As the creative title implies, Angel followed the exploits of Buffy’s first (and arguably truest) love: Angel, the immortal, broad-shoulder, ever-brooding vampire played by David Boreanaz.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer has gone down as one one the most influential, well-loved, and iconic shows in the history of American TV, and for good reason. Between genre-defining dialogue, masterfully written characters, and a cast of now-iconic performances, there’s not much Buffy didn’t revolutionize in its time. But while there’s no shortage of love out there for Buffy, not nearly as many people recognize the brilliance of (or even know about) Angel, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spinoff.
Though they seemed destined to be together, Angel bid Buffy (both the character and the series) a heartbreaking goodbye at the end of season three, leaving Sunnydale and its Slayer behind to try to seek redemption in Los Angeles. Delivering a spinoff worthy of carrying on the Buffy legacy was no small feat, and though the series had its bumps in the road (hello season 4), Angel ended up delivering five seasons of compelling TV.
Though there’s no shortage of Angel episodes worth celebrating (truly, the series gives new meaning to the phrase “hidden gem,” and has tons of episodes that didn’t make the cut here), I’ve rounded up ten of the episodes that best encompass and highlight everything that made Angel such a great series.
10. 5×14, “Smile Time”
Though the rest of the entries on this list are Angel episodes that best showcase the dramatic writing, acting, and directing prowess of the series, never let it be said that Angel couldn’t get goofy and have fun when it wanted to. While there are all manner of one-off episodes worth celebrating, few highlight just how un-seriously Angel takes itself as season five’s “Smile Time.”
Thanks to an evil TV show, Angel is turned into the world’s broodiest puppet, and as David Boreanaz voices a felt, trench-coat wearing puppet-Angel stomping around the Wolfram & Hart offices, it’s nothing short of a delight to watch the rest of the cast revel in his misery.
9. 2×02 “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been”
For seasons two through four, the Hyperion Hotel serves as the base of operations for Team Angel, and in “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,” we get a glimpse at Angel’s unexpected history with everyone’s favorite haunted hotel. Though politics was never exactly something Buffy explored all that deeply (beyond being pro-union and anti-beer), “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been” explores the insidiousness (and often deadly results) of anti-communist paranoia during the Red Scare.
In addition to being another welcome insight into Angel’s past, it’s also an excellent example of how Angel uses its protagonist’s age to its advantage. Having a 200+ year old star means you can set episodes across countless decades in his lifetime, and in this episode, Angel gets a visceral, firsthand account of the kind of cruelty created by prejudice and fear.
8. 5×08 “Destiny”
As much of a slog as Angel season four can be to get through, there’s one word I use to keep first-time viewers around for season five: “Spike.” The recurring Buffy villain turned love interest (seemingly) met his end during the Buffy finale, but manifests in the last Angel season to annoy his former mentor.
There are plenty of excellent Spike moments and episodes worth highlighting from season five, but “Destiny” is a particular gem that sees Angel and Spike facing off over a mystical holy grail while the viewer hurtles through their history across the decades via flashback. Between the Drusilla/Darla flashback scenes, the petty Angel/Spike mid-fight dialogue, and *that* end-of-episode twist, “Destiny” is a classic and a must-watch for Spike devotees.
7. 1×09 “Hero”
While he may have only been in nine episodes, few characters had as drastic of an impact on Angel as Doyle, Glenn Quinn’s vision-prone half-demon who was a founding member of Angel investigations. This episode is a bittersweet addition to the list, certainly, but there’s no denying the influence Doyle (and his death) had on Angel and Cordelia, and “Hero” is the one time Doyle gets to be the hero of his own story. If you weren’t already crying by the time the episode comes to a close, the final moments of “Hero” will reach straight into your chest and break your heart—a simple yet gut-wrenching farewell for a far-too-short-lived member of Team Angel.
