Angel Investigated - Season One Roundtable

Posted by Jason Chamberlain on 10.05.2009

The vampire with a soul's first year in Los Angeles is in the books. Check out the 411 crew's thoughts on the show's first season!

Better late than never, right? Without further ado, here's our roundtable discussion on season one of Angel!

BEST ACTOR/ACTRESS

Ronny Sarnecky: David Boreanaz. David is the anchor of this show, so it is by no coincidence that he would be the best actor in the first season of "Buffy's" spin-off show. Being the title character, David was able to prove that he had so much more to offer then just being Buffy's boy toy. Boreanaz showed that he had depth as an actor when he was turned into Angelus in Season Two of "Buffy." The first season of "Angel" has allowed the fans of the Buffyverse to see what a complete actor David really is. This season saw Angel as the brooding, dark character that we knew from "Buffy." However, we also got to see Angel with a sense of humor, and an Angel with feelings, like we saw in "I Will Remember You" when he knew that he had to give up Buffy and his 100% human soul in order to still save those who need saving. We even got to see the evil Angelus for a half of an episode.

Mike Gorman: David Boreanaz. The pressure was on him this season to show that he could carry a spin off from a popular show and by season's end he showed that he could do so with ease. He showed great range especially in the episode's where Buffy visited LA. He brought such depth to the character as Angel had to make the choice to break his life away from Buffy's over and over.

Jeremy Thomas: David Boreanaz. It's no secret I didn't like Angel as a Buffy character, and thus I was skeptical of him getting his own show. Wow, did this prove me wrong. And a huge part of that is thanks to Boreanaz, who just blasted my expectations out of the water. He displayed a talent for comedy that he'd never shown on Buffy, but at the same time he carried off some seriously powerful acting in heavy dramatic moments such as "I Will Remember You." Kudos, Mr. Boreanaz.

Jason Chamberlain: This season was all about David Boreanaz. This was his opportunity to prove he could carry a show all by himself, and he pulled it off. Though some people may never have warmed to an Angel that wasn't constantly in the shadows pining over Buffy (I know many fans never added the new show to their viewing schedule), this series would showcase the true potential of the character and the first season started to mine those depths with looks back at some of Angel's most evil deeds and their present day consequences. Boreanaz, at this point in his run as Angel, was really starting to excel at displaying all the character's nuances. From the hauntingly playful and joyous evil of Angelus to the depths of Angel's tortured guilt, he nailed it. Perhaps the best moments are when Boreanaz shows us Angel's anxieties and quirks, from self consciousness to an absolutely atrocious dancing style. All in all, this season was all about Boreanaz.

BEST HERO

Ronny Sarnecky: Doyle. Hero- A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. In the end, that was Doyle. Sure, he started out the season as a cowardly figure, who hid behind Angel. However, when Doyle needed to step up in the episode "Hero," he made the ultimate sacrifice. Doyle ended his own life in order to save the lives of others. You don't become more heroic then that.

Mike Gorman: Doyle. His sacrifice to stop the Scourge was the textbook definition of heroic. Whether his death was due to internal show strife or planned all along, it was one of the poignant moments of the season.

Jeremy Thomas: Doyle. There's no question here. Angel is a hero, but Doyle proves what being a hero REALLY means. It's great because he started off as the kind of guy who you expected to see pull Angel off his mission from time to time. He's roguish, he's a half-demon himself, he seems to be somewhat less than honorable. Then he goes and sacrifices himself to save the lives of others. I'd venture to say there have been few people in the whole Buffyverse who have displayed the kind of heroism Doyle did.

Jason Chamberlain With no disrespect whatsoever to Doyle, who was an amazing character and certainly had the best singular moment of heroism this season, as a whole this award has to go to Angel. This, the first season of his own show, which was all about showing us who Angel was on his own, away from Buffy and the Scooby Gang, and more importantly why we should cheer for him. Angel overcame many challenges in this first season, from the failure of his first attempt to really help somebody in the pilot episode, to the loss of his friend Doyle to the constant machinations of Wolfram and Hart. Angel went through the ringer and truly became the ‘dark avenger' of Los Angeles. At the same time he grew as a person (vampire?) by learning to rely on others and not just himself. The departed Doyle pushed him to become involved in life rather than simply saving it. All in all, Angel was, um, Angel's greatest hero this season.

BEST VILLAIN

Ronny Sarnecky: Spike "In the Dark." In a season where "Angel" didn't have a "Big Baddie," you had to pick from a list of "villains of the week." What better choice is there to pick then Angel's biggest rival. When Spike comes to town, you know that trouble will be brewing. No villain gets under Angel's skin more then Spike. Other villains are all about ending the world, and destroying all humanity. Spike just likes to have fun, and get under people's skin. Spike is all about what is best for Spike. Plus, he's entertaining as hell.

