Customer Reviews

Angel

5 star:		(110)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The following paragraph is in my other reviews, but I believe it bears repeating. This six Disk DVD Set is extraordinary. The Picture and Sound quality are so very good that you feel as though you are watching it in a theater. The closed captioning and Audio come in other languages besides English. It's jam packed with all sorts of extra bonus specials. The Brilliant creator, Joss Whedon and other staff members are at their very best, just as they were with their work on Buffy (which is also a must own). I not only highly recommend this Season disk set, but the other four seasons as well. Quite a bit of quality work went into the making of all five seasons. They are a necessary buy for any Angel fan! It's completely impossible to be anything but extremely pleased with this purchase as well as the rest of the series. The writing, acting , directing, etc... are amazing per usual. This is without question once again feature film quality. The fact that all but the first season is filmed in Letter Box gives it that theater feel. In addition, the closed-captioning is less likely to interfere with the picture.
David Boreanaz (Angel) and Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia) are brilliant in their performance together as well as the growing sexual tension between them. I must give extra credit to J. August Richards as (Charles Gunn), he is a perfect addition to the cast. He was introduced at the end of Season One. He adds the much needed diversification of characters to the growing cast. He's known mostly as the muscle, but is so much more. A fine actor with much charisma as well as humor. The addition of the karaoke singing club owner Andy Hallet (Known as The Host in the beginning and then Lorne). He plays our green demon from another dimension with physic ability that gives much room for expanding the stories. He adds some comic relief along with a fabulous singing voice. Last, but certainly not least, look out folks here comes Julie Benz (Darla). She is by far one of the BEST actors on TV and now lucky for us DVD. She is without a doubt AMAZING. You'll just have to by this season to see what I mean. Don't miss her incredible performance in season three. Joss Whedon once again comes through with continuing to make the show interesting, believable even though it's all fantasy. He does this because he makes the people real and the stories real despite that they are all rooted in fiction. I not only highly recommend this Season disk set, but the other four seasons as well. Any true Angel fan must complete their set with this one. It's a keeper folks. Purchase this before it gets sold out and you miss your chance to continue your collection. ORDER IMMEDIATELY AND DON'T FORGET TO BUY SEASONS ONE, THREE, FOUR AND FIVE WHILE YOUR AT IT.

Angel: Season 2 was where the show started to move into its own 'formula', and the opening statement that Angel himself was not devastated by the loss of Buffy served to encompase one fact: the show was on its own.

Where the first season essentially followed the monster-of-the-week plus occasional storyline episode formula that has been tried and true on Buffy, Season 2 started to move away from that into the darker, emotionally churning state of being that we viewers have grown so used to in the third and fourth seasons.

The second season of Angel also points at the show's tendency to serve an overarching plot rather than a seasonal "Big Bad", when it ends with a trip to a different dimension instead of concluding the Darla storyline (which is completed in the third season).

But though this season has a darker, more plot-arc oriented spine, it still contains some excellent character and monster-of-the-week episodes. One of these is "Are You Now or Were You Ever?", thought by fans everywhere as being one of the best episodes of the show. Other greats include "Darla", "Guise will Beguise", and "The Shroud of Rahmon".

There are also portents of the futures of the different characters interspersed throughout the season. This is where Wesley really matured, becoming a hard-bitten leader rather than a comical sidekick. You can see his character being prepared to make the harder choices that cause him to be so dark later on in the series.

Angel himself has a hard time of it throughout this season, but then, when does he not? He grows dark, deep-set despair keeping him from both his mission and his friends. But his redemption is both funny and touching when he returns towards the end of the season.

Cordelia grows immensely during this season, primarily because of her visions. She's still "tell it like it is" Cordy, but her caring for others grows by leaps and bounds, setting the stage for the Cordelia we know later on in the third season.

Charles Gunn also joins the Fang Gang, forsaking his old 'crew' to help Angel Investigations in a slow process that is (fortunately) very believable.

Also in this season we are introduced to two new characters that will later become regulars: Fred and Lorne (the Host). The first is a slightly cooky, very intelligent woman who was stuck in Pylea for five years before returning with the Angel Investigations gang. The second, Lorne, is a truly unique character - a demon that sings, and can read a person's destiny when that person sings. Both are excellent additions to the group, and help to flesh out the dynamic between the characters.

