Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel - First Time Viewer

[tomalak301]

Judgment

So that's how Angel Season 2 gets started, David Boreanez singing Mandy by Barry Manilow. Um, I was talking to someone on reddit the other day and he let slip that Angel had to sing Karaoke and that this might have been a turn off for some people. I can actually see that. We got from the brutality of the season 1 finale to levity of the Season 2 premiere with Angel singing Barry Manilow.

Ok, so that wasn't the only thing I got out of this episode, but when the end credits even have outtakes of that "performance", you know it was something that needed to be talked about. As for the rest of the episode, nice way to reintroduce the series. Darla is cognizant, which is nice so they can really move forward with her. I enjoyed the jousting battle in front of the tribunal to save the woman, and I think Caritas might become Angel's version of The Bronze. I think this is good because with as big as the demon community is in LA on this series, to have a place where Team Angel can meet and get information was almost necessary.

I also enjoyed the end scene with Faith talking about redemption of the struggle on the path.

Overall, decent episode, but I can understand if people didn't like it if this was their first episode. It's very different from how Season 1 ended.

 

[tomalak301]

Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been

This episode did a much better job as a premiere than the premiere did. I love what this series does with flashbacks, so going back to the 1950s and showing that Angel has been in LA before served as a great premise for this episode. This time they were facing a demon feeding off of people's paranoia and there was a ton of it in 1952. It's really hard to talk about this episode other than the main woman protagonist plays a major role, and back in the present after the demon is defeated Angel realized that she's alive. That scene between him and Judy was heartbreaking, especially the love and forgiveness shown. It made the entire episode worth it. That, and they now have a new office, which is why I said this served as a better premiere than the actual premiere did. This was some great writing further developing Angel's backstory and setting up where Season 2 might go.

First Impressions

Probably the weakest episode of the season so far, but it gave us some nice character development for Gunn, especially since he's still not over his Sister's death. We see the life he leads, and how Cordy believes that it is a dangerous life and he needs protecting.

I thought I missed an episode because now apparently Angel is dreaming of Darla and Darla is seducing him. I'm sure this is one of the keys to season 2's arc, but it felt kind of sudden to me. I guess Angel knows that Darla is back? Maybe I did miss a scene. I think the scene I laughed the hardest was Wesley called Angel a Wanker for not wearing the pink helmet. Thinking about the WB back then (By the way, was Angel always on The WB or did it switch to UPN with Buffy?), to allow that word surprised me for some reason.

 

[tomalak301]

Untouched

Well, this episode cleared up some confusions I had regarding Darla and Angel. W & H has Darla invading Angels dreams, causing him to sleep more than usual. The big plot in this episode deals with an abused girl with telekinisis powers and Angel tries to help her control it. This was a pretty good episode, dealing more with what W & H are up to. Did like the story with Bethany and Angel too but my favorite moment might have been Wesley striking a nerve bringing up Bethany's father. That was a pretty powerful scene and shows just how abused she was.

I'm four episodes into the season and I guess so far the Arc is mainly Darla invading Angel's dreams. It still feels like a demon of the week series, even though the finale made it seem like things were starting to pick up. I don't mind episodic TV, but right now I'm not really seeing much of a difference between Seasons 1 and 2 other than W & H are much more involved and Darla is invading Angel's dreams. Of course the format for a Joss Whedon show seems to be one of slow transition so it's still early. These episodes have been pretty good though, but it's a little drop off from Buffy right now.

 

[SAndrews10]

ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN is one of my favorite episodes of the series. I love that Hotel set!

 

[Forbin]

Doing what? Telling someone to avoid spoilers? I know that tomalok has spoiled his/her self on a few things and didn't want a repeat, if possible.

Not a spolier, no, but the forshadowing/foreboding has given Tomalak preconceptions before that seemed to interfere with his/her enjoyment or expectations. If I misinterpreted that, then never mind. Just a thought.

 

[tomalak301]

Not a spolier, no, but the forshadowing/foreboding has given Tomalak preconceptions before that seemed to interfere with his/her enjoyment or expectations. If I misinterpreted that, then never mind. Just a thought.

It’s not though. I was surprised Darla showed back up and I enjoyed the finale. I’m hoping it leads to some interesting developments in season 2 other than invading dreams, which I have no doubt it will.

@SAndrews10

That was a great set. They really did the 50s justice in that episode.

 

[Forbin]

It’s not though. I was surprised Darla showed back up and I enjoyed the finale. I’m hoping it leads to some interesting developments in season 2 other than invading dreams, which I have no doubt it will.

@SAndrews10

That was a great set. They really did the 50s justice in that episode.

Okay, never mind me then.

