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Post by angeliclestat on Oct 12, 2009 10:51:50 GMT -5
Angel the series went through many guises, with each season having different a vibe to it.
What was your favourite?
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Post by Skytteflickan88 on Oct 12, 2009 12:28:35 GMT -5
I liked Season 1, its simplier times, when no one was getting fired, raped in their sleep by their ex-vampire lovers, babies thrown into Hell, possibly innocent demons harrassed by Angel and people's minds getting f****ed with by both foes and friends.
That sounded very depressing, but you get my point. I really miss the feeling of season 1(one of the reasons I actually like Aftermath, because it reminded me of the "noir detective" feeling). Angel wouldn't give one inch to the dark side, Cordelia was still kind of a bitca, but at least not possessed by a god, Wesley was happy and surrounded by friends and I had still high hopes about Gunn.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the show changed and a lot of the story arcs were amazing, but there was enough nastyness going on the later seasons for me to prefer season 1 over the others.
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Paul
Ensouled Vampire
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Post by Paul on Oct 12, 2009 13:36:09 GMT -5
My favourite seasons are 4 and 5, but I think season 1 has the best tone and concept. It has a grittier, more realistic feel to it than the more comic booky later seasons.
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Post by hitnrun017 on Oct 12, 2009 13:49:21 GMT -5
I also have to say Season 1. It's definitely not my favorite season in terms of character or story, but I just love the dark tone, setting, and the way episodes flowed with the music and random flashes between scenes. It's always fun to watch.
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Post by angeliclestat on Oct 12, 2009 13:53:39 GMT -5
It's funny - I was edging towards the 'feel' of season 1 - have been on a rewatch of that recently. ( I agree Paul it does go for a much more 'realistic' look compared to Season 2 onwards- I wonder what they did to change that?)But I do love the whole doomed thing going on between Angel and Darla so I had to go for that.
Then if you asked me which season had my most favourite episodes it would be Season 5. Thats why I did the poll for the 'feel and look' you prefer, and not episodes or seasons.
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Paul
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Post by Paul on Oct 12, 2009 14:05:41 GMT -5
I agree Paul it does go for a much more 'realistic' look compared to Season 2 onwards- I wonder what they did to change that? I think Kate actually contributes a lot to the show's realistic tone. In Buffy, parents and police are handwaved as "stupid" to maintain the show's status quo. It's understandable, but not entirely believable. Kate keeps Angel connected to the real world, and reacts like an actual person would if exposed to this supernatural world. Sometime Angel feels more like a police drama than a Buffy spin-off. I think that might be the reason I used to hate Kate so much. Whereas Willow, Xander, and Oz just accepted demons with a shrug, Kate never stopped whining about them. She was so "real" and seemed to lack any sense of humour. I have come to appreciate her in hindsight though.
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Post by hitnrun017 on Oct 12, 2009 14:15:48 GMT -5
I agree Paul it does go for a much more 'realistic' look compared to Season 2 onwards- I wonder what they did to change that? I think Kate actually contributes a lot to the show's realistic tone. In Buffy, parents and police are handwaved as "stupid" to maintain the show's status quo. It's understandable, but not entirely believable. Kate keeps Angel connected to the real world, and reacts like an actual person would if exposed to this supernatural world. Sometime Angel feels more like a police drama than a Buffy spin-off. I think that might be the reason I used to hate Kate so much. Whereas Willow, Xander, and Oz just accepted demons with a shrug, Kate never stopped whining about them. She was so "real" and seemed to lack any sense of humour. I have come to appreciate her in hindsight though. I always think of Season 1 as a supernatural Law & Order, but with better characters and witty dialogue. And instead of court, it's beheading. I'm glad the show changed tones, because it probably would've gotten old, but I really appreciate it. Kate is one of the best things about Season 1, I think. Only 10 episodes that season, but I think she was the best developed character, even more so than Angel.
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Post by angeliclestat on Oct 12, 2009 14:38:04 GMT -5
Thats a good point actually about Kate - there was an element of the 'supernatural cop drama' to some of the episodes in the 1st season.
But even the 'look' of the show changed - whether it was the DoP changed or they used different cameras but the same happened on Buffy.
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Hallow Thorn
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Post by Hallow Thorn on Oct 12, 2009 16:14:40 GMT -5
Season 2, Dark Gothic /obsession I also really love season 1 and 3.
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Paul
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Post by Paul on Oct 12, 2009 16:43:00 GMT -5
Kate is one of the best things about Season 1, I think. Only 10 episodes that season, but I think she was the best developed character, even more so than Angel. She was always well-developed, but never really likable. I find it hard to like Buffyverse characters who don't have a sense of humour; Adam, Kate, pre-mindwipe Connor, Holtz... Joss Whedon characters usually have a self-deprecating quality that they all lacked.
