Angel returns from a retreat where he was mourning for Buffy and is thrown into battle with a group of vampires. Killing them, the near-last one to die knows him and Angel finds himself thrown into conflict with an old comrade thanks to having killed the love of his life.

As an opening episode of the new season, this works pretty well. It reintroduces the characters, even giving a bit of screen time to Phantom Dennis, and sets us firmly back in LA (for the most part). While it gives Charisma Carpenter some of her best dialogue and some proper acting work at last, showing a real bond forming between the two former Sunnydale residents, it's a shame that it comes a little at the expense of Fred, who needs to be better introduced here.

I understand that the idea is to bring a sense of similarity between Angel killing a lover and his loss of Buffy, but firstly it's not explored particularly well and secondly it all becomes something of a moot point when you know Buffy's back in action. You half expect him to get a phone call near the end saying, 'No, it's okay, we've brought her back!' but no.

Add in some interesting flashback scenes that set up plots to come and fill in a few blanks about Angel's life and we've got a passable episode, but although it has some neat fights and some interesting ideas, it fails to excite and doesn't have enough humour in it. The concept of a demon doctor making vampires invincible is also worth further exploration, especially if he can refine his art. Then again, the last scene is a big shock and leaves us wondering not only how such a thing is possible, but indeed whose it is. Plenty to look forward to in upcoming episodes, then, but this opener somehow lacks a bit of the spark.

***

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