Touched By An Angel - Plot

Plot

The episodes of the series generally revolved around the "cases" Monica (Roma Downey), an angel recently promoted from the "search and rescue" division, works under the guidance of her supervisor Tess (Della Reese). Monica in one episode outlines that she started in the choir then annunciations, followed by search and rescue and then case work. Most cases involve a single person or a group of people who are at a crossroad in their lives and facing a large problem or tough decision. Monica and Tess bring them messages of hope from God and help give them guidance towards making their decision. During their first episode, the pair receive a red 1972 Cadillac Eldorado convertible as a gift; they use it for transportation throughout the rest of the series while in the human world, with Tess doing the driving. As the series progresses, Monica continues gaining experience as a case worker and, during some cases having to learn lessons of her own. During the Series Pilot, an angel of death, Adam (Charles Rocket) is introduced (other angels of death appear throughout the run of the series).

In the Season Two Premiere "Interview with an Angel" the Angel of Death is introduced as Henry and is played by Bruce Altman.

In Season 2, in the episode entitled, "The One That Got Away" John Dye was introduced as Andrew, the Angel of Death. John Dye becomes a regular in the third season and beyond.

During the seventh season, a new angel is made by God during one of Monica's assignments, Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli), who becomes a regular character for the eight and ninth seasons as a trainee under Monica and Tess's guidance. As Gloria lacks knowledge about people, and is rather gullible, a Jewish man in one episode called her "smart girl". Gloria's name is chosen by a little girl from the Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard On High, in which the chorus begins "Gloria, Gloria..."

In the series finale, Monica is up for promotion to supervisor, pending the outcome of a difficult case in which she must defend Zack (Scott Bairstow), an innocent drifter accused of causing a boiler explosion at a school two years ago in the small town of Ascension, Colorado. The explosion killed most of the children, leaving the citizens devastated. During the case, Monica sees many familiar faces, including Joey Machulis (Paul Wittenburg), one of Monica's previous assignments who is a witness to the events, his brother Wayne (Randy Travis), who is now sheriff, Sophie (Marion Ross), a formerly homeless acquaintance, and Mike (Patrick Duffy), a lawyer Monica saved during her search and rescue days who is now the Mayor. An out of town developer claims Zack is the perpetrator and despite the lack of evidence, Zack is put on trial. Monica does all she can to help him, including asking Mike to represent him, however the prosecutor in the case, Jones (David Ogden Stiers), is really Satan in disguise and Zack is eventually convicted.

After the trial, Monica is able to help the citizens realize their mistake and to see that Zack's return to the town had helped them finally start living again. They begin going back to church, welcomed by the pastor they had once abandoned. Their change of heart, however, cannot free Zack, so Monica visits him in jail and reveals that she is an angel. She then promises him that she will become his guardian angel, forgoing all future assignments and the coveted promotion, to protect him from harm in prison. When she returns in the morning, however, the cell is empty. The citizens decide not to search for him, and it is revealed that Joey inadvertently caused the explosion after the devil tricked him into turning the boiler to high to warm some kittens he'd found.

The perplexed Monica returns to the desert to find Tess and Zack. There, she learns that Zack was actually GOD, and that her defending him was a test, which she passed by being willing to sacrifice herself for him. Monica is promoted to supervisor. As she leaves, she says her goodbyes to Gloria, and to Andrew, who gives her a pocketwatch to remember their friendship by. Before parting, Tess gives Monica the keys to the Cadillac, as she is leaving her job to sit at God's feet. Monica is last shown driving away as the camera pans out over the desert.