Mike Gorman: The Scourge. It was through their hatred and oppression that we got to see that demon doesn't automatically mean evil in this universe and that old fashioned racism is never fun, even when metaphorical. They clearly were following the Nazi model of building/protecting a master race and that fascism is terrifying on many levels.

Jeremy Thomas: Lindsay. It's almost funny calling him a villain, considering "Blind Date." But Lindsey grew consistently from just another faceless lawyer to the guy who ultimately stood between Angel and the life of Cordelia. He pays for it with his hand, and what's more is that you can tell Lindsay knows he's screwed. In an odd way, he mirrors Doyle in that his choice to sacrifice for his chosen side of morality makes him the best of his particular alignment. Honorable mention to Ryan Anderson, the kid so evil that he scared the demon possessing him in "I've Got You Under My Skin."

Jason Chamberlain Since this series lacks the traditional ‘big bad' structure of its Buffy counterpart, at least during most of its seasons (one could make an argument for Holtz and Jasmine in seasons three and four) there are a few different choices of ‘minor bads' here. I could go with Wolfram and Hart itself, the law firm that was established in this season and would become the overarching villain of the entire series, I'm going with one of its representatives; Lindsay McDonald. A young, hungry lawyer at the evil firm, Lindsey didn't seem to have much depth when we first met him; rather, he just seemed to be a young, morally deficient asshole. Later in the season we'd learn that he had second thoughts about his allegiance in the grand scheme of things and couldn't abide some of the more objectionable acts his bosses would ask him to carry out. The crisis of faith this would lead to was well played and interesting, but what makes him a villain at this point in the series, and perhaps by the end of it, is that even after questioning his path, he stays on it. He chooses to stay with Wolfram and Hart and reaffirms his commitment to tormenting Angel, which earns him a severed hand for his troubles. Which he deserved.

BEST MOMENT

Ronny Sarnecky: In "I Will Remember You" when Angel regains his full human soul and abilities, you were able to see what life would be like with a human Angel. It was pretty cool seeing him do such simple tasks like eating or walking in the sunlight. Not to mention that he was finally able to have true happiness with Buffy. The possibilities were endless.

Mike Gorman: Angel gives up his chance. Through a twist of fate, Angel had been made human. He was able to be with Buffy and experience true happiness without fear of bringing out Angelus. It seemed too good to be true and it was. He not only chose to give up his dream in order to stay true to his duty as a hero but he had to live with the memory of how things could have been. No wonder he was a little bit cranky when Buffy came to town next looking to kill Faith.

Jeremy Thomas: I only have one thing to say here:

The dance.

The defense rests.

Jason Chamberlain: To me, no moment comes close to the final seconds of "Five By Five". A tormented Faith coming apart at the seams, begging Angel to put her out of her misery. Angel, grabbing her and holding her tight. And a bloody Wesley, moments before tortured by the rogue Slayer, staring at them in shock and slowly dropping the knife he brought to finish Faith off. All of this while rain pounds down into an alley, giving the scene dramatic emphasis and a redemptive quality. And seriously, how many important scenes in this series would take place in an alley?

BEST FIGHT

Ronny Sarnecky: Spike vs. Angel in "In the Dark." OK, so I may be stretching things. It's not like Angel and Spike had a long, knock down, drag out brawl. However, it's still Spike vs. Angel! They both have a long history with each other, yet they very rarely have come to blows. That being said, just seeing the two on screen against each other makes you stop what you are doing, and take notice.

Mike Gorman: Angel and Faith at the end of "Five By Five." This was one of Eliza Dushku's best performances from either series in my opinion. She transforms as they exchange blows. Angel picks up quickly on what she truly wants him to do and refuses to give her the death she craves. The moment he goes from blocking her attack to hugging her unconditionally was very powerful.

Jeremy Thomas: Angel and Faith, "Five By Five." No question about this one. Faith has just committed unspeakable torture to Wesley, and Angel shows up to save the day and take his would-be assassin down. The fight between them isn't just a great fight scene, but it's a beautifully-written cry for help from Faith. The subtext is there and looking back over the entire episode, you smack your head and say "why didn't I see that??" This is the fight that brings all of that to a head, masterfully performed to boot.

Jason Chamberlain Granted it wasn't much of a fight, but there were few more memorable than Faith beating the crap out of random people in a dance club to the tune of Rob Zombie's Living Dead Girl. Aside from being a solid tune and thematically perfect for Faith, it's a fantastically shot, edited and performed scene. First off, I love watching hot girls dance and Faith certainly qualifies. Second, she kicks major ass. Third, it's the perfect microcosm of the Faith character, someone living solely from her impulses, seeking both pleasure and destruction and causing both. Good stuff.

