Great Angel Articles

[|william|]

A certain firefly flan has inspired me to start this topic


"When Buffy the Vampire Slayer first came on air, I admit, the concept and title didn't grab me. My sister watched it, and I actually made a point of leaving and going to my room when it was on most of the time, but then I saw the finale of Season 2, and I became hooked. The emotional connection to the characters that I felt was immediate and very strong. I don't believe that I missed a single episode after that. The connection to the story drew me in to the stories, and it was a natural step to follow Angel and Cordelia over to their new series, which I have seen all five seasons of. This is the only TV universe that I have ever truly felt a part of. The vibrant online community only added to my enjoyment of the show and increased my respect for the entire cast and crew, as various members of the cast or crew would take the time to talk to the fans online. Beyond that, my obsession with the show and the history of the characters and relationships has been a wonderful conversation starter as I made the transition to college. The first thing that I talked about with two different friends was the Angel episode that had been on the night before, discussing our predictions for the next week or filling in gaps in my friend's knowledge of the relationship between Darla, Angel, Druscilla and Spike. This show has been the connecting tie, the first commonality that created many friendships that simply wouldn't exist without it, and it has been one of the few things that I still, like always, make a point of catching each and every week. There are many weeks that I then go back and rewatch the episode on tape.
So, I offer my sincere thank you to all of the cast and crew that have worked so hard to bring Angel to life for all of the fans for five years. Whatever may happen next year, you all have provided me with a constant for many years, one show that I could always depend on to both entertain and challenge me each week."

Katrina N. (female, 19)
West Allis, WI

"Not only does Angel appeal to me, but every Wednesday, we have an Angel party. I watch the show with my husband, my daughter and son-in-law. This is a show that can and does appeal to all ages, and demographics. With a more hands on participation by Joss Whedon and some of the great writers from BTVS added to the already existing staff, Angel has found it's way once again. The show is awesome this season. I have laughed, cried and joked more than at anytime. Even the 100th episode where Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia came back, was a great turning point for the show. It brought back memories, tied up loose ends, and showed just why Angel stands out.

Angel is great because it is about good vs. evil, with sometimes, gray in the middle. I love seeing the good guys win. I especially love the relationships that have been forged by these characters. They are a family and make my family want to watch them.

I hope that even though the WB has cancelled the show, that another station or network will pick it up. Angel still has appeal and stories to tell.

Thank you to the cast, crew, directors and Joss for a very well done show. Thank you for giving me at least 5 years to enjoy and remember."

Janis J. (female, 54)
Oxnard, CA

"Thank you to Joss and all of the cast and crew for creating such a watchable show.
During my years of watching Buffy and Angel I sometimes felt they were the only things I looked forward to each week. When Buffy ended I felt a huge sense of loss, well this time I am speaking out.
Angel is a show that has made me laugh, cry sit on the edge of my seat and call out in amazement. It is a show that presumes it's viewers have brains and doesn't give you all the answers on a plate, it is not made for the lowest common denominator. How can television companies take off all the best shows and replace them with the cheap to make, but no intelligence "reality" shows?
I for one am sick of the absurdity of "reality" on my tv, we need more shows like Angel not less, shows that give the fans something to think about, shows that deal with more 'real' problems in their made up universes than any of the real people we see on tv.
The character development is something else that has totally blown me away, the combination of fantastic writing and awesome acting talent shows there are still people out there who show pride in creating something amazing."

Francesca S. (female, 31)
Burketown, QLD, Australia

"I am a true blue Angel fan. I have had a very tragic life, my mom has schizophrenia, two of my brothers have schizophrenia, the other two struggle with depression and drug dependency. I am separated from my husband and I am caring for my three children and my brother’s two year old and seven month old child while he and his wife do time for selling drugs. Pretty ugly eh? Did I mention that one of my brothers was murdered and the other is recovering from several gunshots, can hardly breathe walk, and otherwise function, with a colon ostomy bag?

Well Angel is the bright side in my life. Good almost always prevails, sometimes not the way we want it, but as remote from my daily life as the show is, Angel keeps me going. Angel and the crew never give up, even when the odds are stacked against them, consistently doing the impossible and keeping their faith in each other.

I was so thrilled I could share the relatively blood less and gore less “puppet” episode with my children.

I make so many sacrifices to watch Angel, get the five kids ready for bed early, make dinner early, make sure homework got done, with two two year olds in one house the task is chaoticly impossible, but I get it done. I don’t drink, do drugs, party, I do Angel.

