Angel had its links to Buffy, there were crossovers and tie ins, and the similarities at the start of the show were noticeable. But as the seasons progressed and the characters became darker and the plots heavier, it seemed what we were watching was not entirely the same. As times have progressed, it seems audiences desire a darker more gritty version of TV, with shows that don't shy away from the harsher aspects of life, the Wire to name one, are shows favoured for. Angel had its comedic episodes, but the over arching themes were of the dark fight against darkness, being forced into positions where the right path isn't always visible and the seeking of salvation. This show was brilliant, and though it has carried on in comics, it will be sorely missed.
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chintanvora-605-40572630 December 2013
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AlsExGal25 April 2010Angel starts out where Buffy The Vampire Slayer season 3 left off, with Angel, a vampire with a soul, leaving Sunnydale so that his beloved Buffy can have a semblance of a normal relationship, which the two of them could never have. The entire series can be divided into three parts, all of which take place in L.A., Angel's new home.
The first part consists of season one, and does not have a defining story arc. In season one, Angel starts a supernatural detective agency, "Angel Investigations", with the help of Cordelia Chase, who has moved to L.A. from Sunnydale, and half human-half demon Doyle. Doyle dies a courageous death half-way through the season, and failed ex-watcher Wesley Windham-Pryce, who is now a "rogue demon hunter", joins the cast. At the end of the season we are introduced to Charles Gunn, a streetwise kid who has been fighting demons his whole life. Slowly, he comes to trust Angel and eventually joins the group.
The second part of the series consists of seasons two through four, and is one long story arc. Season two deals with the resurrection of Angel's vampire lover Darla. The ordeal of getting Darla back as a human, and then losing her again when she becomes a vampire once more, drives Angel to the dark side of his soul. He turns against his friends for a brief time as he goes on a crusade of punishing the guilty - Wolfram & Hart - rather than helping the helpless. Eventually he returns to his friends and his senses - but not before he and Darla have a night of passion that results in season three's story arc - Darla's pregnancy and the "birth" of Angel's son Conner.
In season 3, an old enemy from Angel's vampire past is mystically conjured up - Holtz, a man whose entire family was killed by Angel and Darla when they were both vampires. Holtz' revenge involves stealing Angel's infant son and jumping into a portal to a hell dimension rather than give up the child. Later in season three, Conner and Holtz both return from the hell dimension. With time running differently in the two dimensions, Conner is now 18 years old, and none too fond of Angel, due to Holtz' influence. Holtz conjures up a plan to commit assisted suicide and make it look like he has been murdered by Angel so that Conner will take revenge on him. The plan works, and Conner sinks Angel to the bottom of the Pacific in a box, to suffer an everlasting torment of slow starvation.
Season four is the most disorganized of any of the seasons. It is a dizzying blur that involves a mysterious Beast that blots out the sun, yet another mystical pregnancy that culminates in an evil higher power - Jasmine - coming into the world, and that evil power bringing "world peace" in return for the world's unquestioning worship - until Angel enables people to see Jasmine's true appearance and they run from her in horror. The season concludes with Angel and his crew being given control of the L.A. branch of evil mystical law firm Wolfram & Hart supposedly as a reward for "destroying world peace". Angel agrees to the deal, if in return all memories of Conner's existence are erased from everyone who knew him and Conner is placed in a "normal" family with memories that involve only his new family, and not his actual past. Only Angel retains his memories of what actually happened.
Season five stands alone as the third and final part of the series which returns to the monster-of-the-week format that was present in season one. Spike, another vampire with a soul who also loves Buffy, appears first as a ghost that is unable to leave the premises of Wolfram & Hart. Later in the season Spike reclaims his corporeal presence. The first part of the season is on the light side, as each member of the Fang Gang receives their dream job at Wolfram & Hart with the hope of doing good deeds in a place once renowned for evil. However, they slowly discover that it is they that are being changed and compromised, not the law firm. This culminates in one great tragedy two-thirds into the season, resulting in the death of one the members of the Fang Gang. In the end, Angel and his crew decide to turn the tables by killing all of the members of a powerful evil secret society. They are successful, but there are casualties among their ranks. The last scene shows the survivors cornered in an alley about to be attacked by Wolfram & Hart's minions, but they go out fighting.