 

[tomalak301]

A week or so ago when I said I needed to focus more on Darla when I rewatched Buffy and I think it was @Turtletrekker who said, "You ain't seen nothing yet", I didn't think that was a spoiler either, but after watching the finale, it made that statement all the more clearer. I know there is an episode coming up called "Darla" and this is around the same time as when Spike's origin story aired so I was thinking we were going to see more Darla through the use of flashbacks. Also, Angel is really proving to be a series where Flashbacks are used quite a bit (Almost as good as Arrow in the first few seasons) to fill in Angel's backstory. I did not expect we would see Darla in present day, even if I did forget that she had been staked by Angel.

Now that this season has been doing more with Darla, to complete the whole vamp-four descriptions:

Spike - William The Bloody
Drusilla - Mentally Unstable
Darla - Seductive
Angel - Psycho

One can say these are four features of a pretty messed up relationship.

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

You should rewatch the corresponding Buffy episode before watching Darla.
It makes the experience much richer to watch them back to back.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I would classify Angel more as sadist than psycho.

 

[tomalak301]

I would classify Angel more as sadist than psycho.

Maybe Drusilla is the psycho. I mean when she was cured she did become more stable. Still put them together and they are some of the most fascinating characters in the Buffy-verse

 

[tomalak301]

Dear Boy

Well, shit just got real and Season 2 has officially started. That was an amazing episode, loaded with backstory and present day tension you can cut with a knife. I love how they are weaving the 1700s storyline with 2000, seeing the mess that Angel and Darla created and seeing them go toe to toe now. Benz and Boreanz have incredible chemistry and that scene where Angel tells Darla he was never happy with her around because he didn't have a soul was awesome. Hell, that whole scene might be one of my favorite scenes in the entire Buffy-Universe, and there are so many awesome scenes so far. I was thinking last night it's taking a while for Season 2 to really get going, but then we get episode 5 and like Angel says at the very end, "Bring it on". That was so much fun, in a sadistic kind of way.

It also looked like the reason for Drusilla's madness is because of Angel and Darla. That scene in the convent was also amazing. It's amazing that the Vamp-four created their own little sadistic group by siring each other. Drusilla sired Spike, Darla Sired Angel, Angel sired Drusilla (Or at least that's what the episode is intimating). I love getting more backstory on them, and yeah I probably will watch Fool For Love again. I will also probably see Crush again when I get there.

The thing I linked to maybe a month ago is something I still have. I love that the episodes marked in red are the key crossover stories.

 

[tomalak301]

Guise Will be Guise

That's one of the weirdest episodes of Angel I've seen so far. Wesley has to be Angel to protect a young girl from having sex, even though it's found out that she's had sex multiple times so the father's sacrifice doesn't work. It was fun seeing Wesley take center stage as "Bodyguard to the stars" and put on the black trench coat. We also had Angel talking to a fake swami guy about his inner struggle, just to push that plotline along I guess. In the end, it was a fun episode with a nice sense of humor. Wesley and Angel had some great lines.

 

[tomalak301]

Darla

That's how you do Context and that's how you do a killer crossover.

This episode was sensational. I've been looking forward to it ever since I ended Buffy and started Angel, and that exceeded all my expectations. They took scenes from Fool For Love (Which I did watch before this, by the way) and added so much context to it to bring Darla into a fully fledged character. No longer was she just The Master's minion or Angelous's lover. She's become probably the most interesting character in the entire Buffy Universe, and that's saying something. Speaking of The Master, I did not expect to see him on this series, but they did more with the Master in this episode than they did in the entire season 1 of Buffy. They added context to the guy, made him as the one who sired Darla, and made us understand why Darla was working for him in the entire first season.

In present day, we even got more advancement in the Angel/Darla relationship. Darla has a soul and is experiencing the Vampire equivalent of PTSD. That whole scene, where it goes from Darla and Angel in the present to Darla and Angel and the Baby in the past was some damn good writing, because it showed how everything is reversed. Darla left Angel because he was no longer the Angelus she knew. Darla leaves Angel again because he didn't give her what she wanted, again.

I said I wanted more Darla. I'm getting it, I'm loving it, and these writers know how to tell a crossover story. The arcs are separate, but the context is what matters, and yeah watching Fool For Love and Darla back to back is an experience. I'm really loving where this season is going. I don't want to say I like it better than Buffy because it's too early, but this series is becoming the worthy spin off to that show, and it's so much fun to watch.

Oh, and Julie Benz is awesome this season. She's really bringing so much complexity to a character who was only in a few episodes in Season 1 of Buffy. She might actually be my favorite of the main 4 now. Everyone talks about Spike and Drusilla and Angel, but here is Darla who was kind of in the background until now and they are giving her some of the best character development I've seen in the entire Buffy-Verse. Looking forward to more.