I am numb with shock and dreading life without Angel. The cast feels like family, and I feel like I’m losing my family all over again."

Michelle M. (female, 32)
Albuquerque, NM

"When I read that 'Angel' was being cancelled it felt like a hard blow, it felt like I was reliving "Buffy the Vampire Slayer's' final year all over again. I've watch Buffy since the very first eppisode, and as soon as Angel got his own show I began to watch that show as well. I'm a big fan of both, for example the same day that the season of that certain show comes on dvd I go out and buy it.
It's been a blessing to watch 'Angel'. When Buffy ended I was heartbroken but I thought at least there is Angel to watch. I always get Wedsdays off from work just to watch the show. 'Angel' is the only show I truely watch without changing the channel, and thats rare with me cause I'm remote control clicker crazy, I tend to get bored watching TV but with 'Angel' it's different I'm not bored I enjoy it because of it's good story plots.
It's been a wonderful five years...I've grown to love all the characters to because I've watched them grow as people. I watch Cordelia on Buffy go from a snotty rich girl who didn't care about anyone to a loving caring brave woman on Angel. I've watched Wesley on Buffy go from a wimp to a brave solider on Angel. I've have grown to love the new characters that were introduced like Fred, Gunn, Lorne, and even Connor even though he is no longer part of the show. They have taught me lessons in live that I never thought I could learn from a show.
Joss Whedon, the cast, and crew have gottan me to do something I rarely do, and that is cry. With the deaths of Doyle and Cordelia tears came to my eyes, but still there have been really good times were I have smiled and laughed. Please don't take this show away from us the fans. If this show is taken off the air I just want to say thank you Joss, David, James, Charisma, Amy, J. August, Alexis, Andy, and anyone else who has something to do with the show, thank you for entering are lives and entertaining us for an hour each week."

Tiffany G. (female, 21)
Longmont, CO

"It may seem strange to from someone who 44 love to sea kayak, camp and be outside as much as possible write in. But there is another side. I have severe arthritis, so as much as I love doing these things they don't happen much.

I rest alot, I watch TV, but what are the choices? Do-It-Yourself TV....and of course everyone's favorite REALITY TV (.......NOT......) Thank-you Mr.Wheadon for giving a show that is what real t.v. should be, use to be, an escape, and for the tools for it to happen. Wonderful, talenented actors, that make your shows so believalbe that you can't help feeling as if you are part of that show. It starts with you and all the talent from the actors and beyond. This show is beyond the great. I forgot how bad I hurt, because for this hour I can actually laugh and cry and and be scared all in just 60 minutes."

Fran W. (female, 44)
Kennesaw, GA

"Our family loves sitting down together every Wednesday night to enjoy Angel. Of course, we each have our own reasons why we like the show but hey, it brings us together and we have a blast. My husband and I have been watching it since we were dating and absolutely LOVE it. My oldest daughter is 4 years old, my youngest daughter is 2 and my son is 5 months old. What has Angel taught us as a family? You can look scary and still be a good person (quote from my 4 year old). Just because you look strange doesn't mean you are (her again) and people who were bad can be good. I love that my daughters have imaginary tea parties with Angel and "Spikey". I love that they see strong beautiful women portrayed as they should be on TV. I love that David Boreanaz has been in my living room for so many years and I hope he is here as long as he can be. This is an amazing cast, amazing actors and wow...even amazing stories. We ALL love Angel at my house and hey, if Angel or Spikey are in the neighborhood, they are welcome to come have tea with my girls!"

Susan, Shane, Cassandra, Savannah and Griffin L. (female, 30; male, 29; females 4 and 2; male, 5 months)
Gilbert, AZ

"I have seen a lot of television in my life. Some from 50 years ago, 10 or modern times. There has been, i admit it, more masterpieces of audiovisual art in tv than it is recognized. Even so, the work of Joss Whedon is on the top of this work. Angel, for instance, is deep, complex, beatifull, surprising, bold, perfectly structured, inteligent and emotional beyond the lines that lack of talent or fear have imposed in modern mediocrity. His acting is superb, in every line. You can ask this actors to do whatever you nedd, action, drama, comedy, love, hate, emotion, rationality... they give you a 150 per cent greatness. They are amazing. And so is the show, giving you all this mesmerizing mix of genres. Its a triumph over limitations (it has none) its the perfect mix between a fantasy story that emerges full of imagination, and a big, fat, tremendous drama and reflection of human soul full of reality. A tale about, among everything else, redemption, life and good and bad. I am from Spain, so my English is not perfect. Whatever. I hope passion for a series that proves that tv can be art will surpass grammatic deficiencies. Angel is Art. The big one, the deep one. Superhero comics meets Shakespeare like never before since Alan Moore and Frank Miller. They dont do converge only in the surface. They are superhero in the most complex and real way, and so they are equal to Shakespeare. And well, what can i tell you about cinematography, direction, make up and so on? Art is a service to mankind. This art shouldnt be cut of. It should continue till, like Buffy said, "Its a Cookie." Its beatifull, like a sea of butterflies in a sunny ocean of green. It is a lesson and a study of life. We can apreciate it, understand it, feel it. We grow with it, as we grow with other arts. Please, dont go. I love you, Angel."

