Angel (TV Series) Heartthrob (2001) User Reviews

The last five minutes of this episode sets up the whole third season

[katierose295 · 7/10 · 27 September 2006]

Season three is not my favorite season of "Angel." (My favorite is season five and then, probably, season two.) Still, this is an incredibly important season for the show. Without understanding the Connor storyline this season, it would impossible to really understand Angel's motivations in seasons four and five. "Heartthrob" is really not the best episode of the show. It's about Angel's reactions to Buffy's death. But since we all know by now that she's not really dead, it doesn't really matter that much. Still you can't skip this episode if you're watching the show on DVD. The last five minutes of "Heartthrob" sets up the rest of the season.

The episode revolves around Angel trying to deal with Buffy's death. He's been in a Tibetian monastery for the last three months trying to deal with his grief. Cordy, Wes and Gunn have kept Angel Inc. going while he was away. Fred is also staying at the Hyperion, but she's spending all her time hiding in her room. After spending five years living in a cave in Pylea, she's afraid to come back out into the real world. When Angel comes back to LA, he and Team Angel go to fight a group of vampires. Angel stakes a female vamp and then realizes that he knew her. It seems that back in the 1700s, Angel and Darla roamed around Europe with a vampire couple named James and Elisabeth. A vampire hunter named Holtz was chasing after them for a lot of the time. James and Elisabeth were incredibly in love.

Now, Angel has staked Elisabeth. James vows revenge. James goes to a demon doctor to have his heart mystically removed, making him invincible. For a little while anyway. He chases Cordy and Angel around, finally cornering them in a subway car. He and Angel fight. James tells Angel that if Angel had really loved Buffy, he wouldn't be able to go on without her. James finally dies. Cordy tells Angel not to believe James's ideas about love. She says that fighting evil honors Buffy's memory, it doesn't mean that Angel didn't truly love her. Angel thanks Cordy. Meanwhile, in Mexico Darla is looking for a demon shaman. She has a small problem that she needs some help with... She's pregnant.

There are some good parts to this episode. I enjoy Angel coming back from his sabbatical and bring them all gifts. Gunn is especially cute tossing around his shrunken head. And I like Fred's crazy rambling in her room. She has writing all over the walls and she's so twitchy and weird that I just like watching her. And I think that Cordy's talk with Angel is really sweet. She tells him that it's okay to go on, even without Buffy. Cordy really has become Angel's rock. Also the end of the episode is great. Vampires aren't suppose to get pregnant. So having Darla back and carrying a baby is just really a cool twist.

On the down side, how can James be in love with Elisabeth? Vampires can't love. It's a basic rule of the Buffyverse. I'll accept that Spike can still feel love, because he's always been portrayed as "different." From his first episode, (BTVS season two's "School Hard") Spike's been able to experience emotions and has just acted more human than other vamps. In fact, Spike's very strangeness will play into "Angel" season five's story line. (See "Destiny.") But, James?! No way. I'm not buying that that guy can still feel emotions. I'm not even buying that Angelus hung out with him, considering how whiny James is. It just doesn't make any sense.

My favorite part of the episode: Fred finally coming out of her room, just in time to walk in on a vampire fight.

You know what they say, life's full of surprises

[SleepTight666 · 9/10 · 12 January 2007]

You know what they say, life's full of surprises - Love, what's love? Does losing somebody you truly love really kill you? or is it love when you move on with your life and honor the person you lost? The season 3 opener is about love, 'Angel' is grieving Buffy's death, not only because she's dead but because losing her didn't kill him. And he feels like he's betraying her somehow. We also meet the sick obsessed vampire called 'James' who played by 'Ron Melendez' , he also lost his 'love' whom got staked by 'Angel', now 'James' wants revenge and lets a doctor cut out his heart which makes him invincible for like, 6 minutes, hours, weeks (what was it again, Cordy?). I think that this episode is a superb opener for the most 'beloved' ANGEL season, 'Amy Acker' is added to the credits as 'Winifred Burkle', who's still pretty much crazy, 'Cordy' is having trouble with her visions and both 'Wes' and 'Gunn' don't get a lot to do, but both look great and have plenty of good moments. I love 'Alexis Denisof's hair in this episode and 'Gunn' mentioning Vegans which eventually comes out in the season 4 episode 'The House Always Wins'. This episode is also very important to the show, in the flashbacks we finally meet the wonderful 'Daniel Holtz' who is played by 'Keith Sarabuijka', he has been mentioned before but this is the first time we actually get to see him. And at the end of the episode, 'Darla' is revealed being pregnant, looks like she's having elephant twins. All in all, I love this episode, the flashbacks, writing and the fight sequences were all superb. ANGEL: How's that, invincible boy, huh? Is that your idea of love, James, hmm? It's not real unless it kills you? JAMES: 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. (9.5 out of 10)

Allegory ahoy!

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 16 February 2012]

HEARTHROB

The Good; Great stuff, once again you feel the Buffy writers are making fun of the whole endless vamp love concept (Twilight/True Blood). Also Lorne's version of 'I left my heart in San Francisco' is WONDERFUL, one of the top three Lorne songs.

