Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Season One is behind the cast and crew, and there is now no remaining doubts that the Buffy spin-off is a success. Both Buffy fans, and people new to the Jossverse, are loving the show. In this Season, the show moves away from the episode to episode feel, and starts developing some long-term story arcs. While the arcs in this season aren't the best, they do set up at least three vital plots to arcs in the remaining three seasons.

Cordelia isn't the same girl we loved to hate in the early episodes of Buffy. She's now matured… mostly. Wesley, though changing, is still Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. Angel is Angel, tortured soul and all that. The newest additions are Charles Gunn, a kid from the street who joins Angel Investigations and Lorne, or the Host, an Empathic Demon who runs a local Karaoke bar.

Because this was the last year that Buffy was on the WB, this is also the last year for regular cross-over action, much to the dismay of many fans. So we get to see a little bit of Buffy, Willow, Oz, and Spike this season. We also see some characters reprise roles first played on Buffy: The Master, Darla, Drusilla.

Finally, the Big Bads. We still have Wolfram & Hart, the lawyers who represent any old demon, lurking in the background, popping their evil heads out more and more. Most of the antagonists are much like Angel, however. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. Often times they don't know what they are, and they're led by instinct, or lust, or hunger… kinda like human nature, isn't it?

Again, the overall tone of Angel is a much darker one that Buffy, but it's not without it's moments of ingenious brevity. It's a great show, and this is an excellent season.


* * * * * * Season Two: Episode Guide * * * * * *

2.1 ~ Judgment Original Airdate: September 26, 2000. Written By: David Greenwalt. Directed By: Michael Lange.
Angel: There are three things I don't do: Tan, date - and sing in public!

Angel accidentally kills a demon that had been chosen as a woman's champion to fight in her place in a medieval-type joust. After singing Karaoke for an Empathic Demon who can read you when you sing (yay! It's Lorne, though he's only introduced now as "The Host"), Angel takes the slain champion's place and fights in the woman's place. 8 out of 10

2.2 ~ Are You Now or Have You Ever Been? OA: October 3, 2000. W: Tim Minear. D: David Semel.
Wesley: I've been accused of a great many things in my time but paranoid has never been one of them. Unless people have been saying it behind my back.

Angel sets Wesley and Cordelia to investigate a seemingly Haunted Hotel, now called the Hyperion Hotel. It later becomes known that this is an investigation of a personal nature, as we see flashbacks to Angel living in the Hyperion in the 1950's. From the end of this episode through the next three years, the Hyperion Hotel becomes the Angel Investigations Headquarters. 9 out of 10.

2.3 ~ First Impressions OA: October 10, 2000. W: Shawn Ryan. D: James A. Contner.
Cordelia: I'm just here on business. I'm a working girl. That came out wrong. I mean, obviously I'm not a "working girl." Not that I couldn't be if I wanted to, of course I could. God that sounded stuck up, didn't it? I didn't mean to imply that I could be a working girl and you couldn't. Far from it. You'd make a great… Could you just point me to the hor d'oeuvers?

Cordelia has a vision of Gunn in trouble and decides she can protect him on her own. Angel is having visions of his own, as Darla has invaded his dreams. 7.5 out of 10.

2.4 ~ Untouched OA: October 17, 2000. W: Mere Smith. D: Joss Whedon.
Cordelia: You are such a sheep. You have never had a single opinion you didn't read in a book.
Wesley: At least I opened a book.
Cordelia: Oh, don't even try with the Snooty, wooly boy. I was top ten percent of my class.
Wesley: What class? Advanced bosoms?

Angel is still pretty cranky, due to a lack of sleep, due to nocturnal visits from Darla. He tries to help a young girl to whom Wolfram and Hart has taken a shining, based on her psychic powers and uncontrollable anger. 8 out of 10.

2.5 ~ Dear Boy OA: October 24, 2000. W&D: David Greenwalt.
Wesley: Vampires don't come back from the dead.
Angel: I did and I saw her. I'm not crazy.
Wesley: Where?
Angel: Right between the clowns and the big talking hot dog.

Wes and Cordelia fear that Angel may be losing his mind when he insists that he has seen Darla. When he finally does prove that she's alive, she confuses them all by running into the daylight. 9 out of 10.

2.6 ~ Guise Will Be Guise OA: November 7, 2000. W: Jane Espenson. D: Krishna Rao.
Cordelia: Right. This is Angel. 'Oh, I can't do anything fun tonight. I have to count my past sins, then alphabetize them. Oh, by the way, I'm thinking of snapping on Friday.'

In one of the many well-named episodes of this series, The Host tells Angel that he should drive out to see a Swami. While Angel is gone, Wesley dons his jacket and takes a client, feigning to be Angel. 8 out of 10.

2.7 ~ Darla (Crossover with Buffy 5.7 - Fool For Love) OA: November 14, 2000. W&D: Tim Minear.

Knowing what it's like to struggle with newfound humanity, Angel is determined to help Darla, regardless of how she treated him when he got his soul, or of the risks involved with trying to help her. 10 out of 10.

