Angel
Original Airdate: April 14,
1997
Writer:
David Greenwalt
Director:
Scott Brazil
I
gave David Greenwalt a lot of grief in his first
penned episode, "Teacher's Pet", and for that I do feel a little
guilty (but I stand by my review) because he did prove himself later like this
episode. This episode is a much welcome improvement for him, and is a major
stepping stone in the show's early days. It is fitting that the man who would
be the show runner for the first seasons of "Angel" wrote this
episode, as it laid out the groundwork for this mysterious, pivotal character.
Let's
say it: Angel is a bloodsucking vampire. Man, it was tough writing the first
six reviews without spoiling that huge piece of information from anyone who may
not know the twist. It may be pointless, however, as that piece of information
would be in Joss Whedon for Dummies' first chapter if
it were ever printed. So the twist's shock value almost ten years later is all
but gone, but the meat behind the twist makes it still memorable.
Originally,
Joss Whedon balked at the idea of having Buffy's
romantic interest be a vampire because he felt the notion was too cliché.
Luckily, he decided to keep that element, and the show had some great
storylines in future seasons (not to mention Angel's spin-off series). This
episode serves as a template for Angel's entire story, with basic information
sprinkled into the episode without avoiding prolonged exposition dumps.
It
also helps to have Angel's evil vampire persona be one of unparalleled
brutality; even The Master has to admire Angelus' brutal methods. It could be
almost easy to ignore his past if he was average in his evil. It is a lot to
atone for, and leaves a lot of potential for the future. There is no way that Buffy
and Angel can have a life together, but the bond between them is too strong for
either to deny. That doesn't even take into account what will really divide
these two!
While
this romance is a major piece of characters and their series', they seem to speed
up the flirtation between the two of them in this episode. Previously, Angel
had only appeared in passing to give Buffy a warning about some evil while she
nursed a crush in between. Buffy's confrontation with The Three must've moved
things along. In retrospect, this liberty is a minor complaint.
This
episode introduces some more to the vampire mythology established in the first
episode. A vampire being unable to enter a private residence is a nice detail,
but the fact that vampires (except Angel) lack souls is what really makes
things interesting. What composes a soul for vampires is a debatable subject.
How do vampires have personalities if they don't have souls? It seems most
likely that the soul that a human loses when they transform into a vampire is
the conscience. Without that, vampires can kill and feed without any sense of
guilt.
Looking
back in both Angel and Buffy's series, this episode shows some inconsistencies
with what would become Angel and Darla's back-story and mythology. In every
future episode where the bad guys hope to turn Angel back to the dark side,
they attempt to take away his soul. Instead, Darla tries to use her history
with him and his "different" status to outcast him enough where he
would do something dangerous. Considering that history, Darla should know that
it'll take a lot more to turn him.
However,
back then (as we'll learn more about later), Angel couldn't find his purpose in
life after being cursed with a soul. He wasn't human, but he couldn't associate
himself with the monsters he was a part of anymore. His hundred years of
solitude left a mark, as opposed to the future attempts to unleash Angelus,
when Angel was secure in his place as defender.
This
conundrum isn't lost on the gang either. Angel is the thing Buffy has to hunt
and kill every night. However, Angel isn't a vicious predator anymore. This is
the first episode to blur the lines between good and evil, which previously
were defined: The Master and his minions on one side, Buffy and her friends on
the other. That revelation proved crucial for "Buffy" and
"Angel", as redemption is a major theme for many characters.
Yes
Darla, I really like the schoolgirl outfit, and many guys would agree with me.
Darla really steps up in this episode. In the pilot, she was subservient to The
Master. Now, while still following him, she is much more aggressive. Perhaps
her relationship as Angel's sire made her a little daring. Julie Benz and David
Boreanaz have great chemistry together, which works
well played against Boreanaz and Sarah Michelle
Gellar.
One
thing worth noting is that this is one of the rare instances of modern weaponry
brought into the fold. This could explain why Darla is such a lousy shot (or
she went to the
Considering
Xander's jealousy, it makes sense that he would be
adamant about getting Angel out of the way. This attitude of his never
completely goes away, especially in the next few seasons. Giles is a less
extreme version, but he is more interested in business, and eliminating evil is
that.
As
Flutie's death remains fresh, Joyce could've easily
been next on the chopping block. Darla is capable of killing a woman who is
still unaware of the hellish nature in her literal backyard. Buffy has been
able to keep her mother in the dark about the truth, but this breech is clear
that it will eventually crumble, something that plays out further in future
episodes, which makes her survival worthwhile.
This
is definitely one of the high points of the season and a major turning point
for the series. A twist that could've easily blown up in their faces turned out
to make the show increasingly better. The ramifications of this episode
resonated throughout both "Angel" and "Buffy", which is
pretty telling of its impact.
Score: 8/10