Angel is not the only character on a journey in this series. The once shallow and selfish Cordelia Chase changes into a brave soul who is willing to become part demon in order to continue on in her mission. We also watch as Wesley changes from buffoonish comic relief into a true rogue demon hunter who has a penchant for darkness that rivals Angel. Charles Gunn changes from the street-wise kid who is proud of being the muscle into someone who is willing to sell his soul to not to return to that role. Even Lorne is not spared, as he changes from the consummate entertainer with an ever-sunny personality into someone who can only find solace at the bottom of a glass and loses his heart for the good fight "the moment I found out a girl I loved was going to die". -
TheLittleSongbird18 April 2011I am a big fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and do marginally prefer it over Angel. But I will say this, apart from a rather lacking Season 4 and some moments of poor CGI, Angel is a great show. One thing that really works in the show's favour is the charismatic, brooding and compelling performance of David Boreanaz as the titular character, and I loved how Cordelia's role is expanded upon. A vast majority of the time, Angel looks great, with a suitably Gothic feel to it in the darker and more intense scenes very like its predecessor, and the theme tune is not only memorable but kicks ass too. The stories are always well-paced and intriguing, the fight scenes and choreography are often fantastic and the writing is top notch not just in the dialogue but also in the characterisation. Overall, a great show. 9/10 Bethany Cox
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ecwjedi12 January 2005Angel is a show that is going to live forever because it never gave in and changed itself around in order to be more friendly for the masses. I have no intention of giving each season or episode a number evaluation as I feel the entire body of the show is whats important. Well thought out story arcs were the norm in this amazingly diverse world inhabited by the most fleshed out characters on any TV show. A perfect example of this is the character Wesley who started as the comedic sidekick and slowly, over the seasons, transformed into a certifiable bad-ass without ever coming across as forced. Angel never treated the view like an idiot, never wrapped everything up in a nice little package after every show only to forget about the previous events in the next episode. Angel also never got stale, in part because it was cancelled in its prime by the WB for no solid reason as it was one of the highest rated shows on the network. Every season seemed to get a little better with the fifth, and final, season being the best, in my humble opinion. The show has become like an old friend to me which I can visit from time to time to remember what TV should strive to be like and to see an example of great story telling. In a time when TV is turning into a wasteland of trends and shows that do nothing but recycle, Angel was a bright spot which has sadly gone out. Buy the DVDs and let the show live forever as most of what else is on TV is already dead.
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PopRox913926 March 2003When I heard that Angel was leaving the show, I was heartbroken. When I heard that he would have his own show, I was a little happier, but still worried. Could it at all compare to the genius of Buffy? As soon as I saw the first episode, one thing came to mind: "This is different from Buffy." Remember, dear children, different does not always mean bad. I love Angel almost as much as Buffy (and sometimes more). These characters are more grown-up than Buffy's, which can be good, but also takes away the youthful, naive, happy-go-lucky, pop culture referencing fun. It does, however, have its own charm. For instance, the long feud with lawyers Wolfram and Hart, the Karitas karaoke bar, and all their witty puns and entendres. This show has gone its own way, and in my opinion, it's all good.
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GohanSSJ-125 March 2005If you asked me a year ago what Angel was then i wouldn't of have a clue, now it's 1 of my favorite shows.
I never had much interest in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the story sounded pretty much stupid, i mean a teenage girl with superhuman powers doesn't really sound that great, at least not to me.
I started watching it about a year ago though, the first 4 seasons were being repeated late at night, and since there wasn't much on i started to watch it, all characters were decent, but really nothing special, except for Angel, this guy had a past, a real mission, he was hurt by his past and tried to do good in the world, to redeem himself.
The series Angel is nothing like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's much more mature and dark, they don't fight because they have to, but they fight because they choose to, every single one of them risk their life to help the helpless.
