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| Episode 1, Season 1 Title: " City of . . . " Written by: David Greenwalt and Joss Whedon Directed by: Joss Whedon Original Air Date: 5 October 1999 Teaser: 
The series opens with a montage of Los Angeles. Angel is narrating over the shots, saying how people, and other things, are drawn to Los Angeles. His reason started with a girl.
In a bar Angel is pretending to be drunk, babbling on about Buffy to a large, bald black man who is not amused. Meanwhile a young man cashes out at the bar while Angel mumbles girls are nice. Angel watches the crew leave, drops his drunken faade, and follows them: he is ready for action. In a nearby alley, the three guys are attempting to seduce two girls, telling them they have connections at a club, but the girls are not interested. Suddenly one of the men grabs a girl as his face vamps out. Angel stumbles in, once again pretending to be drunk, asking about his car. Annoyed, the guys confront Angel, threatening him. After a moment Angel drops the act and starts fighting, taking attacking two of the vamps simultaneously. They rush at him from both sides. Confident, Angel activates two spring-loaded stakes at his wrists, sticks his arms out, and dusts both vamps. The third vamp attacks Angel with a garbage can causing Angel to show his vampire face. The vamp paused in confusion until he is thrown through a car windshield. The girls try to thank Angel, but he sees their blood and warns them to get away. Angel walks out of the alley, staking the last vamp against the windshield, and disappears into the night. Act I:  Angel walks into an apartment complex and takes an elevator to the basement. He removes his wrist sheaths. Suddenly a strange man with an Irish accent steps out of the shadows. He introduces himself as Doyle, a half-demon sent by the Powers That Be. He begins to tell Angel a bedtime story and recaps Angels entire past. We see short clips of Angels life from Europe to Sunnydale. Doyle warns Angel that he cant just hide in Los Angeles. He says his craving for blood is going to grow. Doyle stops his lecture and suggests they go to a bar.
Doyle and Angel are walking away from a bar. Doyle says that Angel needs to reach out to people and show them there is still hope: he needs to save souls, not just lives. He explains that he gets visions- messages from the Powers That Be accompanied with horrible headaches. He says Angel has potential to help people. When questioned by Angel about why he is here Doyle remarks, everyone has something to atone for. He gives Angel a piece of paper that says Tina, Coffee Spot. He tells Angel he had a vision and that Angel will have to get in this girls life to find out what is wrong. Angels drives to the Coffee Spot. Inside he uncomfortably observes the scene. He sees Tina, a pretty blonde girl. He attempts to talk to her, but she doesnt hear him. She drops a cup, but Angel catches it before it can hit the floor. Even more uncomfortable, he asks her if shes happy. He introduces himself, saying he is new in town. Angel convinces her to talk with him and she says she will get off work at ten. Later, Angel is waiting outside by his car. Tina comes out and points mace at Angel, saying to have Russell leave her alone. He calms her by asking where she is from and saying he was also in Montana during the Depression, or his depression. Tina came to Los Angeles to be a movie star, but it didnt work out, now she just wants to go home. Right now she has to go to a Hollywood party, Angel offers her a ride. At the party, where many people all dressed eloquently, one girl is videotaping. Angel asks again who Russell is. Tina gives him the ambiguous answer someone I made the mistake of trusting. A flamboyant and confident man, Oliver, approaches Angel, telling him and that he will be his manager. Then Angel hears Cordelia Chases voice in the background. He approaches her. She asks if he is still grrr. She says she is living in Malibu and doing very well with acting. After a small chat she leaves and Angel finds Tina. Some thug, Stacey, is talking to her and forcing her away. She runs to Angel and says she wants to go. An elevator opens and two men rush out, grabbing Angel and pulling him inside. Another grabs Tina. Stacey says that Russell wants to talk to her. She complies. In the car garage she tries to run away, but they grab her. The screen goes black as she screams. Act II: In the garage a car pulls away. Angel gets out of the elevator, the two men in it are unconscious. Angel hops in a car, but its not his. He finds his car and follows Stacey. He drives directly at them, forcing Stacey off to swerve and hit another car. Stacey gets out with a gun. Angel beats him up, takes the gun, and points it at him. Stacey says Angel wont pull the trigger. Angel agrees and knocks him out with his free hand. Inside Cordelias apartment she is hanging up her only dress. Her apartment is small and rugged. She looks tired and sad. There is a message from her agent on the answering machine, he had no luck booking any auditions. At Angels apartment he is making Tina tea. She notices his weapons, he said he had some relationship issues. Angel refuses to take advantage of her and offers her a safe place to stay. Tina breaks down and cries. She wont give him Russells last name, claiming that guys like him can get away with murder. She says that he likes pain and that you dont leave him, he tells you when he has had enough. She says her friend Denise tried to leave, but she disappeared. Eventually Tina falls asleep. Angel opens her address book and finds the name Denise Perkins. In the library Angel is researching on the computers. He brings up a picture of Denise and a picture of a murder victim. They have matching rose tattoos on their arms. The next day Angel is in the sewers. He enters his apartment from them and hears Tina crying in her sleep. He tells her Russell his a killer and that he picks people with no family and no one to care. Then Tina notices Doyles note about her. She loses trust in Angel and runs away, saying it is some sick game by Russell. She goes outside. Angel tries to grab her, but his hand goes in the sun and bursts into flame. His face vamps out. Tina looks at him and runs. Act III: 
Tina is in her own apartment, rapidly packing her things. She picks up a gun. Russell appears and she points it at him. He claims Denise is alive and that he bought her a ticket home. Tine says she wants to go home. She tells him about Angel, and how he turned into something. Russell turns to her, vamps out, and bites her. Angel rushes into the apartment and finds Tina dead on the floor. The coroner takes her away as Angel watches from a different building.
