Buffy and Angel
We were first introduced to the mysterious Angel in the Buffy
premiere, "Welcome to the Hellmouth." A shadow was shown following
Buffy into an alley, where she momentarily disappeared before swinging
down and kicking the person in the back. Then we saw Angel, taking our
breath away for the first time of many to come. Angel told Buffy not to worry - he doesn't bite -
and that he wanted what she wanted which is to "kill them
all." Buffy sarcastically disagreed and Angel tossed a box to her. He then
warned her about "the Harvest." When Buffy asked him, "Who are you?" He
replied, "Let's just say that I'm a friend." She clipped, "Yeah, well
maybe
I don't want a friend." Angel said smugly, "I didn't say I was
yours." He smiled a little and then walked into the night. Buffy
opened the box; there was a silver cross inside.
When Angel and Buffy met
again, Buffy was exploring a tomb for a secret exit when Angel suddenly
appeared behind her. He said that the vampires don't like him dropping
by because they don't like him. He also mentioned that he thought she would
have figured out the entryway sooner. Buffy said that if he was going
to keep hanging around he could at least tell her his name, and he said, "Angel." He told her not to go into
tunnel because "the
Harvest" is coming. Then he admitted that he was afraid. Buffy said that she
had to go because a friend or at least a potential friend was down there. She asked
him
if he knew what it was like to have a friend. Angel's silence was telling
and
we knew then that he had many secrets. He directed her to where the
vampires were mostly likely
hiding. Then Buffy asked him to wish her luck, but he said nothing. After
she
left, he whispered, "Good luck." At the end of the episode, there was
a brief scene of Angel saying, "She did it. I'll be damned" as the
vampires ran away from the Bronze.
Angel appeared next in the episode, "Teacher's Pet." He approached Buffy
in
the Bronze and cryptically warned her to be careful and not to show "him"
any mercy. He said to her, "You're cold," as she rubbed her hands on her
arms. He took off his leather jacket and put it around her. (How cool was
that?) She gasped as she saw
deep slashes on his arm. Angel said that he was not careful enough and
walks off. At the end of the episode, Angel walked up to Buffy as she was sitting in
the
Bronze and said that he heard that there was one less vampire making a
nuisance of himself. She started to take off his leather jacket to
return it to him, when he smiled and told her to keep it because it
looked better on her. As
he walked into the crowd, he turned back and sexily smiled at her and
Buffy softly said, "Oh boy." This was our first indication of
the dangerous attraction between Angel and Buffy.
In the episode, "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date," Angel again met
Buffy
in the Bronze. Initially, Buffy looked happy to see Angel, but when he
warned her about the danger of the Anointed One and the Master, she
responded angrily that she was there
with a boy who wanted to be with her. In disbelief, Angel asked, "You're
here on a date?" Buffy asked why is that so hard to believe, then
introduced Angel to Owen. Angel told Owen that he knew Buffy from work.
Buffy rushed off with Xander and Willow to save Giles, but turned back
and kissed Owen in front of Angel saying that she really wished she
could stay. Of course, we all know that Owen got dumped at the end of
the episode as if he ever really had a shot.
The pivotal Buffy episode for Angel was titled "Angel." Here we learned who Angel really
was. His background and his tentative feelings for Buffy were explored. The
episode
started with Buffy thinking about not having a guy in her life. As she
talked to Willow about being attracted to Angel, he lurked in the
background
and for a moment she sensed him. Buffy left the Bronze and on her way
home she was attacked by
"three virile vampires." Angel intervened fighting the vampires saying,
"Good dogs don't bite."
He was struck by a pipe just before he and Buffy ran away. Buffy ran to
her house and
they dashed inside as the vampires caught up with them and banged on the
door. Angel told her that
vampires can't come in unless they are invited. She said that she had
never
tested the theory. Then she looked at him and said, "You're hurt." She
got
a first aid kit and as she walked into the kitchen, she told him to take
off his shirt. Angel pulled off his shirt and sat on the kitchen
table. Buffy saw the tattoo on his back and said, "Nice tattoo."
|
(Click for
full picture)
Courtesy of Todd McIntosh. He is the show's makeup artist and created the
tattoo for Angel. Todd told me, "the tattoo is based on
illuminations from the book of Kells and depicts a winged cat." Thanks
Todd for responding to my question. Thanks to Phoenix for allowing me
to use the picture. There is a link to Phoenix's web site
under Angel Links. |
As Buffy tended Angel's wound, she asked Angel if he was following her.
