Blogging A to Z: TV Theme- Angel

Welcome to the Blogging from A to Z Challenge! My intention with the TV theme is to feature as many current shows as possible. But I also want to share shows that I like and that lean toward scripted television rather than reality shows. So, although my "A" pick no longer airs new episodes, you can see reruns weekdays on TNT (or DVD, Netflix, etc.)

Angel: the vampire with a soul. Oh, how he broke young Buffy's heart, loving her despite being her immortal enemy. I felt skeptical on whether he could hold his own show, but I'm glad I invested in the series, which I watched after a DVD binge of all 7 seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (back before it could be streamed on Netflix so I had to wait for the discs!)

As Buffy heads to college, Angel takes off to L.A. where he opens a paranormal investigation agency of sorts with Buffy alumn Cordelia, who truly redeems herself from Mean Girl to helpful sidekick. The rest of the cast crops up organically: Wesley, a former watcher (trainer to the vampire slayers), who undergoes the most character progression during the show, enters late in season 1, along with Gunn, an everyman who dusts vampires to keep the neighborhood safe. Fred (the girl) is probably the most fun edition as she's rescued from another realm and brought back to L.A. with Angel. In the last season, former Big Bad vamp Spike shows up (after having saved the world and all on Buffy). Many a fan have lamented this stunt casting, but I like Spike and didn't mind it.

Angel as a series is a bit uneven; I can appreciate the risks it took, taking beloved characters and making them evil/disturbed/taken over by something, not just for an episode, but for a season. While the last two seasons aren't as strong as the first few, the final episode is one of my favorite series finales ever. As with any Joss Whedon show, somebody important dies, and while plotlines are tied up, the threat of evil isn't. The parting shot shows the cast in the pouring rain facing a cluster of mystical baddies. Angel says, "Personally, I kind of want to slay the dragon."

Angel in felt

Why You Should Watch: See a pre-Bones David Boreanaz with fangs and a bumpy face when he vamps out! Plus, how can you go wrong with a puppet themed episode? The answer is, you can't.

Factoid: See the kid far left in the first picture? He played Angel's son Connor in a rather strange loop on the show, where Angel had a child with his vamp maker Darla, but the baby was timewarped somewhere else, only to reappear as a teenager (take that daytime TV!). Now Connor can be seen schmoozing on Madison Avenue in Mad Men.