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

Angel is a vampire with a soul. As punishment for killing a young girl in Romania, gypsies cursed him by placing his soul into his vampire body. It’s a terrible thing to have slaughtered thousands over centuries; to have tortured, maimed, and worse. And he has to live with that. Angel CARES about all the awful things he’s done. This is why he’s not really a bad guy.

Angel’s made it his mission to make amends for the bad things he’s done. It’s noble. It’s dreamy, actually.

The final showdown in the Bronze between Buffy, Angel and Darla is interesting for several reason, but most notably the fact that Darla brought guns to a fight she could easily win with fangs. Darla is an old vampire, meaning she’s a strong vampire. While I hate to admit it, Darla COULD possibly take Buffy out in a fight.

Yet, she chooses to fire guns at the Slayer. Imagine the Slayer being taken out by a bullet, and not by anything supernatural? Also, those guns, like, never run out of bullets.

Ultimately, Angel takes out Darla to protect Buffy, and the greatest supernatural power couple is born.

This episode is great for a number of reasons. It’s the first glimpse of what Buffy the Vampire Slayer truly is, something that we won’t really see in a full-fledged fashion until Season 2. It’s the first time Buffy’s fight against the forces of darkness gets personal, when her mother is attacked by Darla. It’s educational for viewers as they learned some key elements about vampire lure. And most importantly, it’s the beginning of Buffy’s struggle between love and duty.

Love and duty will be an important theme for the Slayer for the remainder of the series as she discovers that the line between human and superhuman is gray and very, very blurry.

Pop in to Pop Culture:

• “Out of the mouths of babes” is a Bible passage in Psalms, specifically 8:2.
• Friar Tuck is reference to Robin Hood.

Cordeliaisms:

• “Please get your extreme oafishness off my $200 shoes!” to Xander at the fumigation party.

Fashion Faux-Pas:

• Giles’s fancy paisley scarf at the hospital
• Cordelia’s “one of a kind” dress
• Buffy’s glittering jacket for the big fight

Today’s Music was Brought to You By:

• “I’ll Remember You” by Sophie Zelmani during Buffy and Angel’s final scene together

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Re-Watch when we talk killer computers and killer puppets!