He replied with a smile, "Why
would I do that?" Buffy's mom, Joyce came in and Buffy was forced to
introduce her to Angel as a friend who was tutoring her in history. With a disapproving glance at Angel, Joyce told Buffy that it was too late at night to study and that Buffy's friend should leave. Buffy
pretended to say goodbye to Angel, but when she closed the door he was
standing there smiling. They went up to her room and Angel said that he
really thought that he should go, but Buffy insisted that he stay in case
"the fang gang" were still hanging around. He turned his back while she
changed and Buffy asked him why he was hunting the vampires. Angel said,
"Somebody has to." Then Buffy asked what his family thought of his career
choice, and he said that they were dead. Buffy said she was sorry and asked if it
was vampires that killed his family. Angel distracted her by saying that she looked pretty when
she went to bed. Buffy got into bed and Angel laid on the floor next to
her. Buffy asked, "Angel, do you snore?" Angel responded with a smile, "I
don't know; it's been a long time since someone has been in the position to let me
know."
The following night, Buffy brought Angel some food and asked, "So what did
you do all day?" Angel replied, "I read a little and just thought about a
lot of things. Buffy, I . . ." Buffy rushed over to her diary and put it
in a drawer as she exclaimed, "My diary! You read my diary?! That is not
okay. A diary is like a person's most private place."
Before Angel could say anything Buffy nervously explained how she didn't
mean exactly what she wrote and that "A" did not stand for "Angel",
but for "Achmed, a charming foreign exchange student." Angel interjected, "Your mother moved your diary
when she came in to straighten up. I watched her from the closet, I
promise. I didn't read it." Embarrassed, Buffy murmured, "Oh." Angel said,
"I did a lot of thinking today. I can't be around you because
when I am . . ." Buffy began to mutter, "No big . . .
Water under the bridge, over the bridge." Determined, Angel continued,
" . . . all I can ever think about is how much I want to kiss you."
"Kiss me?" Buffy gasped looking at him in surprise. Angel went on,
"I'm older than you and
this can't . . . I better go." Buffy slowly walked towards him and asked,
"How much older?" Angel muttered, "I should go." "Go, you said," Buffy replied. Then
they kissed each other passionately. As they kissed, Angel
pulled away and Buffy asked, "What ... what is it, what's wrong?" Angel
snarled and then morphed into a vampire. (I can't decide who was more shocked: Buffy or me.)
Buffy screamed and Angel scrambled out of the window.
Buffy, Giles, Willow, and Xander discovered from the "Watcher's
Diaries" that Angel was in fact, "Angelus, the one with the angelic
face." He was a 241 year-old Irish vampire who had wrecked havoc through
Europe before he suddenly stopped killing and migrated to America.
Meanwhile, Angel returned to his apartment. Sensing someone was there,
he asked, "Who's there?" Darla, another vampire, revealed herself and
accused him of living like one of "them" (mortals). When Angel said
that he was not exactly one of them (vampires) either, Darla pulled open
the window blinds letting the sun stream into the room and causing Angel to flinch
violently backwards to avoid the sunlight. Darla pointed out that he was not living off quiche
as she
opened his refrigerator to reveal packs of blood. She went on to say that
he was trying to kill the other vampires with his new friend and
repressing his true nature.
Taunting Angel, Darla
said that she was not afraid of him, but was sure that Buffy was and
that Angel should tell her about the "curse" as she left.
That night, Angel went to Buffy's home, but turned away before
knocking. He heard a scream and burst through the door. He saw Darla with
blood on her mouth holding
an unconscious Joyce who had puncture holes on her neck. Darla threw
Joyce to Angel who had to visibly restrain himself from feeding on her.
When Buffy
arrived home, she saw Angel holding her mother. She threw him
through a window and told him if he ever came
back that she would kill him. After taking her mother to the
hospital, she decided she had to kill Angel despite her intense
feelings for him.
Selecting a crossbow, Buffy went to the Bronze to find Angel. At the
same time, Darla was taunting Angel about fighting his true nature. She
said, "Did you think that she would understand, that she would look at
your face, your true face, and give you a kiss?" Darla told him to accept
who he was and not to let Buffy hunt him down. Angel angrily responded
that he wanted it done. As Buffy entered the Bronze, Angel appeared
behind her. Buffy called, "I know you're there and I know what you
are." Angel replied, "Do you? I'm just an animal, right?" Buffy said,
"You're not an animal. Animals I like." Angel said, "Let's get it
done." Jumping above her, he attacked her. When Buffy had a clear
shot at him, she hesitated and Angel said, "Don't go soft on me now."