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Post by Wyndam on Oct 12, 2009 16:50:30 GMT -5
I always thought Kate had a bunch of other qualities that made her likable, as opposed to a sense of humor. Her loneliness, sense of duty and various emotional issues made her immediately endearing to me (it's just so rare for recurring characters to get that level of development). She got in a few sarcastic quips in there every now and then too, so she wasn't completely humorless.
As for the main topic, I went with Season 2. I thought I would choose Season 4, but looking back, Season 2 did some pretty impressive things visually. There was some great use of color and cinematography throughout the season. Caritas was always visually striking with its lighting, as were a number of scenes throughout the season. It was such a dark season, and the lighting reflected that as well and gave Angel's Season 1 apartment a run for its money. Contrasting that, of course was the bright locales of Pylea which gave the season's look a cool ying yang affect.
Just for the record, my favorite season to lest favorite season is Season 5 > 4 > 3 > 2 > 1, but S2 is a pretty neat season, visually, all around. Just loved its feel.
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Randi Giles
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Post by Randi Giles on Oct 12, 2009 17:11:50 GMT -5
I had to vote for season five. I maybe a little biased because I'm a Spike fan. Then again season five just had that new bright tone that turned dark in a good and bad way. It always gets to me around the time of Freds death and everybody is coming together willing do do whatever it take for each other. Even Angel and Spike. And i just love the ending of the series with the warriors standing together ready to fight to the end. I also think season three should get an honorable mention. It had the dark mood with Holts and all which I liked. It also had that family mood with everybody getting along for a little while and that's always nice.
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Hellbound Hyperion
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Post by Hellbound Hyperion on Oct 12, 2009 17:17:18 GMT -5
I picked Season Five. Angel is all about defining morality in an amoral world, and there's no better place to work that angle than in the world of the morally grey, which is right about where the lawyers of the world sit. I also enjoyed the return of episodes like Why We Fight and You're Welcome where Angel really questions his purpose in life.
Second choice would be S4 for the serialized story, which I do love even though it was sort of hit-and-miss with Angel.
Honorable mention to S2 for perhaps having the best balance of serialized story and standalone episodes. It's a great season of television for sure.
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jason321
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Post by jason321 on Oct 13, 2009 0:50:59 GMT -5
Voted Season 1. Its always complete and undiluted pleasure for me. Glenn Quinn! Cordy at her 2nd best (S2 is first)! Faith at her 1st best! Wesley is actually happy! Oz! No Fred! Overall in retrospect I think the show is more rewatcheble when its about helping random ppl in LA than it is about internal/soap opera-ish politics.
S2 is great as well, and I have much love for Darla.
S3 is kind of ruined in retrospect because its a lot of great build up but you realize its just going to lead to the convoluted Jasmine thang and it suffers. Last three teen Conner episodes are borderline unwatchable when you know this.
S4. Just S4. Joss has compared it to 24, and much like 24 its very exciting during your first time through. Like 24 tho, when you rewatch it all you really notice are the story telling flaws, and brother, there are a LOT of flaws with this one. Semi truck sized plot holes.
S5 seems like a new beginning, but when you see the eps that ppl go nuts over, its clearly the big wrap up. "You're Welcome," "A Hole In The World," "Origin," "Not Fade Away"...apart from "Smile Time" the season fails to create its own awesome. All the best episodes like the aforementioned and "Damaged" just take prior triumphs and run with them. Plus the set is just boring to look at. Overrated.
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Post by SlayerLV on Oct 13, 2009 1:48:40 GMT -5
I picked season 1. It had lots of humor and actually held up to the Angel Investigations name.
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CourtneyDax
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Post by CourtneyDax on Oct 13, 2009 21:32:59 GMT -5
I loved season 5 because of the gray area they explored. Angel had to do some horrible things for the overall good of the people. It may not have been the right thing to do, but it sure was a hell of a ride to watch.
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Erica
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Post by Erica on Oct 22, 2009 13:11:38 GMT -5
Reading the choices makes me wanna watch it all over again. I went with season five, but I really do like them all. I was always kinda iffy about season one, but overall the whole detective thing was good.
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zamolxis
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Post by zamolxis on Oct 22, 2009 13:58:19 GMT -5
AtF Angel - sacrificing himself for his friends and restoring LA
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Post by thevampirewithsoul on Oct 24, 2009 17:18:29 GMT -5
There's no "love them all" option! Anyway I voted for Season 4 since it needs more love, but I really can't decide which season of Angel that I like the most.
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The Girl In Question
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Post by The Girl In Question on Oct 24, 2009 21:08:55 GMT -5
I love them all equally! I think having all of them, and not just one, helped make the show great. But I picked the Gothic season 2 because, well, vampires and gothic tones just go together.
And I never understood why people don't like Kate. I like her. And I thought she had a sense of humor at times.
Spivey: If I had known you wanted me so bad, I would have let you catch me sooner. Kate: Had I known you needed the exercise, I would have had you run longer.
Every time I hear that I think *snap!*
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