One 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.
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.