WARNING! If you haven't seen Angel yet, I'd avoid reading the comments, there are a lot of spoilers ahead. You have been warned.

"If nothing that we do matters, then all that matters is what we do." Possibly my favorite quote.

I loved Lorne, a character that began as a fun loving pacifist demon...and ended as a broken shell of his former self after taking a life. Every character went through changes in the series, but because he was my favourite character, for me, Lorne's was most heartbreaking.

Angel is so much more than just a buffy spin-off.

Everytime I see Fred and Westley together my heart breaks a little

You forgot the most important point. The question that looms over the fifth season and regards to the underlying themes of the duality between the main two characters. The study of primal force in comparison to the evolved stance of all mankind. The question whether it's best to just go with it, independent, or to band together, even when there is so much more to lose that way. Whether there is selfishness in unity and selflessness in the lack of it. The threads that tie in one of the saddest moments of the season. The age old question that even left the entire fanbase divided. -- -- -- -- Who would win in a fight, cavemen or astronauts?

Wesley is one of the greatest characters in fiction period

The last half of Season 5 starting with Smile Time (also included You're Welcome) is my favourite run of episodes in television ever. Such a great way to wrap up the Buffyverse.

This is an underrated gem of a show. Seasons 1 & 2 were amazing, 3 was good, 4 was meh. But season 5 was brilliant especially with the addition of Spike. Angel's & Spike's scenes together made the season. Was gutted when it was cancelled... I wish they got a chance to end the show on their own terms.

Honestly, I love Angel more than Buffy, it just had a more lasting impact on me. Not just an great spin off, it's an amazing show in its own right

I miss Doyle :'( RIP Glenn Quinn

I love Angel almost as much as I love Buffy - I think I'd love it more if behind the scenes drama hadn't led to the character assassination of Cordelia. I won't be too spoiler-y but to this day it bothers me, and I agree with/ understand why people place Angel Season 5 so highly (Fred/Illyria centric episodes in particular are fantastic), but as someone who couldn't stand Cordy on Buffy and then fell in love with her on Angel, that's a betrayal from Joss I don't think I'll ever get over. Especially because of the way Charisma was treated. It's all just a horrible situation, and I do feel that Season 5 suffered terribly without her. After watching Buffy/Angel so many times, Cordy overtook Willow as my all-time favourite Buffyverse character and it does almost entirely ruin Angel for me. I don't think it's just a case of me going "waaaaaaaa look what they did to my favourite character" - it is legit shady what they did to both the character and the actress.

people should at least watch season 5 because spike and angel together is the funniest and best thing you'll ever see

I would have said David Boreanaz was enough reason to watch Angel, but this is a good video detailing the additional reasons. I can't wait for the Angel retrospectives.

best line "I just can't seem to care"

The episode where Angel turns into a puppet in season 5 is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. He was so adorable as that little grumpy puppet. I loved that episode. lmao 😂

Wesley has one of the best character arks I have ever seen and I’ve seen a lot. I am rewatching BTVS and Angel right now and from seeing Wesley in BTVS he was nerdy and very different to how he ended. He was head boy to rouge demon hunter to dark (because he was neglected) to depressed. And I could go on forever about many small and large things/events that you see that changed him as a person. Honestly, I’m glad they finished where they ended up to. Yes, it would have been exciting if they continued with the show but it ended on a nice ring to it. There is the comics, but I’m not the biggest fan of them. There should be more recognition on Angel and BTVS, they are both very interesting shows. I grew up on these shows and they will always be one of my favourite shows out there, also if you have seen sg1 watch SGU, because that is very interesting.

But... the question remains: What's a rogue demon?

I like this KZfaq channel better than every TV channel combined.

It was undoubtedly one of the best endings to a season I've ever seen. All the moralising they'd ever done came down to a far simpler question of making a difference, even for a moment.

Wesleyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. It's hard for my friends who I've only gotten through Buffy to understand my undying intense affection for his character. Like really you're in love with the lame new watcher? And I'm just crying my bitter AtS fan tears. Seriously so many people get hung up on not watching Angel because of Angel. Which I admit is kind of a hurdle and how well I like his character probably corresponds to what's going on in the plot. At the end of the day though you are passing up an incredible ensemble show in the world of Buffy, because Angel was bland teen girl bait in Buffy. I don't know why it's so hard to believe he'd more interesting and dynamic on his own show. Also the show is so dark I joke you could play the sad drinking game in season 1. SPOILERS! Take a drink for every time a character in the shot is a character who is dead by the end of the series. It's sort of mind boggling to think about when watching earlier seasons.

yes! he's back at last. This is interesting because I actually prefer Angel to Buffy. There's definitely more character growth, better story lines, it's darker. Characters are very flawed and it's the best thing about Angel and Buffy

That moment when I realised while I was watching an ATS episode that Jeremy Renner AKA Clint Burton/Hawkeye appeared in the Whedonverse first before the Avengers xD

I love that you included the bit about the woman in Russia. That story always stuck out to me as being very poignant. And the second you started talking about Season 5 I felt the waterworks approaching. AtS means the world to me and that finale is honestly my favorite episode of television, as much as it makes me cry.

