Angel - Series 5 Part 2 [2000]

Season 5 of Angel saw James Marsters' Spike introduced to the cast and for the first 3 episodes he seemed a bit out off place and under used (as was Andy Hallett's Lorne.) It wasn't until the 4th and 5th episodes that we saw these characters finally come into their own in the show. As a result the first half of the season seemed to have a slow build up.

Thankfully by the second half of the season the characters seemed a lot more comfortale in their new surroundings. The audience were also treated to the resolution of the Cordelia storyline in "You're Welcome." Something which audiences had been waiting for since the end of season 4.

It was perhaps the death of the much loved character Fred that was the turning point of this season. The introduction of Illyria in the last third of the season was something that gave the show a dark turn and also added some new cemistry. Unfortunately the fact that the show was cancelled resulted in the character not being explored to it's full potential. The re-introduction of Christian Kane's Lindsey in the first half was also a very good twist as was seeing him first along side our champions in the last battle.

Angel's last season was one that explored exactly what the last 5 years had been about. Redemption and atonement. The inclusion of the Angel Investigations advert with Doyle (played by the much loved and missed Glenn Quinn) was something that reminded the audience that Angel and co. had drifted away from their mission.

The issue of the triangle between Buffy, Angel and Spike also got some kind of resolution in "The Girl in Question." It is just unfortunate that we couldn't get a true conclusion to this issue as Sarah Michelle Gellar did not appear.

It wasn't until the last 2 episodes that the season finally got to the main big bad. It is possible that this is something that wouldn't have happened the way it did if the show had gto picked up for another season.

Despite this we see how the events of the last few months, specifically the loss of Cordelia and Fred, has taken it's toll on our heroes in the final episodes. They are demoralised and Angel is taking matters into his own hands and distancing himself from his friends. It was enjoyable to watch his supposed turn to the dark side yet it was something that i believe could've been explored more in one or more of the previous episodes. (Possibly instead of "TGiQ")

It was fun to see old and new characters coming together to fight the Black Thorn. The scene in which Wesley died was so heartbreaking to watch yet it was neccessary for one of the heroes to die in order to make the end scene a lot more poinant.

The alley scene at the end was a much darker final scene than Buffy's due to the darker tone of the show of a whole. It was great to see Angel and co. standing defiantly against the forces of evil and doing what they do best. It's safe to say that Angel gained his redemption with the final season of the show. As the ending is left open we are abble to make our own minds up about what happened to our champions but it is safe to say that the odds were stacked against them.

Anyway i'm slay that dragon now.......remember to fight the good fight whichever way you can. You never know until you're tested.


Not Fade Away   October 2, 2004
10 out of 13 found this review helpful

It took some time to get there. But the final season of Angel went out on some of it's strongest episodes, which was a remarkable achievement given that this show has had me on the edge of my seat and riveted since the end of it's brilliant third season. Some people say that Angel was a show cancelled, and (therefore) cut down in its prime, but I have to disagree. David Boreanaz has been playing the part of Angel for well over seven years (and what an amazing and true star he's been), and any show by Joss Whedon is going to demand all of your heart, and your intelligence. We shouldn't mistake good quality and consistency for a show experiencing a peak in what it is capable of. The man loves his art; he loves telling stories. Unlike most other writers and producers Joss is really in the business of taking his audience somewhere, and he was never gonna let his show just fade away.

The season itself as a whole might not have been the best. I've not seen the first eleven episodes, but it strikes me that through episodes twelve to fourteen it is a bit of a hit and miss affair getting the stand alone format right. There seems to be some struggling in working out and trying to maintain what Spike is there to do (not that I mind James Masters return). Also dealing with the new set. It might seem superficial, but you have to understand the writers, directors and the designers put a lot of thought into them. Joss Whedon's shows are like morality plays, and the sets always seem to lend to the theatrical look of the show. See for example the way doors, lifts, staircases are all filmed to reveal things in each season of any of his shows. See how they emphasise or form the physical plot developments in the same way that a theatrical set design would have to in a live stage play. And then there's the metaphysics of things. But that's another essay.

But despite any problems the show is still wittier than most. And it soon becomes clear that the writers are itching to get their teeth into the more involved character driven stories like they have done so well at telling in previous seasons. In fact, I'd go even further and say brilliantly. Once we get to 'A Whole in the World' this show becomes dangerous. It's like a brilliant and exciting novel you just can't put down.

Maybe it's fair to say that the writers were able to rely on our love for such well established characters, whom we fans were already so familiar with. But to be honest, even though most of us had been pining for Wesley and Fred to get together for a long time, this didn't matter. Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker both turn it brilliant and heartbreaking performances that stay with you long after you've come away from the final episode. It really hurt to see these beloved characters go. And the heightened drama and circumstances brought out brand new sides of these characters and new depths of what their performers and writers were capable of. The results were eight final episodes that developed a fairly standard and typical sci-fi / fantasy plot, but gave it it's own unique and genuinely surprising revelations, twists and turns.

