Buffy the Vampire Slayer Re-Watch: Angel (Season 1 Episode 7)

Guys, Angel is a vampire.

I know I’m suspending belief here that you’ve never watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer before and that this information is brand new to you. Yes, you already know that the mysterious man who’s stalking Buffy at every turn is a vampire. So what do you say we get in a time machine and pretend it’s 1997?

It’s the annual Fumigation Party at the Bronze, the night when all of the young people in Sunnydale gather to smoosh cockroaches in hopes of earning a free drink before the place shuts down for it’s yearly spray down. Buffy waxes on about her crush on Angel to Willow, who’s really invested in Buffy’s love life, most likely because her own crush on Xander is going nowhere.

Buffy gushes about Angel the way that every teen girl talks about the boy she’s got a crush on. The word “hunk” is even used in her diary. Who can blame her? Up until now, Angel has come through for her in big ways as she wages war against the Master underground. He knows her secret slayer identity, seems okay with it, but still hasn’t let Buffy in on any of his own dirty secrets.

All of that changes in a big way in “Angel,” as Buffy discovers every dirty detail about Angel’s past.

When The Three, the Master’s handpicked team of super vamps, attack Buffy and Angel in the alley near the Bronze, Buffy does her best to protect the guy who’s protecting her. They race to her house, she tells him to “get in,” and they lock The Three out, leaving them to go back to the Master with their fangs between their legs.

Angel drops an important piece of vampire information for viewers, one that will become a cardinal rule on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Angel: A vampire can’t come in unless it’s invited.
Buffy: I’ve heard that before, but I’ve never put it to the test.

Oh, Buffy. You sure have.

The Buffster is way too eager to tell an injured Angel to take his jacket and shirt off, you know, to dress his wounds from the big fight. As always happens when two people are relatively attractive (and half naked,) their conversation gets a little…close. Buffy takes this as the perfect opportunity to try and find out what Angel’s deal is as far as romance with her is concerned.

Buffy: If you are hanging around, I’d like to know why.
Angel: Maybe I like you.
Buffy: Maybe?

And again, Buffy’s all about taking off the clothes, telling Angel to turn around while she puts on the cutest pajamas ever. Which is surprising considering how chaste their awkward little slumber party becomes. Come on, Buffy. You’ve got the hottest vampire on the earth sleeping on the floor next to your bed. I know you’re sixteen, but come on! Pounce on that!

It’s interesting, Angel sleeping on the floor next to her bed. Vampires are animals, in a manner of speaking. It’s almost an odd “loyal dog sleeps next to the bed” type of situation.

This also brings me to my biggest question about this episode. The next morning, Buffy heads off to school where she and the Scoobies dish about her night with Angel and gather intelligence about The Three. Buffy comes home to find Angel still in her bedroom.

Why did Buffy assume Angel would stay there all day? At this point, she doesn’t know he’s a vampire. The Three are dangerous vampires who can’t come out in the daylight. So Angel should be safe and sound to go home and hide in his own place. Granted, we know Angel is also a vamp and can’t leave Buffy’s house in the daylight, but again, Buffy doesn’t know that at this point in the episode.

So she was basically assuming this guy would hide in her house all day long?

After Buffy returns home from school, she and Angel can’t fight their attraction anymore, and even though Angel knows it’s a bad idea, he kisses her.

It’s one of the most epic first kisses in the history of television. It ends with the most shocking of revelations, when Angel pulls away, and then looks up at Buffy with his vampy face on.

Naturally, this changes the game for Buffy. The mysterious man she’s been crushing on isn’t a man at all. He’s a vampire. And she’s a slayer. But he’s never tried to harm her, to this point. Angel hasn’t done anything to imply that he might be a bad guy. Angel’s been on Team Buffy since her first day in Sunnydale. Something about Angel doesn’t add up. He’s a vampire who’s a good person.

Giles: A vampire isn’t a person at all. It may have the movements, the memories, even the personality of the person it took over, but it’s still a demon at it’s core.

This episode is full of information about vampire lure.

Darla, who we’ve only known to be the Master’s favorite lackey, seems to know Angel’s secrets, as we discover that she and Angel go way back. Several lifetimes, in fact. It turns out that Angel is quite connected to the Master, which explains why he knows so much about him and what his plans are. We also learn that Angel does feed on human blood to survive…but he prefers the bagged kind, from the hospital, a trope which many vampire shows will go on to use.

Angel is 240 years old and has killed a lot of people. A LOT.

The Master: Angel…he was the most vicious creature I ever met. I miss him.

Discovering that Angel’s a pretty bad guy is a bit of a gut punch. How can it be?

The writers developed an interesting backstory for Angel, one that seems pretty straightforward, but will surely become very complicated in the future.

 

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