She shot an arrow into the wall next to him and he commented, "A little
wide." Buffy asked him why, after she invited him into her home, he had betrayed
her and attacked her family.
Angel walked towards Buffy and said, "Why not? I killed mine. I killed
their friends and their friends' children. For a hundred years, I
offered an ugly death to everyone I met and I did it with a song in my
heart." Buffy asked, "What changed?" Angel replied, "Fed on a
girl about your age. Beautiful, dumb as a post, but a favorite among
her clan." Buffy queried, "Clan?" Angel answered, "The Romani ... gypsies.
The elders conjured the perfect punishment for me. They restored my
soul." Sarcastically Buffy commented, "What, they were all out of boils
and blinding torment?" Angel explained heartbreakingly, "When you
become a vampire, the demon takes your body, but doesn't get your soul.
That's gone, no conscience, no remorse. It's an easy way to live. You
have no idea what it's like to have done the things that I've done and
to care. I haven't fed on a living human being since that day." Buffy
angrily said, "So you started with my mom." Angel said, "I didn't bite
her." Buffy asked, "Then why didn't you say something?" Angel somberly
continued, "I wanted to [bite her]. I can walk like a man, but I'm not one. I wanted to
kill you tonight." Buffy put the crossbow down and walked over to him.
Exposing her neck to him, she said, "Go ahead." Angel smiled slightly
and Buffy said, "Not as easy as it looks."
"Sure it is," said Darla who had entered the Bronze unbeknownst to
Buffy and Angel. She was in her game face and said, "Do you know what
the saddest thing in the world is?" Buffy ventured, "Bad hair on top of
that outfit?" Ignoring her, Darla went on, "To love someone who use to
love you." Buffy looked at Angel, "You two were involved?" Darla added,
"For several generations." Buffy responded, "Well when you've been
around since Columbus, you're bound to pile up a few exes. You're older
that him, right? Just between us girls, you are looking a bit worn
around the eyes." Darla said, "I made him. There was a time we shared
everything, didn't we Angelus. You had a chance to come home and rule
with me in the Master's court for a thousand years, but threw that away
because of her. You love someone who hates us. You're sick, and you'll
always be sick, and you'll always remember what it was like to watch her
die." Buffy picked up her crossbow while Darla pulled out two silver
automatic guns and shot Angel. She told Buffy not to worry, that bullets
could not kill vampires - just hurt them like hell. Darla began shooting at Buffy who
ran and hid. Buffy shot Darla with an
arrow, but missed her heart. Then Giles, Willow and Xander came in and
tried to distract Darla. As Darla was about to shoot Buffy, Angel pulled
an arrow out of the wall and stabbed her in the heart. Before she died,
Darla said disbelievingly, "Angel." Angel looked at Buffy who had tears in
her eyes and simply walked away.
"Angel" ended with Buffy in the Bronze with Xander and Willow. Buffy
said that she felt as if he was still watching her and Willow said that
was because he was across the room looking at her. Buffy and Angel walked
through the dancers towards each other. As others danced around them, they
stared at each other intently. Angel said, "Just wanted to see you were
okay. And your mother." Buffy said, "We're both good. You?" Angel chuckled
and responded, "If I can go a while without being stabbed or shot, I'll be
okay." There was a pause and then Angel said sadly, "This
can't . . ." Buffy interrupted saying, "Ever be anything. I know. For one
thing, you're 224 years older than I am." Angel smiled remorsefully and
said, "I just gotta . . . gotta walk away." Buffy said, "I know, me too."
They stood for a moment intently watching each other and then Buffy
said, "One of us has to go here." They got closer and kissed passionately. As
they pulled away from each other, Buffy asked, "You okay?" Angel
swallowed, but remained silent. Then Buffy said, "It's just, painful. I
know." She added softly, "See you around." Angel just stared at her.
Buffy said, "See you around," and walked away. Then we saw the cross burned
on Angel's chest: a symbol of their tragic love for each other.
In "Invisible Girl," Angel avoided Buffy. He met Giles and wanted to find
a way help to Buffy. Giles told Angel that he would tell Buffy that he was
here, but Angel said no, he could not see her because it hurt too much.