6. 3×16 “Sleep Tight”
Nervous about Angel’s increasingly-violent tendencies, “Sleep Tight” sees Wesley (Alexis Denisof) kidnap baby Connor in a misguided attempt to keep him safe, a choice that reaps disastrous rewards among Team Angel.
The Angel/Wesley relationship is a complex, compelling one that endured a lot over the course of the series, but this particular move from Wesley drove a near-irreconcilable wedge between them, giving both David Boreanaz and Denisof the chance to truly flex their acting muscles. With gutsy, airtight writing from David Greenwalt and a shocking conclusion, “Sleep Tight” is a whopper of an episode that puts inter-party conflict center stage.
5. 2×07 “Darla”
One of the joys of having Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel on air at the same time was the capacity for crossover events, and the two-parters that came out of the Buffy/Angel crossover are some of the strongest episodes either show produced. Case in point: Buffy‘s “Fool For Love” and Angel‘s “Darla.” Taking place during Buffy season five, “Darla” is the Angel has of a crossover event that explored the history of “The Whirlwind,” a.k.a. the four-person quartet of chaos made up of Angel, Darla, Spike, and Drusilla.
4. 5×12 “You’re Welcome”
Admittedly, I’ve made no attempt to hide my particular fondness for Angel season five, but there’s one thing Angel’s swan song is desperately missing, and her initials are “CC.” Though Cordelia departed Angel at the end of season four (following some series beyond the scenes mistreatment towards Charisma Carpenter), Sunnydale’s ex-resident mean girl returns to grace team Angel with her presence one last time in “You’re Welcome.” It’s a pretty light, fluffy episode as far as plot goes, but it’s the character beats and emotional moments that make “You’re Welcome” so special.
3. 1×18 “Five by Five”
Eliza Dushku may have been a scene-stealer any time she popped up on Buffy, but it would be a crime not to acknowledge the brilliance of her multiple guest spots on Angel. Faith, as a character, has particular personal ties to Angel and Wesley that make her storylines on Angel feel far more multi-faceted and dimensional than her vendetta against Buffy, and “Five by Five” is the perfect example.
2. 5×15 and 5×16 “A Hole in the World” and “Shells”
While the Angel cast is full of lovable characters and scene-stealers, perhaps no character was as easy to love (or mourn) as Fred Burkle. Developing relationships with Gunn and later Wesley, Fred was the beating heart of the team, a cherished friend to Lorne, and a beloved younger sister figure to Angel—which made her shocking death in “A Hole in the World” all the more upsetting.
But as hard as it can be to get through, “A Hole in the World” features some of the best performances from the entire cast, but it’s Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof who truly get the tears flowing—forced to say goodbye to a romance before it could even truly blossom. From Fred’s death (and Wesley’s reaction) to Illyria’s birth and the cliffhanger ending, “A Whole in the World” highlights the emotional volatility and no-h0lds-barred writing style that made the series so addicting.
1. 5×22 “Not Fade Away”
Alright, alright, call it a cop-out if you want. But part of what makes Angel such a remarkable show is how consistently it’s able to keep audiences on their toes, and nowhere is this more true than with the series finale, “Not Fade Away.” With Wesley dead, Fred lost to Illyria, and an unspeakable ancient evil about to be unleashed on the world, the “Angel” series finale somehow managed to do the impossible: deliver a satisfying series finale that also ended on a cliffhanger.
Like its protagonist, Angel was a series that thrived on being dark, unapologetic, and broody—but it also had an unlikely underbelly of hope that kept viewers coming back, even when its hero had gone full-tilt into Angelus mode again. “Not Fade Away” understands the paradoxical, ephemeral nature of the hope inherent in Angel as a series and captures it in a finale well-worthy of bringing the entire Buffyverse to a close.
Honorable Mentions
10 is hardly enough spots to shoutout all of Angel‘s best, so here are a few honorable mentions: “Spin the Bottle” (4×06), “Life of the Party” (5×05), “Billy” (3×06), “Waiting in the Wings” (3×13).
(featured image: The WB)