The action is good, the comedy is great and so is the drama, they did a excellent mix of the 3, the sets and make-up are very professional, and the character development has been done very well, overall i just have nothing bad to say about this show, except it being cancelled after 5 seasons, 1 of the biggest mistakes ever.
Personally i think everyone should see the first few episodes, i'm sure there are people out there that won't like it, but don't let the idea of demons and all keep you away from this show, it's truly 1 of the best shows around and deserves to be checked out by everyone. -
evetke76-3-66293525 March 2011Today, everywhere I look there are vampires. They are all in struggle because they love some mortal girl, or just fighting each other for some reason. I like vampire stories, but those above are empty, boring, and pretty much the same. The last good movie I saw was Interview With The Vampire. I knew nothing about Buffy the Vampire Slayer or David Boreanaz. But then last December I started watching Boreanaz' current TV Show Bones, and after a few episodes I was hooked. Friends told me about Angel, so I got curious. I thought, if it's just another teenager show, I can stop anytime. So there I was, a little worried what I might see. But Angel got under my skin in the very first moment, and made me care about his beautiful, tortured soul. It dragged me down, but in a sweet way, made me cry for him, be happy with him, laugh at him, and sometimes even hate him. He fights for a better world, for us, for his friends and for himself. Last night I've finished the last episode, and I am sad it is over. But Angel left us with a very important note: There is still good in the world, that is worth fighting for. No matter what. I will do anything to by the DVDs and return to him whenever I want to. If you are like me (too late) and haven't seen it yet, you should take the time, you won't regret it. Of course you must be able to read between the lines and not only looking for blood and action. Now I will begin to watch Buffy to see how it all began. For those of you who understand: enjoy! And if you're not, feel free to use your remote.
(Please forgive my bad English) -
Quinoa198418 February 2010Angel is a surprise to watch after getting through the Buffy the Vampire series. They're not really alike, except that both shows have weekly monsters (or sometimes do, other times focusing on mishaps with the central characters) and the 'Big Bad' (in this case, for a while, law-firm Wolfram & Hart). While Buffy chronicles what it's like for a young woman becoming a hero, the saga of being a kind of superhero with super strength but still being a regular human being, Angel is about its own hero of sorts, a vampire who has been "cursed" to help others and has a soul. So, he goes to Los Angeles, teams up with a few people- Cordelia, from Buffy, and Doyle (who didn't last long), Wesley (who did last long), and Gunn, a street hood who is his own kind of slayer- and opens up a kind of detective agency "to help the hopeless".
Usually when I look at Joss Whedon's TV shows, a lot of them rely best on a central arc carrying over the series episode to episode (one saw how this worked so well on Buffy and with a little more trouble on Dollhouse). This isn't to say that episodes don't flow together or have strong story lines (they often do, and the sub-plots with Wesley, Cordy and eventually Gun are always involving). But here though it's episodic first, arc second, and this actually works out really well. While the "Big Bad" of the season isn't always out of reach, what we look forward to on Angel is seeing what case he has to solve next, what monster he'll have to fight or what person/non-person he'll have to save. And meanwhile the constant is him trying to be a little more compassionate and caring while also being a dark brooding vampire who on occasion, if he achieves true happiness, becomes the evil 'Angelus' vampire. This isn't as confusing as it sounds (a vampire who becomes... an evil vampire?)
What also helps is that Whedon and co-creator David Greenwalt always put in a sense of humor about things, be it the nightclub run by green-skinned Fred where the demons sing (and Angel gets to belt out "Mandy"), or in some of the wisecracks from the characters. There's also some fantastic action and fights- or, sometimes not- and there's the usual lot of crappy CGI that one saw on Buffy too. But what makes it constantly enjoyable is the film-noir aesthetic: Angel is a little like a Raymond Chandler leftover doused in a touch of Batman and left out to do his thing in seedy LA. The characters are fun and convincing, and even when they're not (take season four for example, a lot of it), a good juicy villain or memorable moment is around the corner.
