Angel (1999–2004): Season 3, Episode 1 - Heartthrob - full transcript

Returning from his sojourn to mourn Buffy's death, Angel learns that business is thriving while the reclusive Fred is still reluctant to emerge from her room. Angel, Wesley, and Gunn act on a vision to stop a group of vampires from killing college kids. Defeating the group, Angel realizes that he knew the head vampire, Elisabeth, from his reign during the 18th century. James, a previous acquaintance of Angel's, sets out to avenge her death after a procedure renders him invincible. Once thwarting the foe, Angel reflects on his and Buffy's relationship together while being pressed by Cordelia to carry on.

ANNOUNCER: Previously:
- I have a roommate. He's a ghost.

WESLEY: He got sucked into the portal.
- They made me ruler.

FRED: Handsome man
saved me from the monsters.

- He's here.
GUNN: Angel.

I'd love to see that boy.

Get dressed and get out because the
next time I see you, I'll kill you.

[GATE CREAKS]

CORDELIA:
I understand people who drink too much.

I understand people who say the
parking meter is broken when it's not.

I don't understand people
who worship demons.

Yeah, especially a Lurite demon.
The stink on that thing.



You're a prince of the underworld,
take a Jacuzzi sometime.

It's sad. The only way some
people can find a purpose...

...is by becoming
obsessed with demons.

[CORDELIA YAWNS]

By the way, Gunn, technically that
wasn't a Lurite, it was Murite.

Subspecies of the Lurite.

The male sports a small telltale fin
just behind the third shoulder.

Glad we're not the sad,
obsessed people.

We have to be a little obsessed.
We specialize in these things.

But we're not sad.

No, we're a happy and rambunctious
lot if I ever saw one.

Not going to humor me
even a little, huh?

CORDELIA:
Uh-uh.

I realize we sacrifice a great deal
of our social lives...



...but we have to. Work demands it.

True. Who's got time for love when
you're out doing it with the demons?

- Didn't that come out sad and wrong?
CORDELIA: Yeah.

I need to get out more. Speaking of,
anybody talk to Fred lately?

Not talk. Glimpsed. She pokes her head
out of her room once in a while.

Nice girl.

Nice. But not making the giant
strides toward mental health.

She's been hibernating up there
for three months.

Ever since Angel went away.
She's become quite attached to him.

Angel groupie. I get that.
He rescued her from Pylea.

I miss Pylea.

I would think you might.
You were there a week...

...they made you queen.

Fred was there five years.
She was a slave, a runaway.

They nearly chopped her head off.

All those years she spent
hiding out in that cave.

She survived. Girl's strong.

Girl's trading one cave for another.

How strong is that?

- When Angel comes back...
- When is he getting back?

CORDELIA: After working through grief.
- Buff...

Don't say the B word.

The B word was the love of his life.
And he's, what, 250?

That ain't no short life.

It's gonna take more
than a vacation in Sri Lanka.

It isn't a vacation, it's a
spiritual retreat at a monastery.

Angel and a bunch of monks in the
middle of nowhere. There's a party.

Should've got hammered
and gone to Vegas.

He doesn't need a lap dance, he needs
peace and quiet to work through this.

[CRASHING]

Heartthrob

So whose turn is it to set the traps?

GUNN: His.
- His.

You amaze me. You'll fight hell beasts,
but you're scared of rats.

- I hate rats. Their beady eyes...
- And their beady teeth.

And their tails all:

Well, aren't you two just the
biggest scaredies I ever saw...

[SCREAMS]

You're back!

You guys, he's back!

- Wesley.
WESLEY: Welcome home.

GUNN:
Hey, what's up, man?

So, I hope you had a good retreat,
all peaceful and meditatey.

It was all right until the monks
turned out to be demons.

- Vegas.
- Yeah.

Well, the point is,
you worked on things.

It wasn't like a holiday where you'd
come back home to your friends...

...you know, with some small
mementos of your trip.

- Fishing for gifts?
- Yes.

Oh...

A small human head.

GUNN:
Cool.

Oh, my gosh. It's gorgeous!

And look how it brings out my breasts.

You know you were all thinking it.

- Oh.
CORDELIA: Thank you.

Sixteenth century...

Murshan Dynasty?
I've always wanted one of these.

I didn't think...

