Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel

Season 1, Episode 7, Aired 4/14/97

Episode Summary

After Angel saves Buffy from a gang of vampire warriors, their relationship starts to become more intense. As their love blooms, Buffy learns that Angel has been hiding a dark secret. She hesitates, not sure what to believe, but when Angel's secret puts someone she loves in danger, she knows what she has to do.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Sarah Michelle Gellar

Buffy Anne Summers
Nicholas Brendon

Alexander 'Xander' Harris
Alyson Hannigan

Willow Rosenberg

Fan Episode Reviews (50)

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The series finds it's feet

10

"Perfect"

By joxerlives, Jan 04, 2012 Report Abuse

Angel;

The Good;
Awesome fight scenes with both The Three and at the Bronze. Lovely stuff with Buffy intrducing Angel to Joyce, wonderful scene between Angel and Darla hinting at great things to come. I love Joyce's denial over the barbecue fork and Cordy's rage over the girl in the same dress. The big shock that Angel is a vampire which I must say I didn't see coming at all (he gives Buffy a cross in WTTH but it's in a box!). Love the diary misunderstanding too and the shock of Buffy coming home to see a bleeding Joyce in Angel's arms.

The Bad;
The Master's killing of The Three (lame name or what?) is stupid. Also they seem to give up awfully easily, that or Joyce just walks right past them? (maybe they know better than to mess with momma Summers?)

Best line;
Buffy "Stay the hell away from us!"

Observations and questions;
Anyone else disturbed by The Master's relationship with The Anointed? Joyce is the first cast member to be bitten by a vamp (although despite being a huge part of the series she's never actually a Scooby) whilst Angel is the first to be shot. Why don't vamps use guns more often? According to Joss it goes against their demonic nature. We have Xander dancing, always a treat. Angel kills his first vamp onscreen although we later learn he's killed at least 2 prior to this. The first of the many deaths of Darla

Here Buffy really kicks into high gear, the Buffy/Angel romance is set on it's course, we see the Darla/Angel relationship for the first time, it turns an OK show with an attractive cast into a brilliant show
5/5
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Angel's secret revealed

9.5

"Superb"

By Phunner1416, Jun 13, 2011 Report Abuse

This episode was good. It reveals Angel as the first vampire ever to have a soul, which will lead up to the Big-Bad of the second season, a main story-arc of the third season, and a spin-off of Buffy, Angel. This episode also shows Darla's death, and the first time that the Master is ever truly furious. This is a great episode with a couple of great twists; first when Buffy finds out that Angel is a vampire, then when Buffy finds out that Angel is a vampire with a soul, and that Darla framed him for biting Joyce and all of the other evil things that Buffy thought Angel had done. This episode was truly great.moreless

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The Master sends out The Three a trio of warrior vampires - to finish Buffy once and for all. The situation pushes Buffy and Angel closer together - but she discovers an unexpected secret about him. Not one of my favourites at the time, but a key ep...moreless

9.0

"Superb"

By Jay-Spacedust, Mar 06, 2011 Report Abuse

This review contains spoilers.

Although I didn't particularly take to this episode the first time I ever saw it (not being such a fan of the slushy romance side of the series back then), it now stands as one of the key episodes of the entire series, for obvious reasons. I also confess to liking the episode far more than I originally did, now my tastes have matured (allegedly).

"The Three" that the Master sends out to get rid of Buffy are somewhat of a red herring they look set to be the archetypal "monster threat of the week", but in fact they are gone within the first twenty minutes of the story, not slayed by Buffy, but by Darla, at the command of the Master, disgusted by their failure.

So of course the main thrust of the episode is that Angel turns out to be ... a vampire! Who woulda guessed it. Although I'm not particularly into the whole slushy romance side of things, I did feel that it played out very well here, with good performances from both Sarah Michelle Gellar, and David Boreanaz, and some nice dialogue.
Some have commented that this episode plays like an (arguably better) version of 'Twilight'. A female friend of mine has forced me to watch 'Twilight' (it wasn't my choice honest!!), and I can definitely see the comparisons.

As always, particularly with the first season, there is some light relief elsewhere in the episode, again as pretty much always, mostly coming from Xander and Willow. I love Xander's various goofy attempts to put Buffy off of Angel, and his various boasts himself (such as the time he drank a gallon of Cool-Aid, with an "ick factor later").

The episode also sees the dusting of Darla at the end. Julie Benz plays the role devilishly perfectly, with that Joker-esque smile. Thankfully, it's not the last we see of Darla in the Buffy / Angel universe.