Ivan Rodriguez D. (male, 26)
Coslada, Madrid, Spain

[rklenseth]

Now don't get me started on quoting Firefly reviews.

You have to admit that Angel has had a good run as well as Buffy. 5 years is a long time for a TV show. Plus Joss really wants to continue the story he made in Firefly. I guess Firefly was once of the first stories he had ever conceived since he was a child. Buffy came later in his teen years.

Firefly was only given half a season and believe it or not had better ratings during the fall sweeps than both Buffy and Angel at the time. I think Joss also knows that both Buffy and Angel are beyond their primes and that he will begin to run out of ideas to continue the show.

Firefly is still fresh and seems he will do at nothing to make sure the story is told.

Plus, if 'Serenity' is a big success (in which it will be) then this will give a lot of clout for Joss Whedon in the film making industry which might mean that Angel or even Buffy will return with their own big screen debut. Or at least give Joss the ability to try to get the show back on the air.

Plus David Borenza (sp?) will be in 'Serenity'. So you can watch the Angel starr on yet another Joss project.

Also, should note that SFX which is where the articles appear are huge Buffy and Angel fans but they believe that the shows are beyond their prime.

[|william|]

Angel is not in its prime! Blah... people who say that cleary do not watch the show and are not true Angel fans.

With the new approach Angel has taken this season it opens the possibility of even newer story arcs for episodes. And Adam Baldwin (Fireflys Jayne) has been in the last few episodes and will be in the rest until the ending of the series I believe.
Anyways the WB is just dumb for canceling Angel. Angel has a very loyal fan base (hence maybe you heard of all the "Save Angel" stuff, they raised well over 40,000 dollars in efforts to bring angel back. They have given lots of blood in angels name as well as donated tons of food in the save angel food drive... its just an on going process towards saving Angel.) The ratings have even been really good, better than the other season. (not that I believe in the "Nelson Ratings" or anything because it is not really accurate)

But I'm not complaining against Firefly. Its a great show created by the greatest mind in the industry. FOX did rip the fans off on that show, but then again, FOX does not really have the patients that it takes to get a show off its feet.

Haha, you got me rambling.

[|william|]

Fallen ‘Angel’ prepares to turn to dust
By Brian Bellmont
MSNBC contributor
Updated: 4:19 p.m. ET April 12, 2004

