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

Pre-review note: It is impossible not to have season spoilers when doing an episode guide. If you do not want any spoilers, skip that section of this review! If you don’t care, or if you’ve already seen these episodes, read on. Some of the quotes are hilarious.

It was with somewhat mixed emotions that I began watching Season 5. I wasn’t too pleased with the last few episodes of Season 4 (still trying to erase the Jasmine arc from my mind), and the “cliffhanger” where the gang is offered the opportunity to run Wolfram & Hart just didn’t appeal to me. However, the other side of the coin brought many body-tingling moments of joy: Spike was a full time cast member. Can anyone say whoo-hoo?

Season 5 is quite a bit different that the previous four seasons. For one thing, the absence of Cordelia is sorely obvious. For another, the mission isn’t quite the same when the group doesn’t have to worry about every last penny. They now have the resources of Wolfram & Hart at their beck and call. But the biggest difference is the lack of unity between the main characters. We’d already seen Wesley fall out of grace with the group. We’ve had minor squabbles within the group. Angel, good. Angelus, bad. But at the end of the day (or week, depending on the severity), they still end up together, stronger than they were before. That is missing in Season 5. I blame it on the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart.

Season 5 wasn’t concluded in quite the happy ending I would have preferred, but in more of a Joss Whedon-ish kind of way.


* * * * * Season Five ~ Episode Guide * * * * *

5.1 ~ Conviction Original Airdate: October 1, 2003. Written and Directed by: Joss Whedon. Guest Stars: Rating: 8 - 10.
Wesley: Feng Shui.
Gunn: What's that mean again?
Wesley: That people will believe anything.

Angel soon learns the repercussions of accepting Wolfram & Hart’s offer. His first job (given to him by Eve, liaison to the Senior Partners) is to keep a client from going to jail, a client who threatens the city with biological warfare. Gunn has also made a side deal with the Wolf, Ram & Hart. Seems they’ve boosted his brainpower, adding in all sorts of legal know-how. Finally, the amulet that Spike wore in the last episode of Buffy shows up on Angel’s desk.



5.2 ~ Just Rewards OA: October 8, 2003. W: David Fury And Ben Edlund. D: James A. Contner. Rating: 8 - 10.
Spike: I must be in hell.
Lorne: Er no L.A., but a lot of people make that mistake.

The gang tries to figure out why Spike’s body was destroyed in Sunnydale, but his now incorporeal spirit is stuck in L.A., before he vanishes for good and is sucked into hell. The old Buffy rivalry is alive and kicking in our two ensouled vampires.

5.3 ~ Unleashed OA: October 15, 2003. W: Sarah Fain And Elizabeth Craft. D: Marita Grabiak. Rating: 7 - 10.
Angel: I'm buyin'
Lorne: Ladies and Gentlemen, hell just froze over.

Angel helps a newly turned werewolf (who happens to be an attractive blonde in human form, right up Angel’s alley), who is being hunted by an elite club who specializes in exotic meats on the menu.

5.4 ~ Hellbound OA: October 22, 2003. W&D: Steven S. Deknight. Rating: 7 - 10.
Wesley: Angel does have a point. Spike has been unintentionally disapparating more and more frequently.
Gunn: Give him 20 minutes. He'll be popping up next to you in the bathroom, making cracks about your... Am I the only one he does that to?

Spike begs Fred for her help in keeping him from Hell and she does everything within her power to help him. Spike is faced with a decision to become corporeal or to save Fred.

5.5 ~ Life Of The Party OA: October 29, 2003. W: Ben Edlund. D: Bill Norton. Rating: 6 - 10.
Angel: I'm brooding.
Lorne: You're watching hockey!
Angel: Yeah, but my team is losing.

Lorne has been up for a month, planning a big W&H Halloween bash, and his over-tiredness reacts with his empathic ability, making people do whatever he tells them to do (and he can be a pretty sarcastic green fellow).

