Darla (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Last updated

Darla
Buffyverse character
S205 Darla.JPG
Julie Benz as Darla in Angel
First appearance Welcome to the Hellmouth (1997)
Last appearanceDark Reflections, Part 1 (2017)
Created by Joss Whedon
Portrayed by Julie Benz
In-universe information
AffiliationOrder of Aurelius
Wolfram & Hart
The Whirlwind
Classification Vampire
Notable powers Supernatural strength, agility, reflexes, and acute sensory perception

Darla is a recurring fictional character created by Joss Whedon and played by Julie Benz in the first, second, and fifth seasons of the American supernatural television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . The character later appeared in the Buffy spin-off series Angel , making at least one appearance in every season. She made her last television appearance in 2004, appearing as a special guest star in the fifth and final season of Angel.

Contents

Darla is introduced in "Welcome to the Hellmouth", the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in 1997. It is revealed early on that she is a vampire, initially in league with the Master, Buffy Summers' primary antagonist in the first season. Darla's backstory is disclosed in the episode "Angel", where it is revealed that she is Angel's sire (the one who turned him into a vampire) and former longtime lover. The character appears in numerous flashback episodes, until she receives a significantly expanded role in Angel. In Angel, she is resurrected by the evil law firm Wolfram & Hart in an attempt to weaken Angel. She later becomes intertwined in many of the story arcs in the second and third season. Darla becomes pregnant, a unique occurrence for a vampire. She sacrifices herself in order to give birth to her and Angel's human son Connor, ending her run on the series. However, Darla continues to appear in flashback episodes during the next two seasons.

The character was well-reviewed by television critics, with Eric Goldman of IGN saying "Not even dying (twice!) could keep Darla from being an important part of the story behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series Angel."

Conception and casting

Julie Benz originally auditioned for the role of Buffy Summers, [1] [2] but that later went to Sarah Michelle Gellar, who had previously won the part of Cordelia Chase. [1] Benz was offered the small role of the vampire Darla in the pilot episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her performance was so well-received that her character appeared in a few more episodes. [2] In an interview with TheTVAddict.com, Benz said of her casting: "I was supposed to die in the pilot, but about halfway through the pilot Joss Whedon was like, 'We're giving you a name and we're not going to kill you.' And he did that for a while until it finally came time to kill me, and kill me, and kill me and killed [ sic ] me." [3] She later went on to say:

For me, I was a new actor to Los Angeles, didn’t know the TV business very well so I was just excited to work and play a vampire. I had no clue what I was going to do or how I was going to be scary. Until that is, they put the vampire makeup on me and I went into the trailer and smiled, which I thought was creepy. Joss always said he was intrigued that someone who looked like me and talked like me was like the scariest vampire ever. That's what he wanted, my sweet voice and demeanour until all of a sudden I'm just this vicious vampire." [3]

Darla is first killed in the seventh episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer . In that episode, it is revealed that Darla was once romantically involved with Angel and that she turned him into a vampire. [4] Angel stakes her through the heart. [4] Benz was asked to return to the role three years later, but not on Buffy. Joss wanted her to appear on the spin-off Angel , which focused on Angel's adventures in Los Angeles. Benz said in an interview:

I was shocked, really. When they sent me the script [for Angel] I kept asking, 'Where's Darla?' I remember calling my agent asking, 'Are you sure they want me for this episode because I can't seem to find me?' And then I get to the last page and there I am... naked in a box. Awesome. It was exciting. [3]

When asked in an interview with Robert Canning of IGN about how she felt about being asked to come on to Angel after previously being killed off, Benz commented:

I was shocked. I just thought once you poof'd, you poof'd! I thought that was it. So when they threw it out to me that I was coming back... They didn't tell me they were bringing her back to life. They just sent me the script for the season finale for season one of Angel, when they rose me from the dead. I was reading the script, and half way through, Darla still hadn't shown up. [5]

Benz went on to add,

I was like, 'Alright...' I get three quarters of the way through and I think, 'Maybe they sent me the wrong script...?' And then I get to the last page, and I was like, 'Oh my god! I can't believe this! This is so cool!' At that time I'd been committed to another project too. We didn't even know if I was going to be available or not. But it all ended up working out. [5]

Darla appears in twenty Angel episodes, as a minor antagonist and later as a love interest of Angel. The character is known for dying the most in the Buffy The Vampire Slayer franchise. Benz later emphasized:

