A S1 episode that's actually relevant beyond the scope of itself? Could it really be true!? It is!! This actually feels more like an early S2 episode that is saddled with S1's production values and musical score. "Angel" is simply bursting with romantic excitement and nascent sexuality, so much so that I felt it spark off of Buffy during several key scenes. Sarah Michelle Gellar really nailed getting those feelings across in a very understated yet potent performance. This is one of the few S1 episodes that I actually felt, and it also serves as a strong setup to S2's themes of first love, blind romanticism, and forgiveness.

One of the more successful recurring elements of S1 so far has been the growing romantic tension between Buffy and Angel. Buffy verbalizes how powerful her feelings are to Willow: "When he is around… it's like the lights dim everywhere else." As their relationship continues to evolve, though, several road blocks between them – both direct and indirect -- do as well. The Three, while quite lame, serve their purpose in getting Angel in Buffy's house where their mutual attraction (and the actors' chemistry) is quite palpable. The other side of that attraction is the look on Joyce's face ("uh huh") when she sees her daughter hanging out with this attractive older guy. The dance between young romance and consequences is something that will thrive in S2.

In the first scene in Buffy's room, Gellar continues to act the hell out the moment; you can feel her excitement, yet also the innocence in her eyes. This excitement continues when her unfiltered giddiness at sleeping right next to a very polite Angel is shared with her friends the next day. Willow can understand the excitement, but Xander is expectedly not pleased.

All of this build-up explodes during what I'd describe as one of the most well built-up kisses I've ever seen on television. The show has earned its way up to this moment quite well, so rather than feeling like something common it instead plays out as memorable. This is also precisely why the subsequent reveal that Angel is a vampire works even though I know ten times over that it's going to happen. The fact that I can still be moved by all this is a testament to the build-up and the acting. This is representative of the difference between a cheap one-off shock and an earned character-based shock that has far reaching implications. This quality will become a staple of Buffy as a show, so it's wonderful to see the initial instances of it in action.

The Angel revelation has immediate implications for both the episode and the series as a whole at this point, some of which are set into motion almost immediately when Buffy asks Giles if a vampire can ever be a good person. Giles gives her a very one-dimensional answer that – while not entirely false – belies the whole truth (not that I think Giles is lying, but rather is simply misinformed), and that's even putting aside the whole soul/soulless issue. The landscape is a lot more complex than the Watchers' Council position indicates. Spike, Drusilla, Angelus, Vampire Willow, and others will spark a lot of debate and interpretation in the seasons to come, which will make for quite an interesting ride. Right here, though, Angel is the very first kink in the gears towards the show's initial take on demonic nature and the meaning of a soul.

All of this comes to a head when Buffy goes out to kill Angel after she thinks he attacked her mom. Buffy gets the edge on Angel, but she decides to spare him and asks him "Why? Why didn't you just attack me when you had the chance? Was it a joke? To make me feel for you and then..." This is when Angel explains the curse to Buffy, and she clearly feels he's being genuine. The fact that Buffy's willing to risk being bitten to confirm Angel's story speaks even further volumes to both her instinct and the depths of her feelings for him.

While "Angel" is definitely focused on Buffy's side of things, it doesn't shy away from shedding more details on Angel himself. A lot of this material is exposition-y (and not all that interesting when one already knows the details), but seeing things from Angel's perspective was needed. We can see that while Buffy's trying to balance slaying, school, and romance, Angel's juggling with his demonic nature, desire for amends, and becoming romantically invested in someone for likely the very first time in his soul-having existence. Right now the thing both Buffy and Angel have in common is their mutual attraction and newfound investment in each other. As their relationship evolves, it'll end up in a much more aware and mature place in which Buffy comes to understand and help Angel through some of his struggles, and vice versa. Of course the moment Angel finally starts believing in his own potential as a person, we see that he no longer belongs in Buffy's world. Before we can reach that point (S3), though, reality is going to come crashing down on their blinding romance (hello S2).

Although the central plot is certainly intriguing enough, there are some nice subtleties in "Angel" that shouldn't be overlooked. For one, there's that super fun training sequence between Buffy and Giles. Beyond just being awesome, it's also interesting in how Buffy learns the hard way that becoming "proficient with the basic tools of combat" is trivial compared to becoming proficient with the basic tools of life, as will be demonstrated again and again in the coming seasons.

There's also this fabulous little scene where, in the hospital, Joyce asks Giles why Buffy struggles with history so much. Giles' response is as metaphorical as it is literal. He tells Joyce that Buffy "lives very much in the 'now' and history, of course, is very much about the 'then.'" I can't help but think this really speaks to Buffy as a person who always has her own way of getting things done and has a tendency to subvert what's expected of her in a positive way. In light of this, she often ends up ditching the old ways of doing things.

All of this leads to the sublime final scene, where Buffy and Angel both admit that their relationship can't happen, yet they can't pull themselves away from each other. This unstoppable attraction will only grow between now and "Surprise" [2x13] when the other shoe drops. For now, though, both the viewers and the characters get to enjoy being washed over by this initially blissful naïve romanticism, with a tone-setting and aptly titled song playing in the background that alludes to it all falling apart. "I'll Remember You" indeed, with a cross burned onto my soul.

"Angel" is one of the only episodes of S1 that puts it all together. While it's definitely still held back a bit by many of S1's usual sore appendages (music, etc.), thereby creating a few rough edges, the episode succeeds despite them due to some excellent acting by an electric Sarah Michelle Gellar and a rapidly improving David Boreanaz. The episode also sports a lasting, relevant story that will have character-based implications that reach far beyond it in of itself. "Angel" gives us an appetizer of the kind of Buffy magic that lies ahead, and I can't help but love it for that.