Angel said that that he knew where the missing book about the Slayer
prophesies were and that he would get it for Giles. Angel brought the book
back and found Xander, Willow and Giles almost dying. He saved their lives
and then left. Giles later lied to Buffy about who saved them.
The first season finale was "Prophecy Girl." Angel was arguing with Giles
about the interpretation of prophesy in the book that Angel had brought
him.
It said that Buffy was going to die. Buffy began to laugh
hysterically and then a confrontation developed. She screamed at both
of them and threw a couple of books at Giles. Angel said, "Do you think I
would let
anything happen to you? Do you think I could stand it?" But Buffy stormed
out of the library. Later Angel was in his room when Xander came in
with a cross and insisted Angel help Buffy fight the Master. Angel seemed
fatalistic that there was no hope, but went with Xander. They found Buffy
lying dead in an underground pond. Angel told Xander to give her CPR
because he (Angel) had no breath. Buffy was revived and
Angel went with her to help the gang fight the vampires while Buffy
finished off the Master.
As they headed to the dance, Angel started to compliment her dress when
Buffy smartly cut him off.
In Buffy's second season, Angel appeared in the "When She Was Bad." He visited Buffy
in her bedroom late at night after she returned from her summer vacation
spent with her father away from Sunnydale. Angel warned her that the
vampires led by the Anointed One were up to something. Buffy curtly asked
him if there was anything else because he was interrupting a good dream.
In fact, she had suddenly awoken from a nightmare about the deceased
Master. Angel apologized and was about to leave when he said softly, "I
missed you." Buffy turned repeating his words, but he was already
gone.
The following night, Angel was at the Bronze when Buffy showed up in a
sexy dress. He approached her and said, "Hi." She said, "Hi" and seeming
exasperated, she asked him if she should beware, if there was danger at
the Bronze. Angel said quietly, "I can't help thinking that I've done
something to make you angry and that bothers me more than I'd like. Buffy
snapped, "I'm not angry. I don't know where that comes from."
Angel gently asked, "What are you afraid of? Me? Us?" Buffy wilted
slightly, but said flippantly, "Would you contemplate getting over
yourself for a second? There's no us. Look Angel, I'm sorry if I was
supposed to spend the summer mooning over you. I didn't. I moved on." And
after a pause she cruelly added, "To the living." Angel looked
wounded as Buffy went over to Willow and Xander. Willow asked Buffy what
was wrong with Angel, Buffy said that she didn't know and asked Xander to
dance. She proceeded to do a very seductive dance with Xander who quickly
realized that she was using him. Angel and Willow watched them obviously
upset. Buffy walked away from Xander glancing back quickly at Angel as
she left the Bronze.
The next night Angel followed Buffy as she headed to the Bronze to find
the vampires. Buffy accused Angel of stalking her. He told her that she
needed someone to watch her back. She asked, "Don't you mean neck?" She
went on to tell him that she didn't trust him and challenged him to kick
her butt. He said that he would not fight her and pointedly asked her if
she didn't have somewhere to be. He went into the Bronze behind her and
they realized that they had been tricked. Later Angel and Xander rescued
Willow, Giles, and Jenny, while Buffy fought the vampires. When she had
finished killing them, Buffy went over to the Master's bones and pounded
them with a sledgehammer. She began to cry and Angel came up behind her.
He put his hand on her shoulder and whispered, "It's okay ... it's okay." She
turned towards him sobbing and he embraced her tenderly.
In the next episode, "Some Assembly Required ," Angel startled Buffy in a
graveyard where she was sitting on a gravestone impatiently waiting for a
vampire to rise. Angel told her that when vampires first wake up it's a
bit disorientating. She said that it was weird thinking of him going
through that. Angel responded, "It's weird to go through." Then with a
pretense of nonchalance, Angel asked if she was there alone. Buffy said
yes and asked why. He tried to be casual as he said, "I just thought you'd have
somebody with you. Xander or someone." Buffy jumped down and said, "No.
Why? Are you jealous?" Angel defensively responded, "Of Xander?
Please. He's just a kid." Buffy moved towards him asking, "Is it cause I
danced with him?" Angel obviously still upset said, "'Danced with' is a
pretty loose term. 'Mated with' might be a little closer." Buffy asked a bit
sheepishly, "Don't you think you're being a little unfair? It was one
little dance, which I only did to make you crazy by the way. Behold my
success." Angel unconvincingly said, "I'm not jealous." Buffy expressed
her doubt, "You're not jealous. What, vampires don't get jealous?" Angel
responded peevishly, "See: whenever we fight you always bring up the
vampire thing." Suddenly the vampire emerged from its grave and attacked
them. After Buffy killed the vampire, she rounded on Angel saying, "What
do you mean he's just a kid? Does that mean I'm just a kid too?" Walking
away Angel said, "Look, obviously I made a mistake coming here tonight."