I just didn't know how it was going to happen. So when they sent me the script [for my last episode of Angel]—which I basically had to sign my life away to read—I was sitting in my trailer and I just started to cry. I thought it was such a beautiful ending, it was the payoff and just really brought her whole life kind of to that one moment. So I was really upset my last day of filming because I really thought it was over to me. [3]

Characterization

The transformation into Darla was complicated. Benz was not a fan of the process Julie Benz cropped 2010.jpg
The transformation into Darla was complicated. Benz was not a fan of the process

Darla is presented in the series both as a human and as a vampire with, as Benz put it, generally "pure" intentions. In an interview with TheTVAddict, Benz said:

Darla's just misunderstood. Her intentions are pure, they're just kind of warped. From her perspective—first she has to eat—she just happens to eat people! Second, she was in love with Angel, and I always viewed Darla as the jilted ex-wife that could never get over being dumped. If you really look at her, you can have sympathy and empathy for her. In the beginning of her life she was a prostitute, Joss and I actually talked about that a lot, that she was probably abused growing up. She did what she needed to do to survive, she just lacked the people skills. [3]

Achieving Darla's look was a struggle for Benz. She said: "Taking that makeup off, it was like having six layers of skin ripped off your face every time. It was miserable and the contact lenses were terrible. I don’t wear contacts and I don’t know how people do it, sticking things in their eyeballs all the time." [3] The character's sense of fashion is vital to understanding her past. Benz says Darla is "dressed to the nines" in every time period in which she lives, and "she fully goes after a certain look. If she’s going to be living during the Boxer Rebellion time, she’s got the big Gibson Girl hair style and the beautiful kimono-style clothes." Benz points out that in the Buffy pilot episode, Darla—attempting to dress like a high school student—exaggerates it with a "little twist", wearing a Catholic schoolgirl uniform instead. "I think I influenced Darla fashion-wise in the second season of Angel where she was a little more classic-looking and tailored," Benz says, explaining she collaborated with the costume designer to transition Darla into a "hipper look" when she became a vampire again. [6] Darla shockingly becomes pregnant in the third season of Angel. In an interview with the BBC, Benz admitted:

Yeah, I really felt at that point she was pretty strung out. Her whole world was rocked. She never thought she could get pregnant and then all of a sudden she's carrying this child and she's experiencing this soul for the first time in four hundred years. [There's] the realisation that as soon as the baby's born the soul's going to go away, and it's the first time she really experienced true love, so she was going through a lot emotionally. I just didn't think that she would have time to really think about how she looked. I don't think it was a priority, and so for me as an actor it was important that I reveal that. Not get caught up in my own vanity as an actress, and portray the character as where she really was. [7]

In an interview with the BBC, Benz described Darla as strong: "I have an amazing stunt double, Lisa Hoyle who looks exactly like me. She’s just brilliant and fearless and she does about 90 per cent of the stunts. I think part of the element of Darla is how strong she is and how fierce she can be and Lisa definitely adds to that element. I would be a doing huge disservice to Darla if I didn’t allow her to do the work that she does and to help add to that element that’s so important to Darla, which is her strength." [6]

Storylines

Darla is born in the late 16th century in the British Isles. Her birth name is never revealed in either series, and Darla herself eventually forgets it. As a young prostitute, she emigrates to the Virginia Colony in North America and becomes independently wealthy but also contracts a fatal case of syphilis. [8] By 1609, Darla lies dying in the luxurious house she owns. She scoffs at a "priest" who comes to her deathbed before he reveals his true identity: The Master, a very old and powerful vampire and the leader of an elite cult of vampires known as the Order of Aurelius. [8] Darla despises the clergy and religion, a trait that follows her as a vampire. The Master turns her into a vampire and renames her "Darla", meaning "dear one" in early modern English ("darling").

Darla spends four centuries killing civilians, often accompanied by Angel (until his soul is restored), before appearing in Sunnydale. [8] Her first appearance is in "Welcome to the Hellmouth", the first episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which aired in 1997. She breaks into Sunnydale High School with a student who goes there. Darla first toys with the youth, then her face morphs into that of a vampire and she bites the boy. [9] Darla later appears in the episode "The Harvest", where she participates in the attempted ascension of the Master. [10] Darla's role in the series is more prominent in the episode "Angel", where it is revealed that she is Angel's sire and former lover. [4] Darla bites an unsuspecting Joyce Summers (Buffy's mother), making it look as if Angel did it. She then attempts to shoot Buffy but Angel intervenes and stakes Darla. [4] She later appears in numerous flashbacks, illuminating her involvement not only with Angel, but also with Spike. [11] [12]

