It is difficult to talk about "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" without also bringing up its spin-off series, "Angel". The latter has received a mixed response from BTVS fans, which is to be expected, seeing as they are entirely different shows, despite having some familiar faces.
When I re-visited BTVS at the beginning of last year, I wondered if I ought to also watch ATS alongside it. Surprisingly, I decided against watching "Angel" at the time. Now, it's not that I hadn't seen it before, I had seen bits of it growing up, but back then, I was far more interested in its parent series. Frankly, I would like to go back in time [to last year] and kick myself for my silliness. I even had the complete set of DVDs! Just what was I thinking?
Being a prolific member of many groups dedicated to Whedon's works on Facebook, I had seen discussions about "Angel" pop up frequently. I couldn't really join in, since although I knew the plot-points, I hadn't actually seen most of the episodes, therefore, I had no real opinions formulated.
A few months ago (before I started this blog), I decided that I was going to check "Angel" out and expand my knowledge. I figured that it would be a logical choice, seeing as I wanted to write about more elements of the Buffyverse and I already knew BTVS like the back of my hand. I was also very curious about seeing the Illyria arc in action.
So what did I think of "Angel" when I started watching it from episode one? Well, at first, it felt odd. I was expecting Buffy or Willow to pop out. I also observed that the show had a much darker tone, which I had expected... and let me just say, I loved the direction that they had taken for ATS. Although BTVS explored some darker themes in season six, I feel as if most of the execution of the aforementioned themes was poor, and it [season six] ranks low in my order of favourite seasons.
For me, the real magick in "Angel" begins in season two with the Pylea arc. That arc is important for two main reasons: one, being that we learn a lot more about Lorne, and we are introduced to the spectacular character that is Winifred "Fred" Burkle. Both Lorne and Fred are fan-favourite characters, who I also completely cherish.
Frankly, I believe that "Angel" is every bit as good as "Buffy" is. Some fans are reluctant to try it out as they are not a fan of the eponymous character himself (due to his stint on BTVS/David's acting), but the character really comes into himself on his own show. We see a lot more about his past, and honestly, Angel is a massively awkward dork. Though I mentioned that the series is a lot more dark than BTVS, it does have a lot of humour scattered throughout it, in particular, in season four's "Spin the Bottle" and season five's "Smile Time". There is plenty of tragedy in the series, too, the end of season five is the best example of that.
Just like "Buffy", there are bad episodes in the series, like you would expect. Season four is not particularly great, but it does have its good moments. I think that the series really hit its stride in season five, which is unfortunate, as it was cancelled. Unlike "Chosen", "Angel"'s finale, "Not Fade Away" is inconclusive and it ends on a massive cliff-hanger. Some fans revere it as being superb as they feel as if it fit into the theme of the series, personally, I disagree, for it leaves me feeling unsatisfied each and every time. It isn't that the episode is bad, quite the contrary, I hungered for more.
Naturally, as "Buffy" is the parent show and it was a huge game-changer, it receives a lot more recognition. BTVS deserves every single bit of praise that it gets, but I will say that "Angel" is very underrated. If you are a fan of "Buffy" and you have yet to see "Angel", I would recommend that you scope it out. Try to view it as its own series because although it has Angel, Cordelia and Wesley, the characters are completely different to how they appeared on their parent series. ATS has possibly, even more character development than BTVS does in some respects. Just look at how much Cordelia, in particular developed.
In conclusion, "Angel" is worthy of your time, and if you give it time, it may just capture your heart as much as BTVS has. Some fans have even found themselves preferring "Angel" over "Buffy", you may or you may not, but it is interesting to watch, nonetheless. Readers, how do you feel about "Angel"? Were you a fan of the series? Who is your favourite character? Let me know!
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When I re-visited BTVS at the beginning of last year, I wondered if I ought to also watch ATS alongside it. Surprisingly, I decided against watching "Angel" at the time. Now, it's not that I hadn't seen it before, I had seen bits of it growing up, but back then, I was far more interested in its parent series. Frankly, I would like to go back in time [to last year] and kick myself for my silliness. I even had the complete set of DVDs! Just what was I thinking?
Being a prolific member of many groups dedicated to Whedon's works on Facebook, I had seen discussions about "Angel" pop up frequently. I couldn't really join in, since although I knew the plot-points, I hadn't actually seen most of the episodes, therefore, I had no real opinions formulated.
A few months ago (before I started this blog), I decided that I was going to check "Angel" out and expand my knowledge. I figured that it would be a logical choice, seeing as I wanted to write about more elements of the Buffyverse and I already knew BTVS like the back of my hand. I was also very curious about seeing the Illyria arc in action.
So what did I think of "Angel" when I started watching it from episode one? Well, at first, it felt odd. I was expecting Buffy or Willow to pop out. I also observed that the show had a much darker tone, which I had expected... and let me just say, I loved the direction that they had taken for ATS. Although BTVS explored some darker themes in season six, I feel as if most of the execution of the aforementioned themes was poor, and it [season six] ranks low in my order of favourite seasons.
For me, the real magick in "Angel" begins in season two with the Pylea arc. That arc is important for two main reasons: one, being that we learn a lot more about Lorne, and we are introduced to the spectacular character that is Winifred "Fred" Burkle. Both Lorne and Fred are fan-favourite characters, who I also completely cherish.
Frankly, I believe that "Angel" is every bit as good as "Buffy" is. Some fans are reluctant to try it out as they are not a fan of the eponymous character himself (due to his stint on BTVS/David's acting), but the character really comes into himself on his own show. We see a lot more about his past, and honestly, Angel is a massively awkward dork. Though I mentioned that the series is a lot more dark than BTVS, it does have a lot of humour scattered throughout it, in particular, in season four's "Spin the Bottle" and season five's "Smile Time". There is plenty of tragedy in the series, too, the end of season five is the best example of that.
Just like "Buffy", there are bad episodes in the series, like you would expect. Season four is not particularly great, but it does have its good moments. I think that the series really hit its stride in season five, which is unfortunate, as it was cancelled. Unlike "Chosen", "Angel"'s finale, "Not Fade Away" is inconclusive and it ends on a massive cliff-hanger. Some fans revere it as being superb as they feel as if it fit into the theme of the series, personally, I disagree, for it leaves me feeling unsatisfied each and every time. It isn't that the episode is bad, quite the contrary, I hungered for more.
Naturally, as "Buffy" is the parent show and it was a huge game-changer, it receives a lot more recognition. BTVS deserves every single bit of praise that it gets, but I will say that "Angel" is very underrated. If you are a fan of "Buffy" and you have yet to see "Angel", I would recommend that you scope it out. Try to view it as its own series because although it has Angel, Cordelia and Wesley, the characters are completely different to how they appeared on their parent series. ATS has possibly, even more character development than BTVS does in some respects. Just look at how much Cordelia, in particular developed.
In conclusion, "Angel" is worthy of your time, and if you give it time, it may just capture your heart as much as BTVS has. Some fans have even found themselves preferring "Angel" over "Buffy", you may or you may not, but it is interesting to watch, nonetheless. Readers, how do you feel about "Angel"? Were you a fan of the series? Who is your favourite character? Let me know!
X