Episode 7: Angel

Surprise: I liked The Pack better then this one, but this episode is fundamentally a building episode. Yes, Angel and Buffy finally kiss. Yes, we get a much fuller explanation of history--but...it's all plot. There's not that much going on below the obvious level.

The head writer on this one is David Greenwalt, who wrote "Teacher's Pet" and "Reptile Boy" (next season)--he seems to be more plot-oriented, maybe even monster-movie oriented, when I look at the list of episodes he authored. Willow is even more stereotypical "best girl friend" in this one, and Xander's jealous streak isn't subtle. After seeing this episode, it's difficult to imagine how nuanced the relationships and characters become in the series. The writers and actors are still in the character-building phase; that's my excuse!

Buffy finds out Angel is a vampire, but I'm not sure why she didn't realize earlier. She touches his skin and wore his coat--the total lack of body heat went unnoticed every time? Spike more than once mentions that Buffy is drawn to cold bodies (he's more specific than that, but it's still network TV). Does she no yet realize that vampires have no body heat? Curious, and not really salient. Even after she realized he's a vampire, even before she knows he's got a soul, she's drawn to him. Is Xander right that she's drawn to danger? Seems that way right now.

It may be important symbolically that Angel is the one to kill Darla, his sire--he's firmly aligned with the good guys and has definitely renounced his evil ways. (Of course, no one's ever totally dead in the Buffyverse. Darla shows up in flashbacks and on Angel's tv show!) Just to make sure the audience knows that Angel's willing to suffer to do what's right, at the end, Buffy's cross necklace (A gift from Angel in episode 1) burns into his chest as they kiss, tattooing his righteousness for all to see.

The only other thing worth mentioning: Angel defines soul primarily as conscience, knowing what he did and understanding the consequences and suffering it wrought. That expands but still fits with Giles introduction to it earlier.

And yes, I'm doing very little except watching Buffy and writing these this weekend. Bronchitis is not getting much better yet,....