After three seasons on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, a vampire with a soul, moved from Sunnydale to Los Angeles and spun off onto his own TV show. Angel's pilot episode, "City Of," features both familiar and new characters and introduces the main villain of the series, the law firm Wolfram & Hart.
Meeting a New Partner
The episode opens with Angel sitting in a bar and drunkenly rambling about how a girl. When he notices some vampires leave with two women, he follows them to the alley behind the bar. It turns out he's not really drunk, and he stakes the vampires with ease. One of the women has a cut on her head; smelling the blood, he warns her to stay away from him.
Angel returns to his apartment and is greeted by Doyle, a half-demon man with an Irish accent. Doyle informs Angel that he has visions, granted by the Powers that Be. He gives Angel the name and location of a woman he saw in his vision and asks him to protect her.
Finding Old Friends
Angel meets the woman, Tina, at the coffee shop where she works. She seems charmed by his awkward attempts to strike up a conversation, but later threatens him with pepper spray, believing Angel was sent by someone named Russell. Angel convinces her that he doesn't know Russell and only wants to help. He learns that she's originally from the Midwest and came to Los Angeles to become a movie star.
Tina and Angel go to a fancy Hollywood party, where Angel runs into Cordelia Chase, who has also come to Los Angeles to seek her fortune as an actress. Someone attempts to kidnap Tina on their way out, but Angel rescues her and brings her back to his apartment.
Uncovering a Murder
Impressed by his refusal to take advantage of her, Tina confides in Angel about Russell. She worries that Russell has murdered her friend Denise. Angel does some research and confirms that Denise has been murderer. When he tells Tina, however, she sees Doyle's note with her name and becomes suspicious. When she runs out, Angel tries to follow her, but the sunlight burns him.
Tina confronts Russell about Denise, but he claims she just went home. When she mentions Angel turning into a monster, Russell reveals himself as a vampire and bites her. Angel discovers her body that night and is determined to find Russell.
Storming the Mansion
Russell consults with Lindsey, his lawyer from Wolfram & Hart, about Tina's death. Reviewing the tapes from the party, he decides to invite Cordelia to his mansion. Cordelia accepts, excited to finally become successful. Once inside his house, however, she notices his heavy curtains and lack of mirrors, realizes that he's a vampire, and tries to escape.
Meanwhile, Angel and Doyle break into he mansion. Angel rescues Cordelia, but is unable to kill Russell. He does catch up with him the next day at his office, however, and kills him by pushing his chair out a high-rise window. Cordelia suggests that they set up an agency, Angel Investigations, to help people for a fee, and Angel agrees.
Season 1 Guide - Next Episode: Lonely Hearts
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