The Bad; How many times can we see the same courtyard even if it is redressed?

Best line: Angel (after fighting the demon monks) "Should have gone to Vegas"

Apocalypses: 5

Angel Clichés In disguise; 8

DB get's his shirt off; 12

Cordy's tattoo; yep, when she bends over to pick up the fire extinguisher during the fight in the hotel lobby 7,

Cheap Angel; 7

Fang Gang in bondage: Cordy: 5 Angel: 10 Wes: 6 Gunn; 3 Lorne; 2

Fang gang knocked out: Cordy: 10 Angel: 13 Wes: 5 Doyle; 1 Gunn; 1 Lorne; 1

Kills: 2 vamps for Angel and one each for Wes and Gunn. Amazingly this is the first vamp Wes ever kills in four years in the Buffyverse. We don't know how many vamps/demons AI killed in the summer but I'll give them one each Cordy: 5 vamps, 3 demons Angel; 28 vamps, 38 and 1/2 demons, 3 humans Doyle; 1 vamp Wes; 7 demons+1 vamp Kate; 3 vamps Faith; 16 vamps, 6 demons, 3 humans. Gunn; 8 vamps+ 5 demons.

Fang Gang go evil: Cordy: 2 Angel: 2

Alternate Fang Gang: Cordy: 2 Angel: 6

Characters killed: the dude Darla kills and a couple of people at the party 40

Recurring characters killed; 6;

Total number of Angel Investigations: Fred not part of the gang yet, still hiding in her room 4, Angel, Cordy, Wes and Gunn

Angel Investigations shot: only Angelus by Holtz and he doesn't count Angel: 11 Wes; 1

Packing heat; Wes; 3 Doyle; 1 Angel; 1

Notches on Fang Gang bedpost: Cordy: 3(?) ?+Wilson/Hacksaw Beast+Phantom Dennis(?) Angel: 2; Buffy and Darla Wes; 2; Virginia and the bleached blonde

Kinky dinky: Gunn refers to 'doin it with the demons' but doesn't mean what we think (except for Cordy who regularly seems to 'do it' with various supernatural entities). Speaking of which she's close enough to Phantom Dennis to strip naked in front of him and get some loufa action in the bathtub with him. Cordy thinks her new necklace brings out her breasts, Gunn certainly seems to think so to judge by his expression. Nice 'screwed Darla' gag. Darla says Angelus made her pay for leaving him in an extreme S&M style. Wes says Angel doesn't need a lapdance.

Captain Subtext; Hugs all around when Angel comes back, the events of season 2 well and truly forgotten. James and Elizabeth (both regal names) are obviously a proto Spike and Dru (maybe Darla and Angelus needed another couple to make a four at bridge?).

Know the face, different character; 2

Parking garages; 5,

Buffy characters on Angel; 16 Wetherby, Collins and Smith. Angel, Cordy, Oz, Spike, Buffy, Wes, Faith, Darla, Dru, Master, Anne, Willow and Harmony

Questions and observations; Love to see more of AI in the summer without Angel, they obviously kept busy. Also would have liked to have seen how Gunn coped with a solo case whilst everyone else was at Buffy's funeral. Can't they buy Fred a whiteboard so that she doesn't have to write on the wall? Does Fred really have to invite Angel into the room she occupies in his hotel? Or is Angel just bluffing to reassure her and make her feel at home? Note Angel takes the time to put his coat on before going vamp hunting. James says that Angelus knows no poetry, well he liked Spike's. Or Angel did? Holst is referred to as the foremost vamp hunter, what about the Slayer of the age? Vamps don't really seem to have love as much as twisted obsession but not having souls they can't appreciate that. Cordy's right of course, the human thing for Angel to do is mourn Buffy but continue his life. Surely James can be killed by fire or decapitation? Nice to know that when the chips are down you can rob the handicapped guy of his crutches and it's all OK.

Marks out of 10; 8/10

Liar, liar, pants on fire...

[masteroidul · 19 July 2009]