In many ways, "Angel" is a sign of things to come in the show, with character developments as prominent (sometimes even more prominent) than the "threat of the week" storylines.
Although I wasn't overtaken with the episode when I first saw it on BBC Two way back when (though didn't DISlike it), I've come to appreciate it more now. Although not one of my all-time favourite 'Buffy' episodes, it does hold some key developments that are key to the future course of the series. I give "Angel" a respectable 9 out of 10.moreless

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Put simply, this episode was a better version of Twilight.

9.5

"Superb"

By gtucks, Mar 06, 2011 Report Abuse

Human girl falls for with a vampire that no longer kills people. Their love is forbidden and his limits are tested but they both come out alive.

Though Twilight had almost the exact same storyline, I didn't like it but I loved this episode! It could be because the acting was a thousand times better and the vampire with the face of an angel was actually attractive.. who knows. Anyway, I'd been rooting for Buffy and Angel to get together since the Pilot so I was, of course, very excited to see this episode. Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz have amazing chemistry which really made this episode great.

But they didn't get too carried away with the romance, which was good. There was still a lot of action, and plenty of twists in the plot. All in all, a very good episode!moreless

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Finally an episode with something

6.5

"Fair"

By Thestorysofar, Jan 13, 2011 Report Abuse

Ok so as with all the love going on in Buffy it's like this.

Willow loves Xander, Xander loves Buffy, Buffy loves Angel Cordelia loves herself and Giles loves his library and books.

So Angel has been this reoccuring character that shows up for a couple of minutes and gives advise about bad things to Buffy. He is tall dark and handsome and totally hot so Buffy falls for him because he's not a dork like Xander. The 3 in this episode were wasted. They looked good they should of kept them going. 1 slip up and they were toast. I know the bad guy has to be mean and in doing so has to kill his own men. Anyway Angel turns out to be a vampire. shock. And so Buffy can't go out with him because he is a vampire and she is Slayer. But Angel turns out to be nice vampire and wants help.

End of Darla Vampire. she was okay another evil vampire out of the way. I bet Buffy wishes she killed her earlier.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Near the end when Buffy enters The Bronze it is closed. As she gets to the bottom of the steps the shot changes, as it changes, a person is visible hiding behind the pool table. The person's foot pops out at on the right. Edit
- Buffy and Angel share their first kiss in this episode. Edit
- In this episode we learn that Angel is a vampire. While unexpected, a number of clues in previous episodes have hinted at this fact. Including: Welcome to the Hellmouth - When Buffy first meets him Angel says: "Don't worry. I don't bite." Never Kill a Boy On The First Date - While in the Bronze, Buffy mutters, "Bite me". The camera then cuts to Angel giving Buffy an odd look. Edit
Notes
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- Darla was originally supposed to die in the Harvest, when Willow throws holy water on her, but as the writers were planning to do an episode about Angel, they decided she would be his ex-lover. Edit
- The episode was aired in April 14, 1997, right on Sarah's 20th birthday. Edit
- While filming this episode, David Boreanaz stated in an interview that he casually walked into a local store to buy some milk with his shoulder wound make-up still on. He said that the guy at the check-out freaked and asked if he needed help. In true David fashion he joked with the clerk and told him that he was attacked by a cat in the alley at the back of the store. Edit
Quotes
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- Giles: It seems you encountered the Three. Warrior vampires, very proud and very strong. Willow: How is it you always know this stuff? You always know what's going on. I never know what's going on. Giles: Well, you weren't here from midnight until six researching it? Willow: No, I was sleeping. Edit
- Darla: (to Angel) Is there anything better than a natural disaster? The panic. The people lost in the streets. It's like picking fruit off the vine. Nice! You're living above ground, like one of them. You and your new friend are attacking us, like one of them. But guess what, precious? You're not one of them, are you? Edit
- Joyce: Are you another doctor? Buffy: Oh! No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles. Joyce: Oh, the librarian from your school! What's he doing here? Giles: Uh, I just came to pay my respects, wish you a speedy recovery. Joyce: Boy, the teachers really do care in this town. Edit
Allusions
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- The Master: (talking to the Anointed One) With great power comes responsibility. This may be a reference to the line from Peter Parker's uncle Ben in the comic book Spider-Man. He tells Peter that "with great power comes great responsibility." That sentiment is what later inspires Peter to become Spider-Man. Edit
- Buffy: I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck. This is a reference to the Robin Hood legend. In most versions of the story, when the "Merry Men" first meet Friar Tuck they intend to rob him and he fights them all off with his quarterstaff. This show of skill and bravery endears him to the band, and they make him a member. Edit
- Xander: Fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly. Xander is quoting the lyrics of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man O' Mine" from Showboat, the 1927 classic musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. Edit