In his apartment, Angel talks with Doyle, determined to get Russell. He wants to research Stacey, saying that he will have to get his car fixed. Inside Russell massive mansion he is talking with a lawyer from Wolfram and Hart. He is watching the tape from the party, sorry that he had to kill Tina so soon. The lawyer is setting up an alibi for Russell. Russell notices Cordelia on the monitor and wants to meet her, just as something to eat. Angel suddenly crashes through the window of Staceys Gym Supplies. He pins down Stacey, asking where Russell lives. Stacey says Russell will kill everyone Angel loves, but to Angel there is no one left. In her apartment Cordelia is doing positive energy yoga. She is extremely hungry. The phone rings. Margo from the party tells her that Russell Winters wants to meet her tonight and will send a limo to pick her up. Meanwhile Angel is packing supplies for his raid on Russells. He says he has seen 14 wars in his time. He tells Doyle he is driving. Doyle complies reluctantly. Cordelia arrives at Russells and enters his office. He introduces himself and says wed like to alone. Act IV: 
Cordelia notices Russells curtains are drawn. She explains how her family lost everything due to tax fraud. She describes her lack of success in acting, saying Los Angeles isnt what she thought it would be.
Angel drives up to the gate guard and punches him out. He tells Doyle he will be out in ten minutes or not at all. He then stealthily sneaks around the mansion. Back in the office Cordelia is saying how she tried really hard but doesnt know anybody. Russell asks her to tell him what she wants. She gets weepy and looks for a mirror but there arent any. Everything clicks and she says Hey, youre a vampire! Realizing she is all alone with him, she tries to retract her statement. Meanwhile, Angel is putting explosives on a power box. Russell claims he is glad Cordelia knows and vamps out. She tries to run. Angel uses a grappling hook to get to the second floor. Cordelia is running away, but Russell catches her. There is an explosion and the lights go out. Angel walks in from the darkness. Russell is cocky but Cordelia assures him he is going to get his ass kicked. The two vampires fight, Angel is winning. Suddenly armed guards rush in and open fire. Angel shields Cordelia and jumps over the balcony. Outside Doyle drives away, but unable to abandon Angel he turns back around and tries to ram through the gate. It doesnt work. Angel and Cordelia rush out and get in the car. Back at Angels apartment Doyle is removing a bullet from Angels chest. Cordelia is worried that Russell will come for her. In Russells office building the lawyer is reporting to him, saying they have no information on Angel. Angel bursts into the room. The lawyer steps up and says his client will never be convicted of a crime. Not listening, Angel asks can you fly and kicks Russells swivel chair. He breaks through the window and starts falling to the ground. His body bursts into flame, leaving only the chair to hit the ground. Angel walks out of the office. The lawyer calls up his office to set up a meeting, claiming that there is a new player in town. In his apartment Angel tries to call someone. He hears Buffys voice and hangs up. Doyle asks about Russell. Angel is somber and says he didnt help anyone, he just killed a vampire. Cordelia screams upstairs, she saw a cockroach. She says they will need an exterminator and a sign painter. She wants to join his mission and make a business. She offers to organize everything, for a flat fee. Angel smiles in compliance. Doyle is happy about the decision, noticing Cordelias beauty. He says a lot of people in this city need help. Thus the stage is set.
Summary by CoA Council member, BCangel
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