This episode is a series-killer for me, in the sense that it makes me never want to watch this show again. I always believed in the consistency of a character, in the sense that there are some traits that the script writers, no mater what, should not, ever, change. Eliminating them would be like crippling the character in my view, and in this way destroying him for good. One of these traits is the moral integrity of Angel, which was, for me at least, something I looked up to. This is why I find it odd to be the only one seriously enraged by this episode. If I were to give "Heartthrob" another title, it would be BETRAYAL. It's shocking to see 2 love stories mirrored in the narration, one of which is a beautiful, desperate cry for the loss of a loved one, and the other a simple shrug of the shoulders regarding one's soulmate passing away. We find Angel in the process that should be at least, grieving, but instead proves to be a hurtful indifference towards Buffy's death. For those who haven't seen Buffy, it would probably be OK, but for those who have actually seen it, it's a slap in the face. It denies the entire 2 seasons involving Buffy & Angel and ever been in love. Angel seams entirely unaffected by her disappearance. His "time off" of meditation was actually another day on the job, killing demon-monks and bringing souvenirs to the gang afterwards. Even Cordelia is rightfully surprised by his emotional inertness. Buffy was his one single true love, in all 250 years of existence. She was his soulmate, his pair (2 tragic superheroes), the reason he became good in the first place (may I remind you of his first "watcher" and the scene in the sewers, where Angel says he wants to change TO HELP HER). He had a crush on her even before they met, he guarded her with his life and was even willing to sacrifice his happiness for hers (which is why he moved away from Sunnydale in the first place). What happened to the ring exchange, to their "one moment of pure happiness", to the assurances that "she is still his girl" and that "you may have moved on, but I haven't"(Angel in the first season) And when he finds out she is gone, he does nothing, feels nothing?! (For crying out loud, he mourned Joyce more than Buffy! He even came to her funeral, but not Buffy's?!) With Buffy, it's almost as if a total stranger died. He is, appallingly, relieved?! In his exact words, losing Buffy "didn't kill him", he just "dealt with it". The REAL Angel-character would be devastated, crushed... He would lock himself in his study for weeks looking at her picture, be angry, want revenge, whatever, but he would ACT or DO something! She was his reason to live (to become human so that they could finally be together). I don't recognize this character. Really. He mocks everything I thought of him. The scriptwriters must have been changed or really drunk so as to flip a character 90 degrees like this. Angel never loved Buffy, heck, it seems he got over her pretty fast! In the first episodes of "Buffy" he kills Darla (who is so dear to him, apparently) to save her, but now he is willing to bed her??? And afterwards, of all people, Cordelia??? There is something really off-track with this series. I don't like where it's going. I'm heartbroken by this new Angel dude who is suddenly emancipated and conscience-free. He might end up to be proclaimed "a champion", but it's more likely he'll be proclaimed a huge jerk :-(

James: Let's give 'em a row. What do you say, Angelus? Angelus: I'd say you're an idiot, but I'd just be repeatin' myself.

[bombersflyup · 10/10 · 27 December 2017]

Heartthrob is about Angel mourning Buffy's death, meanwhile killing a vampire from his past and having her soulless-mate seek revenge.

Fred starts to become a regular, a big plus as she becomes a special character. Also, we see Holtz for the first time, who also becomes a loved character. James in the present day isn't much of a foe and quite easily dealt with. The flashback sequence near the beginning's wonderful. Angel's facial expressions and remarks as Holtz and his men surround he and James, priceless. Darla's also splendid.

Darla: Well, you know what they say... life's full of surprises. Angelus: Ah, life is boring, you're full of a surprises.

Angel's Brief Reunion

[Samuel-Shovel · 5/10 · 24 March 2018]

This episode is a bit of an odd season opener. We leap forward 3 months into the future to find Angel still struggling to cope with the death of Buffy and Fred still coping with being back on Earth. After an unexplained fight scene versus demon monks, Angel returns to LA to rejoin the gang. They run across a gang of vampires and Angel ends up killing an old friend. Her partner, in an act of despair and love for his departed, goes on a suicide mission to kill Angel in revenge. This vampire pays a doctor to remove his heart; he has only hours to live but is invincible for that time frame before death. Angel defeats him and the vampire claims Angel's was a fake love because Angel has been able to move on. In the final scene, we see Darla in a bar in South America where it is revealed she is pregnant (presumably with Angel's child).

The pacing on this episode is all kinds of odd. Between the leap forward in time from the season finale, the periodic flashback scenes relayed via Angel to the gang, and the odd (almost tacked on) final scene of Darla, this episode never feels like it gets a consistent rhythm going. It feels as if the writers had all these ideas in their head and were forced to compress them into 50 minutes.

On one hand, moving forward to the post-grief period for Angel feels a bit like lazy screenwriting, like the writers didn't know how to write his character. But on the other hand, it would have been a waste of time because *spoilers* Buffy ends up coming back so we'd have to watch all his sadness for nothing. I guess in that context, I feel a little better about it.

The cliffhanger of pregnant Darla felt like a cheap attention grabber for the end of the episode. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

The parallels between two men with lost loves is clearly intentional but I feel as if they don't do enough with it. They're one interaction on the subway car is fairly short and doesn't pull at the heartstrings as it should have. This was not the strongest season opener.

Heavy handed exposition writ large

[RogerBorg · 4/10 · 17 September 2018]

You have to get through this, but you're not going to love it. It's about 1/4th recap of previous seasons of Buffy and Angel, 1/4 foreshadowing of the horrid Holtz arc, 1/4 dull shenanigans with some dull protagonists-of-the-week, and 1/4 outstandingly sloppy action scenes.

It's those that'll stick with you. It's like nobody involved could be bothered with them: choreographers, stunt monkeys; hair and make up, all the way through to the editors. In a couple of shots, ostensibly dusted vamps can be seen still standing around uncertainly. And of course anything featuring Holtz is always high on the cringe scale.

It's a darn curious choice for a season opener, is what it is.