2.8 ~ The Shroud Of Rahmon OA: November 21, 2000. W: Jim Kouf. D: David Grossman.
Gunn: And what am I supposed to do? Sit home and knit?
Angel: I could use a sweater… something dark.

This episode had so much potential, being told in flashbacks, and sometimes from differing points of view… Angel goes undercover to stop a gang from stealing The Shroud of Rahmon, a very old, very powerful, mystical artifact. Angel has to bite Kate and drink from her in order to save her life. 8 out of 10.

2.9 ~ The Trial OA: November 28, 2000. W: Douglas Petrie And Tim Minear. D: Bruce Seth Green.

Angel finds out that Darla is dying of a disease she contracted when she was a human the first time around. Darla used to be a common prostitute… you guess what her disease is. He endures three trials that are supposed to save her life, but finds out that she can only be saved from death once, and Wolfram and Hart had already claimed that honor. He offers to sire her, but she refuses, and is ready to live out the rest of her mortal life… yeah, because endings are ever that neat in Joss's world! 8 out of 10.

2.10 ~ Reunion OA: December 19, 2000. W: Tim Minear And Shawn Ryan. D: James A. Contner.
Wesley: And you - just walked away?
Angel: No, I walked to my car and then I drove away.

In what should be a weird showing of incest, Darla has been sired by Drusilla, even though Darla was technically Dru's grandsire. Rid of that pesky soul again, Darla is ready to paint the town red… literally, and she wants to start with the people who brought her back. Angel is teetering on a very fine line of sanity and darkness. 9 out of 10.

2.11 ~ Redefinition OA: January 16, 2001. W: Mere Smith. D: Michael Grossman.
Cordelia: One thing you can say about Angel, at least he's consistent. It's always some little blonde driving him over the edge.

Wes, Gunn and Vision-Girl try to keep helping the helpless, even though they've all been fired, and Angel has started to prepare himself, both physically and mentally, to stop Drusilla and Darla. 7 out of 10.

2.12 ~ Blood Money OA: January 23, 2001. W: Shawn Ryan And Mere Smith. D: R.D. Price.
Lilah: So, what if this guys actually as good as he says and actually kills Angel?
Lindsey: Boo hoo, let me wipe away the tears with my plastic hand.

Angel's ethical behavior takes a downward spike as he goes through a lot of trouble just to… humiliate… Lindsey and Lilah (as if taking Lindsey's hand wasn't humiliating enough?). 7 out of 10.

2.13 ~ Happy Anniversary OA: February 6, 2001. W: David Greenwalt. D: Bill Norton.
Angel: You want to know what my problem is? I'm screwed, that's my problem. I can't win. I'm trying to atone for a hundred years of unthinkable evil. News flash: I never can! Never going to be good enough. Now I got Wolfram and Hart dogging me. It's too much! 200 highly intelligent law school graduates working fulltime driving me crazy. Why the hell is everyone so surprised that it's working? But no, it's "Angel, why are you so cranky? Angel, you should lighten up, you should smile. You should wear a nice plaid."
Lorne: Oh, not this season, honey.

Lorne comes to Angel to tell him that an average-Joe physicist sang for him, and Lorne read that between now and 10:00 the following night, the man was going to do something that would end the world. Cordelia and the boys help their first client and start to adjust to life in Angel Investigations… without an Angel. 8 out of 10.

2.14 ~ The Thin Dead Line OA: February 13, 2001. W: Jim Kouf And Shawn Ryan. D: Scott Mcginnis.

Angel is investigating what seems to be a slew of dirty cops, while the new Angel Investigations is on the same case. 7 out of 10.

2.15 ~ Reprise OA: February 20, 2001. W: Tim Minear. D: James Whitmore, Jr.
Cordelia: (about Angel) I mean if it was anybody else I would just say 'get laid already!
Wesley: Cordelia…
Cordelia: (pacing) But, no, not him. One decent boff and he switches to evil psycho vamp. Which, in a way, would be better for everyone. Better for him because he'd get some, and better for us because then we could (makes a staking motion) stake him afterwards.

Lorne reveals that one of the Wolfram & Hart Senior Partners is going to come for the 75 year review, and he plans to kill him. Meanwhile, Darla does what she thinks will bring her Dear Boy back to her. 10 out of 10.

2.16 ~ Epiphany OA: February 27, 2001. W: Tim Minear. D: Thomas J. Wright.
Gunn: So you had an epiphany, did you?
Angel: Yeah.
Gunn: So what? You just wake up and bang?
Angel: Sort of the other way around.

After waking up with his soul still intact, and Darla laying next to him, Angel has an epiphany and does what he can to make amends with his not-quite-ready-to-forgive crew. 10 out of 10.

2.17 ~ Disharmony OA: April 17, 2001. W: David Fury. D: Fred Keller.
Angel: Do you think maybe I should send her somethin'? Like flowers maybe?
Wesley: Flowers?
Angel: Yeah, you know, to say, ah… 'thanks, ' ah, 'sorry about the migraines.' Um, you know, 'I appreciate you.'
Wesley: Yes, by all means. And, ah… while you're at it, pick me up one of those, 'Sorry you were shot in the gut' bouquets.

