Episode 7 - Angel
27 December 2010
Synopsis: The Master sends "The Three" against Buffy and Angel helps her survive. To be safe he hides in her room and eventually they kiss. But as they do she discovers that he is a vampire and he flees. We learn that Darla made him a vampire and for over a century he caused murder and chaos like all vampires. But he was cursed by a gypsy tribe who restored his soul. Since coming to America he hasn't fed off humans and now Darla wants to bring him back into the fold. Darla bites Joyce and frames Angel making Buffy determined to kill him. However Angel kills Darla instead, tells Buffy the truth and she lets him live.
The Good: A really strong episode from start to finish. The whole idea behind Angel's character is very clever and the exploration of the vampire personality is both engaging here and promising for the future.
Angel was a vampire like all others. As Giles explains, vampires can keep the memories and personality of their human host but they are now a demon. They are a "vicious animal" who hunts and feeds on humans. Angel goes further and says that he revelled in the pain and misery he caused and did it "with a song in my heart." However the human soul survives this process and presumably passes on to the next life when the human dies. So Angel's curse is that his soul was restored, and now he must live with the guilt of all the murders he committed.
As explanations go for a character this is so intriguing. The whole concept of a human having to live with the memories of a demon is fascinating. There is also the whole injustice of the situation. The curse is designed to punish the vampire by making him miserable with guilt and remorse. But by restoring a human soul to Angel he is no longer the same creature who committed those acts. The misery he suffers weren't the crimes of the man who had that conscience. That injustice makes Angel a sympathetic figure.
Angel's interactions with Darla were very strong too and opened up all the possibilities of what could be done with his character. She taunts him relentlessly because she knows that he still has the desire to be a vampire. It's what he is and so his desire for human blood is something he presumably has to resist, constantly keeping his nature at bay. The reminiscing she does about their two hundred year old past could provide many a future story but also shows us what vampires are capable of as characters in the show. So far (aside from the Master) vampires have seemed like dumb creatures who don't talk a lot. Now we see that they can be entertaining antagonists and protagonists with real emotions.
So far the show has been essentially a high school drama with a science fiction twist. However the rich mythology of vampires which Angel brings to the fore implies that the show could head in many different directions. The tone of this episode was more serious and consequential than any since the pilot. The show is presenting vampires as having this dark fascinating aspect to them which is much more gripping than any of the other creatures we have seen so far. The Master weeps at Darla's death and those emotions are what create good drama.
On the practical front the episode ends with Angel suffering a burn mark from the cross around Buffy's neck as they make out. It was a potent image to remind us of the trials which their relationship will face. The writers smartly point out the obvious when Willow brings up the practicalities of Angel never ageing and being unable to have children. The tragedy of Angel's character has fairly limitless possibilities.
Another accomplishment here is making the Angel-Buffy relationship something which viewers will rally behind. There was no subtlety in building up their attraction and yet it never became overbearing or too clichéd. The acting helped a lot as the two have real chemistry and Buffy played love struck well throughout her conversations with Willow. Buffy's character has also been presented in such a way that only someone like Angel could be her boyfriend. She has to live daily with this tremendous responsibility which she can't escape. So here comes a man who can match her physically, understands exactly what her calling means and who too has to live with a crushing supernatural calling.
There were plenty of good moments along the way as the episode unfolded. I like all the little details in Giles' life. He admits to staying up half the night to research "The Three" and then returns to the books to find out about Angelus. He puts out a sign that the library is closed when he wants to train with Buffy and then has to pretend he is just another teacher in front of Joyce. I liked Joyce's motherly behaviour in turning Angel out of the house and welcoming Darla into it. I liked seeing the bags of blood which explain how Angel survives. Looking back you can see the subtlety of the moment when Buffy brings him a bag of food and he handles it gingerly. The fumigation at the Bronze provided a convenient cover to allow the confrontation with Darla to take place without witnesses.
The Bad: The only false moment came when Buffy caught Angel "feeding" on Joyce. She had no reason to think he wasn't about to kill her. In fact it looked pretty clear at that point that he had been tricking her all along in order to torment her like this. You would think that that would have turned her instantly against him, yet she still struggles with the idea of killing him.