As Buffy followed him shouting that he couldn't just walk away from her,
she fell into an open grave. Angel thought that another vampire had risen,
but Buffy held a high heel shoe in her hand and indicating tracks in the
grass said that the girl had been dragged away.
The following night Angel went looking for Buffy, but instead found
Cordelia hiding in a dumpster. Cordelia told him that Buffy was out
digging up graves. Angel realized that she had lied to him by telling him
that she would be home. When Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Giles returned to
library, Angel and Cordelia were waiting. Angel stood and pointedly said
to Buffy, "You're back." Buffy rattled at being caught in her lie could
only say his name. Angel said, "Xander." Xander responded, "Angel." Let's
just say there was major tension. Angel told Buffy, "I thought you were
taking the night off." She stumbled saying that she was, but something
came up. Angel unconvinced replied that Cordelia told him the truth. Giles
asked Angel to help with their investigation of who was digging up dead
girls. Angel told them that the person had been keeping parts after
chopping the girls up. Then Cordelia roped Angel into going home with her
because she was supposedly afraid.
Later Angel rushed to the scene of a fire where Buffy was comforting a
classmate who had been taking the girl's body parts to create a mate for
his re-animated brother. Angel and Buffy walked through the graveyard as
she recounted the bizarre tale. Angel said that the guy had gone too far.
Buffy said that he had done it for his brother and that, "Love makes you
do the wacky." Angel responded, "What?" Buffy explained, "Crazy stuff."
Understanding, Angel said, "Oh, crazy, like a 241 year-old being jealous of
a high school junior?" She asked, "Are you fessing up?" He replied, "I
thought about it. Maybe it bothers me a little." With meaning Buffy said,
"I don't love Xander." Angel said, "Yeah, but he's in your life. He gets
to be there when I can't. Take your classes. Eat your meals. Hear your
jokes and complaints. He gets to see you in the sunlight." It was so
poignant and heartbreakingly romantic. Buffy responded lightly, "I don't
like that good in direct light." Angel looked up and said, "It will be
morning." Buffy said, "I should probably go . . . I can you walk home."
Gazing intensely into each other's eyes, Angel took her hand and they
walked away together. As Angel looked down, Buffy glanced at him and
smiled.
In the next episode "School Hard," we were introduced to the show's new
villains, Spike and Drusilla. Spike confronted Buffy outside of the
Bronze promising to kill her. Later on Buffy, Willow, and Xander told
Giles and Jenny about Spike. Giles said that he didn't think that Spike
was any different from any other vampire that Buffy had ever faced. Angel
quietly entered the library and said that Spike was worse and that once
he started something he didn't stop until everything in his path was
dead. Buffy sauntered towards Angel and said, "We were at the Bronze
before. Thought you said you would show." Angel smiled sexily, "You said
you weren't sure if you were going." Buffy responded a bit coyly, "I was
being cool. Come on - you've been dating for what, like 200 years. You
don't know what a girl means when she says maybe she'll show?" Willow
interrupted them and when Giles asked a question, Angel had done the thing
where he's gone.
The following night Spike and his men trapped Buffy, the gang, her mother,
teachers and students in the school. Giles told Xander that they needed
Angel's help and sent him to get Angel. As Angel and Xander rushed to the
school, Xander asked him about his plan. Angel instantly morphed into his
vamp face and grabbed Xander by the neck. Angel attempted to bluff Spike
by claiming that he had been pulling an Anne Rice routine with Buffy and
then he offered Spike Xander's neck. They both leaned towards Xander,
but instead of biting Xander, Spike hit Angel. Spike angrily berated
Angel for betraying the demons. The vampires chased Angel and Xander who
ran outside the school. They fought and Angel saved Xander from a vampire.
Later Xander asked Angel why he didn't hit Spike first. Angel said that he couldn't
because he had to see if Spike was buying it. Xander asked what if Spike
had bitten him. Angel responded by smiling slightly and saying that then they would have
known that he had bought it.
