The year is 1753, it is Gallway in Ireland. Angel and his friend are thrown out of a bar. They stagger across the square until Angel's friend passes out. Angel leaves him where he is when he spots a lady disappearing down an alleyway, he follows her and finds her waiting there for him. We recognise her as Darla. He offers his services and she offers to show him the world. When he agrees she bits into his neck, drinking his blood then cuts her chest and forces him to drink from the wound, siring him as a vampire.

Back in the present Buffy is fighting vampires in the cemetery while Angel watches from the shadows of a tree. Buffy wants the vampires to give Angel a message from her, but when they don't co operate she stakes them. Buffy picks Xander up from behind a gravestone and they head off home to study for finals - "why didn't you let me die!" wails Xander.

The next day, Xander re-enacts Buffy's fight with the vampires using two fish fingers and a cocktail stick. Cordelia, Buffy, Willow and Oz are his captive audience. Oz jokes that he is a little unsure of the themes. Buffy says that she is ready to fight Angel but she can't face finals. Willow assures Buffy that she will pass her exams, even if she has to sweat blood to do it. Xander says he doesn't want to see that. Snyder, that little rodent-shaped ray of sunlight turns up and breaks up their fun and threatens Buffy with expulsion.

1860, London: Drusilla goes into a church and into the confessional box, she has a need to confess. Unfortunately for Dru, Angel is in the process of killing the priest when she walks in. She tells him that she is having visions and that her mother thinks she is evil because of it. Angel tells her that she is evil and that she should surrender to the evilness. She protests, she wants to be pure and good and wants penance for her sins. Angel gives her ten Our Father's and an act of contrition. She is happy with her penance, as she is about to leave Angel tells her that God is watching her.

back again to the present, Spike is sitting in his wheelchair he watches as Dru comes down the stairs into the walled garden. he reads the paper and explains to him that she net an old man, but she didin't like him because he got stuck in her teeth. Angel picks that moment to walk in, smacking Spike on the back of the head as he walks past. He asks Dru if she has had any visions. Drusilla tells him that she has seen a present at the museum with a surprise inside. Angel's impressed until Spike said that she read it in the morning paper.

At school, Buffy is being tutored by Willow. Todays subject is chemistry. Buffy complains that it doens't make any sense. While Willow goes through Buffy's work to find out what is wrong Buffy says that she is a moron. Willow argues that Buffy shouldn't be wasting her time if she thinks like that. buffy lets her pencil roll down her textbook and it falls off the desk and into the little gap between the filing cabinet. She picks the pencil up and has a deja vu moment. She does it again and ths time finds Jenny Calendar's yellow disk. Willow doesn't recognise it as one of her's and puts it in the computer to see what's on it. They discover that he holds the translation for the Restoration Ceremony.

1898 - Romanian Woods: Angel is running through the woods, obviously friends. The camera cuts to the funeral pyre of a gypsy girl. The gypises are performing the death rites over the body while an Elder woman is performing a rite with the Orb of Thesalah, which begins to glow and amber colour. Angel falls to his knees and his eyes glow the same colour as the Orb.

A man approaches him, telling him that he will suffer for his sins. Angel doesn't remember what he has done. The gypsy man tells him that he soon will; all the deaths he has caused will haunt him forever. Angel collaspses more on the floor, crying.

back, once more to the present. At the library, the scooby gang discuss the ceremony. Everyone puts their two cents worth in. Xander thinks everyone is a crazy person, and this shouldn't even be under discussion after what he did to Jenny. Giles snaps at Xander for being insensitive and Buffy has to break them up. She says that she doens't know what she wants to do. Xander says that she onnly wants to do the spell so that she can have her boyfriend back and she walks out, leaving everynoe mad at Xander.

Back at the museum, the scientist friend of Giles hears a noise and tries to find it. He hears the faint sound of chanting and before he can do anything about it he is attacked by Dru who bites into him and then kills him.

Buffy is in her room, getting ready for the night's slaying and talking to Willow on the phone. Willow obviously phoned to make sure Buffy was okay after what Xander said and shocks Buffy by cursing about him. As she takes some stakes out of her desk draw she spots the ring that Angel gave her. Distracted, she hangs up.

Later, Buffy is patrolling the cemetery, she hears a noise she whirls around ready to punch them and finds Kendra standing behind her. Once she gets over the surprise she welcomes Kendra warmly and wants to know what is up. Kendra says that her Watcher thinks a dark power is coming to Sunnydale.

Back at the museum, Angel, Spike and Dru are in the lab looking at the huge stone. Spike makes ajoke about no one havong a rock as big as this. Angel ignores him and says that it is demon that can swallow the world into hell. Two vamps pull the tomb open revealing the demon turned to stone with a sword sticking out of its heart. If the sword is removed (by someone worthy) the demon will be revived and the world sucked into hell and Angel reckons he's the man for the job.

