The Cover

The third season picks off mostly where the last season left off. Cordelia is no longer queen of an alternate dimension (thank God) and Gunn and Wesley are their old crime fighting selves. Joining the crew is Winifred, the mousy librarian whom they rescued last season. She's just getting her sea legs so to speak, learning how to function in this world. Of course, not everything is well with Angel - he's taking Buffy's death hard and so has decided that a little meditation in Nepal is in order.

All this would be outright normal by Angel standards, so of course, there must be some weirdness thrown in. And that weirdness comes courtesy of Darla, who seems to be with child... or demon. Angel's admittedly wrongheaded romance with Darla eight months ago, has set into motion a series of events that will irreparably change Angel Investigations forever.

I love that the third season starts on a comparatively cheery note, only to end with some of the darkest and most interesting plot twists that the show has presented. Of course, all the weird and disturbing plot twists in the world couldn't make up for bad actors and characters, and I'm glad to say we still have our old favorites to watch and enjoy.. The whole gang is great as usual, even though there are a few sweeping changes at the end of the season. In particular, Amy Acker is an inspired casting choice. She goes from guest star last season to regular cast member. She's the pefect addition to the cast as Fred (and possible Cordelia replacement) - but it's also nice that she's a great actress and really, really cute.

As always, the plot and episodes of Angel are enthralling hours of seedy LA crime mixed with the devilish fantasy that we've learned to love from Joss Whedon. It's another great showing, and it seems that it's only going to get better from here - despite of how badly it ends for all the characters.

TV Grade: A

Video: 4 out of 5
Like I've said before, this is as good as it gets for TV on DVD. It's anamorphic widescreen, beautifully shot, with only a little sign of grain.
Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1

The Cast

Audio: 4 out of 5
It's only 2.0 stereo, but like most modern TV mixes, it's well balanced with plenty of pan effects and some lower frequency rumble.
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)

Extras: 4 out of 5
The Buffy and Angel discs always have simple, but enjoyable extras. Perhaps the best is the season overview, in which cast and creators are interviewed about the character development and plot lines. Add into that a few select commentaries, some bloopers and screen tests, and it's plenty of any Angel fan to enjoy.

Overall: 4 out of 5
Angel has a populist appeal and can instantly be enjoyed, even by those not familiar with the history of the characters. Highly recommended for any fan of good TV.

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