BEST DEATH

Ronny Sarnecky: Doyle's in "Hero." Ever since Doyle met Cordelia, the half-man/half demon was infatuated with the Sunnydale princess. After two months of pining over her, it finally looked like Doyle was about to get the girl. Then, he went and became all noble in order to save a group of half demons. Before he jumps onto the frame of light, he confesses his love for Cordelia and kisses her. It was a very sad moment for the series first year. Doyle's impact was still felt, at least by me, as I missed the character all the way up until the series finale.

Mike Gorman: Doyle's death. It was a moment of unselfish sacrifice and continues to resonate throughout the rest of the season. It was also very impressively staged.

Jeremy Thomas: Doyle's. Come on, is there ANY doubt? This was Angel's "Jenny Calendar" scene in that it was so shocking and so unexpected. Except that this surpassed that. Because Jenny's death was a cold-blooded murder—shocking and terrible, yes. But the meaning behind Doyle's sacrifice, and his ultimate elevation to series icon, makes this the topper by a long shot.

Jason Chamberlain There's no choice here. It's Doyle's, all the way. His heroic sacrifice would set the tone for the entire series. As viewers, we learned nobody in this series was untouchable, no matter how much we liked them. Angel learned the same thing, that his fight had consequences and his dearest friends were not safe from the cross fire. But in sacrificing himself, Doyle ensured that Angel would keep fighting the good fight no matter what.

BEST EPISODE

Ronny Sarnecky: "I Will Remember You." As mentioned in my "Best Moments" section, seeing Angel become human was the best moment in Season One, as you were able to see Angel in a new light. However, that was only part of the reason of why "I Will Remember You" is the best episode of the year. What truly makes this episode great is the fact that Angel decides that he needs to forgo his happiness, and be turned back into a "vampire with a soul" in order to help those less fortunate. Not only does he have to live with the pain of all of the souls that he has tortured as Angelus, but also he now needs to live with the knowledge of remembering how happy he was as the human Angel with Buffy in his arms. Truly heartbreaking.

Mike Gorman: "I Will Remember You" is my favorite episode of Season One and easily would make my Top Five of the entire series. It is the proverbial Monkey's Paw as Angel's (And we fans') greatest wish is granted, Buffy and Angel are truly together, but of course there are terrible consequences. Angel's decision to reclaim his destiny and live forever knowing he could have been happy defines the character for me. His strength and resolve are as clear as his pain is evident.

Jeremy Thomas: "Hero." There were a couple in the running for me, and "Five By Five" certainly comes close as does "I Will Remember You." But this award was "Hero's" to lose, and it never really did. Rest in Peace, you crazy half-brachen demon, you.

Jason Chamberlain: This is a tough one, but I'll go with Hero. I already discussed the significance of Doyle's sacrifice to the series itself, and the episode that featured it was what this show was all about. Heart breaking and inspirational. The late Glenn Quinn gave one hell of a performance as did both David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter, and the villainous Scourge were especially memorable considering this would be their only appearance. All in all, it was this season's best effort.

WORST EPISODE

Ronny Sarnecky: Was there one? If I had to pick one, it had to be the episode "She." Mainly because I could not get behind the victim in this episode. Angel was trying to help Jheira, but she was far from grateful. For more of an explanation, see my thoughts on "Worst Villian."

Mike Gorman: In my opinion it would be "The Ring." This episode was just too clichéd and truly uninteresting for me to care about it. Yes we did see Cordelia and Wesley's relationship develop a bit but really that was it. It was your run of the mill "Evil of the Week" episode at its worst.

Jeremy Thomas: Calling anything a "Worst Episode" is really stretching. Is a 7.5 even fair to give a Worst Rating too? I guess it would be "She" or "Expecting." I thought the pregnancy angle of "Expecting" was overdone and the blatant bait-and-switch of "She" annoying. Still, I did enjoy both episodes…they're just the worst of a phenomenal season. Someone's always gotta lose, I guess.

Jason Chamberlain I was never a fan of Bachelor Party. It's an episode that just didn't click for me. The demons were one of the least inspired design wise that either show would ever present, IMO, and the whole story, aside from Doyle's attempts to impress Cordelia, was pretty forgettable.

WORST MOMENT

Ronny Sarnecky: Worst Moment: I can't think of one. Maybe when Doyle died, because he was one of my favorite characters. However, that was such an awesome moment, that I don't think it could qualify. I will have to abstain from a vote in this category.