5.6 ~ The Cautionary Tale Of Numero Cinco OA: November 5, 2003. W&D: Rating: 9 - 10.
Spike: Can't smoke, drink, diddle my willy. Doesn't leave much to do other than watching you blokes stumble around playing Agatha Christie.

An Aztec demon is cutting the hearts out of heroes, and a mailroom worker at Wolfram & Heart was part of the gang that originally took him out. Did I mention that this worker was a Mexican wrestler with his brothers?

5.7 ~ Lineage OA: November 12, 2003. W: Drew Goddard. D: Jefferson Kibbee. Rating: 7 - 10.
Roger Wyndham-Price: Spike.
Spike: You've heard of me?
Roger Wyndham-Price: No. We've met. 1963. My colleagues and I fell upon you slaughtering an orphanage in Vienna. Killed two of my men before you escaped.
Spike: Oh... How've you been?

Wesley’s father arrives and tells Wes that the Watcher’s Council has regrouped and they want Wesley to come work for them again. Wicked looking cyborg assassins infiltrate Wolfram & Hart.

5.8 ~ Destiny OA: November 19, 2003. W: David Fury And Steven S. Deknight. D: Skip Schoolnik. Rating: 10 - 10.
Angel: Is that what you think you are, a hero?
Spike: Saved the world, didn't I?
Angel: Once. Talk to me after you've done it a couple more times.

Spike become corporeal again, but the existence of two ensouled vampires causes chaos as those pesky prophesies are now unclear (ha! Like they were clear before). A series of flashbacks chronicles the history of Angel and Spike and their relationship with Drusilla.

5.9 ~ Harm's Way OA: January 14, 2004. W: Elizabeth Craft And Sarah Fain. D: Vern Gillum. Rating: 5 - 10.
Fred: There haven't been any side effects since you re-corporealized, have there?
Spike: Bit of a hangover. But that's to be expected after all the drinking

Harmony wakes up to find a dead body next to her… with two fang marks on his neck.

5.10 ~ Soul Purpose OA: January 21, 2004. W: Brent Fletcher. D: David Boreanaz. Rating: 8 - 10.
Woman: Thank you! Thank you! That thing was going to kill me.
Spike: Well, what do you expect? Out alone in this neighbourhood? I got half a mind to kill you myself, you halfwit.
Woman: What?
Spike: I mean, honestly, what kind of retard wears heels like that in a dark alley? Take two steps, break your bloody ankle.
Woman: I was just trying to get home.
Spike: Well, get a cab, you moron. And on the way, if a stranger offers you candy, don't get in the van. Stupid cow.

Lindsey (yes, that Lindsey) approaches Spike, giving himself the name “Doyle” and, with Eve’s help, is feeing Spike false visions to make Spike appear to be the true champion.

5.11 ~ Damage OA: January 28, 2004. W: Steven S. Deknight And Drew Goddard. D: Jefferson Kibbee. Rating: 10 - 10.
Andrew: Spike? It's you. It's really you! My therapist thought I was holding on to false hope but, I knew you'd come back. You're like, you're like Gandolf the White resurrected from the pit of the Balrog, more beautiful than ever. Oh! He's alive, Frodo. He's alive.
Angel: You two know each other?
Andrew: Spike and I saved the world. Buffy helped too.

A negative effect of empowering all possible Slayers in the final episode of Buffy happens in L.A. A now Slayer-strength girl had been driven insane by her captor and is now loose. Andrew (yes, that Andrew) comes to L.A. to assist the gang in her safe capture.

5.12 ~ You're Welcome OA: February 4, 2004. W&D: David Fury. Rating: 9 - 10.
Cordelia: Spike's a hero and you're CEO of hell incorporated. What freakin' bizzaro world did I wake up in?

The Powers owe Cordelia a favor, and allow her to wake from her coma and help Angel find his mission again.

