9 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Angel 27 Years Later

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Aug 29, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT Kim has been writing about television for the past 13 years, covering NCIS, FBI, Will Trent, and Ghosts. She is also not opposed to diving into previous favorites such as Gilmore Girls, Third Watch, and ER. Sign in to your ScreenRant account While Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a peppy, often humorous take on growing up and high school angst, its spinoff, Angel, was darker — though that didn't save the show from making mistakes. The series, which debuted in 1999, followed Buffy's vampire ex-boyfriend, Angel, played by David Boreanaz, after he left Sunnydale. Cursed to revert to the evil Angelus if he enjoyed a moment of pure happiness, Angel moved to Los Angeles to give Buffy a shot at a normal life. Well, as normal as she could have, being a vampire slayer. Angel's mission was to help as many innocents as possible. During its five-season run, several Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters popped up on Angel, including Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in season 1. Two characters even left Buffy the Vampire Slayer to join Angel full-time during its first season. Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter) hoped to become an actress in Los Angeles, but ended up working at Angel Investigations. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce (Alexis Denisof), Faith's former bumbling watcher, appeared in all five seasons of the show. These crossovers helped to enforce the bond between the two shows and cement Angel's place in the Buffy universe. With such a strong connection to the powerhouse Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel seemed like a safe bet. However, Angel dealt with more adult themes and had a grittier feel than the mother ship. In some cases, storylines and plot holes left viewers dissatisfied and confused. Rewatching Angel highlights some problematic issues with the supernatural series. The First Season Felt Like A Procedural Season 1 focused on setting up the series' premise and is generally considered one of Angel's weakest seasons. While the first season followed Buffy the Vampire Slayer's monster-of-the-week formula, Angel struggled at first to find its rhythm with the characters. However, by the second half of the season, the show felt more cohesive, with street-smart Gunn (J. August Richards) and Wesley joining Angel to fight demons and the forces of darkness. Thanks to visions from Doyle (Glenn Quinn), Angel's half-human and half-demon associate, the vampiric detective stalked the forces of evil. While it may have been necessary to stick to a formula for season 1, it also felt underwhelming, especially for viewers who also watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The original series was creative and excellent at establishing season-long villainous arcs. However, Angel hadn't reached that point yet. Connor And Cordelia's Relationship Felt Uncomfortable Angel and Cordelia pursued a slow-burning romantic relationship — a questionable choice, given the duo's history. When Cordelia returned from another dimension in season 4, she suffered from amnesia. Still, having Cordelia begin an affair with Connor (Vincent Kartheiser), Angel's son with the vampire Darla, was a strange choice for Angel. And a creepy one. In addition, Cordelia was possessed by an evil being. This demon controlled the Beast, and having Cordelia be the root of the apocalyptic chaos was a bold move by the writers. However, the relationship between Connor and Cordelia just felt wrong, and Cordelia gave birth to their child, Justine. In true Angel fashion, their daughter was an adult and one of the "Powers That Be." Overall, this was a messy plot and not fair at all to Cordelia. Having her become a demonic force could have been interesting without her affair with Angel's son. Faith Would Have Been An Asset To The Team Faith (Eliza Dushku) appeared in season 1, and Angel helped her shed her tendencies towards the dark side. When Angelus was running wild in season 4, Faith escaped prison to help Wesley, her former watcher, apprehend the vampire. Finally, Angel's soul was restored. It was a waste not to include Faith in more episodes of Angel. Her story, of embracing her dark side and then seeking redemption, paralleled Angel's own life. Plus, Faith's energy and character always elevated a scene. This slayer would have been a fantastic addition to the series, and it was a lost opportunity. Having Faith take part in season 5 would have been perfect, especially with Spike's (James Marsters) presence. In the final battle, having Faith standing beside Angel, Gunn, Spike, and Illyria (Amy Acker) would have made sense. Angel And Buffy Needed More Screen Time Together During season 1, Buffy and Angel reunited in the emotional episode, "I Will Remember You." Angel was made human again, and he and Buffy were allowed a glimpse of what their life could have been. They spent a perfect day and night together, ending it with an ice cream binge. Heartbreakingly, once Angel returned to his vampire form, Buffy's memory of the day was erased. Viewers knew that the couple was doomed to love one another, even though they could