Mike Gorman: Angel hits Buffy. Yes, she hit him and first. And yes, she is stronger. Yet I still have a very visceral reaction seeing this scene. It is one of those moments that you try to write off as taking place in a world of super powers and magical beings but still leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It definitely made its point and added a lot of gravity to what would transpire soon after between Buffy and Angel.

Jeremy Thomas: Wesley kills the Haxil demon, "Expecting." I'm always down for Wesley getting moments to shine, but this kill was overdone and just reeked of silliness. Liquid nitrogen and a handgun? Okay, so we know Howard Gordon had seen Terminator 2. I loved a lot of the resolutions of the episodes, but this one just didn't work at all for me.

Jason Chamberlain Any moment with Kate acting holier than thou over Angel. What an annoying, ill conceived character. Get her out of my sight!

WORST VILLAIN

Ronny Sarnecky: Jheira in "She." Yawn! That's all I can say about Jheira. OK, so she wasn't actually the villain in the episode, but let me explain. For me, the damsel in distress, Jheira, was just as unlikeable as the villians in this episode. Sure, the women were basically enslaved by the men. However, Jheira had no regard for human life, even the ones that were helping her with her cause. Why should we feel sympathy for this women, when she is so cold to the characters that we know and love?

Mike Gorman: Faith. She didn't even have the balls to go through with killing Wesley or anyone! Ok, I am joking a bit but to me she is the worst villain because in the end she turned out to not be a villain after all.

Jeremy Thomas: Allen Lloyd, "Sense and Sensitivity." He may have brought about a funny situation with a bunch of hard-boiled cops getting in touch with their feelings, but outside of that Allen Doyle was a pretty serious lightweight. I don't think we even ever saw what happened to him in the end…that's how unimportant he was. Ah, well.

Jason Chamberlain I'm not sure you can really call him a villain, since he was more stupid than anything, but Richard in Bachelor Party is pretty weak.

BEST "BUFFY" CROSSOVER

Ronny Sarnecky: Buffy and Faith in "Sanctuary." WOW! It's great when you have Buffy visit the Angel gang, or even if just Faith would drop by. However, when both hit town at the same time, that is definitely "must see TV." "Sanctuary" saw Buffy vs. Faith with Angel caught in the middle, and on Faith's side. Buffy came to town to bring Faith into the police. However, Angel knew that the only way for Faith to really become rehabilitated would be if she turned herself in. In her hatred for Faith, Buffy couldn't see this, and took it out on Angel. Seeing the tension between Buffy and Angel, without neither being evil, added to the excitement that this cross over created.

Mike Gorman: The best and interestingly enough "worst" Buffy crossover for me this season was the final moments between Buffy & Angel in "Sanctuary." If my heart was broken when Angel gave up his chance to be with Buffy in "I will remember You" than it was stomped on and pureed as they exchange terse words that serve to sever all ties between them. When Angel calls LA "His city" it was like I couldn't breathe. The hardest part is that you can see the underlying subtext and know that this exchange is purposeful but not truly heartfelt.

Jeremy Thomas: Faith's crossover in "Five By Five" and "Sanctuary." This was the moment where Faith went from kick-ass to brilliant for me. With Eliza Dushku's knockout performance and the way the writers pulled absolutely no punches, I was enthralled. Her plan to get Angel to kill her was pretty damn good and required some serious guts, and her breakdown at the end of the episode was awesome. Then, the completion of her journey in the following episode solidified her as one of the greatest characters in the Buffyverse.

Jason Chamberlain: As a gigantic Oz fan who thought it really sucked when he left BTVS, I was glad to get a little more of the guitar playing werewolf over on Angel in Harsh Light of Day. Though the star of that episode is really Spike, I still loved seeing Oz come into the sister show and be, as Cordelia said, ‘the total embodiment of everything Sunnydale'.

