Overall Rating: 8.35 Matt: 8.2 Eric: 8.5 Written by: David Greenwalt Directed by: Scott Brazil Cast : Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris, Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg, Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase, Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles. Guest stars : Mark Metcalf as The Master, Andrew J. Ferchland as the Anointed One, Kristine Sutherland as Joyce, Julie Benz as Darla. Original broadcast date : April 14, 1997 In his lair, as the Anointed One watches, the Master laments Darla¹s latest failure to kill the Slayer. The Master decides to employ stronger means ­ The Three, a trio of pretty strong vampires. At the Bronze, where the pre-fumigation party is going on, Buffy and Willow depressingly discuss their bleak love lives, while stomping cockroaches. As Xander, just rejected once more on the dance floor, comes to join them, Buffy decides to call it a night. In the street, Buffy senses someone following her; just as she pulls out a stake, a vampire jumps down in front of her from the trees and two others attack her as well. As the fight turns badly and one of the vampire prepares to feed off her, Angel appears and rips him off Buffy. Angel ends up getting slashed in the ribs by a rod iron bar, and he and Buffy decide that the better part of valor is to runŠ Buffy invites Angel into her house and tends to his wounds. As they talk about how Angel is always there at the right place and the right time, Joyce comes in. A very uneasy Buffy introduces Angel, then both strongly hint to Joyce that she should go to bed. After Mom obliges, Buffy and Angel climb up to her room, where Buffy insists he stay the night. The next day, Buffy tells Willow and Xander about Angel spending the night at her place (to Xander¹s obvious displeasure). Giles informs Buffy about the Three, saying in substance that Buffy must be causing the Master real trouble if he¹s sending these vampires after her. Unbeknownst to Buffy, she need not worry about the Three, as the Master explains to Colin, the young Anointed One, the necessity of killing the Three for their failure. Back in the library, Buffy finds a crossbow and can¹t wait to use it. Giles tempers her eagerness and starts her off with a quarterstaff, but when she quickly overpowers him, he admits she¹s ready for the crossbow. That night, at the Summers house, Buffy brings Angel some food, and discovers her diary open on her desk. Suspecting him of having read it, she panics and blurts out all the private things she thinks he¹s read. When he tells her that her mother was the one who took it out, Buffy tries to dig herself out of the embarrassing situation, which ends up withŠ a kiss. Angel, deep in passion, vamps out, causing Buffy to scream in terror. Angel escapes through the window. The next day, when the Scoobies learn the truth about Angel, the mood is gloomy. Xander encourages Buffy to dust Angel, but she protests that she loves him. Meanwhile, when Angel arrives back at his apartment, Darla comes out of the shadows and tries to tempt him into going evil again. When he rejects her, she goes to Buffy¹s house, where she pretends to be Buffy¹s study buddy. After Joyce invites her in to wait for Buffy, Darla bites her ­ just a bit - just as Angel bursts in. Darla throws a now unconscious Joyce at him and encourages him to eat, then escapes just as Buffy conveniently comes home to find her mother in the arms of a fully vamped-out Angel. Buffy angrily throws him out and calls an ambulance. After seeing her mother to the hospital, Buffy decides to stake Angel out (in all senses of the word). Armed with a crossbow, she finds him at the Bronze. As she confronts him, Angel reveals to her how he got cursed with a soul after killing a gypsy girl, and how for a hundred years he hasn¹t fed off humans. She offers her neck, but he refuses. Darla comes out of the shadows armed with two guns, shooting away, trying to force Buffy¹s death if Angel won¹t do it for her. As the Scoobies come in, shouting to Buffy that Angel¹s not the one who bit her mother, Angel succeeds in staking Darla. Days later, Angel and Buffy ponder their relationship at the Bronze, and decide to share a goodbye kiss before they put an end to it. Buffy walks away, leaving Angel¹s chest burned where her silver cross touched him as they kissed. Summary by OttsFiveByFive.