I can't wait to kill something with it.
Any visions brewing?

ANGEL:
Place looks good.

How's Fred?

- Good. She's doing well.
ANGEL: Hasn't come out of her room?

Not what you'd call frequently.
We send up a lot of tacos.

I'll settle in and check on her,
then you guys can bring me up to date.

It's really good to see you guys.

GUNN:
Thanks for the head.

WESLEY:
He seems better than when he left.

Uh-huh.

FRED:
Listen. Listen.

[KNOCKING]

Oh, hi, how are you?
I'm just fine.

Doing real good here. No need to worry
about me, but thanks for checking.

ANGEL:
It's me, Fred.

FRED:
Angel.

Hey! Hey, you're...
Well, hey, there.

It's good to... Did you have a nice...?

Oh, here, let me
make some room.

ANGEL:
I can't come in.

Of course. You're worn from your trip.
You go rest. We'll catch up later.

I just can't come in unless you...

I invite you, instead of being rude.

Oh, come in, come in.

It's just a smidge of vampire in you,
as far as I'm concerned.

But the universe has rules.

I'm a big believer in rules
and theorems, formulas.

- I get that.
- Aphorisms leave me a little dry.

How are you?

Yeah, good.

Everything's pretty much
like when you...

...you know, went away on your trip.

- Sorry I left so suddenly...
- Hey, no.

You had things you had
to take care of...

...and I don't need a babysitter or...
You're sticking around now, right?

Yeah, I am.

Good.

"Listen, listen."
What are you listening for?

The click.

When it all comes together
and makes sense...

...there's a click in your brain
and you understand things again.

What happens if you run out of
wall space before you get the click?

I don't know.

Fred, you know, you spent...

...five years in a place
where humans...

...could only be slaves or fugitives.

I know that wasn't a picnic for you,
but you're home now.

You're safe.
You can come out of your room.

I know it's gonna take some time.

Time? I have a whole treatise on that.

It seems to take a lot of it to do
just about anything these days.

ANGEL:
Fred. Fred.

Fred, you don't have to write
absolutely everything down.

Oh, right. God, I should
write that down.

You just need to take
some small steps.

Huh?

Like coming downstairs...

...and hanging with us for a while.

What do you say?
Nothing to be scared of.

You're safe here in the hotel.

[CORDELIA SCREAMS]

Hold that thought.

ANGEL:
What is it? What do you see?

CORDELIA: A bunch of vampires,
and they're crashing a party.

- They're killing people.
ANGEL: Where?

CORDELIA:
Wilson College. Bonner Hall.

- Room 918.
ANGEL: 918.

CORDELIA:
They're gonna take hostages.

Watch out for the blond.
She's the worst.

- Are you all right?
CORDELIA: Yeah, I'm fine. Go, go!

[SOBS]

- So much for inviting everyone.
- Some of them are still alive.

There's been an accident.
We need two, maybe three ambulances.

Wilson College, Bonner Hall,
Room 918. Hurry.

ANGEL: They're heading east.
Take the car.

GUNN:
What are you gonna do?

[ROARS]

Oh.

[CHEERING]

- Please...
- Huh?

Please don't hurt her.

You love her?

You'd do anything for her.

What if we just kill her
and let you go?

Huh?

Come on now.
Life's about making choices.

You or her?
What's it gonna be?

Her. Take her. Oh, God...

Gee, Bobby, you call that love?

We get home,
I'll show you what love is.

[ELISABETH SCREAMS]

ANGEL:
Run!

Angelus?

[GASPS]

CORDELIA:
Too bright. Too bright.

Thank you, Dennis.

How did I ever live without a ghost?

Hot. Really hot, please.

These visions are killing me.
It's getting worse every time.

Oh, Dennis, what would
I do without you?

[PHONE RINGS]

No...

[MAN HOLLERS]

DARLA: Young love.
ANGEL: Give it a century.

JAMES:
A century? A mere hundred years?

I'd need 1000 to sketch
the plane of your face.

I would need 10,000
to name the color of your eyes.

They're green, but take your time.
In fact, don't.

We have a ship to catch,
and Holtz may not be far behind.

You know neither poetry
nor love, Angelus.

He knows other things.
Marvelously vile and ripping things.

- Didn't we eat a poet in Madrid?
- Troubadour.