5.13 ~ Why We Fight OA: February 11, 2004. W: Drew Goddard And Steven S. Deknight. D: Terrence O'hara. Rating: 6 - 10. Spike: Sneaky bastards, the SS. Don't ever go to a "free virgin blood party". Turns out, it's probably a trap.
Angel: You were captured at a "free virgin blood party"?
Spike: I know. Who'd'a thought?

A man from Angel’s past, Lawson, appears and takes the rest of the gang hostage. This episode includes a series of flashbacks that show Angel and Spike on a submarine during WWII (no, I’m not making this up).

5.14 ~ Smile Time OA: February 18, 2004. W&D: Ben Edlund. Rating: 9 - 10.
Angel: What are you all looking at?
Spike: Well you're a wee little puppet man!

Joss has a thing for puppets, it seems. In this episode, which I was prepared to hate, a puppet master with a children’s show is stealing the life force from his viewers. When Angel goes to investigate, he is turned into a big foreheaded puppet.

5.15 ~ A Hole In The World OA: February 25, 2004. W&D: Joss Whedon. Rating: 9 - 10.
Fred: Would you have loved me?
Wesley: I've loved you since I've known you. No that's not--I think maybe even before.

Gunn worked some legal mojo for Knox to get a sarcophagus through the red tape. When she opens it, Fred is infected by a parasitic demon named Illyria. Spike and Angel fly to Illyria’s ancient burial ground to try and save Fred.

5.16 ~ Shells OA: March 3, 2004. W&D: Steven S. Deknight. Rating: 9 - 10.
Angel (to Knox): You're about as low as it gets, Knox, but you're a part of humanity. That isn't always pretty, but it's a hell of a lot better than what came before. (To Illyria) And if it comes down to a choice between you and him, then yes, I would fight for his life, just like any other human's. Because that's what people do. That's what makes us
(Wes shoots and kills Knox)
Angel: (to Wes) Were you even listening?

The gang learns that there is no hope in restoring Fred. Wesley learns that both Knox and Gunn have a part in her death. Illyria begins a crusade to use the shell she’s gained in Fred and recapture her former strength.

5.17 ~ Underneath OA: April 14, 2004. W: Sarah Fain And Elizabeth Craft. D: Skip Schoolnik. Rating: 7 - 10.

Angel goes searching for Lindsey, in hopes he has information about the Senior Partners. He finds him in a Stepford Wife kind of suburban hell. The Senior Partners send a new liaison, the seemingly invincible Marcus, to find and bring home the old one, Eve.

5.18 ~ Origin OA: April 21, 2004. W: Drew Goddard. D: Terrence O'hara. Rating: 8 - 10.
Illryia: I'd like to keep Spike as my pet.

Connor’s parents seek guidance from Wolfram & Hart when their son begins showing supernatural strength. Angel fights to keep the secret, but Wes’s memories are restored. Spike is volunteered to test Illyria’s strengths and powers, which appear to include time shifting.

5.19 ~ Time Bomb OA: April 28, 2004. W: Ben Edlund. D: Vern Gillum. Rating: 7 - 10.
Illyria: When the world met me, it shuddered, groaned. It knelt at my feet.
Spike: (mocking) "Dear Penthouse, I don't normally write letters like this, but…"

Illyria’s powers become unstable and she begins jumping back and forth in time, and learns of the gang’s intention to kill her, making her a wee bit angry.

5.20 ~ The Girl In Question OA: May 5, 2004. W: Steven S. Deknight And Drew Goddard. D: David Greenwalt. Rating: 5 - 10.
Darla: Come on Dru lets take a bath!
Drusilla: Will you hold me under the water?

Angel and Spike learn that Buffy might be in danger, and travel to Rome to save her.

5.21 ~ Power Play OA: May 12, 2004. W: David Fury. D: James A. Contner. Rating: 8 - 10.
Lindsey: It's a secret society,
Gunn: I've never heard of it.
Lindsey: That's because it's secret.

