Random TV Week: Angel Season 3

Hello and I hope I can entice you for Day 1 of Random TV Week. This time around I thought we would check in with the deceased detective, the post-mordum p.i., the man with fangs and a soul, Angel. When last I wrote anything about the fellow he was on a downward spiral to damnation and found refuge in the loins of his former sire/lover Darla. When two vampires managed to bring into the world a boy born of vampire. A prophecy child if you will and we all know how well that can go. So it is time for Team Angel to be able to swat off the dastardly demons and vicious vampires that want the day old boy for food, fiendish plots and felonious deeds. This is Angel Season 3.

Team Angel went struttin'.

As the spin-off continues, Angel (David Boreanz of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Valentine, The Hard Easy, The Mighty Macs, Full Circle and Bones) has been told his estranged lover/vampire slayer Buffy has died. Balancing with Season 5 of Buffy, the slayer has past and her undead beau doesn't know what to do other than carry on his mission against evil alongside his friends/colleagues/fellow monster hunters to perhaps dull the pain and loss.

His closest friend Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Voodoo Moon, Relative Chaos, Veronica Mars, The Expendables, Greek and The Lying Game) tries her level best to be there for his friend and stay strong for him. Rejoining him in the fight against evil, a street-smart hunter Charles Gunn (J. August Richards of Why Do Fools Fall in Love, The Temptations, Conviction, Raising the Bar and Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) a former Watcher Wesley Wyndam-Price (Alexis Dunoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, Much Ado About Nothing, How I Met Your Mother, Finding Carter and Grimm) and a recently rescued physicist from a hell dimension Winifred Burkle (Amy Acker of Alias, 21 and a Wake-Up, Dollhouse, The Cabin in the Woods, Much Ado About Nothing, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Person of Interest) must all rally against the forces of darkness one case at a time to aid the City of Angels no matter what the cost.

Yes, I am the show's Femme Fatale.

Darla (Julie Benz of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Brothers, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, Rambo and No Ordinary Family) reappears bearing... a pregnant belly???? The evil law firm Wolfram & Hart also are back to make Angel's unlife a living hell which is no small task with the rogues gallery this guy is stacking up. Seriously, he and Batman could compare nutters in their lives. Is the child of Angel and Darla to be a savior or a sinner? What will his life mean in the grand scheme of things?

A few comments about the season now. We see more of the Host/Lorne (Andy Hallett of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Enforcers, Chance, Angel and Geppetto's Secret) as he becomes a regular on the show rather than a side character.

More elaborate demon make-up by Dayne Johnson and Robert Hall as well as poor stunt double for Boreanz, Mike Massa gets flung about on pulleys and tossed about like so much rubbage.  

Too late for a group hug?

Old School Week: Angel Season 1

Back again film and TV fans and welcome to day 3 of Old School Week and I thought I would tackle a TV series this time and frankly touch base on a show I have never covered.  So for those Whedon fans out there it seems only fitting and fair we tackle a certain vampire hero.   So gather that holy water, grab your religious totem and sharpen a few stakes.  This is Angel Season 1

 

Stakes are ready, boys!

Doyle: I’ve been sent by the spoilers that be.

Once upon a time, there was a vicious vampire.  A creatures so fierce, so horrendous that other vampires did not want to cross him, and then he foolishly fed on a gypsy girl that was beloved by her tribe and they cursed the vampire to restore his soul.  Forced to atone for his sins he lives out his undead life in taking out vampires and demons.  He falls for a vampire slayer and has an amazing torrid love story with her until his soul is tempted by perfect happiness, turning him back into the monster he was.  

My fan club is bigger than yours, ya ponce!

After Season 4 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel (David Boreanz of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, These Girls, Mr. Fix-It, Officer Down and Bones) leaves Sunnydale to stave off returning to the beast he moves to Los Angeles to fight for the downtrodden and defenseless from creatures of the darkness.  Heading back to his dwelling he encounters a man name of Doyle (Glen Quinn of Shout, Dr. Giggles, Live Nude Girls, Roseanne, The Curse of Monkey Island, R.S.V.P., and Fair City) who states their paths have crossed and he will assist him in the fight against evil.   Another Sunnydale resident has made her way to L.A., Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, What Boys Like, Miss Match, Voodoo Moon, Relative Chaos, Veronica Mars and The Lying Game) chooses to pursue an acting career but still not very street smart when dealing with the forces of darkness.  As a subsidiary for Angel saving her life Cordelia wishes offer her help in exchange for a salary. 

Now I have just a few tidbits on the show overall.  Executive producer/ writer David Greenwalt (The Commish, Profit, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Miracles, Jake 2.0, Moonlight and Grimm) had taken the reins of this show when writer/director Joss Whedon (Roseanne, Alien: Resurrection, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Serenity, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Dollhouse and The Avengers) was juggling the later Buffy episodes and Firefly and still managing to create viable entities in this existing universes these two created.

Hold you closer tiny dancer?

Personally I felt this spin-off stood on its own and allowed cast members of both shows to frequent back and forth creating crossover episodes of which is more of a comic book theme but in this particular mixed genre it worked well and still was a powerful show for many folk of varied ages to enjoy and yes I am well aware how many a gay man and straight female would NOT shut up about Season 5 of Angel but that is a completely different review down the way.