Angel

The Weird and The Wacky Meet

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101 Angelic Episodes

Television is often not worth watching. Between the reality shows, the sensationalistic news and the blatant appeals to the least common denominator, it is hard to find a program that is entertaining and intelligent. When you do find one, you tend to cling to it like it’s the only smart thing in the known universe. “Angel” was a show I clung to.

Contrary to what one might assume from the name alone, “Angel” is actually about a vampire whose name is Angel, played by David Boreanaz. What makes him different from the usual blood-suckers is that, after a long and violent career, he gained a soul that gives him a conscience and drives him to fight evil with his trusted band of buddies. He fights as much out of guilt and a desire for redemption as he does from simply wanting to help others, and he doesn’t always win.

While “Angel” is a spin-off from the once popular but now canceled, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” series, it has always held its own against its predecessor, covering new ground with a distinct feel. The show can be dark, but it slips easily between seriousness and humor, and always seems to have something important to say. Now, well into its fifth and final season, “Angel” is going out with style and grace.

As I would have told anyone willing to listen, the fourth season of “Angel” was by far the best thing I’ve ever seen on television. It was clever and full of drama and intrigue, with plots that worked on more than just one level and made me think.

So it was with trepidation that I began watching the fifth season of Angel last fall. I knew that Cordelia Chase, Angel’s second on again, off again romance, was gone, lying in coma waiting for her character to either come back or die off. Then there was Spike, the other vampire with a soul, who had died on “Buffy.” He was being brought back from the dead and into the “Angel” world as a foil for the main character. Finally, there was the change of venue. The whole team was now running Wolfram and Hart, the evil law firm they had been fighting for four years. Could I accept these new changes? Would the show still be as intelligent and intriguing?

It’s now February, and I am still up in the air on some my initial fears. The show is definitely not as engaging without the season-long plot arcs. Having a story that stretched out over several episodes allowed the characters more growth, which made it easier to care about them. Plots that only last a single episode are hard to get into, and I miss anticipating a resolution for the whole season.

Not that there aren’t things that need to be resolved at the end of the series. Angel is, after all, working for the law offices of his sworn enemies. As a result, he’s been labeled as untrustworthy by the old Buffy gang and his reputation is suffering. Not to mention that it’s still unclear whether it is Angel or Spike that is the subject of the prophesies about a vampire who has a soul and will be rewarded with humanity.

In my opinion, Spike should have been left in the grave, instead of being recycled for comic relief. After seven years on “Buffy,” he died on the series finale, willingly giving his immortal life up to save the world. Undoing this is a disservice to the character and makes his death seem like a pointless ploy in retrospect. As much as I enjoy the character, played to perfection by James Marsters, he takes up valuable screen time that long-standing characters deserve more.

In the one hundredth episode, Cordelia’s story was finally wrapped up. A love interest who never quite worked out, she came back from her coma to help Angel one last time before dying. While this plot was not especially original, it was nice that they allowed Charisma Carpenter, who plays Cordelia, a chance to put a conclusion on her role, summarizing her character and showing how she had grown from the spoiled, self-absorbed rich girl to someone who really worth admiring. It is this respect for its characters that distinguishes the series from so many others.

Despite the problems this season, which probably seem worse to dedicated fans than they really are, “Angel” is still very much worth watching. Unfortunately, the WB has announced that this will be the last season. So far, about 33,000 people have signed a petition to keep the show on the air. “Buffy” made the switch to another network, and “Angel” could possibly do the same. It’s managed to stay smart, and that’s no small feat.

If you’re unfamiliar with the show, you can get caught up by watching reruns Monday through Friday at 5:00 pm on TNT. New episodes air on Wednesday nights at 9:00 pm on the WB network. You can also sign the petition to save the show at http://www.petitiononline.com/ai5d0162/petition.html.

5 out of 5 stars.

Go on, go save Angel

By Amanda Evans

Original Publishing Date: 03/04/04