In conclusion, Angel: Season 2 serves as a stage-setter for the third and fourth seasons' storylines and characters, and contains some truly memorable episodes as well.

Season 2 of Angel is definitely the best, and I've seen all of Season 3 and all that has aired of Season 4. Why is Season 2 the best? It has the best cast of recurring characters, almost all of whom are gone by the end of episode 18. And it has a definite arc, although some freestanding episodes are interspersed in among the progressing shows. One of the very best of the freestanding episodes is Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been, which is a true masterpiece (and has echoes of the original Twilight Zone episode The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street!). Disharmony is also an excellent stand-alone episode, but this is one of the funniest episodes yet as Mercedes McNab reprises her role as Harmony the ditzy vampire from Sunnydale. She is a riot! This season also provides the strongest conflict between Angel Investigations and its nemesis, the evil law firm of Wolfram & Hart, as Angel's sire Darla is brought back from the dead (at the cost of Lindsey's right hand) to beguile and bedevil Angel. Lorne the empathetic demon is a welcome addition to the cast from the first episode, and the addition of Fred in the last four episodes (and also The Groosalugg, who will be around in the beginning of Season 3) is a touch of genius.

However, the highlight of Season 2 is the Angel/Darla/Lindsey conflict, with the brilliant contributions of two gorgeous and remarkably talented actors, Julie Benz and Christian Kane. They were a devastating loss to the show when the storyline ended (although Benz makes a few appearances in Season 3 and one in Season 4). Drusilla enters in The Trial and, along with Stephanie Romanov (Lindsey's evil colleague Lilah), Sam Anderson (their boss Holland Manners), and Gerry Becker (his replacement Nathan Reed) provide the counterpoint to the Angel Investigations theme. These magnificent actors are gone from the show much too soon, with the exception of Romanov. And the storyline peaks in Reunion, an episode with an ending that must be seen to be believed.

Elisabeth Rohm (Kate Lockley) is another brilliant cast member who leaves the show at the end of this season, and Julia Lee (Anne Steele, who had called herself first Chanterelle and then Lily on two episodes of Buffy) appears too briefly.

Other highlights include songs by Andy Hallett (Lorne), Julie Benz, and Christian Kane, all of whom sing very well, and songs by David Boreanaz and the trio of Wes, Cordy, and Gunn, who don't! And the bookish Wes becomes a true hero as the season develops. In the last four (Pylea) episodes, he becomes a leader. There is also a very brief appearance by Eliza Dushku as Faith.

Buy this, watch this, and cherish this. You'll never see its like again. This is definitely the best of Angel.

This is the Second chapter in the Angel series, and the prelude to one of the finest seasons of TV that Television has ever seen (Angel Season 3). The second season takes place about 5 months after the season 1 finale, and shows the gang in full demon fighting swing of things. They've picked up two new friends: Charles Gunn (a street-fighting demon hunter) and Lorne (A green lounge singing demon). Through the season Angel enters a downward sprial, due to the return of Darla (the vampire who sired him). He returns to normal in just enough time to go to Pylea (A demon dimension) and save the race of humans... Only to return to La with the new of Buffys dealth.

The second season contains many stellar episodes, and the best guest stars the show has ever seen: Eliza Dusku (Faith), Andy Hallet (Lorne), Julie Benz (Darla), and Juliet Landau (Drusilla) to name a few.

The season included the wonderful episodes: Judgement, ARe you now or have you ever been, First Impressions, Untouched, Dear Boy, Guise will be Guise, Darla, The Shroud of Rahmon, The Trail, Reunion, REdefinition, Happy Anniversary, the Thing Dead Line, Reprise, Epiphany, Disharmony, Dead End, Belonging, Over the RAinbow, Throught he Lookinglass, and There's no place like Plrtz Glrb.

If your a fan of great television, or horror this is the box set for you. And if you have any intention of buying the 3rd season this season is a must see to understand much the 3rd and 4th season plot lines.

