Angel (Here there be spoilers.)

I think we can all agree that Joss Whedon is having a great year.  First, he had the amazing Cabin in the Woods.  Since that is not a hit with everyone, he also had the Avengers.  If you didn't like that movie, we can't be friends.  You already know that I enjoyed Buffy, as I have talked about a couple of the episodes this past year.  Now, let's talk about Angel.

Really, Angel is on the same level as Buffy.  The basics are all the same...good cast, decent acting, pretty good effects (for tv anyway).  In that respect, we don't need to say too much.  What we need to really look at is the ability to go way out there at times.

Killing off characters is no big deal for Joss Whedon.  I swear he doesn't like happy endings.  It makes me wonder if what he chose to do with Fred's character was actually worse than just killing her off.  After watching her and Wesley dance around each other, they were finally going to be happy.  On second thought, nope.  Out of the blue, bye-bye Fred.  Joss Whedon has never been a coward when it comes to his arcs.

Angel also holds a special place for me, as characters from Buffy would pop up on occasion   It was neat that the tie between worlds was never completely severed.  Having Spike on the show just made me giddy.  Somehow, Joss Whedon could make anything work.*

Additionally, they weren't afraid to be different.  There is an episode where Angel turns into a puppet.  He is so adorable, and it's so funny.  It's a good episode, unique.  You also have to give them props for how the series ended.  I hated the end of Buffy, but they did it right with Angel.  It's the end of the world, and they're divvying up the monsters.  Perfect.

There is only one misstep in the series, and that is Connor.**  I'm not sure if it was the arc or the actor, but I didn't like that whole mess.  I did not re-watch those particular episodes before this review, so I'm going off of memory here.

Overall, Angel is a great show.  You get more of the Buffy universe, but it's different.  While you have familiar characters, new people show up to like and loathe.  It's like having peanut butter cup ice cream, instead of a Reese's peanut butter cup.  It's good, but it's different.

*I realize it wasn't Joss Whedon alone, but I don't have the time, nor inclination, to type out the names of all the writers, actors, and other smart people.

**What is he doing on Mad Men now?  It's so weird, but he fits there.