Usually, when one of the channels I'm subscribed to posts a new video and I get a notification about it, I think, "Oh, cool! I can watch that when I have some free time tomorrow." When this channel posts a new video, I go, "WHERE IS MY COMPUTER BECAUSE I NEED TO WATCH THIS RIGHT. NOW." That said, this video didn't disappoint. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go add Angel to my Netflix queue...

cavemen or astronaut?

Thank you for bringing up some important things about Angel. First of all, it is this quote: "if nothing we do matters... then all that matters is what we do." I think this may be one of the most important thoughts to make a home for in our brains. People need to sit with this and OWN it. Also....I have always been in awe of Wesley and Cordy. Weeping laughing hanging on tooth and nail step by step awe. It is a testament to the show and the character of Angel that he inspires and encourages others to fulfill more than just their imagined potential; they grow into beings that they never realized could exist, and their light(s) are joyfully blinding. It is their journeys that contribute to making this show ineffable. There is a beauty here that simply hurts. edit and SPOILER. Overlooked in every list of it's kind: DARLA'S DEATHTH/CONNOR'S BIRTH. Nothing of it's kind compares to this. NOTHING.

I equally love both shows! Its like picking a favorite child. BTVS is the perky feel good but meaningful show while Angel is the more emo darker but also witty show. I binged Buffy on netflix and watched Angel at the same time (once i got to s4 so the crossover episodes would match up) I found myself being more excited to watch the next episode of Angel because s4 of Buffy was so stale. However looking back on it i rewatch Buffy more and recommend Buffy way more than Angel. So its like i go back and forth with it! But Angel is definitely a great show n worth the try and im excited for the upcoming episode guides!!

"It's on netflix". YEEEY Finally! *Looks at date this video was uploaded* NOOOOOO!!

Great to see you back! I love Angel. "If nothing we do matters, all that matters is what we do" is one of my favorite quotes from any medium ever.

I've been looking forward to this video for weeks, but it was definitely worth the wait. Well done, Ian.

I have to admit I got a little emotional seeing shots of season 5. Awesome video (although a bit spoilery I feel).

plus, amy acker

I love, love, love this video. You so elegantly summed up the entire soul of this show. I am very impressed! You made me tear up ;)

Season five just tore my heart out, but it the most beautiful way. I can't wait for your Angel episode guide!

This came up on my front page just now, and I literally did a little dance. It's, like, 9 in the morning, so that's a big deal for me!! I am waiting eagerly for the rest of your Buffy reviews, and the fact that you plan to do an Angel episode guide as well makes me super happy!! That being said, please hurry the eff up and get on season 3 of Buffy before I explode with anticipation.

_squeal_ You're back! "that one guy from bones" is literally how I could describe Boreanaz to anybody. This video was epic and I can't wait for more from you. No pressure!

I fucking love the finale of Angel, it's still the best finale I have seen to this date.

This is such an amazing, beautiful summary of an amazing show. Very well said - thank you!

This was fantastic man, really. You summed it up perfectly. That Daily Show clip was great stuff too.

I can't say I've seen a review that's actually moved me until I saw this review. You did an amazing job honestly, and raised the best argument to watch it. It's interesting to me that you got the exact same meaning out of it that I did.

Buffy and angel > Charmed

I stumbled upon your channel by accident and Angel being one of my favourite ever shows growing up I had to watch this video. You have summarised this show better than I have ever seen it summarised. I look forward to further content thankyou. I'm going to re-watch it now :)

This is so great! I'm definitely going to check out your other videos!

That was wonderful. Angel was a very good show. I watched it when it came on TV and I literally sat awestruck through every commercial - of course I eventually yelled at my TV to hurry up, it never listens to me - just because Angel is such an interesting show. I enjoyed the video. I wish I could've watched it sooner. It's officially one of my favs. I love your point of view and look. forward to more! As I always say "Someone finally understands!"

