If your a Buffy and Angel fan, this is your episode. It's beautiful and emotional and so d*nm wonderfully, tragically, sad that I end up heartbroken every time I see it. Angel and Buffy just tear up the screen in this episode. It's basically the last time they'll be together in a romantic way and they make the most of it. (They do kiss in BTVS season five's "Forever," and season seven's "End of Days," but it's just not the same.) This episode is kind of the pay off and capstone of their relationship. You shouldn't skip it.
"I Will Remember You," corresponds with the BTVS season four episode "Pangs." In that episode, Angel goes to Sunnydale to help Buffy without letting her see him. Once she finds out that he's been in town, Buffy is furious. In "I Will Remember You" she heads to LA to confront him. Angel tries to explain that he only stayed out of sight because he didn't want to complicate things. Buffy is still hurt and angry. The two of them argue for awhile and just as Buffy is about to stomp out, a demon crashes through the window and tries to kill Angel. After a quick fight it gets away and Buffy and Angel chase after it. They go into the sewers, still bickering about their relationship. They still love each other. But they can never be together. They reaffirm the need to stay away from each other. (On a side note, the first "heartbreaking sewer talk" that Buffy refers to in this scene is in BTVS season three's "The Prom." Where Angel decides to leave Sunnydale.) Buffy and Angel split up and keep searching for the demon. Angel finds it first and, as he fights it, some of it's blood mixes with his. Suddenly, Angel is human again.
Angel heads back to his house, trying to figure out what's going on. Cordy and Doyle are stunned when he has a pulse and can walk in the sunlight. It turns out that the demon's blood had mystical healing properties. Doyle takes Angel to see some oracles who tell him that he's now human... Permantly. Angel tells Buffy and after some initial awkwardness, the two of them are sleeping together and planning their future. Angel finds out that the demon has attacked again. He and Doyle go of to fight it alone. Angel is human, though and he is nearly killed. Buffy arrives just in time to save him. Angel begins to reconsider life as a human. He can't fight evil, or help Buffy. What about all the people he could save if he was a vampire? What about that ever-brewing apocalypse? He goes back to the Oracles and asks them to make him a vampire again. They agree to take back the day. To rewind time to when Buffy first came to his office. Angel is the only one who will retain the memory of what happened. He agrees. Buffy is devastated when she learns of his decision. She begs him to take it back, but it's too late. Time resets and she forgets everything. The demon comes crashing through Angel's window for a second time, but Angel's ready for it. He quickly kills that demon and Buffy leaves LA.
There are some really good parts to this episode. I love Angel and Buffy together, so it's nice that they have one perfect day. They're so cute cuddling in bed and eating ice cream. You sort of wish they could just stay like that forever. Their farewell scene, after Angel asks the oracles to turn back time and goes home to tell Buffy, is just heart wrenching. Buffy swears that she'll remember their time together and she hugs him tightly, but when they start the day over, she's forgotten it all. Angel stares after her. He's the only one who can remember their day and my heart just break for him. Also, I get a guilty sort of enjoyment when I think of Buffy's relationship with Riley over on BTVS season four. I really don't like Riley, so it's fun to see how quickly she'd throw him over for Angel if she had the chance.
On the down side, over the next four seasons, as Angel fights to regain his humanity with that Shanshu Prophesy, I think back to this episode and wonder if Angel even WANTS to be human. In "I Will Remember You," he had everything he said wanted and he gave it up so he could keep fighting. Why would he keep it the next time? My theory (which is also shaped by season five's "Not Fade Away,") is that Angel can't go back to being a normal person again. Angel's not after humanity... He's after atonement. He doesn't want some outside force to grant him favors, he wants to be able to forgive himself. And the only way he can do that is to keep fighting evil. Angel wants redemption more than anything, even a life with Buffy. I'm not sure that I agree with his choice, but I think he'd make it again and again. Angel wants to be a champion for the White Hats, and helpless, and Buffy, and the world at large. So how can I ever get behind the Shanshu thing? It's clearly not what he's really after.
