Heartthrob
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Heartthrob” | |
|---|---|
| Angel episode | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 3 Episode 01 |
| Guest stars | Julie Benz (Darla) Kate Norby Ron Melendez |
| Written by | David Greenwalt |
| Directed by | David Greenwalt |
| Production no. | 3ADH |
| Original airdate | September 24, 2001 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb" | "That Vision Thing" |
| List of Angel episodes | |
"Heartthrob" is episode 01 of season 3 in the television show Angel. See List of Angel episodes for a complete list.
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
On a routine patrol for their detective service headquartered in the Hyperion Hotel, Angel stakes a vampire named Elisabeth. Elisabeth was the girlfriend of Angel's former vampire-in-crime, James, who now seeks revenge against Angel. A flashback to 1767 Europe shows Angel, Darla, James and Elisabeth and the series of tactical games they devise to thwart the vampire hunter, Daniel Holtz. Meanwhile, Winifred ‘Fred’ Burkle continues to be a recluse living at the hotel and Cordelia, Gunn and Wesley try to draw her out. At the end of this episode, Darla is revealed to be seeking a shaman in Nicaragua for assistance with her near-term pregnancy.
[edit] Expanded overview
Wesley, Cordelia and Gunn return from a mission of destroying evil and discuss the demons they just destroyed and their "obsession" with demons. The conversation turns to Fred, who has spent the majority of the last three months in her room (except when she enters the lobby for a few seconds before scurrying back), and they note her bravery at surviving five years in Pylea. Also cause for concern is Angel, who has also spent the last three months away from the group by spending time at a monastery in Sri Lanka since hearing about Buffy's death. Wesley notes that all Angel needs is peace and quiet. 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 Cordelia a necklace, Wesley an historical dagger and Gunn a shrunken head (all three gifts are greatly appreciated). Angel asks after Fred, and despite Cordelia's attempt to cover, Angel guesses she hasn't left her room. He decides to go and talk to her, and tells his friends he's glad to see them again. Upon hearing a knock on the door, Fred tries to get rid of whoever is on the other side until she hears it's Angel, then she practically trips over herself to see him. Inviting him in, Angel finds the walls completely covered in writing, similar to Fred's cave in Pylea, mostly filled with mathematical formulae and a few random statements. Upon seeing a section with the words 'LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN', Angel asks what she's listening for, and Fred responds that it's the click in her head when everything will make sense to her. Angel tries to pull Fred out of her shell and invites her downstairs to hang out with everyone, but a scream from Cordelia shatters her sense of security. Cordelia's vision (which have continued to get more and more painful over the last few months) 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 second, 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. Just as she starts to relax, the phone rings.
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 coworkers 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, Lorne 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. Fred chooses that moment to emerge from her room while the two vampires fight. Angel tells her to go to her room and stay, causing the girl to lose what little confidence she gathered yet again. The two continue to fight and Cordelia manages a good hit to James with a fire extinguisher then tries to throw a stake to Angel, but James intercepts.
Lorne and Merl 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 scent 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 honoring 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.
[edit] Production details
[edit] Music
- Dean Martin - "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"
- OGM Music Library - "Travel Mexico #1"
- The Crystal Method - "The winner"
- Tony Bennett - "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"
[edit] Quotes and trivia
- Darla's location is identified by a subtitle as "Puerto Cabazas, Nicaragua", and there is an actual Nicaraguan city named Puerto Cabezas.
- Gunn and Angel both mention that instead of going to Sri Lanka, he should have gone to Vegas. Later, in a season 4 episode (The House Always Wins), they do go to Vegas for for a "retreat."
- Amy Acker is now part of the opening credits
[edit] Translations
- Italian title: "Un cuore perduto" ("A lost heart")
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: Fall 2001 - December 2001 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| L.A., 2001 | Buffy/Angel novel: Cursed |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.01 Heartthrob |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy UPN promos: Scooby Gang talk about Buffy |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.01 Bargaining, Part One |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.02 Bargaining, Part Two |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.02 That Vision Thing |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.03 After Life |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Sanctuary |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.03 That Old Gang of Mine |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.04 Flooded |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.04 Carpe Noctem |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy comic: Reunion |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.05 Life Serial |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.05 Fredless |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel Willow & Tara: Wilderness |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy book: Blood and Fog |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.06 All the Way |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Note from the Underground |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.06 Billy |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel anthology book:The Longest Night |
| Sunnydale, L.A., Monster Island, 2001 | Buffy/Angel novel: Monster Island |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Endangered Species |
| L.A., 2001 | Angel book: Impressions |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.07 Once More, with Feeling |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.07 Offspring |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.08 Tabula Rasa |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.08 Quickening |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.09 Smashed |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.09 Lullaby |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.10 Wrecked |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.10 Dad |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.11 Gone |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.11 Birthday |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Creatures of Habit |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | Buffy graphic novel: Death of Buffy: Withdrawal |
| Sunnydale, 2001 | B6.12 Doublemeat Palace |
| L.A., 2001 | A3.12 Provider |