After a hard night out with buddies, staying in to rehydrate my brain and binge watching Buffy and Angel breakdowns sounds like the cure to me!

I'm so glad more is coming!

Great video! I'm rewatching both Buffy and Angel for the first time in almost 10 years! Need to show this to my friend now to get her hooked :D

This was my favorite show growing up that and Buffy. Mostly Angel for the reasons you described, although I may not have realized it at the time. I liked that every character had their own stories to tell.... and no to mention David (Angel) is really good looking.

I got pretty far in this show for Cordelia, but Connor ruined it for me. I'm a Dawn apologist, but there's no excuse for Connor. But idk, maybe I'll suffer through a few more bad episodes if season five is as good as people say it is.

Brilliant stuff once again Ian. I look forward to exploring the innards of this show with you :) I have so much to say and to discuss about this show, but I will hold back for when the videos start coming out.

Good to have you back.

I can't wait for your Angel reviews. A few days ago I got my girlfriend to watch Buffy finally and now we're already up to season 3 since she can't stop watching it.

I don't know why but the last part with the music at the end teared me up. I love the show angel and buffy the vampire slayer

My favorite show of all time ! It's so under appreciated so I really appreciate this video :)

Totally agree with your analysis. The way that you transmited the concepts and ideas that the show presents to the audience is remarkable. Clearly, you undertanded all that the series as to offer. Congrats!

Excellent video! If any Angel fan wants to know what happens to Angel and the group after that final scene in the alley way in the last episode, then I highly suggest reading After the Fall. It's one of the greatest comic book series I've ever read, and it continues the show (it's basically season 6) as if it were written by the series' best writers. Believe me, you won't regret it.

Remember when spike and Cordelia were on supernatural?

This is probably my favourite video you've made to date. Great job buddy! I'm loving your dedication to the Whedonverse :) it definitely had a huge impact on me when I was younger.

Could not agree more, thanks for a great video! Subscribed!

watched Angel cause of Cordelia

angel helped me deal with life my girlfriend died in the 2000s Wes story helped me deal with it so so much I cry still when she lies for him this is a great video if I do anything good in my life I have to thank joss ty for this

This is one of my favourite series, and your take on it has earned you a subscriber my friend!

WOW! That description of season 5 was Beautiful.

Well, I'm off to watch Angel again!

Thank you Thank you. Great video.

Yay, a new post. I was hoping for a new Buffy one, but I will take this. I've just started rewatching Angel, so I'm really into it right now.

this ep is so great! i love your take on Angel. and yes, i love the finale. it is not a cliche like heros always win in the end. the end is open to interpretations while it also is pretty obvious. i love that quote before the big fight " the powerful controls everything, except our will to choose. Heros don't accept the way the world is."

THANK YOU FOR THIS - I have literally done panels at multiple cons that dissolved into us screaming WATCH ANGEL WATCH ANGEL NO SERIOUSLY WATCH ANGEL. This is much more eloquent.

I have a very love hate relationship with Angel. I love love seasons 1,2,5 and first part of 3. but I hate season 4 and what the writers did to Cordelia Chase. UGGGGGGHHH.......I am still mad at that 11 years later

It's years away but can't wait for your summaries and analysis of season 5! Fond memories..

Thank you so much! I really needed this video. I convinced one of my friends to watch Buffy with your WYSWB video and now I'm hoping this video achieves the same for Angel. Can't wait for your Angel guides! :)

Buffy and Angel are two of my favourite shows ever

This video gave me goosebumps. I need to do an Angel re-watch...like *NOW*! It truly is a great show. Although I feel like a weirdo b/c S4 is by far my favorite. I *love* how serialized it is, where each episode begins where the previous left off. The whole season is like one long episode, and it's a roller coaster ride! And S5 is actually my 2nd least fav after S1. Although there are some parts that are absolutely brilliant, there are other parts that are like an absolute trainwreck :\ But anyhoo, great job! No one could have given a more convincing argument to watch Angel :)

oh man, this video made me all teary-eyed just remembering it!

I've missed your voice and insight, PotN. It's good to know there'll be new content from you. I was worried for a minute there.

Holy shit yeah season 5 was amazing. you give me goosebumps thinking about it.

