Angel

I usually prefer "Angel" over "Buffy" - darker, complex characters; a minimum of quirky Scooby-speak; and it's more violent, definitely more violent.

David Boreanaz carries the show well. His character is more interesting when he's darker. Unfortunately, he wouldn't have a supporting cast if he remained that way. Charisma Carpenter, who played a relatively two-dimensional character for 3 years on "Buffy", really comes into her own on this show, adding depth to Cordelia and proving that she can act rings around Sarah Michelle Gellar. Alexis Denisof has done a good job of making me forget that Wesley was an uptight, stiff-upper-lip comedic relief in the previous series, and turned him into a more likeable, stronger character - almost a younger version of Giles. Recently, the writers have been ignoring Gunn in favor of regular guest stars Lindsey and Darla. Now maybe that particular story arc is over, they'll give J August Richards more to do.

This series is strong and deserves to stand on it's own merits, not simply as a "spin-off".

You could say we have Buffy to thank for Angel having his own show and you would be right there. But that's where it stops cause since the start of the show it was been nothing like Buffy. Don't get me wrong I am not bashing on Buffy I love that show also but when I comes down to it I would watch Angel over Buffy. However Did like how in season one and through almost all five seasons they tied some shows together with each other.Which made you want to watch both shows even more. this comment may not be that helpful to most but that's okay you'll just have to buy the seasons and see what I am talking about and believe me they are worth every dollar

When the show premiered back in 1999 fans were introduced to a show that was dark, edgy, intelligent, and just plain awesome in all the ways that a television show should be. Angel was not just an hour of entertainment, it was something that made your life better when you watched it. And in the course of half a decade the show presented brilliant characters, extraordinary stories, amazing dialogue, and last but not least, possibly the best show ever to hit television. It was for all these reasons that its loss left many fans heartbroken.

But if there was one thing that Angel made perfectly clear it is that the fight never ends. The story of the tortured vampire with a soul, Angel, unfortunately did not meet its end, since the evil WB took it off the air. So the rest of the life, or unlife, as I should say, of the infamous vampire with the soul was left up to the fans to finish the story of Angel in any way that they liked.

Angel is a show that is going to live forever because it never gave in and changed itself around in order to be more friendly for the masses. I have no intention of giving each season or episode a number evaluation as I feel the entire body of the show is whats important. Well thought out story arcs were the norm in this amazingly diverse world inhabited by the most fleshed out characters on any TV show. A perfect example of this is the character Wesley who started as the comedic sidekick and slowly, over the seasons, transformed into a certifiable bad-ass without ever coming across as forced. Angel never treated the view like an idiot, never wrapped everything up in a nice little package after every show only to forget about the previous events in the next episode. Angel also never got stale, in part because it was cancelled in its prime by the WB for no solid reason as it was one of the highest rated shows on the network. Every season seemed to get a little better with the fifth, and final, season being the best, in my humble opinion. The show has become like an old friend to me which I can visit from time to time to remember what TV should strive to be like and to see an example of great story telling. In a time when TV is turning into a wasteland of trends and shows that do nothing but recycle, Angel was a bright spot which has sadly gone out. Buy the DVDs and let the show live forever as most of what else is on TV is already dead.

With that in mind, this is an excellent show. While I do not feel that Angel has necessarily bested Forever Knight yet, I think that it very well might. The show manages to balance the fearsomeness of the supernatural undertones with a certain exuberance and delight that I am definitely impressed with. The show can be truly funny.

Angel is not a typical horror show, as it deals much more with human relations than it deals with the supernatural. And it deals with human relations in a much more mature and intelligent manner than most so-called dramas on TV. I must admit that I was skeptical when I heard all the praise being heaped on this show by critics before it started, but they were right. Between Angel and Buffy, I don't really think that any other network touches the WB for pure creative output.

I am impressed with the direction that this station has taken, and hope that they continue in the future.