Angel was a successful spin off, running for five seasons, and when one gets into just the first two seasons it's easy to see why. It's more Whedon-esquire goodness on display, with an oddly charismatic David Boreanaz in the lead (improving/building much upon his character on Buffy). -
Angel as a show did not know what it wanted to be. Most of the plots of Angel were basically Angel vs some evil that he defeats with the help of his friends. In the first season the show kicked off to a terrific start in the first episode, with Angel essentially introducing himself to LA.
Then the show went on a gimmick fest, with stories about, what are these people hiding, why is Angel acting so strange, etc etc. By the forth season it became a sad depressing soap opera, with one continuous story. By the fifth season, they brought the gimmicks back with a party show, a dance show, and a puppet show. However, during the fifth season we see the sad death of two major characters in touching scenes.
It seamed the show searched for an identity: is it a soap opera? is it a sad story? it is a gimmick fest? what are they doing? what is Angel's purpose, helping the helpless? fighting evil?
In the mist of all this, during the gimmick search of the first season, somehow, they smashed a home run, a hundred miles out of the stadium. Bringing the Buffy character evil Faith Lehane, to LA, the writers may have wanted to play with the meaning of the word "bad" in a story called "Five By Five". They came up with a fantastic story, with a great ending, and suddenly the writers appeared to wanted to continue that theme. The Angel show became about "saving souls" and "redemption". Despite using these words often, this theme did not last long and probably would have been a better theme for the show, than where the stories actually went.
I have searched the Angel episodes for another like "Five By Five" and could not find it.
"Five By Five",
overtakes any movie or other story as simply the
most powerful dramatic story
I have ever seen.
Eliza Dushku gives her best and most stunning performance in this episode, and I feel certain this episode is the reason, she was given the lead in two TV series within the first 5 years after Angel ended.
I recognize it is not easy to write a terrific story every week. I recognize that people watch the show for other reasons, other than seeing some powerful dramatic story. There are some good inventive stories. There are some surprises.
But most of all, the show appeared, to go in many direction, when it could have been so much better going in one direction. -
shanawerali2419 June 2013This is definitely the most underrated series i have seen. A series this good should easily have been given a rating of above 9.0. I have watched many series including Lost, Prison Break, The Shield, The Wire, The Walking Dead, Dexter But non of them are as dark, emotional and addicting as Angel. I wished this series could have continued 5 seasons are not enough for a story line so intriguing and perfect. Each and every element of the series is Perfect especially the intro music. Its my favorite music and definitely the most dark and addicting music ever. You might not like the first few seasons but please watch it to the end because after you finish the last episode I bet you'd agree with me that Angel is the best series there ever will be.................
Angel FTW -
cdymally25 August 2019Angel had a strong cast and characters. It was dark, but also fun and witty. The only knock I have is the lack of compelling villains. They are mostly villain of the week. The cast and characters are the best part of the show. I watched to see the characters more than the plot.
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mikhailmagno17 July 2019While it appeared to start as nothing more than a little extension of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel" managed to take on a life of its own. Whereas Buffy stands guard in suburban Sunnydale, Angel takes on the criminal and supernatural underground of the aptly chosen sprawling megalopolis of Los Angeles.
More than just a simple change in setting, "Angel" also takes on a darker and more mature route sprinkled with elements of noir. A vampire with a soul seeks redemption, walking between his desire to do good and his dark past brought by his evil alter ego, Angelus. Although Angel is admittedly a nuanced character with good personal conflicts even from the parent show, I never found myself as interested in him as I did other characters. Despite that, his character shone and developed in his own series.
Additionally, old and new characters bring their brand of inner demons, need for redemptions and morality to the table. Highschool queen of popularity Cordelia finds herself unsure of her path in the big city, gradually leaving her desire to become a celebrity in favor of becoming a selfless champion for others. Rogue slayer Faith is forced to confront her misdeeds and rediscovers what her purpose is. Spike simultaneously maintains his rivalry and friendship with Angel.