Darla's role in the franchise increased dramatically after her resurrection by the law firm Wolfram & Hart in the final episode of Angel's first season, titled "To Shanshu in L.A." [13] In the second season opener, "Judgement", Wolfram & Hart lawyers Lindsey McDonald and Lilah Morgan question Darla about her past. She talks of how she can feel Angel, and slowly her memory begins to return. [14] In the episode "First Impressions", Angel begins having romantic dreams about his maker, which sap his strength. In "Dear Boy", Angel is shocked to see Darla walking the streets. When he tells his partners, Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and Cordelia Chase, they think he is starting to lose his sanity. During the course of a stakeout by Angel Investigations of a woman suspected of having an affair, Angel confronts the woman, who looks exactly like Darla. She claims she is DeEtta Kramer. When she runs away from him, she walks outside into the sunlight, meaning Darla has not only been resurrected, but is now human. [15] However, Darla and Lindsey's plan to convert Angel back to evil fails. In the end, Wolfram & Hart bring in Drusilla to make Darla a vampire again after her syphilis returns and she starts to die. Ironically, she is turned back into a vampire as she accepts her fate after a failed attempt by Angel to save her. [16] Drusilla and Darla unsuccessfully attack Angel and leave Los Angeles.

Knowing that Angel has been cursed so that if he ever experiences pure happiness, he will once again lose his soul, Darla later returns and sleeps with him, but her plot fails; being with her only brings Angel despair, as well as providing him with a new understanding of his role as a champion. Their one-night stand leads to an unexpected development for the both of them: Darla reappears in season three, pregnant with Angel's child, despite the fact that vampires cannot normally conceive. [17] Her pregnancy allows Darla to experience emotions that had previously been lost to her in the presence of the human soul of her unborn child. Admitting that creating life with Angel was the only good thing they ever did together, Darla makes sure Angel will relay that to their child before she stakes herself through the heart, sacrificing her life so their son, Connor, can be born. Darla turns to dust, but the baby remains. [18] Darla later appears as a spirit, trying to persuade her son in an effort to save him from the renegade deity Jasmine's manipulations, as the latter's actions are bringing Connor into the same path both Darla and Angel had taken. [19]

Reception

The character of Darla was well-received by Eric Goldman of IGN. He said: "As the very first character seen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Julie Benz instantly made an impression as the vampiress Darla. For the next 8 television seasons, she would get to show many different facets of the role, as not even dying (twice!) could keep Darla from being an important part of the story and mythos behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the spinoff series Angel, the latter of which allowed Benz to greatly expand her character." [5]

Appearances

Darla has 31 canonical appearances in the Buffyverse.

Television

Julia Benz guest starred as Darla in 25 episodes.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel

Comics

Darla appears in 6 canonical issues.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Angel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordelia Chase</span> Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series, Angel. Portrayed by Charisma Carpenter, the character appears as a series regular in the first three seasons of Buffy, before leaving the show and becoming a series regular during the first four seasons of Angel. The character made her last television appearance in 2004, appearing as a special guest star in Angel's 100th episode. Cordelia also appears in both canonical and apocryphal Buffy and Angel material such as comic books and novels.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> American supernatural TV series (1997–2003)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an American supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the 1992 film of the same name, also written by Whedon, although they are separate and otherwise unrelated productions. Whedon served as executive producer and showrunner under his production tag Mutant Enemy Productions.

Spike (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

William "Spike" Pratt, played by James Marsters, is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Spike is a vampire and played various roles on the shows, including villain, anti-hero, trickster and romantic interest. For Marsters, the role as Spike began a career in science fiction television, becoming "the obvious go-to guy for US cult [television]." For creator Whedon, Spike is the "most fully developed" of his characters. The character was intended to be a brief villain, with Whedon originally adamant to not have another major "romantic vampire" character like Angel. Marsters says "Spike was supposed to be dirty and evil, punk rock, and then dead." However, the character ended up staying through the second season, and then returning in the fourth to replace Cordelia as "the character who told Buffy she was stupid and about to die."

<i>Angel</i> (1999 TV series) American television series (1999–2004)

Angel is an American supernatural television series, a spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffy's creator, writer and director Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt. It aired on The WB from October 5, 1999, to May 19, 2004, consisting of five seasons and 110 episodes. Like Buffy, it was produced by Whedon's production company, Mutant Enemy.

