Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
  Drawn further into the Whedonverse January 29, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Many TV series hit their stride with their Season 2 and this seems to have happened with "Angel". Season 1 was not at all bad, setting the scene and introducing the characters, with an abundance of decent plots, demons, action, and good characterisation and dialogue. But Season 2 takes it to a new level as the various story arcs develop.
The team is expanded with the addition of Gunn, while the increasing role of the Holtz is apparent, and Fred is introduced. Cordelia becomes less self-centred, Wesley continues his transformation from wimp to James Bond figure, and Angel remains good (despite attempts to render him dark again). As the schemes of (literally) evil law firm Wolfram and Hart play a larger part so we see more of the workings within the firm and some welcome character development there. More of Angel's back story is revealed, and we have a good scattering of guest stars as various characters from "Buffy" appear for a short time in the LA setup. Not only do we have gloom and demonic threats aplenty and action galore, we also have some very witty dialogue and truly funny moments, all the better for being short or in the background and not milked or drawn out.
All in all a very good demonstration of the remarkable talents of the remarkably-talented Joss Whedon and his team.
Darkness is coming... November 24, 2007
Angel's second season was a point where the show would have to prove it's separation from Buffy and reinforce it's own identity, it does so well and delivers a solid darker season than the first.
The key difference between the two seasons is that where the first was made up of individual stories, this second is made up of two extended plots running over multiple episodes. The first of these extended plots follows Angel's personal turn to darkness bordering on madness after the resurrection of his sire Darla by Wolfram&Hart. This Darla plotline gives Angel plenty of opportunity to really become darker but without the need for losing his soul and becoming angelus again, which is a device that would have just been a cop-out here and is pleasantly absent.
The second major plotline comes very near the end of the series and is only made up of a few episodes, where Angel and co end up in another dimension and the whole things goes a bit epic fantasy, this is done well and features a fantastic cameo by show creator Joss Whedon (Numfar, dancer of the dance of joy). The problem with the inter-dimensional plotline is that it's tone is a lot lighter than the rest of the season and this sudden switch seems pretty abrupt and out of place. Having said that the whole thing is very enjoyable and gives lots of screen time to The Host - a character introduced in this season, a demon who owns a karaoke bar and reads souls who sing - and he's always value for money.
In conclusion, if you enjoyed the first season then you should definitely give the second a look. It's bigger, darker, and easily far better than it's predecessor.
Too Expensive October 18, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
If you owned an Amercian DVD player, you could buy it on amazon.com for 5 pounds less.The package on amazon.com has 6 discs instead of 1.
Building momentum September 29, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
While this second series of Angel still can't quite match the seasons which follow it (of which 3 gets my vote as the show's best year) it is a definite step up from series 1, good though that was, as the beneficial trend for long-running story arcs kicks in here; season 1 had some excellent standalone episodes, some of the show's best in fact, but lacked any real cohesion or even much proper character development (with the possible exception that Cordy got a bit more mature by the end).
The story arc introduced by the final scene of series one dominates about the first 19 or 20 episodes here, and although its conclusion is perhaps a little dissatisfying at this stage, it really comes good in season 3 so I can't really complain. Without wishing to go into too much detail, I like the fact that the Darla plotline muddies the waters of Angel's morality a bit; in his Buffy appearances and in season 1, the equation was simple - Angel=good, Angelus=evil - but here Angel seems...confused to say the least, soul and all.
Season 2 also strikes a very good balance between "plot" episodes and standalone episodes, a balance which 2 and 3 maintained very well but which was somewhat lacking in series 4, where I liked the story arc but felt that the occasional break from it wouldn't have gone amiss. In 2, however, the likes of Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? (Joss Whedon's favourite standalone apparently), The Shroud Of Rahmon (sort of plot in terms of the Kate arc but not really), Guise Will Be Guise (again, Darla gets a mention but she's not the main focus) and The Thin Dead Line are a welcome break from the serious darkness and occasional frustration that dominates the middle of the season.
Also, the character development is far superior to that of season 1, with Wesley getting some proper characterisation (no longer the simple laughing stock of Buffy/Angel 1) and through this and season 3 grows into my favourite character in the show - he was already great for comic relief but here he gets real depth. Gunn adds a good new dynamic to the team (I know he arrived near the end of season 1 but he only really becomes part of the team in series 2), and Lorne is another good long-term addition to the supporting cast, while the Pylea sideshow which rounds off the season introduces one of the show's most lovable characters Fred.
Finally, I think it's important, as a previous reviewer mentioned, to keep Buffy's corresponding plotlines in mind when watching Angel, in this series in particular, as a lot of people seem to object the admittedly massive tangent that the series goes off on in the last few episodes, as the comparative lightheartedness of this stage of Angel 2 balances out the darkness of the Buffy 5 conclusion nicely, a balance which was perhaps lost in later seasons where both shows went for extreme darkness in practically every episode.
Overall probably no.4 in the Angel rankings (3 and 5 are my top and 2nd respectively, but I find it hard to choose between 2 and 4 for 3rd place), but given that I'd say all 5 seasons are worth 4 or 5 stars that certainly shouldn't deter anyone from getting this fine series.
I would give this season 4.5 stars........ September 17, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This season takes Angel to a dark new place. He fires his team, Darla and Drussila(two of the deadliest vampires)are loose in L.A and its up to Angel to stop them.
The season has a lot of good episodes and has a (almost) season long story arc. Wolfram and hart have resurected Darla and plan to use her to tempt Angel back to his dark side.
The best episode of the season would be "Redefinition" because it shows Gunn, Cordelia and Wesley fighting demons on there own without Angel. Also, Angel takes on Darla and Drussila head on in a fight. With a cigarette. And some petrol.
This season is good and better than season 1.
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