Season 2 became the pivotal point for Angel investigations. As Angel has learned that he will become human, Gunn is now a part of investigations, and the Host becomes a friend. Even though Wesley is a recurrent cast member, this season sets the tone for him to become a "hero".
The second episode "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been", I have watched probably over 50 times, is the best episode since Becoming Part 2. In fact it is the best episode of the entire BTVS and Angel series combined. It sets everything in to place for Angel investigations at the Hyperion. (It is sad thought that they are stating the Hotel will no longer be apart of Angel as the end of Season 4 is coming). Back to Season 2...Lindsey and friends are the constant bad that will always be there to cause Angel and friends trouble. The show from Season 1 had constant bad guys, but now it is known what W&H wants (Angel on their side in the coming Apocalypse). As we go into the season, we see that Angel is having to deal with his Sire Darla. Inner troubles cause Angel to get rid of his gang and hunt her down and kill her. However, as the season winds down, it ends perfectly. We go to Pylea where the Host is from to find a new soon to be Angel member next season, Fred. The last 3 episodes are just brilliant. It is no wonder that the show can hold its own. Overall, Season 2 has been my favorite season of all 4 seasons of Angel combined and all 7 seasons of Buffy combined. One word...Angel. This character has inner struggles that allows him to be ever changing. He isn't constant and season 2 explores this very well. Season 2 is a must buy...period.

The TV series Angel tells the story of brooding vampire P.I. Angel (played by David Boreanaz) and his employees; at the beginning of this season, they include former Watcher Wesley (Alexis Denisof), former vampire hunter Gunn (J. August Richards) and former prom queen Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) - the brains, muscle, and snark of the group, respectively. And in the course of the season, the Host (Andy Hallett) - a psychic demon who also happens to own a karaoke bar - and Fred (Amy Acker) - a batty young physicist - join the Fang Gang as well.

In this second season, Angel comes into its own, no longer in the shadow of its parent series. Angel's investigation agency is doing well, when things are derailed by the appearance of his dead sire, Darla (Julie Benz), brought to you by the demonic lawyers at Wolfram and Hart. Over the course of the season, Angel allows Darla and Wolfram and Hart trigger his spiral into darkness, culminating in his willingness to let Darla and the insane Drusilla (Juliet Landau) kill a roomful of W&H lawyers and in the firing of his employees. Only after he's had an epiphany and returned to make an uneasy peace with his former friends does the season conclude, in a rousing several-part finale that involves travelling to the otherdimensional Pylea in an effort to save Cordelia from her own delusions of grandeur.

Also, as one might expect from a spin-off TV series, there are cameos galore. Faith (Eliza Dushku), Spike (James Marsters), Harmony (Mercedes McNab), Willow (Alyson Hannigan)...all make appearances of some sort or another during the season. Of special note is Harmony's hysterically funny appearance during her visit with best friend Cordelia in the episode "Disharmony."

While it's not necessary to have seen either Buffy or the first season of Angel to understand this DVD set, it is helpful. And with the end of Buffy, fans of that show may want to move on to this one, which at times in recent seasons has eclipsed its parent series. And while this season is not the best, and is unusually dark even for Angel, it's still some of the best TV out there. Highly recommended.

