I only bought "Angel" on DVD, because I finished all seven seasons of BTVS and still wanted more. I pretty much expected to sit around for four seasons, waiting for Spike to join the cast and sighing sadly as Angel longed for Buffy. So imagine my surprise when I came to love "Angel" as a show in its own right. By the first episode, it's clear that this is more than just a spin-off. "Angel" is series about redemption, and family, and fighting even when you won't win. It's darker than BTVS and sometimes that's a good thing. "Angel" confronts the idea of human evil with far more depth than BTVS and Angel himself becomes one of the most complex characters in the Buffyverse. He's a hero and a villain. He makes bad choices and noble sacrifices. He can be a total goof ball or a tragic figure. I never get tried of watching him. If you're planning to see "Angel," it would probably help to watch some of BTVS, too. (Especially for the crossovers later in the season.) But, really, "Angel" is a show that can stand on it's own and "City Of..." gives you all the back story you need to jump right in.
"City Of..." revolves around Angel finding his new calling as a vamp-detective. After leaving Sunnydale in BTVS season three, Angel made his way to Los Angeles. He's been spending his days (or nights, I guess) brooding and killing vampires. Then, a demon guide named Doyle comes to Angel and tells him that the "Powers That Be" (PTB) have a mission for them. Doyle gets visions of people in trouble, and Angel's new "job" is to save them. Angel is kinna skeptical, but he agrees to go to a local café where Doyle says a woman named Tina is in trouble. It turns out that a guy named Russell is after Tina and Angel soon finds himself at a Hollywood party, watching over her. While he's there, he meets up with Cordelia. She's out in LA, trying to be an actress. Unfortunately, she's not a very good one and she's now dead broke.
After beating up Russell's goons, Angel takes Tina back to his house. When she discovers that he's a vampire, though, she runs off. Russell soon tracks her down and kills her. He's also a vampire. Angel's determined to make Russell pay. Meanwhile, Russell is after Cordy. Angel and Doyle save Cordy. She quickly joins the Angel Inc. team, declaring herself Angel's assistant and saying that they should be charging for their "Helping the Helpless" services. Angel agrees. Angel also heads down to Russell's offices and confronts him. His lawyer, Lindsay MacDonald, tells Angel that Russell is above the law. So, Angel pushes Russell out the window, and makes a new enemy: The Law Offices of Wolfram and Hart.
There's a lot to like about this episode. I like Doyle and his lecture to Angel about restoring people's faith in goodness and humanity is hilarious. A homeless woman interrupts him to ask for spare change. Doyle snaps, "Oh, get a job ya lazy sow." And without breaking his stride, continues on with his inspirational talk on universal hope and brotherhood. Also, "City Of..." introduces Angel's nemeses, Attorney Lindsay McDonald and the Law Offices of Wolfram and Hart. They'll follow his right through the series, so it's cool to see them here. And I also like that Angel doesn't save Tina. On "Angel" things sometimes turn out darker than they do on BTVS, which can make the stakes seem higher. You just don't know what will happen or who will die. And every time I watch Cordy confronting Russell in his living room, I chuckle. "I'm from Sunnydale. We have our own Hellmouth. I think that I know a vampire when I see one." Also, that scene of Angel shoving Russel right through the window is just cool. BTVS is never that open or casual about killing the bad guys.
Mostly, though, I enjoy this episode because of Angel and all of his quirks. "City Of..." is one of the first episodes that really shows Angel's social awkwardness and dry sense of humor. You just have to laugh as he tries to talk to Tina in the café. "So are you... Happy?" Angel wants to help people with their problems, but he also wants to keep a distance between himself and the world. He's willing to wait three hours for Tina to get off work, but reminiscing about Montana throws him off. "I was there once, during the Depression. During my Depression. I was depressed there." I don't think that it's just his vampire-ness making him nervous around people. He's just an isolated, lonely guy. He doesn't know how to really communicate without tripping over his words. The first genuine smile he works up on the show is for Cordelia, because he doesn't have to keep up his defenses around her. I love Angel and Cordy together. She's the only one on either show that consistently makes Angel laugh. As the show goes on, it becomes clear that Angel needs Cordelia in order to do his job and remember why he's fighting. Doyle's right. Cordelia is Angels' link to humanity.