Everything's closed. Pity. I wanted to
spend some of the count's gold on you.

We need it for the voyage.

The Count de Leon was a little rich
for my blood. I'll be full for a week.

- The fire was excessive.
- Of course it was.

- We burnt his villa to the ground.
- We made a statement.

A statement, as in, "Here we are,
Holtz. Hunt us down."

Oh, who cares about Holtz?

You would if you knew him.
He's killed scores of us.

Hunted Angelus and I across Europe.

God, he follows us to Morocco,
what then? The New World?

- I say we stay and fight the bastard.
- Yeah, but you're an idiot.

I don't think he's the most formidable
vampire-killer in the world.

"None lives to tell the tale"
and all. You lived to tell the tale.

I heard he trapped you
both in a barn...

...and you fled, leaving him to die.

- It's not true?
- It's entirely true.

She hit me with a shovel, wished me
luck and rode off on our only horse.

- Life's full of surprises.
- Life's dull. You're full of surprises.

When he finally did
catch me in Vienna...

...I had to pay for my sins.
Again and again.

Can you even begin to fathom
the things we did?

Course not. You're in love.

Let's not dawdle, children.

It's so pretty.

JAMES:
No, it's not.

- James?
- Not as pretty as it's going to be...

...when it's worn by
the prettiest one of all.

I adore it. I'll never take it off.

[JAMES LAUGHS]

This is where love gets you.

Elisabeth, you and Darla
get to the ship. We'll join you there.

[MAN SPEAKS IN FRENCH]

Let's give them a rout,
what do you say?

I'd say you're an idiot,
but I'd just be repeating myself.

JAMES: Bloody frogs! I broke the
window, and I'll break your skulls!

[JAMES LAUGHS]

See, all you have to do
is stand up to them.

What are you afraid of?

Not us.

Hope she treasures that locket.

- Then what?
ANGEL: Huh?

- What happened with Holtz?
- Oh, that's another story.

- We got time.
- I'm not sure we do.

No, because James and Elisabeth
had the forever love.

If he's still around
and he finds out who killed her...

- He'll want revenge.
- lf he's around and they're in love.

- It was a long time ago.
- 200-plus years...

...and she's still got the locket.

Gunn and I'll hit the streets.
See what our sources know.

Uh-huh. See?
We have sources now.

- You're almost like real detectives.
- Hey.

Just kidding.
You should probably check it out.

- James really lived for that girl.
CORDELIA: Yeah.

We did all we could, but they were...
He was too much for us.

- Angelus.
- One of our own hunting us. It's sick.

How is it possible?
The Angelus I knew...

He's not the same. Gypsies cursed him
with a soul 100 years ago or so.

He's got a business here in L.A.
He kills us for money.

She's gone.

VAMP: It was horrible. She was bringing
you two ripe and rosy humans...

...and he just flew out of the sky...

- And you ran.
- No, I fought.

Till I saw it was hopeless.

I thought you wanted to know
how it happened. Who did it.

And now I do.

You want to be alone.

No. I want to die.

[VAMP SCREAMS]

What?

CORDELIA: What?
- What do you want to say?

Me? Nothing.
What makes you think I want...?

ANGEL:
Because I know you.

- It's really none of my business.
- And that always stops you.

It is my business because we're
trying to do a job here...

...and what affects
you affects me...

...and anyway, I don't like to see
you suffer more than you have to.

I don't think you should blame
yourself or feel guilty for her death.

I don't.

Good. Glad to hear it.

I didn't even know who
she was when I killed her.

Not her. Angel...

Oh.

You want to talk about...

She was the love of your life,
and she died.

And you weren't there
when it happened.

You couldn't help her fight.

You couldn't save her.

You couldn't die with her.

This is gonna be one of those talks
where I do all the talking, isn't it?

Well, I'm not gonna pry.

It's not my style.
Okay, it's totally my style...

...but I'm not getting anywhere
right now.

But you have to tell me one thing.
You owe me this much.

What happened with Holtz?

- Where is she?
ANGEL: How's your health?

- Mine's grand. Thanks for asking.
- Where is she?

He wants Darla. A thorn in his side.

What we did to his family.
Tasty. Especially the little ones.

Your wife, she kept repeating on us.

Of course, you know, I repeated
on her a few times myself.

There are worse things
than death, Angelus.

