Discussion of 1.07 "Angel" - Aired 4/14/1997 (WB-US)

[PassionBecoming]

Xander isn't really likable here, but I suppose he has his reasons. Still, some of that Xander-sesetivity would be nice.

I think through the whole series, Xander's reactions and emotions towards anything having to do with Angel (or Spike later on) is not sensitive and definitely hostile.

 

[Mr Trick]

An episode which gets better over time. A mid-range season oner which would possibly look weak in one of the other seasons.

Good Things:

Willow putting her foot in it when pointing out the flaws in the idea of Buffy and Angel dating, even if she does mean it in a friendly sort of way.

The pacing is quite nice here, with a nice mood running throughout.

The cockroach party stuff at the begining is pretty amusing.

I too don't remember being a fan of the Buffy-Angel relationship, and least not this early on, but boy that is some first kiss

Some impressive action scenes which serve to achor the slower more character base and romantic scenes.

Bad Things:

This episode does come at least a couple too early into the season (maybe a draw back of having a shorter season), so when they kiss near the start it does feel a bit rushed.

Think Xander could have been used a bit better in this one. He does make the odd comment, where we get that he doesn't approve of Angel or is threated by him. But he never gets to be the full wise-cracking Xander, and or even the senstive Xander who comes out when called upon.

Agree with topher that Dalia plan really wasn't very well thought. I would also agree that her interactions were sharper with Buffy than with Angel.

I do think like others than someone of the filler episodes are actually the stronger in S1 but this does the job pretty effectively.

7/10

 

[bespangeled]

I was never that impressed with Darla in Buffy season 1, but dang she looked hot with those guns!

Yeah, but it can be fun watching Darla and thinking about their entire history which you didn't even suspect the first time you saw the episodes with Darla. Oh, and I vote Angel - Boreanaz has some more youthful energy back then. It's amazing how all of the actors had aged between 1st season and last one. 

Well...Darla was evil, and Angel wasn't. He hadn't seen her in almost a century and she was trying to kill him. I mean, Angel was tormented by what Angelus had done, so I think it was pretty safe to say that he was long over Darla.

Doesn't seem that way in Angel, and I don't think it's just the fact that she's human at first.

 

[Mr Trick]

Rewatched this the other day and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It gets a very good mix of comedy and drama, and of course is the first episode to really sell me on the Buffy-Angel relationship. What the episode does well is also highlight the pitfalls of the relationship too, and why realistically it can't work out over the long term.

Due to The Puppet Show being a personally favourite of mine I would put that above this episode, although it would be between this and the Pack for my other favourite of the season along side Prochcy Girl.

 

[Jules]

I've only just noticed the massive flaw in Darla's plan. Just by having Angel kill Buffy that wouldn't make him return to The Master because he would still have his soul. It would just mean he might slip on more occasions and feed off a human (like Doyle mentions in season 1 of Angel) which would only increase his guilt not his evilness.

I also love Darla's foreshadowing, when she's taunting Angel saying do you think Buffy would ever kiss his true face - well, yes she does in Season 2 What's My Line.

As a Bangel fan this is one of my favourite episode.

 

[Mr Trick]

I've only just noticed the massive flaw in Darla's plan. Just by having Angel kill Buffy that wouldn't make him return to The Master because he would still have his soul. It would just mean he might slip on more occasions and feed off a human (like Doyle mentions in season 1 of Angel) which would only increase his guilt not his evilness.

I also love Darla's foreshadowing, when she's taunting Angel saying do you think Buffy would ever kiss his true face - well, yes she does in Season 2 What's My Line.

As a Bangel fan this is one of my favourite episode.

I think the point might be that Darla is just so use to the old Angel/Angelus then she doesn't believe that this souled version who loves Buffy is really who he is, and therefore that she can presuade him to join her and the Master. Maybe not the best thought out plan in high sight. Another aspect might be that she desparate to impress the Master and make up for not killing Buffy in the pilot.

 

[Jules]

Yea, good points

Wasn't it Darla who kicked Angel out (so to speak) once he got his soul back though because he was only able to kill criminals and not revert to his evil ways.

She does have a father/daughter relationship with the Master though and she does seem to be willing to do anything to please him.

 

[Give Us A Kiss]

We finally get to see more of Darla and learn a bit about her and Angel's backstory.

This episode also marks the official start of Bangel: kissing combined with lots of drama... (not that I don't like Bangel).

The Annoying One appears once again, still annoying.

