Buffy the Vampire Slayer fandom has been up in a rage recently, with the stories of the potential reboot hitting the interwebs. I’m personally in the camp of “Why?” and less in the camp of “NO!” than most others. Brett’s post got me to thinking, though, that I would be a whole lot more pissed off about someone rebooting Angel than Buffy. So, I guess it’s time to come out of the closet, and admit without shame that I think Angel is a better show.
I got off to a really rocky start with the show. And by rocky start, I mean I gave up after three episodes. Angel (the vampire, not the show) was probably my least favorite part of the first couple of seasons of BtVS. So, he gets a spin off, takes one of the other more annoying characters with him, and introduces a completely new third sidekick — I just couldn’t get hooked … until TNT reruns dragged me back in. After a couple episodes in early season three, it was like BOOM, and next thing you know, within a month, I had kind of purchased all five seasons on DVD.
The first season, as with many good dramas, was about finding its footing. I have never become a big Doyle fan, and I thought that the change, planned or not, to Alexis Denisof’s Wesley Wyndam-Pryce was a great move. The introduction of evil law firm Wolfram & Hart, especially Stephanie Romanov’s Lilah Morgan and Christian Kane’s Lindsey McDonald, provided a running adversary through the series run that BtVS never really had. Slowly adding to the main cast throughout the seasons built the team at Angel Investigations and allowed the team to grow more organically.
When it comes down to it, though (as it always does with me), it’s about the characters. While I love the folks from BtVS (Especially Tara and Anya), Angel was where it’s at. Cordy grew from a self-absorbed, wannabe actress to a champion in her own right. Fred was, to put it in Whedon-speak, full of yummy goodness. With Wesley, I love the arc that the former Watcher follows, from ponce (I mean, really, is there a better word to describe him?) to leader, and into the depths falls back again. Wes is probably my favorite character in the entire Buffyverse, and I love a lot of them.
The main reason that I like Angel is probably the one that will most get me in trouble. The Scooby Gang loved each other, protected each other, fought with each other. They were good friends and a great team. Angel, Cordy, Gunn, Fred, Wes, Lorne, and eventually Spike, in my eyes, were different. These people were family. They made sacrifices for each other that were just incomparable. They choose to be heroes together, when on BtVS, it always seemed to be a mantle thrust upon them.
I will admit, though, that no show is perfect. I like J. August Richards, but I never really think Gunn found a good place on the show until the final season. Like everyone on the planet, I think the fourth season certainly had its, er, challenges? I also think we deserved more Lindsey, and much more Darla. When you add it all up, though, Angel was a great show. The characters stand out, as do the actors performing (Eliza Dusku’s work as Faith in the first season, and Denisof in the third in particular). The writing was outstanding, and the ideas (Well, ideas without Jasmine) just worked (Who doesn’t love “Smile Time”?). So, let the flame wars begin. Angel was a better show.
Clacked by Ivey West 
on May 28, 2009 @ 13:00 EST5EDT
I voted for Buffy, but I do think Angel is under-appreciated. Wes’s arc through the seasons is also my favorite part. Lorne was a wonderful character, also my favorite. Cordy’s first few years on the show, and her character growth. And I enjoyed the Wolfram & Hart stuff, usually. The Darla plot. Even the teenage Connor turmoil worked for me–up until the squickiness with Cordelia. The tight plotting during the middle seasons was fantastic (although the logic holes were always laughable). Also, Boreanaz has a great screen personality, which occasionally got to poke through Angel’s dark broodiness.
What I disliked: all the “champion” stuff, which became incredibly repetitive; the downward arc of Cordy’s character after her “ascent”; the Cordy/Connor stuff; all the goopy “Fred loves Gunn, Gunn loves Fred” stuff, and Spike’s utterly unnecessary presence.
*POST AUTHOR*
I hated the Gunn loves Fred, Fred loves Gunn stuff too, but for probably different reasons. Fred obviously loved Wesley, it just took her some time to realize.
