In the Master's Lair, Colin, the Anointed One is amusing himself by throwing rocks into a pool of blood. Darla comes in and tries to persuade the Master that she can kill the Slayer. The Master is very angry that Buffy continues to kill his 'family' and decides to send the mysterious 'Three' after her and get rid of her.

At the Bronze, the annual Fumigation Party is going on. (Find a cockroach and get a free drink!) Buffy is sulking while Willow tries to strike up a conversation. Finally, she gets a rosponse from Buffy and they start to talk about guys and hiow they both want the unattainable.

While the girls chat, Xander is strutting his funky stuff on the dance floor. He tries to dance with a girl, but her boyfriend turns up. As he makes a hasty retreat to avoid any permanent physical damage from the girl's boyfriend, he steps on Cordelia's shoes. He gets a roasting from her so he backs off again to regroup at the table Buffy and Willow are sitting at. Xander notices Buffy's mellow behavior and asks what's up. Buffy decides to leave but as she does, she feels as if someone is following/watching her.

Walking back home, Buffy's Slayer-sense informs her that someone is indeed following her and as she pulls a stake out to defend herself with a vampire jumps down in front of her from the trees and two others attack her as well. The drag her into an alleyway but she starts to fight them off. As the catch her again and one leans in for the feed, Angel shows up and pulls him off of her. They fight for and Angel ends up getting slashed in the ribs by a rod iron bar for his trouble.

Angel and Buffy escape to her house and she invites Angel in. They keep the vamps out because they can't come in unless they're invited. They go into the kitchen where Buffy digs out some bandages to clean up his wound. She notices the large tattoo on his back and while she is patching him up, asks him about why he's always around. He explains that 'maybe' he likes her and that's why he's following her around.

Buffy hears a door open somewhere in the house and rushes to the door to intercept her mother from meeting Angel and to protect her from The Three who could still be outside.

As Buffy tries to hide Angel, he comes out looking presentable with his shirt and jacket back on. Buffy and Angel concoct a cover story about Angel tutoring her in History. They are able to convince Joyce to go to bed. Buffy holds the door open to say goodnight, loud enough for her mom to hear but then closes it to reveal Angel standing behind it. They creep up to her room where Buffy insists Angel stay for the night just in case the Three are still loitering.

The next morning, Buffy tells Willow and Xander about the impromptu sleepover of the night before and Xander goes all wiggy on her. Willow, on the other hand wants to know every little detail. Giles, meanwhile, has beeen doing some research and has found a book which tells about the Three. Giles concludes by saying that Buffy must be really annyoying the Master for him to go to all this trouble. He also tells her that they must start training for the inevitable confrontatin with the Three.

In the Master's Lair, the Three offer their lives in penance. The Master explains to Colin that even though they are family and vampires take that relationship very seriously, the Three still failed and their lives shall be taken. Despite how much joy it brings to him. Darla has the honor of killing them. Back in the library, Buffy finds a crossbow and is eager to start shooting something. Giles insists they start with the quarterstaff and gradually work up to the crossbow. But, after a quick fight in which Buffy ends up knocking Giles to the ground with the staff, he decides she is ready for the staff.

That night, after dinner, Buffy brings Angel (who's been hiding in her room all day) a bag of food, which she snuck away from the dinner table. When Angel casually mentions that he did a little "reading" while Buffy was at school, she thinks that he read her diary, which is on her desk. She tries to cover up the fact that some section in there were about him. An amused Angel reveals that he didn't read her diary and that it was Joyce who took it out of it's hiding place.

A very embarrased Buffy, realises all that she just said tries to come up with a clever way to get out of the current situation. Angel does it by telling her he can't be around her because when he is, all he wants to do is kiss her. They kiss but as the kiss gets more passionate, Angel can't control the demon inside of him and reveals his true self. He's a vampire. Buffy screams and Angel screams out of the window and slides down the roof.

At school, the next day, Buffy tells Giles and friends about Angel being a vampire. Xander tells her to do her duty as the Slayer and slay Angel, she says that she won't because she loves him. Giles tries to explain to her that Vampires can not be good.

Later that night, Buffy and Willow try to study in the library but find it impossible since Buffy's mind is focused on Angel-shaped things. Willow tries to get off the topic of History by talking about Xander. They decide that they'll study for a bit longer before Buffy heads home to mope.

Angel arrives back at his apartment and finds Darla waiting for him. She remainds him of all the evil things he used to do and berates him for being such a human-loving sap. While going over the human like things Angel does, Darla opens one of his windows, exposing Angel to sunlight to prove that he's not human and won't be again. Oh , and there's a suplly of pig's blood in his fridge.

Darla is busy that night, she spies on Buffy and Willow in the library, then goes around to Buffy's house, where she tells Joyce that she is one of Buffy's friends form school. Joyce lets her in and Darla attacks her, drawing blood. Angel comes along just in time, Darla throws Joyce at Angel and tells him to drink. She flees jusy before Buffy comes home and finds Angel. She kicks him out and Buffy calls an ambulance.

At the hospital Buffy tries to comfort her mother and then goes to kill Angel, despite her love for him. Buffy, armed with a crossbow, finds Angel at the Bronze. They talk and Angel tells her that he's cursed with a soul after feeding off a gypsy girl. For the past hundred years, he hadn't fed off a living human being. She offers her neck, but he refuses. Instead, Darla comes out of the shadows armed with two guns. She fires and sends Angel falling. Then she and Buffy exchange attacks until Angel stakes her with one of the bolts from the crossbow. RIP Darla.

Days later, at the Bronze, Buffy is hanging with her friends, talking about Angel until Willow mentions that he's across the room watching her. The two meet and talk which leads into a supposed "good-bye" kiss, but they both know that's a big lie. Buffy walks away and we see that the cross Buffy wore around her neck when they kissed burned Angel.

Our View

So Angel's true self is revealed, emphasising once again that true love never runs smoothly. Xander's hatred for the dead-guy begins to form, but then again you'd be annoyed if the girl you loved entertained vampires in her room. Another chance to see Xander's fantastic dancing, a sight to behold. the fights scene, as usual are fantastic, and it's a shame that Darla died.

Our Score - 8

The Professional View

The revelation of Buffy's first year comes the moment that Angel turns towards her with his face hideously contorted and his fangs bared. Everytihng you know is wrong. One of the finest episodes of the series; beautifully filmed and acted. A gem.

Their Score - 10