This is the episode where Angel comes back to his senses. After spending the last several weeks on a destructive path, he finally begins to come out of his darkness. In "Epiphany" Angel regains his sense of self and tries to reconnect with his friends. Unfortunately, his friends aren't so willing to just welcome him back into the fold. This is a really fun, satisfying episode that starts Angel's recovery. It also wraps up this chapter of the Darla storyline and it's Kate's last episode. You shouldn't skip it if you're watching the show on DVD.
"Epiphany" revolves around Angel's recovery from his downward spiral. After sleeping with Darla, he wakes up and has a epiphany. He didn't experience perfect happiness and lose his soul. Instead, he felt perfect despair. Now, he's looking at Darla and he feels like his normal self again. He may not be able to bring down Wolfram and Hart. But he can still fight on the side of good, saving one person at a time. Darla is horrified that he's still a White Hat. Angel apologizes for not being able to "save" her from Dru and then he tells Darla that she need to leave town. He hurries off to save Kate from her suicide attempt. Somehow, he enters her house, even without an invitation, and rescues her.
Then, Angel goes to Lorne who tells him that he need to reconnect with his friends. Wes, Cordy and Gunn are in trouble. The demons who infect people with third eyes are attacking them. They kidnap Cordy and attack Wes. Angel arrives at Wesley's apartment just in time to kill some of the the demons. Then they go looking for Cordelia. Meanwhile, Lindesy learns that Angel and Darla have slept together. Furious, he goes after Angel for revenge. Angel fights Lindesy. Then he saves Cordy, Wes and Gunn from the demon clan. They still don't want to go back to work for him, yet. Angel says that's okay, because he's willing to work for them. Meanwhile, Darla leaves town.
There are some really fun parts to this episode. I love Angel's desperation to win back his friends' trust. He's been ignoring them for episode after episode this season. But in "Epiphany" he's so cute and repentant that I just want everyone to forgive him for his mistakes. When he saves Cordy, he asks her if she's okay. Cordy says, "No. You really hurt my feelings." Angel just looks so heartbroken that I'm instantly back on his side again. Really, all he has to do is stare down at the floor, looking hurt and sad, and I instantly forget why anyone's mad at him at all. I also love Angel's scenes with Darla. The two of them just play off of each other really well. She can't believe that he didn't experience perfect happiness with her. It's pretty funny. Also, "Epiphany" is one of the few episodes where I sort of like Kate. She's back to treating Angel like a friend, which is a nice change. I really like that he could enter her house without an invitation, like the PTB were looking out for them. Also, I like Wes shooting demons from his wheelchair. Wes is pretty much the only good guy in the Buffyverse who has any luck with guns. He blasts a hole in the demon, getting green goo all over him and damaging his ceiling. Then he sort of looks up at the ruined plaster and sighs, "I can only hope that Mrs. Sanders wasn't at home." It's just hilarious.
On the down side, Angel is a little harsh with Darla this episode. After they have sex, he kicks her out of the Hyperion and tells her to leave town. Granted she's evil and all, but still...
My favorite part of the episode: Wes and Angel riding in the car. Angel is trying to get Wesley to forgive him. Wesley is still feeling betrayed and angry. Wes goes into a long explanation about Angel Investigations's problems with the three eyed demon case. Angel listens to all of it and finally says, "Really. You kept the name, huh? Angel Investigations." It's just a cute little scene.
"Epiphany" revolves around Angel's recovery from his downward spiral. After sleeping with Darla, he wakes up and has a epiphany. He didn't experience perfect happiness and lose his soul. Instead, he felt perfect despair. Now, he's looking at Darla and he feels like his normal self again. He may not be able to bring down Wolfram and Hart. But he can still fight on the side of good, saving one person at a time. Darla is horrified that he's still a White Hat. Angel apologizes for not being able to "save" her from Dru and then he tells Darla that she need to leave town. He hurries off to save Kate from her suicide attempt. Somehow, he enters her house, even without an invitation, and rescues her.
Then, Angel goes to Lorne who tells him that he need to reconnect with his friends. Wes, Cordy and Gunn are in trouble. The demons who infect people with third eyes are attacking them. They kidnap Cordy and attack Wes. Angel arrives at Wesley's apartment just in time to kill some of the the demons. Then they go looking for Cordelia. Meanwhile, Lindesy learns that Angel and Darla have slept together. Furious, he goes after Angel for revenge. Angel fights Lindesy. Then he saves Cordy, Wes and Gunn from the demon clan. They still don't want to go back to work for him, yet. Angel says that's okay, because he's willing to work for them. Meanwhile, Darla leaves town.
There are some really fun parts to this episode. I love Angel's desperation to win back his friends' trust. He's been ignoring them for episode after episode this season. But in "Epiphany" he's so cute and repentant that I just want everyone to forgive him for his mistakes. When he saves Cordy, he asks her if she's okay. Cordy says, "No. You really hurt my feelings." Angel just looks so heartbroken that I'm instantly back on his side again. Really, all he has to do is stare down at the floor, looking hurt and sad, and I instantly forget why anyone's mad at him at all. I also love Angel's scenes with Darla. The two of them just play off of each other really well. She can't believe that he didn't experience perfect happiness with her. It's pretty funny. Also, "Epiphany" is one of the few episodes where I sort of like Kate. She's back to treating Angel like a friend, which is a nice change. I really like that he could enter her house without an invitation, like the PTB were looking out for them. Also, I like Wes shooting demons from his wheelchair. Wes is pretty much the only good guy in the Buffyverse who has any luck with guns. He blasts a hole in the demon, getting green goo all over him and damaging his ceiling. Then he sort of looks up at the ruined plaster and sighs, "I can only hope that Mrs. Sanders wasn't at home." It's just hilarious.
On the down side, Angel is a little harsh with Darla this episode. After they have sex, he kicks her out of the Hyperion and tells her to leave town. Granted she's evil and all, but still...
My favorite part of the episode: Wes and Angel riding in the car. Angel is trying to get Wesley to forgive him. Wesley is still feeling betrayed and angry. Wes goes into a long explanation about Angel Investigations's problems with the three eyed demon case. Angel listens to all of it and finally says, "Really. You kept the name, huh? Angel Investigations." It's just a cute little scene.