 

[tomalak301]

The Shroud of Rahmon

This was basically a season 1 episode trying to give us a (Not necessary) break from the Darla story. I mean I'm extolling the virtues of Darla, I think shes probably the best developed vampire in the Buffy Universe, and then the next episode gives us a robbery tale about a shroud that makes people crazy and Angel bites Kate, who has been kinda annoying this season, to be honest. You would think considering what she has seen she might understand what Angel is trying to tell her, but she's just in the way for some reason. Like Angel says, there are things in this world she is not prepared to handle. Also, Cordelia's new hair style gave me bad memories of Alison's new hair style at the end of Season 5 of Orphan Black (Kind of the same look too). I mean, maybe there is a behind the scenes reason, but why? I'll get used to it and I don't want to come across as judgemental or anything, but, why?

Well, enough of that episode, I want to talk one other thing regarding Darla. That Wolfram and Hart storyline is getting really crazy. So they were hoping Darla would use Angel to turn bad again, and it looks like Lindsey was falling for her as a person, so they set him up. Why did Lindsey decide to stay with them. Power and money is a powerful drug I suppose. I'm actually enjoying how they are further developing W & H this season, especially Lilah in Untouched. That law firm really is messed up, aren't they.

 

[tomalak301]

The Trial

Well, that episode was heartbreaking. Angel doing everything he can to save Darla's life, going through those three challenges only to be told that Darla already had a second chance and there was nothing that guy can do. Then we get that ending and Dru's on Angel. That will be fun for the next several episodes. Of course having Drusilla come in kinda made the challenges pointless, but I think that was the point. You can do everything in the world to help people, and sometimes maybe that isn't enough.

 

[tharpdevenport]

I very much recommend the official "Angel" season six comics (the first year or two). I cannot recommend, even remotely, the BtVS ones.

By the way, tomalak301, if you haven't seen it, there was a short presentation pilot made to sell "Angel"; so there's something else to see.

And, if you didn't know, there was an un-used pilot for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; it was basically nearly identical to the one that aired, with some minor changes and, of course, a different actress playing Willow.

 

[tomalak301]

I very much recommend the official "Angel" season six comics (the first year or two). I cannot recommend, even remotely, the BtVS ones.

By the way, tomalak301, if you haven't seen it, there was a short presentation pilot made to sell "Angel"; so there's something else to see.

And, if you didn't know, there was an un-used pilot for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; it was basically nearly identical to the one that aired, with some minor changes and, of course, a different actress playing Willow.

I know about the short pilots. I actually did see the Buffy one. I might see the Angel one, after I finish the series.

 

[JD]

Darla

That's how you do Context and that's how you do a killer crossover.

This episode was sensational. I've been looking forward to it ever since I ended Buffy and started Angel, and that exceeded all my expectations. They took scenes from Fool For Love (Which I did watch before this, by the way) and added so much context to it to bring Darla into a fully fledged character. No longer was she just The Master's minion or Angelous's lover. She's become probably the most interesting character in the entire Buffy Universe, and that's saying something. Speaking of The Master, I did not expect to see him on this series, but they did more with the Master in this episode than they did in the entire season 1 of Buffy. They added context to the guy, made him as the one who sired Darla, and made us understand why Darla was working for him in the entire first season.

In present day, we even got more advancement in the Angel/Darla relationship. Darla has a soul and is experiencing the Vampire equivalent of PTSD. That whole scene, where it goes from Darla and Angel in the present to Darla and Angel and the Baby in the past was some damn good writing, because it showed how everything is reversed. Darla left Angel because he was no longer the Angelus she knew. Darla leaves Angel again because he didn't give her what she wanted, again.

I said I wanted more Darla. I'm getting it, I'm loving it, and these writers know how to tell a crossover story. The arcs are separate, but the context is what matters, and yeah watching Fool For Love and Darla back to back is an experience. I'm really loving where this season is going. I don't want to say I like it better than Buffy because it's too early, but this series is becoming the worthy spin off to that show, and it's so much fun to watch.

Oh, and Julie Benz is awesome this season. She's really bringing so much complexity to a character who was only in a few episodes in Season 1 of Buffy. She might actually be my favorite of the main 4 now. Everyone talks about Spike and Drusilla and Angel, but here is Darla who was kind of in the background until now and they are giving her some of the best character development I've seen in the entire Buffy-Verse. Looking forward to more.
If you like Julie Benz, you might want to check out Dexter and Defiance, if you haven't seen them. She's in both of them, and she's pretty good in them too.

I very much recommend the official "Angel" season six comics (the first year or two). I cannot recommend, even remotely, the BtVS ones.

By the way, tomalak301, if you haven't seen it, there was a short presentation pilot made to sell "Angel"; so there's something else to see.

Just as an FYI, all of the Angel comics under the After The Fall banner are canon, with stories that came from Joss Whedon, but once they lose the After The Fall title, Whedon was no longer involved and they aren't considered canon from that point on. Oh, and do not look up any of the descriptions of the comics, they all have massive spoilers for the finale.

 

[tharpdevenport]

There was also a presentation pilot for a BtVS animated series. I can't say I'd recommend it.


While on Whedon, I highly recommend his run (the first two or three years) on The Astonishing X-Men" comics.