On the down side, Angel really isn't a technology "person." I don't see him working on three computers at once as he tracks down Tina's dead friend. I think that the show was still working on how they would handle the "research" part. In later episodes, other characters usually handle that side of things, while Angel complains about having to use a cell-phone. Also, how does Angel afford that office/apartment?
My favorite part of the episode: Angel fighting the bad guys in a parking garage, leaping into his convertible, prepared to heroically chase after the villains and rescue the girl... Only to realize that he's jumped in the wrong car. "D*mn."
"City Of..." revolves around Angel finding his new calling as a vamp-detective. After leaving Sunnydale in BTVS season three, Angel made his way to Los Angeles. He's been spending his days (or nights, I guess) brooding and killing vampires. Then, a demon guide named Doyle comes to Angel and tells him that the "Powers That Be" (PTB) have a mission for them. Doyle gets visions of people in trouble, and Angel's new "job" is to save them. Angel is kinna skeptical, but he agrees to go to a local café where Doyle says a woman named Tina is in trouble. It turns out that a guy named Russell is after Tina and Angel soon finds himself at a Hollywood party, watching over her. While he's there, he meets up with Cordelia. She's out in LA, trying to be an actress. Unfortunately, she's not a very good one and she's now dead broke.
After beating up Russell's goons, Angel takes Tina back to his house. When she discovers that he's a vampire, though, she runs off. Russell soon tracks her down and kills her. He's also a vampire. Angel's determined to make Russell pay. Meanwhile, Russell is after Cordy. Angel and Doyle save Cordy. She quickly joins the Angel Inc. team, declaring herself Angel's assistant and saying that they should be charging for their "Helping the Helpless" services. Angel agrees. Angel also heads down to Russell's offices and confronts him. His lawyer, Lindsay MacDonald, tells Angel that Russell is above the law. So, Angel pushes Russell out the window, and makes a new enemy: The Law Offices of Wolfram and Hart.
There's a lot to like about this episode. I like Doyle and his lecture to Angel about restoring people's faith in goodness and humanity is hilarious. A homeless woman interrupts him to ask for spare change. Doyle snaps, "Oh, get a job ya lazy sow." And without breaking his stride, continues on with his inspirational talk on universal hope and brotherhood. Also, "City Of..." introduces Angel's nemeses, Attorney Lindsay McDonald and the Law Offices of Wolfram and Hart. They'll follow his right through the series, so it's cool to see them here. And I also like that Angel doesn't save Tina. On "Angel" things sometimes turn out darker than they do on BTVS, which can make the stakes seem higher. You just don't know what will happen or who will die. And every time I watch Cordy confronting Russell in his living room, I chuckle. "I'm from Sunnydale. We have our own Hellmouth. I think that I know a vampire when I see one." Also, that scene of Angel shoving Russel right through the window is just cool. BTVS is never that open or casual about killing the bad guys.
Mostly, though, I enjoy this episode because of Angel and all of his quirks. "City Of..." is one of the first episodes that really shows Angel's social awkwardness and dry sense of humor. You just have to laugh as he tries to talk to Tina in the café. "So are you... Happy?" Angel wants to help people with their problems, but he also wants to keep a distance between himself and the world. He's willing to wait three hours for Tina to get off work, but reminiscing about Montana throws him off. "I was there once, during the Depression. During my Depression. I was depressed there." I don't think that it's just his vampire-ness making him nervous around people. He's just an isolated, lonely guy. He doesn't know how to really communicate without tripping over his words. The first genuine smile he works up on the show is for Cordelia, because he doesn't have to keep up his defenses around her. I love Angel and Cordy together. She's the only one on either show that consistently makes Angel laugh. As the show goes on, it becomes clear that Angel needs Cordelia in order to do his job and remember why he's fighting. Doyle's right. Cordelia is Angels' link to humanity.
On the down side, Angel really isn't a technology "person." I don't see him working on three computers at once as he tracks down Tina's dead friend. I think that the show was still working on how they would handle the "research" part. In later episodes, other characters usually handle that side of things, while Angel complains about having to use a cell-phone. Also, how does Angel afford that office/apartment?
My favorite part of the episode: Angel fighting the bad guys in a parking garage, leaping into his convertible, prepared to heroically chase after the villains and rescue the girl... Only to realize that he's jumped in the wrong car. "D*mn."