In the library, Giles explains about Acathla to Buffy and Kendra. he explains (in a more long winded way) what Angel told Spike and Dru but adds that anyone non-demon will suffer an painful and eternal life in hell. Buffy asks Willow to do the spell of restoration in the hope of preventing Acathla being revived. Kendra has bought a present for Buffy, a sword that is blessed by the knight who killed Acathla in the first place. Willow says that she needs a day to get all the ingredients for the spell and that she has to find an Orb of Thesalah. Giles says that he has been using one as a paperweight.

Back at the Mansion Spike is stretching his legs when he hears Dru calling for him, he sits down quickly as Dru walks him and she takes him to go and watch the revival ceremony. A man is dragged out by two hench-vamps. Angel chants and walks out form conceling shadows he rips the man's throat with his teeth and bloodies his hands and walks towards Acathla.

1996 - Manhattan: Angel is a homeless bum walking the streets and living off rats, but he is too weak to catch them. A dashingly dressed man approaches him saying that Angel smells of death. The man knows that Angel has a soul and offers to help. He introduces himself as Whistler, a good demon. He offers Angel the choice to be a bum for the rest of his undead life or to become a person. Whistler wants to show Angel something before he makes his choice.

1996 - LA: A Car pulls up with it's windows spray painted black, outside Hemery High school. Angel rolls down one of the windows and peers out making sure he's out of the way of the sun. A 15 year old Buffy walks out of school with a group of friends chatting about the upcoming dance, the girls go home while Buffy waits for a boy. A man (Merrick) approaches her and tells her that she is the Chosen One and that she has destiny to fulfill. Buffy argues that she is destiny-free. the next scene, still set in the past shows Buffy (in a fetching Orange puffa jacket) being attacked by a vampire. He knocks her to the ground an jumps on top of her, she struggles free and flips him onto his back. She tries to stake him in the heart but misses. She tries again and this is more sucessful, he explodes into dust, Angel watches all of this from behind a gravestone. Buffy goes home and gets told off for being late. She pretends that she was with a boy and goes into the bathroom. She can hear her parents having a screaming arguement with each other over Buffy and she bursts into tears. Angel watches from outside. In the sewers Whistler tells Angel that he can help her, but only if he wants to. Angel says that he does and that he wants to learn from Whistler, but he doesn't want to dress like him. (ha ha)

Back to the present: Angel grabs the sword and pulls at it. it lights up and Angel tries to keep a hold on it until he is thrown off. Spike is amused by Angel's failure and sings "Someone wasn't worthy!" Dru is really upset as is Angel. Angel, however, has a back up plan.

The next day, at school a shadowy figure, dressed in black walks down the corridors. It enters the class where Buffy, Willow, Xander and Cordelia are taking their finals. The vampire reveals her face and tells Buffy that she will meet with Angel tonight. The vampire is exposed to the sun and explodes into flames.

In the library, Buffy gets ready to fight Angel and distract him while Willow performs the Restoration Spell. Kendra gives Buffy another gift, her lucky stake: Mr Pointy. Buffy says that she'll have to get her a stuffed toy. Buffy leaves to face Angel while everyone else finishes perparing the spell.

Angel meets Buffy in the cemetery and pretends to be nice, saying he'd like to be friends etc. He asks whether they could get back together, then shrugs and says that he'd rather fight.

In the library, the Slayerettes begin the spell. Suddenly, vampires attack them and they start fighting. Xander yells at Cordy and Willow to escape. A vampire attacks him and snaps his arm (ouch), Willow is crushed underneath one of the bookcases, Cordelia runs away and Giles is knocked unconscious. Once all the fighting's done Drusilla walks in with a couple of hench-vamps. Kendra tries to fight her but Dru hypnotises her. While Kendra is under her spell Drusilla slits her throat with a wickedly sharp nail. Kendra comes round but it is too late, she sinks to the ground, dead. The vampires take the unconscious Giles and leave.

Back in the cemetery, Angel tells Buffy that he fell for her trap again. Buffy runs across town to save her friends but she is too late. She runs into the library to see it trashed and Xander lying motionless by the stacks. She sees Kendra lying on the floor and runs over to her. while this is going on Whistler is narrating. She kneels by Kendra's body, crying as the police burst in pointing their guns at Buffy.

Our View -
Goodbye Kendra, you've been a good friend. Lots of shocks and surprises and an insight into Angel's life before Sunnydale. Very entertaining with a great script and fantastic direction.

Our Score - 10

The Professional View
Sharing many similarities with Highlander isn't the worst crime in the world and this quite extraordinary epsiode, full of beautiful images, is a masterpiece of controlled storytelling, as the script delves into several centuries of Angel's past. The dialogue is poetic, and the climax, and a shocking death, mark this one out for greatness.

Their score - 10