and points it at Nadjas belly. Finally, Armstrong stomps the magical pouches. A vapor escapes from them and the Slayers double over in pain. The creatures within them let loose ear-piercing shrieks.
Once again, Elsbet opens a portal and escapes.
The Krewe returns to the dojo. Lisa is emotionally drained, and she isolates herself in her bathroom. She examines her bite marks, disturbed and infuriated by Nadja's blood drinking. Repulsed by the entire affair, she vomits into the toilet.
Desiree listens to Nadja, who feels horrible about what she did while under Elsbet's spell. She confesses that shes become addicted to drinking vampire blood. The urges are cyclical and may be related to the phases of the moon. Continuing with the revelation of secrets, Desiree admits that she's part demon; her mother recently revealed that her real father is not the man who raised her.
Nadjas been troubled by Carmen's death and Lisa's absence during the summer. She wonders if Carmen was just using her all along, as Carmen encouraged her to stay distant from her family. Desiree hopes that the good things in Lisa's life will move her to forgive Nadja for what she's done.
Armstrong tries to comfort a withdrawn Zoey, but she wants no parts of it. She's sitting alone, staring out the window, sobbing. When Becca toddles up to her and says "Up, up!" she picks the baby up and cries uncontrollably.
Guest Stars
- Julie Berman as Zoey
- Leah Cairns as Det. Abingdon
- Salma Hayek as Lilly
- Rena Sofer as Elsbet
- and Guy Pearce as Willem
Music
- Romeo Void, "A Girl in Trouble (is a Temporary Thing)"