Angel- Why no Love!

[Snick27]

Long story short i got into Angel during season 5 without ever watching the other season and never really watching Buffy. And was crushed when it was canceled as i thought season 5 was great and wanted so much more.

Well i finally watched up too middle of season 4 and wow this is a great show and shocked i never see anyone talking about it here. This show was dark and funny and something special that is missing from tv now a days.

So what does everyone think of this show?

 

[RoJoHen]

Love it. One of my favorite shows ever.

 

[FreezeC77]

I love it more then Buffy.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

Oh, it still comes up occasionally. I think it's just infrequent that anyone thinks of anything new to say about it. It's such a clearly brilliant series, all the necessary superlatives have already been said.

For me, Angel did the unthinkable-- it dethroned Star Trek: Deep Space 9 as my all-time favorite TV series. Angel has it all-- great characters, sharp humor, a story that keeps you guessing, and effective themes about hopelessness & redemption in a world where "there is no big win." It's also a show that came at just the right time in my life, when I was, in my own small way, going through a lot of the same existential issues that Angel struggled with. How does one man find meaning in life when he can't, singlehandedly, change anything?

As for when the series ended, I think it may have ended at just the right point. Season 4 stretched the Angel Investigations set-up to the breaking point. The Wolfram & Hart revamp in Season 5 was a much needed change but I never thought that that storyline had much more than a year's worth of material in it. While more seasons of a great TV show would always be interesting to watch, I think they ended at exactly the right moment before the show was completely out of steam. Beyond more Angel/Spike banter and character development for Illyria, there's nothing I can think of that I really wanted to see that we didn't already see. (Also SEE Buffy Seasons 6 & 7 for what happens when a show gets greedy and overstays its welcome.)

 

[RoJoHen]

As much as I liked the finale, I almost wish it had been twice as long. The way it ends works, I guess, but I wanted to see more of that final battle, even if all our heroes die in the end.

Yes, I've been reading the "After the Fall" series, but it's just not the same as a live-action show.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

There was some good writing on the show but it was a meandering mess. Part of that was Boreanaz, one of the most "challenged" leading men on television. I watched it sporadically but with no great interest until the final season when it improved a little through the addition of Marsters to the cast and a general shift in emphasis.

 

[RoJoHen]

How exactly was it a "meandering mess?"

 

[AJBryant]

Personally, I loved Angel. Hated his kid, though. Man. That was one stupid brat.

 

[DonIago]

^As with Wesley (Crusher), I thought Connor became tremendously more watchable when he was seen less. Anything from the end of fourth season forward.

Of course, as to "our" Wesley...now that was one of the best character arcs ever. OMG the final episode...

 

[Daneel]

I too quite enjoyed Angel -- in fact, it eventually surpassed Buffy as my favourite Whedon show. I think you'll find that it gets plenty of love around here, and deservedly so.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I couldn't stand Connor originally. I only started to tolerate the character after his speech in the church in "Peace Out" about how Jasmine has made everyone happy except him. After that, I really enjoyed his remaining appearances in "Home," "Origins," & "Not Fade Away." In fact, after that "Peace Out" speech gave his character a little more emotional context, I started to enjoy him more in the earlier episodes as well. He's still never going to be on my list of favorite characters but I no longer wish his horrible death on a weekly basis.

I must disagree with Dennis about David Boreanaz. I think he is so much of what made the series work. I don't think any other actor in Hollywood could pull off the duality of being a badass hero while still doing this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3it4c0dcU4c . Or remember "Herb Saunders from Baltimore" in "Sense & Sensitivity"?

 

[startrekwatcher]

I heard so much about this show and tried to watch it but I couldn't stand it. I didn't like the "humor" or the whole tone of the series which felt awfully campy--something that really puts me off.

I honestly don't see why people rave on about it or Whedon for that matter. But then everyone has different tastes--I also can't stand Dr. Who, the Stargates, Lexx, Hercules or Xena but there appears to be a fanbase out there.

 

[Hyperspace05]

I was never a fan of Buffy-verse... But my wife started watching reruns of Angel, so I caught a few episodes as well. I really enjoyed the last two season in particular. Quite epic and moving at times. A great finale as well.

I just cannot stand Charisma Carpenter, though... So her absence could be what improved the show.

 

[RoJoHen]

I just cannot stand Charisma Carpenter, though... So her absence could be what improved the show.

I'm exactly the opposite. Cordelia is one of my favorite characters of all time, so as soon as she was gone, I started to not like the show as much.

 

[Skywalker]

My enjoyment of the show actually went up every season as Wesley became more and more awesome.

It's easily one of my favorite shows of all time. I wish it had gotten one more season.

 

[Rii]

I'm borrowing this from someone, I forget who: Angel was more consistent than Buffy, but it never reached Buffy's extraordinary heights (and Firefly was much stronger than both shows at the equivalent point in their runs, but never got the chance to grow ).

Incidentally, when I did some number-crunching on the IMDB episode ratings for both shows a while back, this was perhaps the most interesting of all the "common wisdom" observations to be supported by the data.

 

[BigFoot]

I adore it, one of my favourite shows ever.

 

[Hermiod]

Angel was a great show and a welcome break from the angry girl power crap on the other show.

 

[StarshipDefiant]

Plenty of love here, I loved this show, and still do. I have most of the series on DVD, and would love to get the rest (especially if I can find it in the smaller cases, but that's my weird, space saving OCD-ness). It's not very new though, and has been over for a few years, which could explain why it's not discussed much anymore.

Personally, I loved Angel. Hated his kid, though. Man. That was one stupid brat.

I'm not certain I could ever hate a character anymore then I have come to hate Connor.

My enjoyment of the show actually went up every season as Wesley became more and more awesome.

It's easily one of my favorite shows of all time. I wish it had gotten one more season.

Wesley had gone through an awesome transformation throughout the series. One of the most contrasting episodes is "Spin the Bottle" when everyone thinks they are 17 or so (in some cases, I'd say younger given Cordy's comments) and it's the cheerful, nerdy (and wimpy) Wesley compared to the other parts of the episode of a broody, badass Wesley.

I guess it could be true it got better in season five, personally I liked the arc attempt (even if some was sloppy) in season four, but I am a sucker for arcs.

I to, wish it had gotten another season, to me Comics don't count as much. That and well, Amy Acker has revealed that she'd have a duel role, with Fred somehow coming back, I adored Fred, and wish he had gotten to see those episodes.

IMO though, this is one of the best series, ever.

 

[Shurik]

I also like it much more than Buffy.