There are no character developments if there are no challenges, and this show excels in sending its characters into the crucible, as even the champions of good often stray into dubious territory. Angel himself tumbles as he confronts the powerful and influential law firm Wolfram & Hart. Wesley mingles with an enemy in ways more than one. Doe-eyed genius Fred eventually loses her innocence in a bout of vengeance. Confident vampire hunter Gunn gradually loses sight of what made him fight the good fight. Indeed, as they head into the final season, the entire ensemble makes a string of game-changing decisions that to this day, is still worth arguing over on whether they made the good choice. And for a show that tackles different shades of morality, and, what it means to do good despite one's shortcomings, it sure is fitting that entire arcs are written to explore this.
True to the core of its parent show, "Angel" delivers with a good mixture of adventure, fantasy and horror elements, drama and action. It truly is a worthy addition to the mythos of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". -
dyellow-3890218 April 2016Having been and still a big fan of Buffy the Vampire slayer, I was pleased to see that Joss Whedon was making a TV series about Angel.
Unfortunately it didn't live up to expectations. The first few seasons were good but it kind of went down hill from there. I really don't want to be harsh about Angel but it felt like they were running out of ideas towards the end.
Some of the characters were brilliant though especially Lorne and of Course Angel. It wasn't all bad and some of the episodes where really good.
Looking back on the creation of Angel the TV series I don't think they should have done it. Maybe they could have put some of them ideas in to making a few more series of Buffy instead. Which in my opinion would have worked out better. -
TheFangs23 May 2006Incredibly lame is the best way to describe this show. The jokes are lame, the stories are lame and most of the characters are lame. My guess is that the only reason it has such a high rating is that those that hate it can't even be buggered to vote.
It does have a certain "soap opera" attraction though. You know its utter crap, but you still watch it to see what happens next if only because about once or twice in each season there is an episode that heightens the standard from merely very bad to mediocre, but in contrast to the rest of the show seems very good.
I used to watch it on Sunday mornings, and when you have the aftereffects of a night of binge drinking doing its work on your brain and liver, then this kind of TV is just the thing. (Because engagement of the brain is not required)
But if you are sober (or over the age of 12) then stay as far away as possible from this series. -
eamon-hennedy27 October 2003One word:fantastic. It sums up Angel perfectly, it is that rarity, a spin-off show that is better than the series that it came from and that really is saying something. Everything about this show is perfect. The casting, the writing, the directing, the special make up effects, I can't say enough about it. Coming along during Buffy's fourth season when it started to flounder, it made it's sister series look bad by being better. Whereas Buffy started to use the gimmick (silent episode, musical episodes) and whereas they were very, very, good (they were written and directed by Joss Whedon after all), Angel was just being a great show that was telling great stories. Doyle's sacrifice, Darla's pregnancy, Holtz's revenge, Wesley's betrayal, the apocalypse and Cordy turning evil, all of these and more were fantastic moments that catapulted some of the most devious plotting constructed for a television show. While Joss himself has only written and directed about four episodes, it has been left to David Greenwalt and Tim Minear to steer this show into the classic realm of television and over the course the last two seasons it has really stepped out of the shadow of its sister show and has really stood well on it's own two feet.
While Buffy went of to a new channel, in this case UPN, Angel remained at its home of WB and this splitting of the two shows was more in favor of Angel, creatively. It allowed Angel to become its own show which it did magnificently. The fight scenes became really spectacular (just check out the sped up film look during the early half of season three and the Matrix style slow-mo in the second half) and the story arcs became more inspired. The inclusion of a pregnant Darla and the character of Holtz, whose family was killed by Angel over one hundred years ago, led to a fantastic third season, which had a fantastic, yet shocking conclusion, while season four was the best wielding the biggest story arc of it's history which pitted the gang against the Beast, an evil Cordy and eventually Jasmine, played fantastically by Gina Torres.