The Unknown: The whole issue of what amount of human personality remains with a vampire is pretty fascinating. As is the idea of what Angel's personality is like now that he has gone from human to demon to human conscience in demon personality in human body. It's also not clear who or what the Anointed One really is.
Best Moment: Buffy returns to her bedroom and brings Angel some food after he's been stuck there alone all day. He says he has been reading and she panics thinking he had read her diary. She is outraged and says "Hunk can mean a lot of things!" amongst other implausible denials. He of course reassures her that he didn't read it and they end up kissing. He then reveals his true face, much to her shock and jumps out of the window. It's a fantastic scene on every level: funny, romantic, surprising and of course is the key one to the whole episode.
The Bottom Line: From start to finish this was a show on another level. So far we have dealt with enemies who didn't mean anything to Buffy and the show has been good. But now faced with an actual emotional conflict in her slaying the show reaches a whole new plain. This was a brilliant character episode opening up the show to another world of possibilities.
Cordia's Second Look
Angel
Season 1, Episode 7
Original airing: April 14, 1997
My Rating: 80
The Good: Oh man, the good: Angel's history, Angel and Buffy's relationship, Angel and Darla's relationship. There's so much drama goodness in this episode it's almost unbearable.
Angel's background is laid out here. We learn a ton about a character who was previously shrouded in nothing but mystery. And could it get more tragic? Angel was a regular guy who got turned into a vampire and was particularly horrible. He killed his own family, all of their friends and children, and enjoyed it. Then, he was cursed and had his soul restored and suddenly he had to live with all the guilt and regret from those murders and most likely thousands of others. It's a bit of a wonder he didn't throw himself on a stake 80 years ago. His tragic past and vampiric nature show why he's been so distant with Buffy even though he is obviously attracted to her. When they kiss in Buffy's bedroom, the emotions are so high it causes him to change. He obviously can't control himself in these types of situations. So it seems safe to assume he's been living without any companionship except his soul-crushing guilt for 80 years. And the one person he finally connects with, he can't be with. Tough stuff. And extremely well presented by the show.
Then we have the reveal that not only do Angel and Darla know each other, but they once were in love. And it was nice to have a character from the first episodes brought back as Angel's sire. Darla not only loved Angel, she's responsible for him being a vampire. This made her betrayed expression all the more potent when Angel stabbed her in the back and killed her. But it's interesting to hear vampires speak of love. I hope it's something explored more in the future since it seems so counter to everything vampires are supposed to be as demons. Even The Masters' reaction to Darla's death seemed almost human. The Anointed came across much more coldly as he told The Master they didn't need anyone else and they would still rule the world.
The Bad: The main bad stuff centered on The Three for me. They were supposed to be so strong and intense. There's even a moment where Buffy has true fear in her eyes and I wondered for a split second if she was in serious trouble. Then, when they get to Buffy's house, they just give up and go back to The Master. Knowing they will be killed for failing. And twenty seconds later Joyce walks right by them to get into the house. Wow. Stupid vampires. Why didn't they just use a regular vampire to bring Buffy and Angel together? Or Darla. This felt like yet another example of how ineffective and stupid vampires are in Sunnydale. The threat level was nonexistent but all the characters acted like it was terrifying. Silly.
Favorite Moment: Buffy and Angel's first kiss is such a release for both of them. It becomes so passionate and strong, that it triggers Angel to turn to his vampiric face. The shock actually causes Buffy to scream and Angel to dive head first out of her bedroom window. The emotions are so high and real in this scene. It's the turning point of the whole episode and a turning point of Buffy's entire life. By the end of the episode it's shown she and Angel still love each other, but recognize they can't be together. And for a sixteen-year-old girl, how could there be anything worse?
The Bottom Line: This is a wonderful episode. The characters drive the plot with realistic desires and reactions. The interrelationships between Buffy, Angel and Darla are so strong and well portrayed; it's easy for me to get completely lost in the episode. And it sets The Master up as now having a truly personal vengeance against Buffy to play out in the rest of the season.
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