Angel’s acting more and more like Angelus these days, and the rest of the gang, or the ones who are left, fear that he’s been corrupted by Wolfram & Hart. In fact, he’s trying to infiltrate the Circle of the Black Thorn, the Senior Partners’ representatives on Earth, which he knew about from a vision Cordelia passed to him when they kissed earlier this season.

5.22 ~ Not Fade Away OA: May 19, 2004. W: Jeffrey Bell And Joss Whedon. D: Jeffrey Bell. Rating: 9 - 10.
Lindsey: If you want me, I'm on your team.
Angel: I want you, Lindsey. (a beat) I'm thinking about rephrasing that.
Lindsey: Yeah, I think I'd be a lot more comfortable if you did.

Everyone goes about L.A. living one day as if it were their last… and then the final confrontation between Angel and his merry men (aided by Lindsey) and the Circle of the Black Thorn begins.



* * * * * * DVD Extras * * * * * *

Audio Commentary for episodes:
~ Conviction by Joss Whedon
~ Destiny by Skip Schoolnik, David Fury, Steven S. Deknight and Juliet Landau
~ Soul Purpose by David Boreanz, Blent Fletcher and Christian Kane
~ You're Welcome by David Fury, Christian Kane and Sarah Thompson
~ A Hole in the World by Joss Whedon, Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof
~ Underneath by Skip Schoolnik, Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain, and Adam Baldwin
~ Not Fade Away by Jeffrey Bell
Featurettes:
~ Hey Kids! It’s Smile Time (7:01) About the show where Angel is turned into a puppet. Includes interviews with the writer/director Ben Edlund, the puppeteers, David Boreanaz, and the stunt coordinator.
~ Angel Choreography of a Stunt (6:07) focuses on a stunt student performing on the show.
~ Angel: The Final Season (27:14) gives us an overview of the final season of the show.
~ To Live & Die in LA: The Best of Angel (8:53) Joss Whedon looks at the his favorite episodes of the series.
~ Halos & Horns: Recurring Villainy (9:23) Many of the recurring “Big Bads” are interviewed here.
~ Angel Unbound: The Gag Reels (6:11)


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

in the opening credits…
David Boreanaz as Angel
James Marsters as Spike
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce
J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
Amy Acker as Winifred "Fred" Burkle
Andy Hallett as Lorne
Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall (from Episode 17)

recurring characters…
Sarah Thompson as Eve
Jonathan M. Woodward as Knox
Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald
Adam Baldwin as Marcus Hamilton


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

~ In the season premier, when Lorne gets ready to read the Wolfram & Hart employees you can see that he has five categories in which to place each person: “Okay, On the Bubble, Evil, To be Fired, and Yikes!”

~ In Episode 5.7, Lineage, Spike mentions that "having sex with robots is more common than people think", which is, of course, a reference to the Buffybot.

~ Alexis Denisof (Wesley) is not in Episode 5.8, Destiny. In real life, Alexis was getting married to Alyson Hannigan (Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) the week this episode was filmed.

~ Episode 5.10, Soul Purpose, is the only episode to be directed by David Boreanaz.

~ In Episode 5.13, Why We Fight, Angel declares that he isn't getting trapped at the bottom of the sea (which happens in Angel, Seasons 3 & 4). Along the same lines, Spike says he won’t be getting experimented on by the government (which happens in Buffy, Season 4).

~ Sarah Michelle Gellar was asked to appear in Episode 5.20 ~ The Girl In Question, but she couldn't due to filming The Grudge and was only free to do the final episode, but since Joss didn’t want to focus on the Angel-Buffy debacle, she didn't appear. Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn) was also asked to appear (instead Tom Lenk) and she said yes but then had to cancel because the schedule of the movie she was filming changed.


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

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

Angel, Season One ~ Season Two ~ Season Three ~ Season Four



Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age