I can keep you alive for months,
years, if I've a mind to.

Now, you are going
to tell me where she is.

I am going to tell you. Who's arguing?
I don't want to suffer needlessly.

- She's with his lass.
- Shut your mouth, coward!

He's in love.
It's all very passionate.

How about I give you him
and the women?

- Down at the docks.
- I'll kill you!

Kill them!

Stop them! Stop them, you idiots!
They're getting away! Fan out!

ANGEL:
I think we lost them.

I'd kill you if I didn't
have to get to Elisabeth.

I'm laying here with arrows
in me, saving your life.

I'll tell Darla the utter
lack of concern you had for her.

Buy her a hat. She loves hats.

Why are people always running off
and leaving me?

Am I a bad bloke?

I don't think so.
Not once you get to know me.

I'm gonna need a doctor.

You can't go in there. He's sloughing.

- Dr. Gregson, I tried to tell him.
GREGSON: It's all right, Sandy.

I go through this every month,
just like a woman.

So I gather this is
a matter of some urgency.

I need it.

- It?
- The cure.

You're aware of the price?
It's a steep one.

I've already paid it.

All right, then.
Sandy, let's prepare the patient.

Now, James...

...this shouldn't hurt.

Too much.

[SINGS "I LEFT MY HEART
IN SAN FRANCISCO"]

- He said he had something?
- He did.

- When's he gonna show?
- Anytime now.

You youngsters wanna button it up?
I'm trying to enjoy the show here.

See, that's real singing
there. That's real music.

Okay, pops.

What do you know?

I'm not dealing
if the bloodsucker's around.

- Angel's not here.
- Good. He's always beating me up...

...or hanging me upside down...

...and he never pays up
like he's supposed to.

I could've made a living in Akron.
I never would've come back here.

Tick-tock, Merl.

This thing took more legwork than
I estimated. Price is gonna change.

- Really?
- Yeah.

All right.

Hey. Hey.

Hey, hey, hey.

This guy James you're looking for,
he's alive...

...he's in town, and he knows
what Angel did to his heartthrob.

He's out for blood.

Yeah, do that.
I'll cover this end. Thanks.

- What's up?
- He's alive.

- Wes and Gunn will find him.
- What if they can't?

I know where he'll be headed.

- Here. For you.
- I want you to go home and stay there.

- No.
- Yes.

- Uh-uh.
- Where's my ax? This is all different.

I moved some things
while you were gone.

They were dust catchers.

- Go home.
- I am sticking with you.

I appreciate your courage,
but I don't want you hurt.

I don't either. I go home, he'll come
after me because I'm home alone.

They come after you when you're alone.

Oh, sure, "Cordy, go home,
be a hostage...

...with the torture and the fear
and the tor..."

Will you, just once, do what I tell you
without arguing about everything?

Hurling ax. Basement?

I just know I'd be a lot safer by your
side rather than all alone at home.

[CORDELIA SCREAMS]

Why'd you do it?

Because I had what
you could never have?

Get back!

Angel? I thought I heard company.

I came out of my room.
Small steps, like you said.

- Go back to your room and stay there.
- Okay, then.

I don't know where he is now,
but I know where he was.

- Where?
- Dr. Gregson's.

- What kind of doctor is that?
- A demon kind. A Slod demon.

- Slod demon? What's he do?
- He's a collector.

[PHONE RINGS]

- I told you to...
- Shut up and stake him!

Oops.

You never loved anyone or anything.

Go to hell.

[JAMES GROANS]

ANGEL: Okay. It's all right, It's over.
- Okay.

Over in what sense?

CORDELIA: Shouldn't he be on fire?
- Let's get out of here.

CORDELIA: My coat. It's stuck.
ANGEL: Leave it.

- Go that way.
CORDELIA: Where are you going?

Go.

Cordy, this way. Hurry up.

[SNIFFS]

Don't stakes through the heart
and sunshine kill you guys?

- He's become...
- Invincible?

Let's not exaggerate.

The ring of Amarra. When you had that,
you were invincible.

- Does he have a ring?
- No.

Did the Amarra people make cuff links?

- There was only one.
- You smashed it!

- Why don't we recriminate later, okay?
- Yes.

Now be quiet.
I think he took the bait.

[RUMBLING]

- Earthquake.
- Subway.

Okay, just the subway.

