Heartthrob

Season 3, Episode 1
Written by David Greenwalt
Directed by David Greenwalt
Original Airdate: 24 September 2001

“Well, you know what they say… life’s full of surprises.”
Darla

REGULAR CAST

David Boreanaz as Angel
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
Amy Acker as Winifred ‘Fred’ Burkle

SPECIAL GUEST STAR

Julie Benz as Darla

GUEST CAST

Andy Hallett as Lorne
Ron Melendez as James
Kate Norby as Elisabeth
Keith Szarabajka as Captain Daniel Holtz

CO-STARRING

Matthew James as Merl
Koji Kataoka as Pilgrim
Sam Littlefield as Young Man Hostage
Dalila Brown-Geiger as Sandy
Christian Hastings as Vamp #1
Bob Fimiani as Codger Demon
Robert Madrid as Rough Man
Bob Morrisey as Dr. Gregson

SYNOPSIS

Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn return from a mission of destroying evil and discuss the demons they just destroyed and their “obsession” with demons. Fred, who has been mostly hiding in her room for about three months remains there, but listens to their conversation. They discuss Fred’s reasons for staying separated and go on about Angel’s mourning time at a monastery in Sri Lanka. Angel’s mourning, however, is anything but peaceful as the monks turn out to be demons and Angel must kill them all.

Angel returns to L.A. and is eagerly greeted by his friends. He gives them all unique gifts then goes upstairs to check on Fred. She’s still very quiet and secluded, so Angel tries to pull Fred out of her shell and invites her downstairs, but a scream from Cordelia shatters her sense of security. A vision sends the guys after a party crashed by vampires. They’re too late to prevent the massacre, but while Wesley and Gunn call for help for the living, Angel rushes off after the vamps.

Several males and one female vampire have taken two hostages from the party. Angel prevents their escape, draws the vampires out of the car and directs their captives to escape. The male gets away, while the female is caught and staked by Angel. At the last minute, Angel and Elisabeth recognize each other and Elisabeth’s locket falls off in his hand. Meanwhile, Cordelia recovers from the vision with the help of Dennis, a relaxing bath and some powerful painkillers.

A flashback reveals that Darla and Angelus once roamed with Elisabeth and her love, James. Angelus is annoyed with the loving relationship between the other couple and concerned with escaping the vampire hunter, Holtz. Angelus remembers his last encounter with Holtz and James steals a locket from a store window for Elisabeth. Darla and Elisabeth are rushed off to their escape by ship while James and Angelus stand against Holtz.

Angel is telling this story in present day to his co-workers while looking over the locket in his hands. James and the vampire who escaped from Angel earlier, watch as the car is towed and Elisabeth’s death becomes reality. James discovers who was responsible for taking her, then kills the cowardly vampire who left her alone. Cordelia tries to get Angel to talk about the loss of Buffy, but he’s not interested in the conversation. Although he won’t continue the discussion about Buffy, she wants to know the rest of the story with Holtz.

Angelus taunts Holtz with comments in reference to how he and Darla killed the man’s entire family. He offers Holtz James and Elisabeth, but James is far from pleased with that and attacks Angelus himself. Holtz’s men shoot Angelus with several arrows before the two vampires ride off on a horse. James knocks Angelus off the horse and leaves him for the women waiting at the docks.

In the present, James charges into the office of a special doctor, demanding the ultimate cure. The doctor questions James’s ability to accept the consequences, but an agreement is reached. At Caritas, the Host sings while Wesley and Gunn grill Merl for information. Gunn notifies Angel that James is in town and wants revenge.

At the hotel, Angel orders Cordelia to go home while it’s still safe as he searches for the weapon he wants. Just as Angel goes to search the basement, James reveals himself from the underground area, attacking Angel. The vampires fight and James asks why Angel would take Elisabeth from him. The two fight and Cordelia manages a good hit to James with a fire extinguisher then tries to throw a stake to Angel, but James intercepts.

Merl and the Host give Wesley and Gunn the necessary information about James and Dr. Gregson who James went to visit earlier. Angel manages to stake James, who was made invincible by having his heart removed. Angel and Cordelia run for the sewers and Angel throws James off temporarily with the scene of his blood. A call from Wesley vaguely reveals that James is now invincible, but it’s not permanent and he will die when it wears off. James eventually catches on and chases Angel and Cordy into a subway train.

As they fight inside the train, James questions Angel’s knowledge of true love. Angel assures him he understands it perfectly fine and knows what it’s like to lose someone he loves. Soon, the effects of the cure ware off and James becomes dust with a few final words to Angel about love. At the hotel, Fred is likely to stay in her room for a while longer after additional trauma and discouragement. Angel allows James’s comments about not being able to exist after losing the person he loved to get to him. Cordelia convinces him that he’s only honouring Buffy by going on, not betraying her.

In Puerto Cabazas, Nicaragua, a man presents a card in reference to a Shaman to a woman and apologizes for the delay. The woman, Darla, is not interested in anything further from the man and quickly turns to sink her teeth into him. As he falls to the floor and she follows her drink with a slice of lime, Darla leaves the bar, revealing her incredibly pregnant form.

TRIVIA

Two cast members receive promotions this season: Julie Benz becomes a special guest star for her appearances from this point forward and Amy Acker has been added to the titles as a series regular, where she’ll stay until the series finale – although not as the same character.

CONTINUITY

Fred has joined Angel Investigations in the Hyperion Hotel, being rescued from Pylea in There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb.

Wesley points out that, while Cordelia was a ruler in Pylea, Fred spent five years isolated as a fugitive slave (Over the Rainbow).

Angel grieves Buffy’s death; she died in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode The Gift and he received the news in There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb. He’ll learn about her resurrection in Carpe Noctem.

Elisabeth mentions Holtz trapping Angel and Darla in a barn, and Darla betraying Angel and fleeing. These events were shown as a flashback in The Trial.

Cordelia refers to the Gem of Amara, which makes a vampire invincible. It was first seen in the Buffy episode The Harsh Light of Day then destroyed in In the Dark.

GOOFS

Despite being at a monastery in Sri Lanka, none of the monks appear to be South Asian, nor is the language that Angel speaks to the people waiting outside local to Sri Lanka, implied to be some form of Tibetan.

In the scene where Wesley, Gunn, and Angel are attacking the vamps near the entrance to the parking garage, Wesley and Gunn seemingly stake their vamps. However, when Angel stakes the blonde, their bodies are visible behind Angel while Wes and Gunn stake their vamps again.

When Angel is confronted by James at the hotel, James is wearing a leather coat. When Angel is thrown to the right, James’ coat disappears. When James starts walking to Angel again, his coat is back.

Despite being a vampire, James’s reflection can be seen on the subway windows as it passes him by. While inside the subway, Angel’s reflection can be seen on the windows as well.

Darla’s location is identified by a subtitle as “Puerto Cabazas, Nicaragua.” There is no actual Nicaraguan city by that name, but there is one named Puerto Cabezas.

When Darla stands up from the bar at the end of the episode, you can clearly see the edges of the fake stomach prosthetic she is wearing through her shirt.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

EPISODE
There’s No Place Like Plrtz Blrb / That Vision Thing

STORY ORDER
There’s No Place Like Plrtz Blrb / That Vision Thing