Darla

Season 2, Episode 7
Written by Tim Minear
Directed by Tim Minear
Original Airdate: 14 November 2000

“Drusilla, the camp. Go on, kill things.”
Darla

REGULAR CAST

David Boreanaz as Angel
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
J. August Richards as Charles Gunn

GUEST CAST

Mark Metcalf as The Master
Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
Sam Anderson as Holland Manners
Julie Benz as Darla
Juliet Landau as Drusilla
James Marsters as Spike

CO-STARRING

Zitto Kazann as Gypsy Man
Bart Petty as Security Guard

SYNOPSIS

Angel works on many drawings of Darla and Wesley expresses his concern that Angel has become completely obsessed with Darla. Lindsey finds Darla in her apartment, bleeding from cuts caused from mirrors she smashed. Memories of her existence have started to haunt her. In 1609, Virginia Colony, Darla lies in her deathbed, covered in wounds. A prostitute, she is dying from disease. She receives a visit from the Master, who takes her life and makes her one of the darkness.

In the present, Angel tries to encourage his friends to help him find Darla. They begin by searching for Darla’s place of residence. In 1760, Darla brings Angelus before the Master, bragging about how wonderful her new childe is. Angelus’s lack of respect towards the Master is an embarrassment to Darla. Angelus receives a beating from the Master, and in the end, Darla chooses Angelus over the Master.

Wesley informs Angel that Wolfram and Hart are using Darla to keep Angel out of their way, and it is working. Holland talks with Lindsey at the firm and Holland says that Darla is cracking up earlier than expected. Their plan has changed, but it has not been destroyed yet. In London, 1880, Angelus and Darla try to deal with Drusilla’s insanity. While strolling the streets, they bump into a man, whom we later know as Spike. In need of companionship, Drusilla selects him to be made into a vampire.

Cordelia manages to get Darla’s home address, which Wesley and Gunn go to investigate. Darla enjoys the view from Lindsey’s office, suffering through the memories of her life and her death. Lindsey kisses Darla and she struggles to find out who she really is. In 1898, Darla asks a Gypsy to bring back her Angelus in exchange for her protection of his family. Unfortunately, Spike has already killed the Gypsy’s family and Darla’s plans are ruined.

Darla calls Angel at the hotel, asking him for help, but Lindsey catches her. A security guard tries to help Lindsey with Darla, which eventually results in the security guard getting shot, and Darla escaping. Holland talks to Lindsey talk about the incident in his office and Holland terminates the Darla project. Angel ignores the protests of his friends and goes after Darla. In a flashback to the Boxer Rebellion in China, Angel tracks down Darla. Despite being cursed with a soul, Angel asks her for a second chance to rule at her side. Angel violently persuades Lindsey to reveal what he knows about Darla’s location.

Again during the Boxer Rebellion, Angel comes upon a family, with a young baby. He distracts his vampire companions from them and tries to express excitement when Spike reveals he’s killed a Slayer. Angel returns to Darla at their home and she asks to prove that he’s evil by taking the life of a baby. We later see that Angel’s soul prevents him from pretending to be evil and he jumps through a window, with the baby.

In the present, Darla is taken to a secluded location where she is to be killed at the orders of Wolfram and Hart. Angel rescues her and brings her back to the hotel. Upon returning to the offices, Lindsey finds that the security guard he supposedly killed is actually alive. Holland reveals that the plan was not for perfect happiness, but for Angel to make Darla a vampire again. Darla asks for Angel’s help, for him to make her a vampire. She tries to convince him that he owes her, but he won’t do it and leaves, telling him to stay away.

CONTINUITY

Angel is sketching Darla at the start of the episode. We saw his capability in art during Passion.

The whole episode covers Angel and Darla’s 150 year long relationship which was first mentioned in Angel.

Some of the flashbacks take place directly after Darla’s rejection of Angel in Five by Five.

Cordelia mentions that Darla has been in Angel’s bedroom for weeks, first seen in First Impressions.

Cordelia asks Angel if his plan involves kidnapping again, which he did to Darla in Dear Boy.

Wesley tells Gunn about Darla’s resurrection in To Shanshu in L.A..

In 1760, Angelus mentions that he’d never live in a “rat infested stink hole,” which he did in 1996 during Becoming (Part 1).

Darla refers to Angelus’ murder of the townsfolk in his home town seen in The Prodigal.

Angel mentions that he’s been to Hell, which is where he went after Becoming (Part 2).

Holland mentions that Lindsey is often confused, a reference to his confusion in Blind Date.

Angel mentions that a heartbeat makes you feel truly alive, which he was briefly in I Will Remember You.

GOOFS

When Cordelia tells Angel it’s 1 p.m., the clock on the desk reads 6:45.

Holland’s tie is off-centre as he steps out of Lindsey’s office, but it jumps to centre instantaneously when the camera cuts to a new shot.

When Darla cuts Angelus’ throat, she inflicts a high cut. Then the cut vanishes entirely in the next shot, then reappears lower down in the next shot after that.

The cut near Angelus’ left eye vanishes and reappears throughout the scene.

Darla is shown dying in Jamestown, Virginia in 1609, when the Master turns her into a vampire. First off, this is historically inaccurate, because women weren’t brought over from England to the colony until around 1619. Also, the attempt to excuse Darla from her inability to use a British accent by making her “American” is inaccurate because settlers did not start developing the “American” accent until the later 1700s.

CROSSOVER

This episode features appearances from Juliet Landau, Mark Metcalf and James Marsters, reprising their roles as Drusilla, the Master and Spike respectively. This episode feature some of the same scenes as the Buffy episode Fool for Love, but while those scenes were from Spike’s perspective, we now get them from Angelus, Darla and Drusilla’s point of view.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

EPISODE
Guise Will Be Guise / The Shroud of Rahmon

STORY ORDER
Fool for Love / Shadow