The best part ? Darla turning into dust

Spoiler

(even thought she gets resurrected later on)

 

[Mr Trick]

We finally get to see more of Darla and learn a bit about her and Angel's backstory.

This episode also marks the official start of Bangel: kissing combined with lots of drama... (not that I don't like Bangel).

The Annoying One appears once again, still annoying.

The best part ? Darla turning into dust

Spoiler

(even thought she gets resurrected later on)

He was fine in NKABOAFD before he started talking And it was a nice twist too. It was all down hill from there.

What did you think about that final fight scene and Darla with the guns? Some people find it too cartoonish. I thought it worked pretty well.c

 

[Carrie Hopewell]

I too don't remember being a fan of the Buffy-Angel relationship, and least not this early on, but boy that is some first kiss

Aww, you don't like them now?

Agree with topher that Dalia plan really wasn't very well thought. I would also agree that her interactions were sharper with Buffy than with Angel.

My biggest concern with the episode is that Darla's death doesn't mean much to the audience. If Angel had killed Darla for Buffy in Angel season 2, that would have been a very powerful moment. As it was, it felt like you knew Angel killing Darla was a big deal, but weren't really shown why. And the sequence with the guns was a little annoying, you would expect something more from a 400 year-old vampire.

I like Buffy and Angel's first and last kiss, in particular the last one. Buffy's cross burning Angel and him not noticing was a nice touch. I liked how Angel is initially flirty and portrayed as every girl's dreams and ends up being something closer to every girl's nightmare. The entire episode is a nice perversion of stereotypes. As a side note, Willow's dreaminess and her reaction to Buffy/Angel is cute and on the same wavelength as the audience's.

 

[Mr Trick]

Aww, you don't like them now?



My biggest concern with the episode is that Darla's death doesn't mean much to the audience. If Angel had killed Darla for Buffy in Angel season 2, that would have been a very powerful moment. As it was, it felt like you knew Angel killing Darla was a big deal, but weren't really shown why. And the sequence with the guns was a little annoying, you would expect something more from a 400 year-old vampire.

I like Buffy and Angel's first and last kiss, in particular the last one. Buffy's cross burning Angel and him not noticing was a nice touch. I liked how Angel is initially flirty and portrayed as every girl's dreams and ends up being something closer to every girl's nightmare. The entire episode is a nice perversion of stereotypes. As a side note, Willow's dreaminess and her reaction to Buffy/Angel is cute and on the same wavelength as the audience's.

You maybe right and there was room to fit Darla into season 2. But then its all to do with them not knowing the direction of the show yet. One of the reasons I'm guessing they killed Darla off this early is because they hadn't figured the whole history between her and Angel out, and of course didn't know at this stage that Angel would have his own show. Really she was just a minor villain supporting that season's big bad.

 

[Carrie Hopewell]

You maybe right and there was room to fit Darla into season 2. But then its all to do with them not knowing the direction of the show yet. One of the reasons I'm guessing they killed Darla off this early is because they hadn't figured the whole history between her and Angel out, and of course didn't know at this stage that Angel would have his own show. Really she was just a minor villain supporting that season's big bad.

You're right, but maybe if they hadn't waited until episode 7 to explore Angel and Darla's relationship that ending could have been more meaningful. Perhaps with a small love triangle between them - Darla watching Angel watching Buffy and a few more tense moments between Angel and Darla - that could have worked without exploring Angel and Darla's complicated history.

 

[Mr Trick]

You're right, but maybe if they hadn't waited until episode 7 to explore Angel and Darla's relationship that ending could have been more meaningful. Perhaps with a small love triangle between them - Darla watching Angel watching Buffy and a few more tense moments between Angel and Darla - that could have worked without exploring Angel and Darla's complicated history.

Yeah but I just don't think they knew how important to Angel's character she was at that point. The other problem was they were only given a 12 episode season to work with. If it was a longer season they could had done more with them. I wish they'd used Darla better but it is also understandable why they didn't.

 

[Carrie Hopewell]

Yeah but I just don't think they knew how important to Angel's character she was at that point. The other problem was they were only given a 12 episode season to work with. If it was a longer season they could had done more with them. I wish they'd used Darla better but it is also understandable why they didn't.

Well, they didn't know how much Darla meant to Angel, but Darla told Buffy that Angel used to love her, that they were together for over a hundred years. So, they did have some idea of how relevant Darla was to Angel. Plus, Angel staking Darla is supposed to be an act of love which is why Buffy looks so surprised and touched. The episode makes a big deal of it. It's also supposed to symbolize Angel letting go of his past as Angelus.

