Arts & Culture
On DVD with Dan Richter: “Angel,” the collector’s edition
Arts and Review Reporter
In “Angel,” the popular spin- off of “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” a 240 year-old vampire searches for forgiveness and redemption while battling vampires, demons, lawyers and other forces of evil in Los Angeles. The five-season series was recently released on DVD in a complete collector’s set.
On “Buffy,” we learned that for 150 years Angel (David Boreanaz of TV’s “Bones”) was a scourge on the world, and one of the most cruel and heartless beings to ever have walked the planet. However, after killing a gypsy in the late 19th century, Angel was cursed with a soul, forced to relive the pain he caused and atone for his sins for all of eternity. After meeting Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in the California town of Sunnydale, the two fought side by side but quickly fell madly in love. Realizing that they could never be together (the Slayer and a vampire she is supposed to kill), Angel leaves town to save Buffy from heartache (and get his own show!).
“Angel” premiered on the WB network back in 1999, but it took a while for the show to catch on. Even though two other “Buffy” cast members joined Boreanaz on the big move to the new show, “Angel” had a different tone altogether than its parent show. Instead of long, overarching storylines, “Angel” featured more close-ended, villain-of- the-week episodes, including a Hollywood actress who stalks Angel, hoping he would turn her into a vampire so she will never age and a Nazi-ish breed of demons who wish to rid the world of humans and half-breed demons. It wasn’t until later in the series, when “Angel” finally found its footing and fan base, that the show became more serialized.
For fans of “Buffy,” “Angel” will be an instant favorite, as it heavily expands on the stories and mythology set up and explored by “Buffy.” Fans will also be pleased at the more than 10 crossovers between the two shows over five seasons, five of which are in the first season alone. The crossovers intertwine the shows and demonstrate that while Angel and Buffy may be out of contact, they are still very much a part of each other’s lives.
For this very reason, however, newcomers may find the show hard to follow at first view, or without watching “Buffy” simultaneously. With continued viewing (and maybe the help of an episode guide), one can catch on to the history and mythology quickly and become an instant fan.
“Angel” is just one example of the power and genius of creator Joss Whedon, who also created “Buffy” and the space opera “Firefly.” Whedon’s vampire- based series create imaginative and extensive worlds that make it easy for one to give in to the night and get lost in their gothic settings.
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