Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.
Okay, okay...I got hooked on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but there was no way I was going to get hooked on "Angel." I'd seen episodes of "Angel" while I was at the gym, and it was ridiculous! There was a guy with a green face and red horns, and Buffy's dumb boyfriend, and swords and fantasy and cheesy special effects...no way I'd get hooked on that.
Until I started watching it.
Some of the same "friends" who got me hooked on crack--I mean Buffy--said I'd enjoy certain elements that got carried over into "Angel." I didn't like Angel much on "Buffy," the brooding was pretty one-note, and you can only get so much out of a tormented soul. Believe me, I teach junior high. I know. In his own series, David Boreanz' Angel lightens up a bit--still the vampire-with-a-soul, but with more humor and a more optimistic look at life. He decides it's his mission to help the helpless in Los Angeles, and from what we see in the first season, that's going to be a full-time mission.
Angel meets up with a half-demon named Doyle, who seems normal enough until he sneezes, when spines pop out on his face like a blowfish. He happens to be a seer, who receives visions of people in trouble. These visions are accompanied by splitting headaches, but they can help steer Angel to those in need. Accompanied by Doyle and the recently transplanted Cordelia Chase, the three start a detective agency, thinking that would be the best way to find those unfortunate souls they want to help.
I'm impressed at the character arc for Cordelia. She's been one of my favorite characters in Sunnydale since the first episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," and she brings a vitality and comic relief to this series that it really needs. Cordy, grown from the self-absorbed cheerleader she started out as, has grown a lot...but still has the perfect one-liners for every situation. Still not the sharpest crayon in the box, but well-written and acted by Charisma Carpenter. In mid-season, something changes Cordelia permanently which makes her more indispensable for the team, and that deepens her character over time as well.
The three heroes take on the various demons, criminals, vampires and...lawyers that L.A. drops at their doorstep, and do it with style. Other allies eventually appear, including Kate, a police detective played by Elisabeth Rohm (probably best known as the recently departed ADA Serena on Law & Order)(she's much better in "Angel"), Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, and Gunn. Wesley was a Watcher on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"...a bumbling British buffoon...who's a breath of fresh air at just the right time in this series. His growth is also interesting, and I hope he continues on as a regular. Gunn was a gang member who was fighting against gangs of vampires--in the later episodes of this season, he helps Angel more and more, but isn't quite a regular member of Angel's own "Scooby Gang."
Buffy's Season Four and Angel Season One dovetail quite nicely, with several crossovers between the seasons. I recommend watching both side by side to get the best effect, watching Buffy episode 4.1 and then Angel episode 1.1...this is how they were originally broadcast, and there's some great payoff if you do it that way. Many of the themes of Buffy's fourth season resonate in Angel's first...as these kids grow up and leave high school, they lose their roots and drift apart. We some of this in Cordelia, as she's moved away from home (her parents went to prison for tax evasion, so her home...isn't there anymore), but we also see it in Angel. You'd think he'd be used to flying solo, but you can tell he's missing the friends he made in Sunnydale. The three main characters cling to each other for friendship and support, not just when they're trying to delay the End of the World.
The producers built in a nice story arc that builds as the season progresses, ending with a cliffhanger that has me wanting more. Happily, on DVD, I can have more in just a few days, not an entire summer of reruns. Some of my favorite episodes were those that stand alone but progress the overall story. The story of how Cordy ends up with a haunted apartment is a nice play on the traditional ghost story. We see conflicts between parents and children in unexpected ways, and a great twist on "The Exorcist." Visits from Sunnydale, including Spike, Oz, Buffy, and Faith at various times, are welcome, but don't overwhelm the characters in this particular series. They work perfectly as supports for each respective show, and when the time comes for Buffy to leave L.A., you want to see her go.
This first season gets off to a good start, and I'm excited to see what further seasons bring. The action and adventure are well-done for a television series, the writing and acting are solid, and even though I kicked and screamed going in, I'm now officially a fan of "Angel." Now to get the next season and up the ante.
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