Episodes

Buffy and Angel Angel

Season 1, Episode 7

This episode marks the first time that we learn what Angel really is! After I saw this episode for the first time, I was still thinking about it the next day on the bus. Ah, the good ol' days before spoilers...

PLOT:

Scene opens at The Bronze -- Buffy and Willow are talking about guys. Willow looks over towards Xander, who's looking ridiculous on the dance floor. He bumps into Cordy and they insult each other. Willow asks Buffy how she feels about Angel, and Buffy pretends she's not interested.

Master Interlude: Meanwhile, below the surface, Darla informs The Master that some vamps didn't make it back from the hunt because the Slayer dusted them. He's upset, and decides to send some of his best vampires after her.

Buffy decides to leave The Bronze. Once outside, she senses that she's being followed. She's surprised to find that it's not Angel, but The Three, the virile vamps sent by The Master. Luckily, Angel appears out of nowhere and they're able to get away from the vamps. They run to her house, Buffy yells to Angel to come in, and they're safe.

Angel's been slashed in the ribs, and Buffy starts to dress his wound. Some of that guy/chick tension in the kitchen, and then Buffy's mom comes home. Buffy introduces Angel as a student at the community college who's helping her with her history; Buffy's mom says okay, but it's late...Joyce goes up to bed, and Buffy pretends to say goodnight to Angel. Then they proceed to sneak up to her room, since she doesn't want Angel to have to face The Three again. It's here that she says it's her job to kill those kinds of vamps, but why does he get involved? And Angel leads her to believe it's a vengeance gig for him. She asks what his family thinks of his career decision, and he tells her they died a long time ago. When Buffy asks if it was vampires that killed them, Angel says yes.

Next day at school, Buffy and Co. are in the library. Giles informs Buffy who The Three are, and Xander and Willow can't believe Angel spent the night in her room! Willow's excited by the romance of the situation while Xander's merely disgusted.

Master Interlude: Meanwhile, because The Three failed to get Buffy, they lay down their lives in penance. The Master tells The Anointed something, and The Anointed says, "So you would spare their lives?" To which The Master replies, "I am weary and their deaths would bring me little joy." Darla, who's poised standing behind The Three, stake in hand, kills the vamps. The Master is heard saying, "Of course, sometimes a little is enough."

Later that nite, Buffy brings Angel some dinner and they chat. She thinks he read her diary, and sort of accidentally confesses that the "A" in those entries didn't stand for Angel, but for "Achmed..a charming foreign exchange student..." He says he didn't read it, they both start talking over each other, and the next thing you know, they're smooching. Angel pulls back, and to Buffy's horror, he's vamped out! He jumps out a window, and Buffy is left standing in her room, a little freaked out. Maybe that's an understatement.

When she tells the gang the next day at school, Xander suggests killing Angel. And Giles tends to agree.

Master Interlude: Meanwhile, Darla suggests to The Master that they hatch a plan to get Angel back into the fold. We learn that Angel was the most vicious creature The Master ever knew. And Darla's plan is to have Angel fight Buffy.

Darla visits Angel at his house, she rehashes the old days when they were paramours who caused destruction, and she tells him to tell Buffy about the curse.

Cut to the library where Willow and Buffy are trying to study. Willow says sometimes she has this fantasy that Xander's gonna "grab me and kiss me right on the lips!" Buffy's still struggling over what to do about Angel. Both are unaware that Darla's in the stacks, listening to them. Darla goes over to Buffy's house and poses as a friend who's going to tutor Buffy. Joyce lets her in and Darla takes a bite out of her, just as Angel walks in. Darla shoves Joyce at Angel and tells him to drink. He's holding Joyce, vamped out, as Darla leaves, saying, "Welcome home, Angelus."

Darla, Angel, Joyce 

Buffy picks that moment to walk in. When she sees Angel holding her mom, she freaks out and shoves him through the window. She calls 911 as Xander and Willow walk in. They all believe Angel bit her mom, and the next thing you know, they're in the hospital. Giles is there too. Buffy's mom comes to and explains that Buffy's friend came over. Since she doesn't give the friend a name, they still mistakenly believe that Angel was the one who bit Joyce.

Meanwhile, Darla's paying another visit to Angel. She taunts him some more, riles him up and we see his anger surfacing. It's decided that he'll meet the Slayer and fight with her. Buffy goes to get her crossbow and goes off in search of Angel at The Bronze.

Back at the hospital, Giles discovers that Darla was the one who put the bite on Buffy's mom, and he, Xander and Willow take off to look for Buffy. They realize that a trap's been set for her.

At The Bronze, Buffy and Angel are having some words. She shoots and misses, they scuffle, and they talk out what happened. Angel comes clean with Buffy; he tells her that a gypsy curse was put on him 80 years ago. The curse restored his soul and he hasn't fed off a living human since. Buffy believes him and Darla appears. She's toting guns, a big fight ensues, and Angel ultimately ends up killing Darla. A few nights later at The Bronze, Angel and Buffy chat. They realize they have feelings for each other, but that they can't act on them. Thus begins the bittersweet love story that plays a large part throughout the entire series...

What Got the Job Done:
Angelus

1. Angel used the stake from Buffy's crossbow to kill Darla.

What We Learn in This Episode:

1. That Angel's a vampire.
2. Why Angel has a soul.
3. A vampire can't enter someone's house unless it's invited.
4. Buffy and her mom don't own a barbecue fork. -- Joyce says this when she tells Buffy that the doctors said it looked like she fell on a barbecue fork.
5. Darla was The Master's favorite.
6. Darla sired Angel.

An Amusing Quote:

"That must have been so embarrassing when you thought he'd read your diary but then it turned out that he hadn't but then he felt the same way...I'm listening." -- Willow to Buffy, interrupting Giles at the mention of the word diary, then realizing that she should shut up.

Foreshadowing Quote for Late in Season 2:

"Killed a lot of vampires...I've never hated one before." -- Buffy to Angel, at The Bronze during the showdown.

Settings Seen:

1. Sunnydale High School
2. The Bronze
3. The Master's Lair
4. Buffy's house
5. Angel's place (complete with kitchen!)
6. Sunnydale Hospital

Characters Seen:

1. Buffy
2. Willow
3. Xander
4. Giles
5. Cordelia
6. Angel
7. The Master
8. The Anointed
9. Darla
10. The Three
11. Joyce Summers


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Pic of Darla, Joyce, Angel courtesy of YTV

This page last updated on May 3, 1998.

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