The best thing you can say about the second season of this wonderful show, is that after it's first season, the show finally found it's footing here. The first year was very good, but didn't quite yet know what exactly it was. The second season is stronger in that area. Personally, I liked the first season better. We are off to a rolicking start with "Judgment", and then the classic episode, "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been". A flashback episode that details Angel in the 1950's staying at the Hyperion Hotel, amid a number of colorful characters. This hotel also becomes the setting for the show. Darla is back. She has been resurrected by evil law firm Wolfram And Hart. The plan for Darla is for her to toy with Angel and to lure him back into being Angelus. "Dear Boy" is the first episode where that arc really kicks in. Where Angel finds out, after seeing Darla in his dreams, that she is real. An epic episode called "Darla", is a real butt kicker. It is a continuation of the 'Buffy' season 5 episode, "Fool For Love". It chronicles the history between Angel/Angelus and Darla thru the years. Old fiends Spike and Drusilla appear as well. It's a massive episode that is completely on a grand scale. Darla learns that she, now back as a human, is dying from the disease that she was dying from back when she was human, before The Master turned her. Angel tries to save her in "The Trial", but learns that it is hopeless. That ending is a shocker when Drusilla comes back, courtesy of Wolfram And Hart, to sire Darla back. The result of this is in "Reunion", the season's best episode. Darla is back and she and Drusilla are on the rampage. This ep also sets in stage the rest of the season. Angel has slipped into darkness and has fired Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn. He is a man on a mission and goes it alone. It comes to a head in "Redefinition" when Angel confronts Darla and Dru, in a rather gruesome way. Also a thorn in Angel's side is lawyer Lindsey McDonald(Christian Kane), who has developed a love for Darla. By the time the situation has been handled and Angel and company are back together, the show shifts in tone. The 4 final episodes of the season have nothing to do with what has come before in the season. It's a 4 episode arc beginning with "Belonging", where the team investigate a portal to another dimension named Pylea, where the host Lorne(Andy Hallett), is from. They try to discover what happened to a young woman named Winifred when Cordelia is sucked into the portal into Pylea. "Over The Rainbow", "Through The Looking Glass", and the season finale, "There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb", continue this story as the rest of the gang go to Pylea to rescue Cordy, who has become a princess in this other dimension. There are a fair number of bad episodes here. "First Impressions" and "Happy Anniversary" are not only the worst episodes of the season, they are the two worst episodes of the entire series. Just awful. "Guise Will Be Guise" is only watchable thanks to a comedic Wesley performance. "The Shroud Of Rahmon" is boring and uninteresting. Many familiar faces return here. The Master, Faith(in an uncredited cameo), Willow, Harmony(in the hilarious episode "Disharmony"), Anne(who first appeared as Chantaralle in 'Buffy' ep "Lie To Me", and then in the third season premiere, "Anne"), and Detective Kate Lockley. The writing is still sharp and superb. The characters have grown and are fleshed out a lot more. This season was a lot darker than the first. At times, it got too dark and was almost a pain to watch. It was still good, but kind of depressing. David Boreanaz has grown a lot as Angel since his "Buffy" days. He knows the character and how the character would act and react to things. He's becoming a better actor. Andy Hallet joins the show as a telepathic demon named Lorne. He runs a karaoke bar and can read people's minds when they sing. He becomes a trusted and welcomed ally to the gang. Wes has continued to grow as well. He is still Wesley here, but the guy changes more than anyone else in the third season. Season two of "Angel" is a lot of fun. Some brilliant work. It's my least favorite season, but it's up against some stiff competition with seasons 3 and 4. Especially 3. Essential.

Here's my review:

Judgement: 9.5/10 A pregnant woman is trying to protect her baby, the tribunal demands a champion, seeming as Angel killed it, he becomes the champion. After all the fuss, Angel visits Faith in jail.

Are you Now or Have you Ever Been: 9.5/10 Very interesting story arc where we find out Angel has a connection to their hotel/mansion they just finished with last season. We go back to the 50's, a demon makes people crazy. Also in the past, we see a darker side of Angel that will take place later this season.

First Impressions: 9/10 Angel is dreaming erotically about Darla, continuously, while Cordelia tries to save Gunn from a demon.

Untouched: 9/10 Angel, "You wouldn't like me when I'm happy." I love that line, this is fairly decent episode about a girl who works with W&H, she cannot control her telekinetic powers. Especially with how her father treated her.

Dear Boy: 9.5/10 Angel finds out Darla is back, but she claims she is someone else so he tries to kill her, again.

Guise will be Guise: 10/10 Angel is out talking to a guy, Wesley decides to take charge and play Angel. Cordelia calls Gunn and they try to get Wesley out. The father is trying to kill her daughter on his 50th birthday.

Darla: 9/10 Some flashback scenes with Angelus/Angel/Darla/Spike and Drusila, Lindsay is off the project as Darla suffers with her new soul.

The Shroud of Rahmon: 10/10 Angel pretends to act as a crazy, bright and flashy vampire named Jay-Dong, they are planning to steal a shroud that makes people crazy, or in Angel's case, bad.

The Trial: 10/10 Angel finds out Darla is dying of siphilis, he tries everything but only Drusila can save her.

Reunion: 10/10 Drusila is back and Darla is a vampire. They start feeding again, Angel tries dusting Darla again, but fails, meanwhile, Holland Manners is hosting a party at his house, Dru & Darla enter, kill his wife, Angel comes to the party, Darla, "So, you gonna give us that goodnight kiss." Angel, "Not tonight." Holland, "People are going to die." Angel, "& for some reason, I just can't seem to care." Angel closes the doors & locks it for Dru & Darla & a bunch of W&H cliants. Angel later fires Wesley/Gunn/Cordy.

Redefinition: 10/10 Dru & Darla kill everyone except Lindsay and Lilah, Angel sets them on fire, Darla sticks around, Drusila skips town and heads to Sunnydale, for Spike. Lilah and Lindsay are handed a great job.

