Angel (Buffy episode)
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"Angel" is episode 7 in season 1 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. See also List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.
Plot synopsis
Buffy and Angel share their first kiss, and she finds out who he really is.
Summary
After Angel helps Buffy fight off an attack from a group of fierce vampires, they go back to her place to hide out. Angel stays the night (and the next day) and when Buffy returns home from school they kiss for the first time, but Angel pulls away and when he turns back we discover he is a vampire. The next day Darla goes to Buffy's house posing as a classmate and Joyce invites her in, Darla then drinks from Joyce but leaves in time to frame Angel. Buffy then goes to confront Angel, but discovers the truth and that he is not evil as he has had his soul restored by a Gypsy curse. Darla, however, interrupts, accompanied by two guns, in an attempt to kill Buffy, but Angel stakes Darla instead, and then disappears.
Expanded overview
The Master is displeased with Buffy for killing his vampires. Despite Darla's request to deal with her personally, he decides to send "The Three" (warrior vampires) to kill Buffy. Buffy, Willow and Xander meet at The Bronze. When Buffy leaves, she finds a nasty surprise -- "The Three" are there. As she fights them off, Angel shows up to save her. In the fight, Angel is wounded, and Buffy nurses his wounds back at the house. As he takes his shirt off, a griffin tattoo on his back is revealed. When Buffy's mother arrives, Buffy claims Angel is helping her with history, and pretends to send him off, but instead sneaks him into her room. Angel spends the night in Buffy's room, sleeping on the floor.
As Xander hears about it the next morning, he claims that Angel is trying to seduce Buffy by saving her life and being a gentleman. Giles interrupts, identifying the vampires that attacked Buffy as "The Three", and saying she has nothing to worry from them, since they will offer their life to the Master in penance. Back at the Master's layer, he has Darla kill off the three, as a lesson to Collin (the "Anointed One").
In the library, Buffy begins weapons training. She is disappointed she has to begin with the quarterstaff rather than the "cooler" (in her mind) crossbow, but easily defeats Giles in quarterstaff fight, and gets to learn the crossbow in spite of Giles' initial plans. Back at her house, Buffy brings some food to Angel. When he says he read a little, she notices her diary askew and begins to explain away entries which would indicate her having a crush on Angel, as he stops her and tells her that her mother moved the diary, and that he would never read it. Angel and Buffy kiss, and as Angel pulls back, Buffy sees his vampiric visage, and he escapes without a word through the window. The next morning, Giles emphatically insists there are no good vampires, and that a vampire, lacking a soul, is not even a person. Xander urges Buffy to slay Angel.
Returning to his apartment, Angel sees Darla. She taunts him, telling him humans will never accept him for who he is. In the mean time, Giles finds Angel's history in his books, and notices the peculiarity that even though he used to be a menace, he has shunned the company of other vampires since he came to America. At the Master's lair, Darla insists that she be allowed to take care of Buffy, using Angel to kill her.
That evening, Willow and Buffy are having a hard time studying the history of the civil war as they are distracted by thoughts of boys -- Buffy of Angel and Willow of Xander. At Buffy's house, Darla shows up, telling Joyce she is there to help Buffy with history. Joyce invites her in, and Darla repays her by drinking from her. As Angel shows up, Darla dares him to drink from Joyce, and escapes. Buffy arrives to find Angel holding her mother, the latter bleeding from the neck. Buffy drives Angel away, and calls for an ambulance. Buffy misunderstands her mom when she tells her her "friend" came over, thinking she meant Angel rather than Darla. Buffy goes to the library, takes the cross-bow and goes to find Angel's apartment. At Angel's apartment, Darla taunts, telling him how easy it was to turn Buffy against him.
At the hospital, Giles, talking with her Joyce, suddenly realizes that it was Darla, not Angel, who bit Joyce. He runs off, with Xander and Willow in tow, to tell Buffy the news. Buffy, at the same time, finds Angel in the Bronze. Instead of out and out fighting, Buffy asks Angel for an explanation. Angel explains that he once ate a gypsy girl, and in retribution the gypsies cursed him with a soul. The soul made him feel guilty over the evil he wreaked during the years. As Buffy and Angel reconcile, Darla shows up. Darla tells Buffy that she was the one who made Angel. In response to Buffy pulling out her crossbow, Darla pulls out a pair of handguns, and proceeds to shoot at Angel as Buffy dives behind cover. Buffy shoots at Darla in the abdomen, but misses her heart. Hearing gun fire, Buffy's friends rush in, and distract Darla by shouting to Buffy that Darla was the one who bit Joyce. As Darla continues to shoot at Buffy and her friends, Angel shows up behind her, and stabs her in the heart with the crossbow bolt that Buffy shot at her.
As Collin comforts the Master for losing Darla, Xander, Buffy and Willow are once again at the Bronze. When Angel shows up, Buffy goes to kiss him, and the cross he gave her in Welcome to the Hellmouth leaves its mark on him.
Writing and acting
Darla's request of Angel -- "Just say yes" -- is a parody of Just Say No.This episode introduces Angel's constant struggle with his thirst, which remains even in his ensouled persona. It may be seen as a metaphor for substance abuse and a quitters' struggle with withdrawl.
Production details
- This is the first episode to feature a "Previously" recap.
- It took 60 to 90 minutes to make up David Boreanaz's "game face."
- The kiss at the Bronze was filmed before the kiss at Buffy's house.
- Joyce's scream, when Darla bites her, is the same as Buffy's scream earlier in the episode.
Music
- Ella Fitzgerald - "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man"
- Sophie Zelmani - "I'll remember you". Plays during Buffy and Angel's kiss at the Bronze.
Quotes and trivia
- Darla, the first character to be seen on-screen in the series, is killed here by the vampire she sired.
- The gun Darla holds on her right is a Glock Model 17; on her left, a SIG-Sauer Model 226.
- Buffy refers to the quarterstaff as a weapon to fight Friar Tuck, although the popular legend has Little John as being defeated by Robin Hood with the quarterstaff.
- Buffy uses a crossbow, later a favorite weapon of hers, for the first time.
- This is the first episode featuring Buffy's pig, Mr. Gordo, Spanish for "fat."
- "Out of the mouths of babes" is a quote from Psalms 8:2.
- The usually unflappable Buffy screams at the sight of Angel's vampire face after their first kiss. This is the only time that Buffy screams at the sight of a monster, with the exceptions of "Halloween" and "Tabula Rasa".
- This is the first episode showing 1630 Revello Drive as Buffy's address.
- Despite their impressive name, The Three are quite incompetent. Buffy mentioned it when asked to name the toughest villains she ever fought ("You guys remember The Three? There were, like, three of them").
Continuity
Arc significance
- Angel, a mystery since the series premier, turns out to be a "vampire with a soul." The episode marks the beginning of the epic romance between Buffy and Angel. The final scene, when the cross Angel gave to Buffy hurts him, foreshadows the season 2 finale.
- This episode also continues Willow's crush on Xander and Xander's crush on Buffy.
- The Anointed One is confident that he will bring Buffy to the Master, a prediction borne out by the season finale.
Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
External links
- [BuffyGuide.com]
- [Buffyworld Summary]
- [Buffyworld statistics]
- [TV Tome]
- [Buffy Trivia Guide]
- [All Things Philosophical -- Metaphysics in "Angel"]
- [Music in "Angel"]
- [Buffy vs. Angel Episode Guide]
- [Buffy Body Count guide for this episode]
- [Buffyology Episode Page]
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