Description
ANGEL SEASON 1 (6 DISCS) ANGEL SEASON 2 (6 DISCS) ANGEL SEASON 3 (6 DISCS) ANGEL SEASON 4 (6 DISCS) ANGEL SEASON 5 (6 DISCS) **COMPANION BOOKLET **LETTER TO FANS FROM JOSS WHEDON
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 Loved it
Loved the show, had to have the set replaced though because some of the DVDs would not play, or skipped. Amazon replaced them ASAP though. Thanks!!
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 Incredible Series - Wonderful Presentation ( kkadan )
So much good stuff has already been written regarding this magnificent series. Clearly, Josh Whedon has an incredible ability to consistently deliver excellence to his television audience. For me, if the production has Whedon's fingerprints on it - I'm in.
The packaging for Angel, Seasons 1-5 is impressive. If you're a collector, this boxed set is amazing. Easy access to all 30 disks inside a strong holding box. So, if you loved this series and would like to have the all five seasons beautifully organized for your viewing convenience, order the set today. Enjoy.
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Haven't watched Buffy yet, but..
I really enjoyed Angel. I purchased Angel after purchasing and enjoying Firefly. Angel was far cheaper than Buffy one day so I went for it. The whole thing was very entertaining, but I felt the show "jumped the shark" near the end of the 4th season so I felt it did not end prematurely. I am waiting now for a super sale to buy the Buffy series. Whedon makes some good shows that my wife finds entertaining as well (which is rare). Buy it you'll like it.
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Angel (Spoilers, early)
All in all, good stuff, and pretty much what I have come to expect out of the mean, mean, very mean, Fred-killing, Joss Whedon.
I very much appreciated the respect that Angel pays its audience. The show doesn't feel the need to explain everything to viewers that might jump into the story midstream. It treats the audience as adults. Either they take the time to view the series, or they accept that they are entering into a story in the middle. I was glad to see them abandon the encapsulated episodes of the first season, and move on to larger story arcs.
Angel doesn't exactly hit on all of the comedy cylinders, in the way that the Buffy or Firefly stuff does. The situational and character humor (Mandy, etc.) are right there, but the one-liners feel a little bit forced on occasion. It is more focused on the dramatic arcs; so this isn't too large of a drawback. Anyway there often is not a lot to laugh about in Angel.
Angel: Boreanaz turns in a really solid performance through out the show. Angel was a well defined character coming from Buffy. I was glad to see that they were able move on from simply brooding over Buffy. Brooding over himself provides plenty of fertile ground.
Doyle: Was fun while he lasted. Joss doesn't mind breaking conventions. One of the things that I love about Joss Whedon-verse is that he seldom strings the viewers along in a 90210-esque unrequited love farce. Sure, as soon as you get together one of you will probably drop dead, lose your soul, be consumed from the inside by an ancient demon, etc., but at least he doesn't leave the viewers screaming JAHOYFT, for very long. This way of treating the audience as adults is exemplified (as is one of my myriad reasons for utterly loving Fred) when Gunn breaks up with Fred, in The House Always Wins. Fred doesn't flounder. She isn't hurt, or self doubting, or angry. She immediately goes to her friends and tells them that Gunn is in terrible danger. Yeah, my girl is smart and empathetic.
The visions, together with Caritas, also provide great mechanisms for the exposition of flobotnam. It saves so much screen time just to be able to plant these things, and in the case of Caritas, provides great laughs.
Cordellia: Cordy has a wonderful arc from Buffy to You're Welcome. She really does become a higher power, the All Mother, serene, grounded, strong, and wise. Who'd've thunk.
Wesley: Wesley is wonderful throughout. Great dark turns, while staying true to his heart, his conscience, and his friends. Alexis (and the script) takes a character that started as nothing more than a comic foil, builds him into a truly heroic character. Again Joss doesn't fall into clichéd unrequited love. Wesley will always love Fred, (and who wouldn't?) but he doesn't keep it a secret, nor does he hold it against Gunn that he also loves her, or that she doesn't return his love.