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4565069/


The sun’s starting to creep over the horizon, and, six weeks from now, “Angel” is most likely dust. Instead of launching a flashy ad campaign to tout the show’s new, accessible — yet still imaginative and often fantastic — direction, the WB pulled the plug.
Yes, Web sites like SavingAngel.com and SaveAngel.org have mounted an unprecedented fan-led effort to keep the show on the air, with an arsenal of full-page ads in industry trade mags and a “Save Angel” billboard plastered on the side of a truck. But even while rumors persist that the WB will reverse its decision or another network will pick up the show, the series’ final six episodes are slated to start running April 14.
It’s easy to appreciate fans’ inability to let Joss Whedon’s “Angel” go quietly into rerun heaven. Some of the sting of last season’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” finale was lessened by knowing that the characters would continue to fight the good fight on “Angel.” But now that the “Charmed”-gets-renewed-and-“Angel”-doesn’t network went all Mister Pointy on the lovable vampire and his team, audiences are about to be completely Jossless for the first time in seven years.
For a variety of reasons, legions of Buffy fans simply didn’t feel compelled to follow the exploits of Angel, whose show spun off in 1999. Understandable. When it launched, “Angel” was a far different beast than the bright and cheerleadery Slayer that sired it.
Angel (David Boreanaz), a formerly despicable vampire now cursed with a soul and seeking redemption, spent many of the show’s initial episodes — indeed, seasons — brooding, lurking in the shadows, and letting out depressed sighs. Over the years, Angel served up Batman-style, whirl-kick justice, saving downtrodden denizens of L.A. from demons, but never really got close to anyone. As a result, the audience never really got to know the guy either.
But “Angel” has turned a creative corner. Whedon and Co., and fans, got the word of the show’s death just as it hit its artistic peak.
Evil, Esq.
It’s somewhat appropriate that “Angel”’s execution came at the hands of a high-powered corporation; since the show’s inception, the characters’ biggest nemesis has been slick demonic law firm Wolfram & Hart. Today, Angel and his merry band of demon hunters are in charge of the formerly (and possibly still) wicked firm, fighting evil from the heart of the beast. They’ve traded their dank vintage hotel for a sleek steel-and-glass office building, complete with magically tinted windows so Angel and the other vampires no longer have to slink around in the dark.
When it comes down to it, the show’s really not about the titular vamp — not entirely, anyway. In typical Whedon fashion, the supporting cast is even more interesting than the lead. Team Angel is as fleshed out as anything Joss came up with in the Buffyverse. Which makes sense, since a good chunk of the crime fighters (and crime fightees, for that matter) made their way to L.A. from Sunnydale.
Countless characters have contributed to the show’s ability to transcend standard horror fare: “Buffy” holdover Cordelia, who recently emerged from her mystical coma to fight at Angel’s side one last time; formerly nerdy Watcher/demon-hunter Wesley; street-fighter-turned-superlawyer Charles Gunn; bright green empath and lounge singer Lorne; and cute-as-a-button science geek Winifred “Fred” Burkle — who, thanks to recent events, will no doubt play an important role in the final episodes.
Even bit players add a welcome jolt of energy, like executive assistant-slash-evil-vampire Harmony and demon Skip, who looked like he was pulled from Clive Barker’s nightmares, but talked like the skater-boy next door.
The show’s true gem, though, is a certain bleached-blond vampire with a Billy Idol sneer and penchant for saving the world. The addition this season of James Marsters’ Spike to the team has helped elevate “Angel” to “Buffy”-level appointment television. On the “Buffy” series finale, Spike finally became the hero we all knew he aspired to be, by sacrificing his life to save humanity. And now, he’s back.
Reformed-evildoer Spike – as he comments on the action with a bemused indifference, then gleefully joins in the fight – has given “Angel” a rush of new blood, both hilarious and heart-wrenching. And Spike’s oil-and-holy-water moments with Angel have finally allowed Boreanaz the opportunity to show a biting sense of humor, rather than a constant wounded puppy pout.
Big themes, big payoffs
Whedon scores biggest when he deals with mythic themes, sweeping, poetic stuff like love and death, betrayal and redemption. Over its run, “Angel” flirted with those weighty themes, but it also had its share of missteps. Connor, we’re talking to you.
In the third season, Angel and fellow vampire Darla had a baby, who was prophesized to become an important piece of the cosmic puzzle. But Angel barely got to know his infant son; the boy was swiftly snatched by a time-traveling victim of Angel’s murderous days. Later, son Connor returned, all grown up (thanks to years spent in a rapidly moving dimension), instilled with a seething hatred for his father.
During his stay at dad’s place, Connor — in a move that drew shudders of revulsion from longtime fans — romanced Cordelia, the woman who acted as his surrogate mommy just a year before. OK, it was Evil Cordelia, but that clicking you heard was the sound of longtime fans turning off their televisions in disgust at the sight of those two in bed together.
America’s hate affair with whiny, annoying Connor kept the entire plotline from gelling. And his relationship with Cordelia was more revolting than all the buckets of blood and guts that the show spilled over its five-year run.
But now’s the time to bid good riddance to bad characters. If you left during Connorgate, get thee back to your TV. As producers wrap up this smart, rich, and completely real world, the remaining episodes will no doubt be as inspired and memorable as “Buffy” was at the top of its game.
The end
The plot begun just as the WB yanked the show is as heartbreaking, fulfilling, and well conceived as any on television.
In the recent “A Hole in the World” episode, written and directed by Whedon, an ancient demon took over Fred’s body, destroying her soul in the process.
The slow-motion heroics of the often-splintered team as they instantly dropped their petty differences and banded together to try to save Fred still generates goosebumps. And it was all the more powerful because they failed.
“She’s gone,” says Gunn. “And she’s not coming back.” People have died and returned over and over again in Whedon’s world, but this time, we believe him.
Odds are “Angel” is gone as well. And damned if it wasn’t a corporate suit that killed this vampire, signing off on the show’s demise with a pen that might as well have been a wooden stake through the heart.