It did however feel a little cobbled together in terms of the bigger picture, with a plot about yet another apocalypse. Even though this was supposed to be the big one, the whole apocalypse thing has yet to live up to the jeopardy we all felt watching the end of Buffy's fifth season. The final season of Angel felt like it had to bring too many expectations and plot threads together at the last minute.

Was Angel's ending better than Buffy's? I'd say yes. And no. They're two very opposite shows. One is about a girl learning to accept and embrace her destiny and responsibility. The other is about a man desperate for a destiny. Desperate to be released from his past rather then return to it. The fact that Buffy's ending was light and Angel's dark was perfectly apt for both shows, and should really be what a true fan would have wanted. Buffy to be empowered, strong and happy. And Angel to go out fighting. The closing moments of each were like the closing bars of a symphony. Although they leave things open and therefore possible to exploit the 'franchise' even further (as my dad so subtly put it), they are also a coda - a perfect adjunct to the close of a composition, to enforce the final character of the movement.

Angel's final forty-five minutes sees a brilliant mixture of excitement, surprise and revelation from a much loved group of characters - some new to us, some old. There are some bitter sweet smiles to be had, and some tears. But ultimately hope. Like many good works of fiction, and yet unlike so many shows that are favoured on primetime television, Angel serves to allow us to think and meditate on certain ideas and values. Especially in this age of a consumer orientated society, we seem to forget that we all have, and should take greater individual responsibility for making the world what it is.

Whatever form or shape Joss's next project takes, his work so far is brilliant and heartfelt and will have relevance for audiences for many years to come. Maybe even forever. For a man so driven by atheism and existentialism it seems odd that he questions his influence over the world of what dominates the TV schedules. Regardless of ratings his work continues to garner a strong reputation as well as fond love and devotion from fans. With his influence being talked about already on other shows, like the return of Doctor Who, Joss Whedon isn't a writer likely to fade away any time soon.


hated it hated it hated it   September 12, 2004
4 out of 19 found this review helpful

warning a few spoilers ahead.

The first half of this season brought nothing new or special to the world of angel. Spike was a useless character that did nothing for the series and the rest were all just wondering around doing their own little things.

In past seasons we have had good storylines for each character and you actually cared about them. Here its just one episode after another. There is virtually nothing good about this series of angel. Granted this half has one or two good episodes, but my problem with them is that they are taken straight from Buffy (see what happens to Fred and then see "Seeing Red" from series 6 of Buffy). Everything about the episodes is virtually identical! Fred and Wesley finally get together like Willow and Tara did, and then suddenly she died!

The final two episodes is where an arc FINALLY starts, but it seems so rushed that you dont really feel it was worth it. Illyria is an interesting addition to the cast, and Amy Acker's acting is the only reason this didn't get 1 star. Connor's annoying face came back for a few episodes with a personality transplant, but he still managed to make you wish he was dead.

So anyway, Angel 5.1 box set was okay, but not as good as it was when it all started. The series has steadily got worse through time, and granted this is a better series than 4 was, its still lame and dull to watch.


Not Fade Away   September 6, 2004
R. J. Crossman
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Sci-fi/fantasy fans are, by and large, a whiny bunch. Somedays it seems like every single one of them, whilst clutching the DVDs of their favorite series to their chest, will loudly complain about the fact that their favorite series was dragged out long past its greatest moments (Buffy, B5, X Files) or was brutally cut down before it had time to flower (Firefly, Dark Skies, and inexplicably, Farscape).

Angel, then stands alone as a show that lasted long enough for it to develop and mature, and yet still go out on a high note.

Angel season 5 is, without a doubt, the series' best year. Much has been made of the stand-alone format hamstringing the season's first half. This is completely untrue; if anything caused a problem in the first few episodes it was the rather uncertain introduction of Spike. Fortunately, by the time the second box set kicks off, Spike has found his place.

The new format helps the season out immeasurably. The lack of a massive story arc forces the writing to be more inventive and immediate; and allows us to see the poisoned chalice of W&H from many different viewpoints. Particular highlights include (obviously) A Whole In The World and Shells; but Smile Time ("You wanna talk to the hand?") and The Girl In Auestion deserve a mention just for being so massively, ludicrously funny. The season falters a little post-Illyria, not all the writers seem sure what to do with her, but Not Fade Away produces the perfect ending to Buffy's darker sibling; this was never going to be a series which would end with the heroes riding away into the sunset. In fact, the episode sums up the season in its entirety. Everything, everyone, five years of laughter and violence and blood and betrayal, *everything*, is going out with a bang...


Cut Down in its Prime   August 30, 2004
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

Although season five's first part was highly enjoyable, the second part is like a good book you can't put down. This is ANGEL at its best. All the characters have developed and grown in plausible directions and blend together to create narrative that is believable (given the fantasy genre) and emotional. The two parter 'A Hole in the World' and 'Shells', is heartbreaking and follows 'Smile Time',one of the funniest and original ANGEL episodes. This juxtaposition makes the sadness of the characters all the more poignant and real. These episodes, the originality of the Buffy/Angelverse and the rollercoaster ending illustrate that this was a series cut down in its prime.