MovieFreak.com - "Angel - Season 2" DVD Review

Starring: David Boreanaz, Charisma Carpenter, Alexis Denisof, J. August Richards, Julie Benz, Andy Hallett

The vampire Angel has a human soul, but committed terrible crimes in the past. Seeking forgiveness and trying to redeem himself, he moves from Sunnydale (and a relationship with Buffy Summers) to Los Angeles, where he helps the downtrodden by thwarting the supernatural creatures that prey on them.

Angel is a show created by two men I greatly admire: Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt. It was spun-off from the wonderful Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1999 and the producers couldn’t have made a better decision. Buffy’s relationship with Angel, the vampire with a soul, had basically gone everywhere it could go. Angel’s character was ripe with development possibilities that simply wouldn’t have had space to actualize themselves on a show with a large cast like Buffy. So Angel left Sunnydale and went to Los Angeles.

Like Buffy, it has become clear that Angel has one of the strongest casts on television. David Boreanaz stars in the title role. The man knows how to brood (making it that much sweeter when Angel actually cracks a smile). Charisma Carpenter brings the character of Cordelia Chase over from Buffy and it is clear that she has grown immeasurably as an actress since Season One of that show. Alexis Denisof (formerly of the Royal Shakespeare Company) is a brilliant actor and it really shows in Season Two as he takes us through the character Wesley Wyndam-Pryce’s many developments. J. August Richards is also excellent as the fourth member of Angel Investigations, Charles Gunn. It is the depth of the supporting characters, however, that really sets Angel apart: Julie Benz as Darla, Christian Kane as Lindsey McDonald, Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan, Sam Anderson as Holland Manners, Andy Hallett as The Host (Lorne), and Juliet Landau as Drusilla, among others.

Many shows boast a winning formula that viewers can rely on to provide an hour’s worth of entertainment. Angel’s strength lies in the fact that it is entirely unreliable, not in its quality, but in its story. Let’s face it—life is rarely formulaic for a vampire with a soul running a detective agency in LA. In Season Two, the resurrection of Angel’s sire (the vampire that made him), Darla, by the evil law firm Wolfram & Hart, sends Angel into a downward spiral. He fires Cordy, Wes, and Gunn, and becomes obsessed with Darla, wanting first to save her and then to destroy her.

Later in the season, Angel loses sight of his purpose for fighting evil until he reaches the lowest place possible in the beautiful two-parter of "Reprise" and "Epiphany." Season Two finishes off by taking a trip to the world of Pylea in a three-episode arc ("Over the Rainbow," "Through the Looking Glass," and "There’s No Place Like Plrtz Glrb"). The journey to Pylea is shot absolutely beautifully and manages to deal with the themes from the rest of the season in a different, fresh way. The arc also strengthens the gang as they fight to rescue Cordelia and find a way out of Pylea.

Although Angel Season Two was originally broadcast in fullscreen, here the episodes are presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. It looks quite beautiful (apart from the few instances of cameras or crew being visible at the edge of the frame), but Joss Whedon has worked hard in the past to keep Buffy, a fullscreen show, from being changed to widescreen for DVD. However, Angel has been shot for and broadcasted in anamorphic widescreen since Season 3, so it makes more sense for this show to be altered. I would be interested to hear what Joss has to say on the matter.

Angel arrives in English 2.0 Dolby Digital Surround. The audio sounds just like it does on TV. Dialog is clear and easy to understand. Sound effects are reasonably well-designed and emphasized rather nicely by the front speakers, which in general are loud and expansive. Overall, Angel sounds pretty decent. Each episode also features French and Spanish Stereo Surround Sound dub tracks. English and Spanish subtitles are also available, as well as closed captions.

The extras on this six-disc DVD set are a rather schizophrenic topic. As usual, discs 3 and 6 consist of three episodes and a special features section. In this case, there are several featurettes, a Season 2 overview, and a still gallery. The featurettes are fun to watch, but do not reveal much that a die-hard fan would not already know. The same goes for the overview. The best part of these would have to be the cast and crew interviews, as it is always interesting to see the people behind the show. Plus, Alexis Denisof’s natural voice is really funny. Far better than these extras, however, are the audio commentaries. Although more would be nice, the two provided are excellent. Writer Tim Minear talks about "Are You Now or have You Ever Been," and director Fred Keller contributes to "Over the Rainbow." Both are interesting and funny, and contain a number of insights into the making of the show.

Angel Season Two delves deeper into the minds and thoughts of its characters. Some of the story arcs, especially the last three episodes, strengthen the characters also. I enjoyed this season a lot. Video/audio quality is pretty decent. Extras are somewhat limited but enjoyable. This six-disc DVD set comes highly recommended. Fans of the show should definitely consider a purchase.

THE SEASON	10
THE VIDEO	8
THE AUDIO	7
THE EXTRAS	7
OVERALL (not an average)	9