Angel, a vampire with a soul, arrives in Los Angeles. Having left Sunnydale and his true love Buffy (the Vampire Slayer) behind, Angel is searching for a place to call his own and a means to redeem himself for past sins as a brutal, malicious, bloodthirsty killer. Doyle, a half human, half demon, is sent to him by “The Powers That Be” to help him on his path. The Irish half-breed advises Angel to live among the people of the city so as to avoid losing his own humanity. Doyle also reveals that he has had a vision of a young girl in trouble, prompting Angel to go on his first mission to help the helpless. The girl’s name is Tina, and Angel learns that she is being stalked by a powerful vampire. As the investigation goes deeper, Angel learns that this creature preys on many aspiring actresses, and his latest target is an old friend from Sunnydale who has just arrived in the City of Angels.

Doyle receives a new vision that sends the group to the club scene. They soon learn they are looking for a serial killer who has been seeking his prey in D'Oblique, a local singles bar. While searching the crowd, Angel meets a woman named Kate who seems to be the type that the killer has been targeting. Distracted because he is making a real, human connection with Kate, Angel does not notice another young woman being lured out of the bar. The next night Angel manages to find a clue to the killer’s location, and he races against time to prevent another innocent death. However, someone else is heading to the same place perhaps to help Angel, perhaps to stop him.

Oz visits L.A. with a present for Angel from Buffy. It’s the Gem of Amarra, a ring which has been a vampire myth for millennia. While wearing it, a vampire is immune to crosses, stakes, and can even walk in daylight. It isn’t long before Spike arrives in town, searching for the ring. And he has no plans of leaving until he gets it.

As Cordelia and Angel continue the debate over whether or not to charge their clients, Doyle receives a vision of yet another woman in distress. Angel pays a visit to her workplace and learns that the woman is being terrorized by her neurosurgeon who is somehow mysteriously able to watch her every move. After some detective work, Angel and Cordelia discover that the doctor is able to disconnect appendages from his body in order to prey on his victims.

 

When Cordelia decides that she cannot stand her roach-infested apartment for one more day, Doyle offers to help her find a new place. He makes good on his offer and finds her a beautiful apartment that is well within her budget. But when she starts hearing strange voices, seeing things fly across the room, and waking up at night with her bed levitating off the floor, Cordy must decide how much the perfect apartment is really worth. 

Kate is forced to enroll in sensitivity awareness training with her fellow police officers. When she uncharacteristically breaks down and makes a scene at her father's retirement party, Angel begins to suspect that something unusual is happening. Kate and the rest of the force seem to be completely unable to control their emotions and focus on their jobs, and this distraction may turn deadly.

Just as Doyle is inches away from finally making a connection with Cordy, his estranged wife shows up at Angel Investigations begging for a divorce so that she can marry the new love of her life. After the initial shock, he consents to the divorce. Doyle agrees to attend the new groom's bachelor party, but soon finds out that the groom's family have some very unusual customs where ex-husbands are concerned.

Buffy arrives in L.A., furious that Angel did not tell her that he was in Sunnydale. While they are talking, they are attacked by a Mohra demon, and some of its blood gets onto Angel. After a brief hunt, they kill the demon, but its blood is having a strange effect on Angel. He feels short of breath, dizzy, and disoriented, and then suddenly his heart begins to beat. Now fully human, Angel must decide how this will affect his relationship with Buffy and whether or not he can still be a Champion.

Doyle must overcome his fears when the gang tries to protect a group of half-human demons from a vicious group of racist demons. The Scourge are a nazi-esque organization of "pure-blood" demons who are bent on destroying all half-bloods. Including Doyle and Angel.

Cordelia discovers that she has inherited Doyle's visions, and it plays havoc with her career. Meanwhile, Angel must save a new client from the creature that is hunting him, and a Rogue Demon Hunter comes to town.

Angel’s past deeds come back to haunt him as he dreams about killing again but when the dreams become identical to a number of murders in the area Angel fears that he is killing in his sleep.

After a wild night on the town, Cordelia wakes up to find that she is at least six months pregnant. When it is found out that it is a demon that Cordelia is carrying, can Angel and Wesley find a way to prevent the immanent birth from killing her?

Wesley becomes an official part of Angel Investigations just in time to take part in their latest case. A series of horribly burned corpses lead to a race of creatures from another dimension whose gender warfare is spilling over into the streets of L.A.

When one of Cordelia's visions shows a young family in trouble, Angel goes to investigate. Before long, he suspects that one of the family is suffering from demonic possession, but he must determine who is possessed and how to remove the creature without harming the host.

Usually docile demons are flying into violent rages, and innocent humans are paying the price. The realization that Kate's father is somehow involved brings up a lot of painful memories about Angel's own father.

A routine missing person investigation leads Angel to an underground arena which uses captive demons for sport. When Angel is captured and forced to fight in the arena can he survive long enough to find a way to free himself and the other captives?

Angel takes a job protecting a well-known actress from a crazed stalker. When a mirror happens to be in just the wrong place, however, she begins to suspect what he really is.

 

Faith, the rogue Slayer, arrives in L.A., and Wolfram and Hart make plans to use her in their fight against Angel

Buffy comes to Los Angeles seeking vengeance under the guise of protecting Angel from Faith's violent nature, but Buffy is shocked and hurt to discover her former love siding with her nemesis as he attempts to shelter her. Meanwhile, Wesley is faced with a crisis of loyalties when the Watcher's Council offers a chance at reinstatement if he gives up Faith.

Angel tracks down a nerdy millionaire's blackmailer, but gets caught in the middle of a gang war between street kids and vampires and meets the leader of the vampire hunters, Charles Gunn. Although Gunn is suspicious of Angel, he soon realizes Angel may be a valuable ally in the cleaning up of the City of Angels.

Lindsey McDonald, Wolfram & Hart's wunderkind, finally has a crisis of conscience when a vicious, blind assassin is sent after a group of young kids. Now he must convince Angel that, despite his past actions, his motives this time are honorable.

Wolfram & Hart summon a demon and charge him with the task of separating Angel from the Powers That Be. While Angel is busy dealing with this threat, Lindsey and his coworkers are working on summoning something else which will make Angel's unlife a lot more interesting.