Angel: Season 2 (2000)
Created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt
Starring David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alex Denisof, and J. August Richards
22 (1 Hour) Episodes on 6 Discs / 20th Century Fox / Unrated
Retail: $58.98 / Street: $47
by Alex Mestas 9/01/2003
More info: Fox Store
DVD Cover
The Cover
Angel is one of those shows that started out on a strong foot and just got better as the years went on. Rarely do you find a TV show with characters so established and comfortable in their roles. The second season starts out with an obvious, immediate change: visually the show has never looked better, with a widescreen presentation and beautiful production values that make it look like a movie. As far as the story, the second season of Angel starts out on pretty much the same note as it ended the year before. Angel's crappy little office has been completely destroyed, so of course Wesley, Cordelia, and Angel have to find some new digs. And soon they do - a haunted old hotel in L.A.

The hotel manages to invoke the spirit of Los Angeles past, as well provide some dramatic insight on Angel's inner workings. It's just part of the show that contains a quintessentially Los Angeles flavor. We hear references to that "other L.A. "-- the inland, the valleys and the other parts of Southern California that aren't Hollywood or Beverly Hills.

Angel is different enough from Buffy that one could conceivably be a fan of one and not the other. Don't get me wrong, to fully appreciate the intricacies of Angel and all the characters, you should really have been watching Buffy as well. There are so many inside jokes and characters appearing from the past that this just adds to the complete richness and texture of the show. But as it stands on it's own, Angel is best described as the Colombo of the demon-horror-sci-fi genre. And that makes for some really compelling television. Don't forget that Angel's "mother / lover" Darla was somehow summoned from beyond the grave by those evil lawyer bastards last season and over the course of episodes he must come to grips with her and her return. It's the complex combination of this kind of drama / melodrama, satire and crime that is infinitely fascinating.

The show in the second season also amps up the amount of back-story we get about Angel. We get to see some of his more dubious adventures and some interesting things about his varied, long life. Ultimately, Angel is seeking redemption for past bad deeds, even when he falters (and falters, very badly in subsequnet seasons), his eyes are on his soul.

TV Grade: A

Video: 5 out of 5
Wow. That's all I have to say. Not only does the video on this disc look great for a TV show, it looks great for most movies and DVDs period.
Widescreen 1.78:1

Discussing when Angel is going to start singing "Mandy."

Audio: 3 out of 5
It's good, with some sound that manages to shake some bass (even though, strictly speaking, it doesn't really have a subwoofer track.) A good, solid TV track.
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)

Extras: 3 out of 5
It's typical fare for the Buffy and Angel set. Some great little featurettes including makeup, stunts, and season overview. There's also some scattered commentary from writer's and producers that are typically well formed and interesting.

Overall: 4 out of 5
Angel is a great, under-appreciated show. It manages to combine the best elements the Buffy universe with the hour-long crime drama and an adult sheen that really makes it a must have on DVD.

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