never be together because of Angel's curse. Buffy made another appearance during season 1, but having her pop up in the final season would have been a gift for viewers. Shockingly, Angel didn't receive a season 6 renewal, forcing the writers to quickly wrap up the series in the second half of season 5. Cordelia's Ending Was A Disappointment Cordelia had a journey on Angel. Doyle transferred his painful visions to her, allowing her to play an important role in Angel Investigations. After returning from another dimension with amnesia, a frightened Cordelia slept with Connor and became pregnant with Justine. After giving birth, she fell into a coma. Not only were Angel and Cordelia's romantic possibilities cut short, but so was Cordelia's time on the series. During season 5, Cordelia kissed Angel. However, during the intimate moment, he received a phone call stating that she had died. There is little doubt that Cordelia and Charisma Carpenter, who played her, deserved much better. It was devastating that Cordelia didn't receive a proper send-off after all the trials that she endured on Angel. It was a missed chance for Angel's team (and the viewers) to say goodbye. Fred Deserved A Better Death Deaths in a supernatural series are always tricky, especially when the show is packed with the undead. However, the death of the brilliant Winnifred was particularly heartbreaking. The time-dimension-hopping genius had just shared a kiss with Wesley. After returning to her lab, she touched an ancient sarcophagus, and her fate was sealed. After becoming infected with a mysterious virus, Fred's body became the shell of an ancient demon, Illyria. A devastated Wesley decided to help Illyria, as Fred's essence was essentially gone. Fred's demise had a huge impact on the team, as she was beloved by everyone for her purity and desire to do good. It was an odd choice to have Fred become a vessel for Illyria. While it opened up some story possibilities, it also removed a fan-favorite from Angel. Being in proximity to Angel was truly a dangerous business. Angelus Needed More Appearances On The Show The series may be about Angel seeking redemption, but whenever Angelus appeared, it was incredibly entertaining. Before becoming a vampire, Angel was simply Liam, a young man in 18th-century Ireland. After being sired by Darla (Julie Benz), Angel went on a murderous rampage for 100 years. However, once he was cursed with a soul, Angel began his journey to atone for all his sins. While Angelus was evil, he was also quick with a one-liner and possessed a snarky sense of humor. Angelus brought a different energy to the show than the brooding and serious Angel, and this levity was a refreshing change. While it wouldn't be fitting if Angelus stole the show, seeing more of him in Angel would have been a thrill. Viewers saw Angelus in rare form during season 4, and that was his final appearance in the series. Did Spike Or Angel Ever Win Back Their Humanity? While Angel insisted the Shanshu Prophecy was fake, it could have applied to another vampire. The prophecy claimed that after the final battle, one vampire possessing a soul would become human. Naturally, that also applied to Spike. He revealed in season 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that he obtained his soul to earn Buffy's forgiveness. Both of these brooding vampires had been adversaries for centuries, and both were in love with Buffy. It was an interesting angle for the show to pursue, as both Spike and Angel were trying to do good deeds before being dragged to a hellish dimension. Angel never answered whether Spike or the titular character regained their humanity, leaving viewers hanging. Angel's Finale Is Still Incredibly Frustrating The finale for Angel is a hot topic among viewers, even today. In season 5, the gang was given control of Wolfram & Hart. Later, the group assassinated members of The Circle of the Black Thorn, who wanted to end the world. This mission was dangerous, and Angel's team knew that some would not survive. Sadly, Wesley died. In Angel's final scene, an injured Gunn, Spike, Angel, and Illyria stood together, facing the Senior Partner's army. "Let's go to work," Angel said as they moved into battle. This unresolved ending left plenty of questions. For some viewers, the finale was a fitting showcase for the show's themes about the never-ending struggle for redemption. Angel was never going to have a happy ending, unlike Buffy the Vampire Slayer's swan song. However, not knowing the fate of the main characters and leaving so many loose ends was a truly disappointing end to the series. Release Date 1999 - 2004-00-00 Network The WB Showrunner David Greenwalt Directors James A. Contner, David Greenwalt, Tim Minear, Bill L. Norton, Terrence O'Hara, Marita Grabiak, Skip Schoolnik, David Grossman, Frederick King Keller, Jefferson Kibbee, Michael Grossman, Vern Gillum, Bruce Seth Green, David Straiton, Steven S. DeKnight, Turi Meyer, David Semel, Michael Lange, Scott McGinnis, Thomas J. Wright, Ben Edlund, David Boreanaz, James Whitmore Jr., Krishna Rao Writers jeffrey bell, Mere Smith, Elizabeth Craft, Sarah Fain, Shawn Ryan, Drew Goddard, Howard Gordon, Jeannine Renshaw, Jim Kouf, Douglas Petrie, Tracey Stern, David H. Goodman, Brent Fletcher, Gary Campbell, Jane Espenson, Marti Noxon Creator(s) Joss Whedon, David Greenwalt