[CELL PHONE RINGS]

- Jeez!
- Sorry.

Cordelia, is that you?
Can you hear me?

Huh? What? Say that again.

There's something you have
to know about James.

Oh, he's invincible, is he?
He went to a what?

Slod demon? What's that?

It's some kind of doctor demon
that collects rare organs.

Cut out his heart?
Absolutely cannot be killed.

- Wait, what? How long?
WESLEY: Six...

Six what?

What? Hello?

No signal.

The guy is invincible, but it only
lasts for so long, then he dies.

How long?

He said... I don't know.
Six minutes, hours, weeks.

I hate these.
Give me a signal.

That's good news.
All we have to do is wait him out.

Right. We'll just wait here
until we're sure.

[CORDELIA SCREAMS]

ANGEL:
Cordy, up there.

What a creep.

Should we get off and double back?
He won't expect it.

Or should we stay put
to the end of the line...

...and get as much distance
between us as poss...

- Shh!
- What?

He couldn't possibly...

Get back. Get back.

Well, this is a new twist
in an old snake.

Is it possible you care about
someone who isn't you?

Don't worry about her.

But if you've changed, if you're not
the man who screwed Darla...

...and couldn't care about her...

Where did you hear...?
Oh, you mean back in the day. Right.

He has changed a lot.

He has a soul now,
and he cares about people.

So you might feel something
when I snap her neck.

Well, it's not like he's losing sleep
with the caring.

Lucky me. Now I can kill
the woman you love.

- No, you can't.
- Are you forgetting who's invincible?

The woman I love is dead.

Who you talking about?

It happened about three months ago.
We try not to say her name too much.

You loved someone?

With all your heart?

Yeah.

No, you didn't.

Because if you had, you wouldn't be
standing here playing games with me.

You wouldn't be able to.
Because when she died...

...when some bastard killed her,
it would have killed everything in you.

- I wouldn't be able to go on living.
- Don't worry, you won't.

She won't, either.

CORDELIA:
Angel!

Catch him!

Come on.

How's that feel, invincible boy?

This your idea of love, James?
It's not real unless it kills you?

Yeah. What's yours? It's fun as long
as it doesn't cost me anything?

You don't know what love is.

You think you won
just because you're still alive?

I lived. You just existed.

CORDELIA: How's Fred?
- She's all right.

We talked over what happened, and
I think she'll come out any decade now.

And how are you?

- I'm o...
- Don't say okay, please. I know you.

Ever since you came back,
I can tell that something's not right.

And obviously it's not.

Buffy's dead, and I don't
mean to diminish that.

I miss her too.

I just want to say,
I know that James...

...with all his
Romeo and Juliet madness...

...opened up a lot of wounds for you,
but you'll be okay.

I am okay.

Then what's the problem?

That I'm okay.
That losing Buffy didn't kill me.

That I could deal with it.

In all those years,
no one ever mattered.

Not like she did.

And now she's gone. Forever.

- And you're still here.
- Yeah.

It feels like I'm
betraying her somehow.

No. If you were a loser, if you were
a sick, obsessed vampire...

...then you'd go to a Snod demon or
whatever and get your heart cut out.

But you're not.

You're a living, breathing...

Well, living, anyway...

...good guy, who's still fighting
and trying to help people.

And that's not betraying her,
that's honoring her.

You think?

I'm Cordelia. I don't think,
I know. Okay?

Okay.

So can we get back to work now?

Yeah, sure. There's work?

[DOOR OPENS]

- What do you know about Nester demons?
ANGEL: They live in walls of homes.

They hatch several times a year.
Do you have to kill the queen?

If you don't, they infest again,
worse than ever.

We killed some in Hancock Park
a few months ago.

- I don't think we got the queen.
- Well, let's go find out.

[LATIN MUSIC PLAYS]

ROUGH MAN: Sorry it took so long.
He's a very difficult shaman to find.

You can go.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

I thought we'd have a drink
to celebrate.

No, thanks.

Don't be so shy, little one.

You get to know me,
I'm a very nice man.

How much can one little
drink hurt, huh?

- Depends on who's doing the drinking.
- Mm.

I thought you might have a surprise
or two in you.

Well, you know what they say.

Life's full of surprises.

Subtitles by
SDI Media Group

[ENGLISH SDH]