The cast has also developed sublimely over the past four seasons. The inclusion of a supporting cast created especially for the show like Gunn, Fred and Lorne (my favorite of them all) has led to a fantastic ensemble, while Angel, Cordy and Wesley have all developed in wonderful ways over the past four seasons, while Glenn Quinn was superb in his nine episode stint in the first season. What a shame he died so young.
If you have yet to treat yourself to the delights of this show, please do, because that is exactly what it is. A treat. -
mortrician5 August 2019This is one of those shows I find myself not only going back to over and over, but one that I also recommend to friends who haven't seen it. Although I loved Buffy the Vampire Slayer (this is a spin-off if you aren't aware), Angel has a certain charm to it that Buffy lacks. Though it wouldn't have existed without Buffy, I think it is a work of art by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. This show makes you fall in love with every single character, whether you want to or not. The wins and the losses feel like your own, and the comedic relief in the midst of the drama and the horror is always right on time, exactly when you need it. I've never watched a show that had me more invested and more engrossed in what was going to happen next, and I think it's genius how some of the key points of the story intertwine. If you haven't watched this (or Buffy for that matter), you've got some serious catching up to do but it will be very worth your while. I admit that some of the initial episodes are a little 90's-esque and can be cheesy, but if you love horror, scifi, and amazing characters and storyline, the rest is just a bonus!
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AngelHonesty16 February 2020A great spin off from Buffy. If you are a Buffy fan you must watch this! Angel, Wesley and Cordelia are originally shown in the first three seasons of Buffy, you get a good sense of who Angel is along with the others. But with this series, the writers really dive into Angel's past as you get to fully discover this character and see some serious development in other characters such as Cordelia and Wesley.
Angel is filled with cheesy humor, along side the dark and evil creatures lurking in Los Angeles. The cast is great, they couldn't have chosen anyone better then David Boreanaz, Alexis Denisof, Charisma Carpenter, Andy Hallett and Amy Aker. The episodes are filled with interesting stories, funny moments, cheesy lines and lots of heart.
At the start of the series and as it progresses there are lots of cross over characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I would Highly recommend that you watch both shows, starting with Buffy. -
OK, this show never dissembled to the masses. In the episode I just watched Lorne says "bon mot" come on...how many shows let their characters use words/phrases 90% of the population has never heard? They make fun of themselves and refer to prior events - even as far back as Buffy. I love that sense of continuity. But the best, the very best part of this show is the dialogue. It's quick, intelligent and delivered by skilled words-men. Now, for the best scene ever in any show on TV, it is in Not Fade Away the very last episode and it takes place between Wesley and Fred/Illyria. It had me sobbing and even had my tough grown son tearing up - on his second or third viewing. It's really wonderful! If you are looking for entertainment, to be captured by characters, to have your imagination tweaked (but not your intelligence insulted), to spend an hour and not see the time go by...Angel is it. Rent it from year one to year five and you will not be sorry - except that it ended. (then go do the same with Firefly...you'll be outraged it ended in it's first season!) Have fun!
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notgivens13 February 2016Most of the initial early problems of this show were solved by the second season, the attention of Joss was probably not enough until Buffy ended, but by season 5 the show was going full speed and became as compelling as Buffy ever was. The crossover eps with Buffy were gripping, tears were shed, brow wet with sweat.
Cordelia Chase finding a place in the show helped with familiarity, though sadly, she's had little luck other than cameos since, but I was glad to finally see her special side in Bound recently. Spike/James Marsden stole BOTH shows, and the hearts of every 13 year old girl in the country I'd bet, but if vampires don't breathe, how the heck did he smoke so much?
Problems occurred only when the two shows moved to separate networks, as I'd hoped for far more crossovers, because their love was eternal and magical. Season 5 substituted the back of a blond girl as a weak substitute for SMG herself, but still stood out as the best of all with the wildly creative turns.
Fun from beginning to end, if you've ever considered it, it's all worth a watch.
DB, you'll always be Angel to me, even after 10 years as Booth on Bones. -
krissy_2451426 January 2010Angel, a spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is usually considered to be a more mature version of Buffy. And more maturity, in this case, often meant less entertaining.