Hey, Ian's back at it! Hi Ian! So when you took your break I had not seen a single episode of Angel. I was saving it in a way, like an unopened box of candy. But after your break, at some point I decided to crack it open and I've seen the whole thing now. It's so very difficult to put into words, just as you described. Buffy is undoubtedly funnier, the individual characters stand out more, the journey feels more personal. But I almost feel like, and most obviously by season 5, that the writers KNEW that and deliberately incorporated it into both the broader arc and the philosophy of the show, and I'll try to explain why. With Buffy, everything revolves around her being the Slayer, her being so special. Everyone's lives are affected by it, by how she does it or doesn't do it, how they support her or don't, and the role she plays in the greater scheme of things. The show contains some hard lessons, but it's ultimately always got a strong element of wish fulfillment to it because of that. If Angel is a show about being an adult, one of the hardest things to accept about being an adult is the reality that you may not be as special as you thought you were, that you may not matter that much in the scheme of things. That you can do everything right and work your whole life at doing something good and still have it come out to nothing, because the essential nature of things is set against your attempts to make it better. It's a horrible, tragic idea that most of us try not to think about in our daily lives, and it's either implied or on several occasions explicitly stated to Angel and his friends through the entire show. They deny it, defy it, make quips about it, do all sorts of heroic things to doggedly oppose this notion and, in the end, we're left to assume they go to their deaths defying it. It IS noble, and inspiring, but it's also so radically different from Buffy. Buffy's always important, always the center of not only the show but of the whole battle of good versus evil. Whatever happens to her is significant, win or lose, and being the focal point in such a way reflects a certain youthful idealism. Despite Angel's stated importance as a key figure in a coming apocalypse, he's nothing like her. And you never get the sense in Buffy that she and her friends may simply be steamrolled by the world and forgotten like you do in Angel, where they could all die and the world would just keep turning and all that would have mattered is what they did while they could, and what they were to each other. That's something adults have to accept, and it's a much bleaker and more poignant reality that's only revealed very gradually, through the longer, more involved arcs and ethos of the show. It makes everything that happens in the fifth season more meaningful, more tragic, more heartbreaking, and I feel only makes it's full impact when you've taken in the series in it's entirety.

wow this video is amazing. Thanks. One of the best "why you should watch" vids I've seen. You should do them for all the shows you like, I'd watch them all.

Aaaaaah. Saw this zillions of times and still I do have tears in my eyes exactly at the moment when first tone of "Remembering Jeny" hits. It´s like Pavlov´s reflex or something.

Angel season 4 is my favourite season of either show, yes i know, i am in a minority of 1. As always thank you for doing this, lt is my favourite KZfaq channel.

i cried. again watching this channel

Excellent analysis! Also welcome back to the Buffyverse, I've missed your video's Sir.

such a great video ...its definitely hard to explain Angel to people who haven't even seen buffy but the series does a great job in bridging the gap in my opinion! Angel is in fact my FAVORITE TV show period...even to this day.... it's life lessons that they highlight are relevant then as they are now and very memorable! keep up the good work!! +PassionoftheNerd

Aaaargh why would you use Remembering Jenny for the last portion of the video?! I only just marathon'd Angel seasons 4&5 a couple of months ago so the feels are still fresh. Great video.

Holy CRAP that news story! Mind = Blown! Great, great video, Ian, well worth the wait :) It's even better than your "Why You Should Watch Buffy" video, despite having a much tougher sell. And you had to twist the knife with those season 5 clips, didn't ya? ;) Also, just for the sake of nitpicking - Isn't Xena considered to be the classic example of a good spin-off? 'Cuz it was much more succesful than its parent-show? I mean, I haven't watched it in years, but that's what a lot of people say...

I was considering an Angel rewatch, and you've convinced me. Totally agree with everything you said.

Huge huge huge Buffy/angel fan here. Thank you so much for making this.