Wait, I think I just realized the fault in my plan... we weren't supposed to know Angel was a vampire... Hmm, ok then, perhaps Giles could have explained to Buffy the sire/child bond before the episode. That way Angel's romantic act would have been more obvious and Darla's death more meaningful.

 

[Foxy]

This episode really starts up the mythology of the show in my opinion. Even though I am not a massive bangel fan, I thought the little goodbye scene was cute and heartbreaking.

I love how Joyce is so incrediblu oblivious. I always really enjoyed the fact that Buffy had to hide her identity.

I still wish they hadn't killed Darla. She would have been a great season 1 villan instead of the master.

 

[Fuffy Baith]

I still wish they hadn't killed Darla

I agree. Or I at least wish at that point in the show, Joss knew Angel's past better and his relationship with Darla. But I also love her on the Angel show.

 

[Carrie Hopewell]

So, what I remember from my first time watching this episode was that: a) the umpire joke that Xander makes is h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s; b) I hate the Darla/Angel/Joyce mess.

My thoughts after a few rewatches are similar expect now I care a lot about the Bangel and Angel aspect of it.

I will say that what I feel stops the episode from being great is the Darla/Angel/Joyce thing because it’s such an annoying cliché, David Boreanaz’s terrible acting and the cheap production value of the episode.

What does make the episode good is the romance. Season 1 is very much about how young and innocent Buffy is, so this episode is about her cute high school romance turned sour with the vampire reveal.

I love seeing Buffy flirt with Angel and gush about him to Willow, I love seeing Angel smile and act so young and I look how this episode subverts our ideas on Angel.

Angel, until that point, was the smooth hot guy who popped out of nowhere to give vague advises. He was written very much as the teenage fantasy. However, this episode changes that. Angel seems to good to be true because he is to good to be true. He’s a vampire with a soul and blood on his hands. Not a teenage fantasy, but a slayer’s nightmare.

I think it’s this mix of teen drama plus gothic romance that makes this episode enjoyable. The final scene between Buffy and Angel is a good example of this. Buffy kisses Angel, a dreamy teenage kiss, but her necklace leaves a mark on Angel’s chest, which is both a reminder of his true nature and the fate of the couple, as well as a chance to show that Angel loves Buffy so much he didn’t notice he was being burned.

All in all, 8/10.

 

[PaulParmar1]

Arguably Angel's best episode ever! I just loved him in this!
His voice, his shirtless moment! It was all everything! I was so intrigued by him in S1 & this episode was easily one of the best of the season.
Darla's death was a mistake imo. They should've kept her until at least the season 1 finale .

 

[thrasherpix]

Sunnydale Syndrome is really strong in Joyce to not remember Darla attacking her.

Very much in keeping with the innocence of the season (Angel's backstory not withstanding) to not try to turn Joyce, or the Three not to try something like burning the house down or shooting at them through the windows (like with flaming arrows)...while I can see why such brazen tactics would be avoided most of the time, the Three, knowing their own lives and honor were on the line, should've been willing to go the distance. Even if the house burned down it would be forgotten within the week.

And just imagine if Darla stayed friendly, and fired upon Buffy the moment she entered the kitchen...(I do very much like Darla getting herself invited in, and I also like how Darla is nearly unique with her use of projectile weapons and firearms, something they keep as part of her character, and what little they show of her mortal life later on makes me think that she really would not limit herself to vampire traditions.)

 

[Mr Trick]

Sunnydale Syndrome is really strong in Joyce to not remember Darla attacking her.

Very much in keeping with the innocence of the season (Angel's backstory not withstanding) to not try to turn Joyce, or the Three not to try something like burning the house down or shooting at them through the windows (like with flaming arrows)...while I can see why such brazen tactics would be avoided most of the time, the Three, knowing their own lives and honor were on the line, should've been willing to go the distance. Even if the house burned down it would be forgotten within the week.

And just imagine if Darla stayed friendly, and fired upon Buffy the moment she entered the kitchen...(I do very much like Darla getting herself invited in, and I also like how Darla is nearly unique with her use of projectile weapons and firearms, something they keep as part of her character, and what little they show of her mortal life later on makes me think that she really would not limit herself to vampire traditions.)

Wait when did Darla attack her? Do you mean in this episode? From what I remember she either blindsides Joyce or just knocks her out and Joyce can't remember because of the bump. Bit of a stretch I guess.