The series starts of slow. In fact, it doesn't really get good until about half-way through the third season. Earlier episodes have their moments, but they are often choppy and uninteresting. Angel and Cordelia both evolve and though, if they were real people, it might be considered a good thing, in the context of entertainment it isn't. Angel should always be reserved, reflective and broody - whatever other personality traits he cultivates on the way. Cordelia should always be shallow and witty and oddly compassionate. They could have grown and changed without losing the essence of what made them great and interesting characters.
As mentioned before, the show picks up greatly halfway through the third season. It becomes compelling and entertaining but simple. Which is what this show should have always been. I strongly believe that the spin-off should never have happened. Buffy was not as good without Angel and Cordelia, and Angel suffered without the Buffy characters. Many, in fact most of the story lines in Angel could have been adapted for Buffy. I feel the spin-off was completely unnecessary. Instead of one really great show, we ended up with two okay shows that occasionally had moments of brilliance. I would have preferred the former.
All up, Angel is a decent show and one worth watching if you're a fan of Buffy or Joss Whedon. But prepare yourself for some mediocre and sometimes, frankly, bizarre story-telling until the third season hits.
Whedon's finest work can be seen in Firefly and the first three seasons of Buffy. -
daknight2427 November 2018I was always into vampires, werewolves and the supernatural growing up... when I stumbled upon this show when I was younger, I immediately fell in love with it. I was also a fan of Buffy. But now, I'm sad that they took it off Netflix and I can't watch it anymore!! Great show and amazing cast tho!
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Angel is mostly known for that. It also follows the same timeline. So you can watch both shows back to back. As much as I enjoy this show, I still think Buffy the Vampire Slayer is better. And I don't see what makes it more mature, either. It even happened to be the opposite for me, especially during the first season. And some stand alone episodes, as well as the Pylea's arc, that made the Angel series, look sillier and ultimately targeted to a much younger audience. I don't mind it, after all I'm a huge fan of WB's old series. But I hate how some fans made it out to be something it's not, and the cartoonish comic reliefs, didn't help make its case either. To me, the series also suffered from season three serialized plot and the new character it was focused on. It was too melodramatic for its own good. I'd say, watch season one for the cool monsters of the week, and crossover episodes. Season two, for Darla's return. Season three, out of curiosity. Season four, for how crazy and over the top it can get. And season five, for completely exceeding your expectations of a finale season.
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reneereed-7624424 February 2018I watched Angel as it first aired in early 00's and loved it immediately. Almost 20 years on and it still remains one of my favourite shows ever.
David Boreanaz is brilliant as Angel and his "side-kicks" Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Lorne and Fred just make the show complete.
Cordelia and Wesley have fantastic character growth in Angel compared to their characters in Buffy and end up entirely different people to who they started off as, but the growth was slow, genuine and believable.
There are still a few low points to the series which can't be ignored. Season 4 as a whole wasn't great, especially what was done to Cordelia's character. Connor was annoying for the entire length of season 4 but they redeemed his character in season 5.
All in all, an amazing series that you must see if you love sci-fi, vampires, buffy or just looking for something new to watch! -
ZinQ7 January 2019However, so utterly fed up with Darla, Darla, Darla, Darla! One very very boring, typical vampire, I could really do without. Guess the writers got 'writers block' or something.
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shreena-kotecha9 January 2007This is an OK show. It entertains. It's rarely boring but it lacks the polish of Buffy. The show gets more and more ludicrous as it goes on - the character of Cordelia, especially, just becomes unrecognisable from the original character who used to be great fun.
The story arcs drag on and on and on - the Season 2 one spends so long setting up the story that I'd lost interest in it by the time things started happening. I don't hate long arcs but I don't think Angel is a show that manages to pace them very well.
David Borneaz does his best but he's clearly out of his depth as the main character. The man has only a couple of facial expressions and this lack of depth in his acting ruins moments that otherwise might have been very effective.
The real bright spot is the character of Wesley and the actor who plays him.