Rapid Reviews - Angel Season One DVDs - Part X

Angel [1-19]: Sanctuary: Wow. I thought the last episode was intense. Angel is a show that, at its heart, is about redemption. And it's not just about the redemption of Angel. So far, every regular cast member has something to redeem. And in this episode the soul being saved is Faith. Again, I think this would have hit harder if I'd seen whatever it was she did in Buffy, but it hits pretty hard without the background. It's been provided enough. I didn't expect the end... I guess I was sure Faith would run away. As Angel said, it's not easy to change. There were a LOT of nice touches in this episode, from the W&H lawyer's addled "assassination" speech, to Lindsey visiting Kate. Speaking of Kate, the "gone all Scully" bit was hilarious. I liked the way Cordelia escaped, also. I wish I knew a little more about the watcher council, so I could figure out what the deal is with Wesley. I have the gist of it, but it seems like there must be more to it. Anyway, this episode feels like a pinnacle, like everything about the show came together to tell a smooth story. It wasn't perfect, but it was close. And this episode also has a script on the DVD to read. That's a nicer bonus than I realized.

Angel [1-20]: War Zone: Ah, there's another character I know well from watching season five. It's Gunn. So, those are his lowly roots which he was so desperate to avoid returning to... I kept expecting Angel to give the gang all the money they got from the billionaire for getting rid of his blackmailer. A decent little episode, but nothing brilliant, and a bit of a let-down after the last two.