Angel - Series 2 Reviews

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Good Points: Builds on a successful first season
The way in which the show's characters develop
The intense plot coupled with the show's humour
The cast - new additions plus special guest appearances
Distances itself more from Buffy and stands on its own two feet

Bad Points: Would help to have previously viewed Buffy seasons 1-4 and Angel season 1 to have background knowledge of the characters

General comments: This series builds on the success of the first, and gets even better, establishing itself as a standalone show. After the cliffhanger at the end of the first series the audience are keen to see Darla (Julie Benz). However, this particular plot is not rushed into and it is a while before Angel and co are even aware of her presence. In fact, this scenario is not concluded in this series and is a factor throughout series three.

The storyline is much stronger in this series than the previous as there are a lot of twists and some excellent locations such as the alternate dimension Pylea. There is also a greater degree of conflict between both good and evil casts. Angel distances himself from his friends whilst also putting his soul on the line during his bitter feud with Wolfram and Hart, the evil law firm that represent a number of demonic clients. Things are not always so smooth within the higher ranks of Wolfram and Hart either though.

The main cast are kept together from the first season with Charles Gunn (J. August Richards) playing a more active role. Each of the characters undergo a personality shift within this series. Wesley (Alexis Denisof) proves that he is made of sterner stuff when he takes responsibility for Angel Investigations, prompting his darker side which is unleashed in the series that follow. Cordelia becomes less carefree than in the previous series due to her visions having an impact on her mentality, albeit still showing her bright and humorous personality when called upon. Gunn's "Street Kid" image is seriously tarnished when his old group believe him to be neglecting his duties to them, focusing primarily on his missions with Angel and Wesley.

The viewers are also treated to the darker side of Angel's character when he allows himself to be manipulated by Darla and furthermore when he is confronted by the combination of Darla and Drusilla. Juliet Landau plays the part of the mentally unstable and tortured Drusilla impeccably in my opinion, she gives the character a really dark and twisted edge. Unfortunately she is probably underused throughout this series.

The two new characters that we are introduced to, Lorne / The Host (Andy Hallett) and Fred (Amy Acker) add an extra element to the show and really enrich the main cast. They both only play what can only be described as bit parts throughout this season (particularly Fred who only shows up in the latter episodes) although they will eventually play a more starring role. I think Amy Acker's performance as the disillusioned Fred in the latter stages of this series is particularly impressive.

A lot of the Angel faithful are on record as being slightly let down by the finale of this series, choosing not to end on a cliffhanger and rather opting to have Willow show up at the office to inform the gang about the news over on Buffy (I wont spoil that for those of you that don't know, you might want to watch Buffy season five). I must admit it isn't the most exciting season finale moments although it sets up series three nicely in my opinion (and if you have both DVD collections like myself it is simply a case of changing the disc).

Overall, Angel series two made for excellent television (and now makes for an excellent DVD collection). If you own any of the Angel series or indeed any of the Buffy series then Angel series two should be added to your collection. It represents probably the largest character personality shift and sets the tone for the seasons which follow.