Gunn: Gunn is a tricky one for me to sum up. In the beginning I liked Gunn quite a bit. His persona as an independent white-hat was compelling, and his initial position as one of Angel's Avengers was a great fit. I was glad to have someone to identify with while loving Fred, but it is during their relationship that his role starts to weaken. I can't quite put my finger on what weakens. It is something about him getting caught up in thinking of himself as "just the muscle," but that isn't quite it. Gunn was always more than just the muscle. So, his falling so easily into this trap is part of it. That said, I like the Brain Upgrade story line, I just don't see the muscle motivation as being enough. His performance suffers somewhat, but becomes strong again, by the end and his final deal with Wolfram & Hart.
Kate: It is too bad that Kate's story sort of fell apart. I would have liked to have seen this story fleshed out more, or at lease given a better send off.
Loren: A wonderful addition to the cast, Loren is comedy gold. Any time they need to lighten the atmosphere, they can just have someone sing. Loren also adds to the dramatic story lines by contrasting the Champions with his own cowardly, if good hearted motivations.
"And stop calling me pastries."
Spike: Spike is always great. I was very pleased to see him join the show. His contrast with Angel (old world vs. new world, emotionally sequestered vs. heart on the sleeve of his leather coat) creates great comic tension.
Harmony: Mercedes takes the shallowest of characters and gets us to care about her, a trend that began on Buffy, but continues to deepen throughout Angel, mirroring Cordy's path but toward evil instead of good, and in a shallower and shallower, if innocuous manner.
Wolf, Ram, & Hart: They got me. Very cool villains. Yeah, it took a lot to accept that our heroes were willing to dive into the belly of the beast, but it made for a compelling ride. The reveals that they were among the most ancient of evils, and that they existed in Pilea as well gave them great character.
Lindsey: Lindsey is a great villain. He is smart and his motivations are plausibly his own, rather than a monolithic representation of Wolfram & Hart. Strangeloveian demon hand, tattoos, and triple crosses, coupled with the possibility of redemption make for an excellent villain.
Lila: Lila pales somewhat beside Lindsey. She performs a necessary function, and does it well, but I would have liked to see her ride that middle ground of pretending to be willing to seek redemption while holding up a façade (that is in fact real) of evil, and dancing close to the fire of caring for Wesley.
Eve: I couldn't stand Eve as, I am sure, the audience is not supposed to be able to. Well done.
Conner: Well, Conner was fine as a baby. And he was fine as normal kid. Let's just leave it at that. (Holts was good plot line, though)
Andrew: It was wonderful to see Andrew again, and the character that he grew into, not entirely leaving his old self behind, but having come so far as to be a new person.
And lastly, but certainly not leastly, Fred: What can I say about Fred? Whatever I say it couldn't possibly be enough. I was simply head over heels in love with Fred before she even left the cave. I've been looking for a girl like Fred for my whole life. It isn't just Amy Acker. Amy is beautiful and all, but Fred is so much more than beautiful; sweet, and kind, and self reliant, ingenious, even tempered, and cute when she is annoyed, forthright, clever, witty, driven to learn, and then there is her lyrical vibrant voice. Does anyone know where I can find Fred? I'm sure she must be looking for me too. If you see her, please have her drop me a line. I am missing her terribly.
And okay, really lastly Ilyria: A tip of the hat these wonderful producers for giving us Ilyeria and softening the blow of Fred. I was so prepared to despise Ilyria, but being Joss Whedon's emotional marionette, he was once again able to twist my heartstrings into caring about her. It was beautiful to watch her learn to be human, and fall from grace. (Can you say "fall from grace" about a creature that graceful?)
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Hello, hello, hello!!
Simply one of the best shows ever! I can't recommend Angel enough! Make sure to check out the series that follows up Season Five in the form of Graphic Novels.
Great acting, a myriad of great characters, and entertainment for hours. What more could you ask for?
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