Blood Money: 9.5/10 Angel teams up with an old buddy to scru over W&H, Ann makes an appearence.

Happy Anniversary: 9/10 A guy is going to destroy the world by freezing time, only he doesn't know it.

The Thin Dead Line: 9.5/10 Zombie cops try killing everyone.

Reprise: 9.5/10 Angel goes on a mission only to find out that in the end, everyone has evil in them, it's what makes them human. He completely gives up and goes to Darla to sleep with her. He wakes up.

Epiphany: 6.5/10 Angel heads out, like on Buffy, everyone thinking he'll lose his soul, but he stands up again, and thanks Darla, he didn't lose his soul. Meanwhile, Cordy has now gotten a 3rd eye from a demon. Angel gets back in the game with his friends.

Disharmony: 10/10 Harmony is back as a vampire, Cordelia doesn't know until she talks to Willow. Angel wants to kill Harmony but also wants to respect Cordy's wishes.

Dead End: 8.5/10 Lindsay gets an evil hand that writes kill, he decides to leave.

Belonging: 9.5/10 A demon enters from Lorne's dimension, he tries kiling, until it is slain, Cordy gets sucked into Lorne's dimension.

Over the Rainbow/Through the Looking Glass/There's No Place Like Plrtz GLRB: 10/10 Cordelia is made princess in Lorne's dimension as they try to save her and go back.

Excellent season, a must buy!

Season One of ANGEL ends with Wolfram & Hart, the evil lawfirm who seem to have become Angel Investigations' archenemy, resurrecting Angel's sire, Darla, whom Angel staked in the first season of ANGEL's parent-series, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. So the second season of ANGEL starts off with the slow, moral decline of our hero as he learns of her return and reacts to her presence.

The second season of ANGEL is really the season when this series began to break free from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, and it really does wonders for the show. By developing distinct storylines that have little or no dependence on stories from the earlier show, ANGEL becomes strong on its own. There is only one official BUFFY-ANGEL crossover episode during Season Two, and it really only features a BUFFY castmember in flashback. My biggest criticism would be that the season doesn't really seem to find its strength until the latter half, but it's still a fun ride getting there - much better than the first season, no matter which half you watch.

In Season Two, Charles Gunn, the ghetto-raised moster fighter we met at the end of Season One, becomes a full-time cast member bringing with him all new stories. We meet The Host (aka Krevlornswath of the Deathwok Clan or "Lorne") whose home dimension plays a significant part later in the season. Fred (Amy Acker), a future regular castmember, makes her first appearance as a crazy slave-girl on the run. We get to see old characters take on new dimensions. Cordelia eases into her role as Angel Investigations employee and "vision girl" and begins to shed her shallow BUFFY persona. Wesley shows that he has what it takes to be a leader and not just the comical sidekick. Most of all, Angel takes a walk down a very dark path only to come out on a much brighter side. (It really is great to see David Boreanaz playing the dark side of Angel without having to go to Angelus lengths to do so.)

With this increasingly strong show, fans can finally feel free to enjoy ANGEL as a separate series from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER.

In Season 2 of "Angel", we see the show completely separate from Buffy. There are no visits by the Slayer in this season. However, what we do get, is the return of Darla. Angel killed Darla in Season 1 of Buffy, however Wolfram & Hart decide to bring Darla back in order to control not only her, but Angel as well. We see Darla enter Angel's dreams and those dreams begin to haunt Angel. The majority of the season deals with Darla and her influence on Angel. As a result of her return, he pushes away Cordy, Wesley and Gunn. This season showed more of the dark, brooding side of Angel's character, which is very important to understand.

The second part of the season sees the crew get transported to Pylea, where the Host (or Loren) is from. They must go to save Cordy, who was sucked into the world. It was very amusing to see Cordelia as a "Princess." Isn't that what she's always wanted to be?

We do get some Buffy-land characters. Harmony comes to visit Cordy, who finds out about Harmony's "secret" from Willow. We get Drusela, who wonderfully played by the talented Juliet Landou, drawing Darla back into vampire land. Also, although she does not say anything, the effect of Willow at the end of the season, when she comes to tell about Buffy (Season 5 ending) is wonderful.

Overall, good and essential season. "Angel" pulled away from "Buffy" and became a show unto its own. Looking forward to Season 3.