You don't get to use Christophe Beck against us. You just don't

SPOILER ALERT FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES! Having just finished rewatching this series, I just have to say - the cancellation of Angel at the end of season 5 was a far more terrible problem than I originally thought when I watched 'Not Fade Away', the finale. Not just because season 5 was the best and season 6 had the potential to be even better, and not just because the series ends on a cliffhanger (that cliffhanger is a completely fitting end, thematically), but because of a far more central issue - the characters' arcs ended on the wrong place. At the end of 'Not Fade Away', team Angel wasn't just facing impossible odds (which *does* make perfect sense as the end, thematically), it was also COMPLETELY MORALLY BANKRUPT. Well, not completely, but very, *very* immoral. Angel's actions in that episode were not guided by "If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do", they were guided by "Heroes don't accept the world the way it is, they fight it". Which, of course, was said by LINDSEY, of all people. AKA the bad guy. I'll explain: In the finale, Angel consistently chooses to do things that go against the show's philosophy - he executes Lindsey (what about redemption?) through Lorne's hands (so much for saving people's souls), he kills a good guy, Drogyn, so he can get to kill more bad guys (I thought all that matters is what we do?), he kills archduke Sebasis by poisoning and killing his innocent servant (collateral damage anyone?), he brainwashes an innocent politician into believing he's a pedophile so he (Angel) can keep his undercover status, and of course, he risks the lives of his entire team (not to mention anyone getting in the crossfire) for the sake of a mission that he KNOWS is not necessary, and won't change anything. It is admirable that Angel wanted to stick to his principles and fight the bad guys without compromise, and it is admirable that he was willing to sacrifice his life for the good fight, but once he started doing evil things for the greater good, his actions stopped being heroic, and started being selfish and misguided, and simply evil. He pretty much became Jasmine, in the final episode of the show. Of course, all of these immoral acts don't constitute a problem by themselves - I love grey characters, and Angel's actions definitely make sense given his arc over the season (and the series as a whole, up to that point), and it makes perfect sense that season 5 would end with Angel being morally compromised, given the season's themes of corruption and "selling out", and the whole thing actually has a sort of poetry to it - Wolfram & Hart brought Angel to their L.A branch so they could corrupt him into being a nihilistic puppet who did their bidding, and ended up corrupting Angel by turning him into a takes-no-prisoners fanatic zealot who hurt them more than ever, instead. It's perfect, as a PART of the story. The problem is that it can't end there. You can end the story with Angel as a tragic hero who does evil because of good intentions, but then you'd have to end the story with Angel *recognizing* his mistakes and having a "what have I done?" moment. And 'Not Fade Away' doesn't have any moment like that. It works PERFECTLY as a *season* finale, but it is NOT a *series* finale. That's just not what it is. It is an end of one chapter, that *demands* a next chapter to deal with its consequences. The problem with the end of AtS is... that it is *not* an end. It is a to-be-continued, and not because of the fact that we don't know if the gang survived the last fight. Of course, that last *scene* IS perfectly suitable as the end of the series, but it should never have appeared in that *episode*, or even that *season*. The "Let's go to work" scene should have been reserved for the end of the 6th season, if we had gotten it. As the end of season 5, it pretty much *contradicts* everything else we see in the episode, thematically. I can accept it as a compromise that the writers had to do because of the abrupt cancellation of the show, but I just don't see how you can describe it as "one of the best finales I've ever seen". It is a terrific *season* finale, but it is a fundamentally flawed *series* finale. Just my 2 cents. All of this, of course, means that I'm even MORE happy that we got a canonical continuation of both shows. 'Angel: After the Fall' was problematic, IMO, but 'Angel & Faith' makes perfect sense as the continuation of Angel's story, given where the TV series ended up leaving him (Of course, you have to read Buffy season 8 before you read 'Angel & Faith'). I highly recommend it, if you haven't read it.

Thank you! I will now send out a link to this to all my friends.

Great! Thank you so much! I am looking forward to the episode guide ;D

Excellent video! I admit I have a weird relationship with Angel. I really enjoyed it, but I'll never love it as much as I loved Buffy. I think part of the problem was that I was watching both series at the same time on Netflix, but because I was pre-invested in Buffy, I just kept "getting through" the Angel episodes to the next Buffy episode. It didn't help that getting into the series was a bit hard, because I found season 1 to be kind of slow and without a strong character drive. That being said, season 5 was probably the most enjoyable to me (a great mix of light hearted silly with absolutely devastating tragedy), but season 3 has my favourite arc, and probably the best written season. I hated season 4. If you're still doing the guide up til then (and it's far away for sure), I can't wait to see what you say about it. But in general, I can't wait until you start doing Angel guides. In retrospect I love Angel more than when I watched it, and I'm sure your guide will solidify that.

1) yes! a new TPN video! 2) it is so hard to tell people with a straight face that they should watch a show where angel goes to la and opens a detective agency.

Thank you for this video! I've been waiting for a video that can explain the deep beauty fon this TV Show. Angel it's something special.

When that piano starts... chills, tears... feels... (I love cheap thrills!) Thank you, sir ^_^

omggggggg 6:30, I cry every timeeeeeeeee. My poor heart :(

I.... think I'm in love with you

awesome as always sir :)

I could not have said it better Sir. I am so glad I found your channel. I would also say that "Smile Time" and "You're Welcome" are worth watching all of Angel in and of themselves. Don't even get me started on "Hole in the World" and "She'll" because I will start crying.