My favorite part of the episode: Angel eating every kind of food he can get his hands on. He's so happy to be able to taste chocolate and peanut butter that you have to smile. On a side note, over on BTVS Spike eats all the time. Is Spike eating in spite of his diminished ability to taste? Or can Spike simply taste food more fully than Angel? That fits in with the idea that Spike's always been a little bit different than other vampires. But, I honestly don't know. It's just an interesting thought.
"I Will Remember You," corresponds with the BTVS season four episode "Pangs." In that episode, Angel goes to Sunnydale to help Buffy without letting her see him. Once she finds out that he's been in town, Buffy is furious. In "I Will Remember You" she heads to LA to confront him. Angel tries to explain that he only stayed out of sight because he didn't want to complicate things. Buffy is still hurt and angry. The two of them argue for awhile and just as Buffy is about to stomp out, a demon crashes through the window and tries to kill Angel. After a quick fight it gets away and Buffy and Angel chase after it. They go into the sewers, still bickering about their relationship. They still love each other. But they can never be together. They reaffirm the need to stay away from each other. (On a side note, the first "heartbreaking sewer talk" that Buffy refers to in this scene is in BTVS season three's "The Prom." Where Angel decides to leave Sunnydale.) Buffy and Angel split up and keep searching for the demon. Angel finds it first and, as he fights it, some of it's blood mixes with his. Suddenly, Angel is human again.
Angel heads back to his house, trying to figure out what's going on. Cordy and Doyle are stunned when he has a pulse and can walk in the sunlight. It turns out that the demon's blood had mystical healing properties. Doyle takes Angel to see some oracles who tell him that he's now human... Permantly. Angel tells Buffy and after some initial awkwardness, the two of them are sleeping together and planning their future. Angel finds out that the demon has attacked again. He and Doyle go of to fight it alone. Angel is human, though and he is nearly killed. Buffy arrives just in time to save him. Angel begins to reconsider life as a human. He can't fight evil, or help Buffy. What about all the people he could save if he was a vampire? What about that ever-brewing apocalypse? He goes back to the Oracles and asks them to make him a vampire again. They agree to take back the day. To rewind time to when Buffy first came to his office. Angel is the only one who will retain the memory of what happened. He agrees. Buffy is devastated when she learns of his decision. She begs him to take it back, but it's too late. Time resets and she forgets everything. The demon comes crashing through Angel's window for a second time, but Angel's ready for it. He quickly kills that demon and Buffy leaves LA.
There are some really good parts to this episode. I love Angel and Buffy together, so it's nice that they have one perfect day. They're so cute cuddling in bed and eating ice cream. You sort of wish they could just stay like that forever. Their farewell scene, after Angel asks the oracles to turn back time and goes home to tell Buffy, is just heart wrenching. Buffy swears that she'll remember their time together and she hugs him tightly, but when they start the day over, she's forgotten it all. Angel stares after her. He's the only one who can remember their day and my heart just break for him. Also, I get a guilty sort of enjoyment when I think of Buffy's relationship with Riley over on BTVS season four. I really don't like Riley, so it's fun to see how quickly she'd throw him over for Angel if she had the chance.
On the down side, over the next four seasons, as Angel fights to regain his humanity with that Shanshu Prophesy, I think back to this episode and wonder if Angel even WANTS to be human. In "I Will Remember You," he had everything he said wanted and he gave it up so he could keep fighting. Why would he keep it the next time? My theory (which is also shaped by season five's "Not Fade Away,") is that Angel can't go back to being a normal person again. Angel's not after humanity... He's after atonement. He doesn't want some outside force to grant him favors, he wants to be able to forgive himself. And the only way he can do that is to keep fighting evil. Angel wants redemption more than anything, even a life with Buffy. I'm not sure that I agree with his choice, but I think he'd make it again and again. Angel wants to be a champion for the White Hats, and helpless, and Buffy, and the world at large. So how can I ever get behind the Shanshu thing? It's clearly not what he's really after.
My favorite part of the episode: Angel eating every kind of food he can get his hands on. He's so happy to be able to taste chocolate and peanut butter that you have to smile. On a side note, over on BTVS Spike eats all the time. Is Spike eating in spite of his diminished ability to taste? Or can Spike simply taste food more fully than Angel? That fits in with the idea that Spike's always been a little bit different than other vampires. But, I honestly don't know. It's just an interesting thought.