Like Tracey, I’m just not with you on the Spike thing. His relationship with Angel was great, even if it did get overplayed. His interactions with the rest of the team, especially Fred/Illyria.
So happy to read this !!!!
I always feel alone among Buffyverse’s fans…
From the beginning, I’m fond of Angel’s character and what he became in his own show. And I do prefer his team and how they’ve grown together. ( Yes, Whesley had the best evolution, ever !)
I like “Buffy” but I love ” Angel “.
Much darker, profound, and the redemption theme is so powerful. For all characters !
Yes, there’s much imperfections than in “Buffy”, but I always feel frustated by the least exposition and the underestimate.
And The season finale was much better than Buffy’s…
I am alone in my family, but I liked Angel better than Buffy as well. It was a darker, more adult show. That Connor/Cordy/Jasmine storyline really turned my stomach, but otherwise I loved the whole five season run.
Favorite Characters: Angel, Wesley, Fred and Lindsey
Plus I have to disagree with Scott. I think including Spike in season 5 was complete genius! It brought a whole new level of comedy to the show, while still maintaining the dark vibe they did so well.
Great timing with this post! I only just started watching Angel a few weeks ago, and now I’m one episode away from completing season one. I’m a big fan of Buffy, Firefly, and just overall Joss, but I never enjoyed the character of Angel on Buffy expect when he was evil, so I ignored the show for years. After reading the Buffy comics this year, and complaining about the lack of Joss in my life [this was before Dollhouse], I realised what an idiot I was being. Here I have a show by a writer that I love, set in a universe that I love, and with no wait times inbetween seasons?! Great. And I do like the show a lot. I was only kind of enjoying it at the start, but it really picked up steam, and the Faith arc was amazing. Dusku was just fantastic. I can’t wait to see where the show takes me.
One thing that does suck though is knowing about the fates of some of the characters. I know about some of the deaths coming up, I know about the cliffhanger. I guess that’s what happens when you love and read about TV.
*POST AUTHOR*
Angel as Buffy’s cast off in BtVS never worked for me. I don’t think I really liked him until the second season of Angel.
I really liked Dushku work in Judgment in particular.
I hear you about knowing what’s going to happen. I watched the third, fourth, fifth seasons before I saw the first two. Considering how much I like Darla, I wish I hadn’t known what I knew when I knew it.
I didn’t realize so many others were like me in thinking Angel was better. I think, overall, it was a more mature show, which I liked. And while I would watch it on TV, I didn’t really get into either until I got the DVDs. I thought the character growth for each of them was outstanding and far outweighed those on Buffy.
Wesley is my favorite Buffyverse character as well. I thought his growth as a character was the strongest and most interesting. And I agree that Gunn was probably the weakest link, but he did come out swinging in the fifth season, which was the best. I wish it could’ve continued. And I loved them bringing Spike on, thought that his and Angel’s relationship was brilliant. Cordy totally grew on me and I hated that she left the show so early. And how can you ever go wrong with Fred? I would’ve fallen in love with her too if I were in that universe.
Agreed. Angel is better. But I still have a soft spot for Buffy since it was where it all began.
Buffy is better. And this time I don’t want to argue about it. Angel Season 5 was good because they got rid of Wolfram & Hart as well as Cordelia – and because they got Spike.
What show has 7 Seasons of Spike?
Yeah I know. Six. Not Seven.
Apples and oranges. Buffy was like Chuck, an action-dramedy with a lightly interspersed overall plot that doesn’t usually get in the way of casual viewing. Angel was like Heroes, a dark, dense, action-adventure show that demands weekly attendance. They are only compared because they are in the same universe…they’re almost nothing alike as shows.
Great post, Ivey! I too am a newcomer to Angel. having just started watching the series towards the end of Season 2 last March. I agree with you about J. August Richards. I liked his character, but Gunn really seemed out-of-place until the 5th season. It’s almost as though the creators of the series felt guilty about not giving him a real purpose within the Angel family, and made up for it by allowing Gunn to be the brilliant lawyer in Season 5.