In "Reptile Boy," Buffy was out patrolling in a graveyard when Angel came
up from behind startling her. He said, "It has blood on it." Buffy picked
up a bracelet that she had found and spun around to face him, "Hi. What?"
Angel explained, "I can smell it." Buffy responded the bracelet was pretty
thin and probably belonged to a girl. Angel said, "Maybe." Then Buffy
nervously said, "I was just thinking wouldn't it be funny to see each
other when it wasn't a blood thing . . . not funny, ha ha." Angel asked,
"Are you saying you want to have a date?" Buffy said, "No." Angel
responded, "You don't want to have date?" Buffy replied, "Who said 'date?' I
didn't say 'date.'" Angel said, "Right, you just want to have coffee or
something. " Buffy repeated softly, "Coffee?" Angel continued, "I knew
this would happen." Buffy looked hurt and stumbled as she said, "What,
what do you think is happening?" Angel said forcefully, "You're only 16
years old. I'm 241." Buffy interjected, "I've done the math." Angel went
on, "You don't know what you're doing. You don't know what you want."
Buffy said angrily, "No, I think do. I want out of this conversation." She
walked past him bumping his shoulder. Angel said, "Listen, you and I both
know if we date one thing is going to lead to another." (Prophetic, huh?)
Buffy pointed out, "One thing has already led to another. Don't you think
it's too late to be reading me a warning label?" Angel said, "I'm just
trying to protect you. This can get out of hand." (Yep, he was on the
money.) Buffy asked gently, "Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?" Then
Angel grabbed Buffy's arms and pulling her close him for emphasis he said,
"This isn't some fairytale. When I kiss you, you don't wake up from a
deep sleep and live happily ever after." Buffy responded breathlessly,
"No, when you kiss me, I want to die." She looked at him for a moment
longer and then ran away. Angel stared after her swallowing hard.
Stung by Angel's rejection, Buffy went to a frat party with Cordelia.
Willow covered for her and told Giles to call Angel instead of Buffy. When
they figured out that the missing girls may have been taken to the frat
house, Willow cracked and admitted them that Buffy was at the frat house.
Angel asked if she had a date and Willow mewled. Angel harrumphed softly
and Willow angrily told him that Buffy only went because he had given her
the brush off. She pointed out that he was going to live forever: didn't
he have time for a cup of coffee? Giles, Willow, and Angel rushed to the
frat house where they met Xander. They pushed their way in only to find
the missing girl, Cordelia, and Buffy who had been chained to wall being
attacked by a giant demon snake. Buffy killed the reptile snake. Angel
came down the stairs and stood in front of Buffy. They stared at each
other for a moment then Cordelia clung to Angel and Buffy looked away.
In the last scene of the episode, Buffy, Willow and Xander were sitting in
the Bronze. Willow asked Buffy if she had heard from Angel. Willow went
to say that was amazing when he morphed because he realized that Buffy was
in danger and how many guys could do that. With Louis Says' "She" (great
song) playing in the background, Angel came down the stairs and stood at
their table. He said, "Buffy." She looking slightly startled and nervous,
she said, "Angel." Xander added, "Xander." Gazing at Buffy, Angel said, "I
hear this place serves coffee. I thought you and I could get some sometime,
if you want." Buffy said, "Yeah, sometime . . ." Angel smiled at her.
Smiling back, Buffy continued, "I'll let you know." Buffy got up and
walked away as she smiled in satisfaction
Despite their attempts to stay away from each other, Buffy and Angel started dating and fell in love. They made love and because of the gypsy's curse, Angel lost his soul in this moment of pure happiness. The soulless Angelus tortured Buffy and her friends, killing many people including her teacher Jenny Calendar. Buffy confronted Angel in a battle to the death. Meanwhile, her friend, Willow cast a spell which returned his soul in the middle of their fight. However Buffy was forced to banish him to hell to save the world.
Buffy grieved for Angel, but decided to say goodbye by placing the claddagh ring that he had given her on the ground where she had trapped him in hell. This returned Angel to earth, but he was crazed and unable to communicate. Buffy kept him hidden and cared for him. Eventually Angel returned to his prior state with his soul intact, but his relationship with Buffy was strained. Over time, they found their way back to each other, but their relationship was never the same. Angel came to the decision that their love could never be fulfilled. He felt Buffy deserved someone who could make love to her. However, he knew that if he stayed in Sunnydale there was no way they could stay away from each other so he decided to leave.
The series, Angel, follows Angel's adventures in Los Angeles as he searches for redemption.