Faith (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Faith Lehane is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Played by actress Eliza Dushku, Faith was introduced in the third season of Buffy and was a focus of that season's overarching plot. She returned for shorter story arcs on Buffy and its spin-off, Angel. The character's story is continued in the comic book series Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, and she also appears in apocryphal material such as other comic books and novels. Faith was set to receive her own spin-off television series after the final season of Buffy, but Eliza Dushku declined the offer, and the series was never made. The character later co-stars in the 25-issue comic book Angel & Faith beginning in August 2011 under the banner of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine, the story taking place mostly in London and the surrounding area. Seven years after the character's creation, Whedon granted her the surname Lehane for a role-playing game and subsequent material. The last issue of Season Eight was the first source officially confirmed to be canon that referred to Faith by her full name.

Master (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Fictional character

The Master is a fictional character on the action-horror/fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003). He is a centuries-old vampire portrayed by Mark Metcalf, determined to open the portal to hell below Sunnydale High School in the fictional town of Sunnydale where the main character Buffy Summers lives. The premise of the series is that Buffy is a Slayer, a teenage girl endowed with superhuman strength and other powers, which she uses to kill vampires and other evil beings. Each season of the series Buffy and the small group of family and friends who work with her, nicknamed the Scooby Gang, must defeat an evil force referred to as the Big Bad; the villain is usually trying to bring on an apocalypse. The Master is the first season's Big Bad.

Angel (<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i>) Character in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel

Angel is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt for the American television programs Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel. The character is portrayed by actor David Boreanaz. As introduced in Buffy in 1997, Angel is a love interest for heroine Buffy Summers, a young woman whose destiny as "the Slayer" is to fight the forces of evil, such as vampires and demons. However, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Angel is himself a vampire cursed with remorse and a human soul, which motivates him to assist Buffy in her duties as Slayer. The character's popularity led to the production of the spin-off Angel, which follows the character's struggle towards redemption after moving to Los Angeles. In addition to the two television series, the character appears in the comic book continuations of both series, as well as much other expanded universe literature.

Connor (<i>Angel</i>) Character in the television series Angel

Connor is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and Tim Minear for the television series Angel. The character is portrayed as an infant by the triplets Connor, Jake, and Trenton Tupen and as a teenager by Vincent Kartheiser. Connor has a recurring role in season three, becomes a regular in season four, and has his last television appearance in the series finale as a guest star. He continues his story in the canonical comic book series Angel: After the Fall.

"The Girl in Question" is episode 20 of season 5 in the television show Angel. Written by Steven S. DeKnight and Drew Goddard and directed by David Greenwalt, it was originally broadcast on May 5, 2004 on the WB network. When Angel and Spike go to Italy after hearing Buffy is in trouble, they discover she is dating their long-time nemesis The Immortal. While searching for Buffy - and the head of a demon which must be brought back to L.A. to prevent a demon war - they reminisce about their history with The Immortal and finally accept that they can't control whom Buffy dates.

"Darla" is episode 7 of season 2 in the television show Angel. Written and directed by Tim Minear, it was originally broadcast on November 14, 2000, on the WB television network. In this episode, Angel tries to rescue Darla from the clutches of Wolfram & Hart and Lindsey's affections, as she suffers guilt of her demonic past. Flashbacks show Darla as a syphilis-stricken prostitute being transformed into a vampire by the demonic Master, her retaliation when the Gypsies cursed Angelus with a soul, and the Boxer Rebellion in China.

David Greenwalt is an American screenwriter, director, and producer.

In the fictional world of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel, a vampire is a unique variety of demon that can only exist on the earthly plane by inhabiting and animating a human corpse. In Fray, a Buffy comic book spin-off set about a century in the future, vampires are also called "lurks".

"Welcome to the Hellmouth" is the series premiere of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It originally aired on The WB on March 10, 1997 in a two-hour premiere along with the following episode, "The Harvest". The episode was written by the series creator and executive producer Joss Whedon and directed by Charles Martin Smith. "Welcome to the Hellmouth" received a Nielsen rating of 3.4 upon its original airing and received largely positive reviews from critics.

"Angel" is the seventh episode of season 1 of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode aired on The WB on April 14, 1997. It was written by co-executive producer David Greenwalt and directed by Scott Brazil. The narrative follows Buffy Summers, vampire slayer, coming to terms with her feelings for Angel, who is revealed to be a vampire cursed with a soul. However, Darla is playing a deadly game manipulating both Buffy and Angel to the Master's will.