Ronny Sarnecky	WOW! What an inaugural season by the folks over at "Angel." With "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" having a down year, it was up to "Angel" to carry the torch for Joss Whedon as high quality demon killing entertainment. I can speak highly enough about the first season of "Angel," which is pretty funny because initially, I was not a huge fan of the Angel character. Sure, Angelus was awesome, but Spike ruled in my eyes. It was through the "Angel" series, and later re-watching the "Buffy" series on DVD that made me into a big fan of the Angel character. This season was so good, that I couldn't even think of a "worst episode" or "worst moment" for the year. The season was littered with great moments. There were several key crossovers from "Buffy," in visits from Buffy, Oz, Spike, and Faith, which led to key moments in the show's first season. These crossovers were viewed as more like desert after a great meal then it being the entire entree. Even before Oz showed up in Los Angeles in episode three's "In the Dark," the "Angel" series was already standing on their own. That was one of the great things about the first season of "Angel." Sure, "Angel" was a spinoff of "Buffy," but it wasn't "Buffy." The "Buffy" formula combined drama, horror, comedy, action, and pop culture into a mostly light television show about a group of friends trying to kill vampires. Even though "Angel" used the "Buffy" formula, it was a much darker show compared to its "mother show." The main character on "Buffy" was Buffy Summers, a bubbly teenager, who just happened to be "The Chosen One." On "Angel," the main character is Angel, a vampire with a soul who is tortured by the memories of the pain that he caused others during his decades of being the evil "Angelus." Due to the fact that Angel is a dark, brooding, loner of a character, his show can be a clone of "Buffy." The fact that it's not, makes it even better. Unlike the first season of "Buffy," Season One of "Angel" did not lead up to a big clash against the "Big Baddie" of the year. Instead, the show established that Angel's biggest nemesis wouldn't come from a demon, but from the firm that represents them; Wolfram & Hart. Having Wolfram & Hart as the major thorn in Angel's side makes things very interesting. Unlike a demon that Angel will eventually figure out how to kill, he can't do that to Wolfram & Hart. It's a law firm. What is he going to do, kill every lawyer? Wolfram & Hart throws in a unique plot twist to the whole "Angel" series. Comparing Season One of "Angel" with Season Four of "Buffy" that aired during the same year, is like comparing champagne to soda pop. On a scale of 1 to 10, when comparing the two shows, "Buffy" would be a four, and "Angel" would be about a 50. It was that much better then "Buffy." However, we must judge "Angel" on its on merits, without comparing it to other television series. On it's own, "Angel" still scores high. I give this season a 9.0. I can't wait for Season Two to start.	9
Mike Gorman	If you had asked me mid-season if Angel was successful as a spin-off from BTVS I probably would have said no, or at least not yet. This inaugural season started excruciatingly slow as the show struggled to find its footing and purpose. Would it just be BTVS in a new city or would it blaze a path of its own? I think the creators struggled with these questions themselves as they tried to create this new world. Angel himself seemed different as the show began. Sudued. Withdrawn. But is that to be expected after you realize you must leave the love of your life (or un-life as it were) in order for her to be happy? I think so. The first few episodes flopped around, focused more on the creature feature baddies than establishing a solid mythology for the show. Then, around episode 8 things got going. It was a Buffy crossover that finally started pulling this show out from the shadow of its big sister. The writers gave the fans what they wanted (Buffy and Angel happy together) and then showed us that it wasn't what we or the character truly needed. That Angel had a greater purpose and it was time to start defining it. The rest of the season did just that. It was not only the writers/directors that moved this process along but the excellent acting of the cast. Once they started letting David Boreanaz explore other facets of Angel's persona we learned that he was a lot more than just a brooding "hunk." His comedic range and skills brought new levels to this once dour and way too serious character but it all stayed in line with his story. Charisma Carpenter also aided in this transition as she took the over the top Cordelia and made her the show's anchor to humanity. I may not have been convinced at first that this show would succeed but by the season's finale I knew it had found its heart and would flourish.	9
Jeremy Thomas	I almost feel bad when I look at Season One of Angel and Season Four of Buffy side by side. It's like putting Mike Tyson in the ring with a ninety-pound pencil neck with vertigo. Angel had a difficult task ahead of itself in trying to show Whedonites that they should spend another hour watching a spin-off. It did so brilliantly by taking a very different tone than Buffy—a darker, grittier and more noir feel, with stories about the difficult path to redemption. You have a truly fantastic collection of episodes with very few misfires, and the cast quickly coalesced into something very good. Season One is an absolute knockout and not to be missed for Whedon fanboys.	8.5
Jason Chamberlain	Season One of Angel is a tough nut to crack. To me, it's the lesser of the five seasons the show would produce, and looking back I'd trade it in if it meant we could have Season Six (or "After The Fall" for you comic buffs). Still, it's Angel, which makes it awesome. It was also better than Buffy's concurrent season four. It was a bit disjointed at first as the show runners figured out exactly what the show was all about. It started out a little more stand alone, and the entire season would be, but towards the end things started to connect a little more, especially with Wolfram and Hart's involvement. Doyle's involvement with the series, the reintroduction of Wesley, Cordelia growing out of her high school persona and the debut of Gunn were all memorable, as was the evil law firm's constant meddling in Angel's life. Ending on a bang, literally (the explosion of Angel Investigations) and figuratively (Darla is back!) would make this season all the more memorable and really sets the stage for a fantastic second season.	8