Last we saw Harmony was with a Vampire attached to her neck during Graduation. She returns to the Jossverse, and we learn exactly what the lack of a soul plus Harmony's innate stupidity equals. 6 out of 10.

2.18 ~ Dead End OA: April 24, 2001. W: David Greenwalt. D: James A. Contner.

Wolfram & Hart gives Lindsey a new hand, but once he figures out the price, he wonders (again) if he's chosen the right path. This time, however, it looks like the Jiminy Cricket conscience might actually stick. For a few seasons anyways. 8 out of 10.

2.19 ~ Belonging OA: May 1, 2001. W: Shawn Ryan. D: Turi Meyer.
Angel: I'm not cheap, I'm just old. I remember when a few bob got you a good meal, a bottle, and a tavern wench.

A portal that opened in Caritas brings a vicious demon to L.A. A warrior from the same dimension helps the gang track and kill it. When they try send the warrior back, however, it's Cordelia who disappears from our dimension. 7 out of 10.

2.20 ~ Over The Rainbow OA: May 8, 2001. W: Mere Smith. D: Fred Keller.
Lorne: Just remember, keep your head down. Xenophobia, kind of a watchword where I'm from.
Gunn: I don't get it. Why are they afraid of Xena? I mean, I think she's kinda fly.
Wesley: Xenophobia - fear of foreigners.
Gunn: Oh, then can we pretend I didn't just say that?

The boys travel to Lorne's home dimension, Pylea, to rescue Cordelia. We also meet another "cow", a girl who went missing from L.A. years ago… Ms. Winifred Burkle. 7 out of 10.

2.21 ~ Through The Looking Glass OA: May 15, 2001. W&D: Tim Minear.

The people of Pylea have made Cordelia, the seer, their princess, but she learns she has to mate with something called "The Groosalugg", and the group starts looking for a way back to L.A. 7 out of 10.

2.22 ~ There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb OA: May 22, 2001. W&D: David Greenwalt.
Fred: I've been trying to make an enchilada out of tree bark.
Angel: Bark enchiladas, how's that goin'?
Fred: There's work to be done.

Angel is fighting his inner demons, Cordelia is fighting the High Priests, Fred is fighting insanity, and the boys are just plain fighting. But they're all fighting to find a way home. 8.5 out of 10.


* * * * * * DVD Extras * * * * * *
~ Commentary for Are You Now or Have You Ever Been by Tim Minear.
~ Script for Darla
~ Featurette: Making Up the Monsters
~ Featurette: Inside the Agency
~ Still Gallery
~ Blue Prints
~ Script for Disharmony
~ Commentary for Over the Rainbow by Fred Keller.
~ Featurette: Season 2 Overview
~ Featurette: Stunts


* * * * * * Cast and Characters * * * * * *

in the opening credits…
Alexis Denisof… Wesley Wyndham-Pryce
Charisma Carpenter… Cordelia Chase
David Boreanaz… Angel
J. August Richards… Charles Gunn

recurring characters, later to be added to opening credits…
Amy Acker… Winifred "Fred" Burkle
Andy Hallett - The Host/Lorne

recurring characters, never to be added to opening credits…
Christian Kane… Lindsey McDonald
Julie Benz… Darla
Stephanie Romanov… Lilah Morgan
Sam Anderson… Holland Manners
Elisabeth Rohm… Kate Lockley


* * * * * * Miscellaneous Notes and Trivia * * * * * *

~ Episode 2.7 Darla is the second part of a two-parter episode started in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's episode 5.7 Fool For Love. There are flashback scenes that are shown in both shows, but because they are told from Spike's point of view in one and Angel's point of view in the other, they paint completely different pictures. It's an excellent pairing.

~ We all saw a vampire bite Harmony in the grand battle against the Mayor at the end of Buffy, Season 3, but it isn't until Mercedes McNab reprises the character, in Angel episode 2.17 that we see she was turned into a Vampire herself.

~ If you pay close attention to the lyrics in the song that Lindsey sings at Caritas, it has much foreshadowing the Jasmine arc: Pretty as a picture / She is like a golden dream / Fills me with love and laughter / I can't feel a thing and The sky's gonna open / People gonna pray and crawl / Gonna rain down fire / Gonna burn us all.

~ In 2.21, Through the Looking Glass, Numfar, the demon doing the "happy dance", is played by Joss Whedon.

~ In the final episode, Willow is sitting on the couch in the Hyperion when the gang returns. When Angel asks what she's doing there, she replies "It's Buffy". This episode of Angel immediately followed the final episode of Buffy, Season 5, and the last episode of Buffy to air on the WB.


* * * * * * Related Reviews * * * * * *

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season One, Season Two, Season Three, Season Four, Season Five, and Season Six

Angel, Season One



And finally, a huge thank you to mobiprof and this article for saving my sanity and helping me fix the hyphens and apostrophes in this review!






Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older