"The Harvest" is the second episode of the first season of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was written by series creator executive producer Joss Whedon and directed by John T. Kretchmer. The episode originally aired on The WB on March 10, 1997, forming a two-hour premiere with the previous episode, "Welcome to the Hellmouth", and attracted 3.4 million viewers.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the American supernatural drama television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer originally aired between March 10 and June 2, 1997, on The WB. Conceived as a mid-season replacement, the season consists of twelve episodes, each running approximately 45 minutes in length, and originally aired on Mondays at 9:00 pm ET.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 15, 1997, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 19, 1998. The first 13 episodes aired on Mondays at 9:00 pm ET, beginning with episode 14 the series moved to Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET, a timeslot the series would occupy for the rest of its run.

<i>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</i> (season 5) 2000–2001 season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The fifth season of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on September 26, 2000, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 22, 2001. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 8:00 pm ET. This was the final season to air on The WB before it moved to UPN; The WB billed the season five finale as "The WB series finale".

<i>Angel</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 5, 1999, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 23, 2000. The season aired on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET, following Buffy.

<i>Angel</i> (season 3) Season of television series

The third season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on September 24, 2001, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 20, 2002. The season aired in a new timeslot, Mondays at 9:00 pm ET. This was the first season where Angel and Buffy did not air on the same network, as Buffy had moved to the UPN network beginning with its sixth season.

References

  1. 1 2 Havens, Candace, Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy Benbella Books (May 1, 2003), p35–36.
  2. 1 2 "Julie Benz: Biography". TVGuide . Rovi Corporation . Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Live From Toronto's Comic Con 2011: Julie Benz Talks BUFFY, ANGEL, DEXTER and NO ORDINARY FAMILY". TheTVAddict.com. 20 March 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Scott Brazil (director), David Greenwalt (writer) (April 14, 1997). "Angel". Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Season 1. Episode 6. Fox.
  5. 1 2 3 Goldman, Eric (October 4, 2006). "IGN Interview: Dexter's Julie Benz". IGN . News Corporation . Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  6. 1 2 "Interview with Julie Benz: Fashion Victim". BBC Online . BBC . Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  7. ↑ "Angel – Interviews with Julie Benz and John Kassir: Bun in the leotard". BBC Online . BBC . Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  8. 1 2 3 Tim Minear (writer and director), Joss Whedon (executive producer) (November 14, 2000). "Darla (Angel episode)". Angel . Season 2. Episode 6. The WB.
  9. ↑ Joss Whedon (writer and executive producer), Charles Martin Smith (director) (1997-03-10). "Welcome to the Hellmouth". Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Season 1. Episode 1. The WB.
  10. ↑ Joss Whedon (writer and executive producer), John T. Kretchmer (director) (March 10, 1997). "The Harvest (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)". Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Season 1. Episode 2. The WB.
  11. ↑ Joss Whedon (writer, director, and executive producer) (May 12, 1998). "Becoming (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)". Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Season 2. Episode 21. The WB.
  12. ↑ Nick Marck (director), Doug Petrie (writer) (November 14, 2000). "Fool for Love (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)". Buffy the Vampire Slayer . Season 5. Episode 7. The WB.
  13. ↑ David Greenwalt (writer and director), Joss Whedon (executive producer) (May 23, 2000). "To Shanshu in L.A.". Angel . Season 1. Episode 22. The WB.
  14. ↑ Michael Lange (director), David Greenwalt (writer) (September 26, 2000). "Judgement (Angel)". Angel . Season 2. Episode 1. The WB.
  15. ↑ David Greenwalt (writer and director) (October 24, 2000). "Dear Boy". Angel . Season 2. Episode 5. The WB.
  16. ↑ Bruce Seth Green (director), David Greenwalt (writer) (November 28, 2000). "The Trial (Angel)". Angel . Season 2. Episode 9. The WB.
  17. ↑ David Greenwalt (writer and director) (September 24, 2001). "Heartthrob". Angel . Season 3. Episode 1. The WB.
  18. ↑ Tim Minear (writer and director) (November 19, 2001). "Lullaby (Angel)". Angel . Season 3. Episode 9. The WB.
  19. ↑ Steven S. DeKnight (writer and director) (April 2, 2003). "Inside Out (Angel)". Angel . Season 4. Episode 17. The WB.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.