I had about a 5 minute or so laughing fit the first time I heard Doyle say "get a job, you lazy sow!" after telling Angel it was all about reaching out to people and showing kindness 😂.
I completely agree. I know a lot of people would rate a certain season very differently, but I honestly put 1 < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 for this show, which is rare. (Of course, that is not to say Season 1 is _bad;_ indeed, it’s still good imo).
In the middle there is that season with Angels son that i really don't like that much, but it gets better again after that especially when we get the return of Spike.
6:24 That's not far off how David Boreanaz was cast as Angel in real life. He was spotted walking a dog by someone who knew the Buffy casting director. It's not quite the same, because Boreanaz was already an actor, he wasn't cast *just* because he's ridiculously handsome...but at the same time, Angel was only his third credited role. If he hadn't perfectly looked the part then he never would have been on the production's radar.
To be fair Angel was originally going to be an unimportant, practically throwaway, character. So it wouldn't have mattered much when casting as long as he looked the part and could passably speak the correct lines.
I agree with both of you. Her character had outgrown that dynamic. Making her closer to the group would take the edge off her snarky one liners. lol She needs a whole new group to sharpen her barbs on. haha
Angel is my favorite of the two shows partly because of that more mature feel, but also because I like the concept of immortal good guys. I blame Highlander for that. There's just something awesome about being able to see hundreds of years of history firsthand that really appeals to me.
Fully agree with this show being more mature, not that Buffy is immature, but I think as fans got older, we needed something a little different. I do lean slightly more towards Angel though.
@@Madbandit77 Yes and as a result more mature themes. As I said, I think Angel grew with the audience that Buffy created, most of us were in our teens when watching Buffy, by the time Angel came around we were coming out of it.
@@rkempo I was already out of high school by the time Buffy premiered (SMG is older than me by some months, but we're born in the same year). So I couldn't get into it at the time.
@@Madbandit77 That's your experience and I appreciate that, but Buffy's target audience was teenagers and so by the time Angel was released most of us were turning into adults, hence the more mature theme. I think both shows are great and Angel would never have happened without Buffy, so be grateful for that at least.
It is interesting to note that Dakara noticed the difference in the vamp-mask technology. I think they said on the DVD that they tried a new graphics technology for the vamp-masks on this episode (only) and then went back to the original.
You are going to get some of the best character arcs in all of television in this series....so buckle up DJ because you are going to get put through it with Angel.
Wow. I have seen this episode several times and never noticed what Doyle said (stiffener) near the end of the episode until you said it out loud. Welcome to Angel. Great reaction.
I don't think it easy to compare Angel and Buffy. Each show has a different feel: Angel is more grown up, more in the big world; while Buffy is a kid's show with lot of humor, with everyone in one small isolated town. As a kid - I would prefer Buffy, but as an adult I enjoy Angel much more.
Yeah, you nailed the comparison. The way i'd put it is, 'Buffy...'s a show about becoming a grown-up whereas 'Angel's a a show about how to navigate being one (including living with your mistakes). (like BtVS it has some rough edges in the early going IMO but _also_ like BtVS, 'Angel' pretty quickly develops into something very special)
I think out all all the other Scooby gang to move to Los Angeles, Cordy seeking stardom as an actress makes the most sense. She seemed like one of the more independent ones out of all of them.
She has a bigger role and more room to grow as a bigger part of the story. I think she started out as a mirror of Buffy. Or a shadow character. What she might have been like if she wasn’t called as the slayer. Then she kinda got shoved back a little when Faith became the new shadow character as a rogue slayer. Here she’s totally out of Buffy’s shadow.
I am SO thrilled that you liked the first episode! ❤❤ I don't remember if I've already said this in a previous Buffy comment, so apologies if this is a repeat story. I started with Angel, not Buffy, lol. I had heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but was like, "What kind of name of a show is that?" And I thought it would be really dumb, so I didn't check out. Cut to Buffy starting season 4, and Angel starting season 1.... I was doing laundry and had the TV on for noise, when this gorgeous cello solo started playing, and I looked up because I was like, "Ooh, that's beautiful, what is this?" And then the rock beat kicked in, and I was like, "Okay, now you've got my attention completely! This is very different. What is this??" So really, the Angel theme song is what pulled me first and started everything for me. 😊 Got to love the power of music! 🎵🎶 Once I realized there were ties to the Buffy show, I was like, oh man, I"m going to have to check that one after all, because I really love this Angel show and I want to understand its origins. So I tracked down season 1 of Buffy and started watching it, and I thought, "I'm an idiot. I love this show. I love both of these shows. Now I WANT to watch both of them." Just goes to show, never judge a book (or tv series) by its cover (name). My bad. 🤷♀😜🤣 I like Buffy for the humor and the journey through high school and beyond, and I like Angel for its tone as well, which has its own wonderful dry sarcastic humor (much like Angel) and also has this darker, film noir-ish tone which immediately felt really cool to me. So I was drawn to it, and I thought Angel was actually really funny, surprisingly given the tone. After seeing him on both shows, I do think giving him his own show made more room to explore his character in ways they probably couldn't on Buffy because, well, it's called Buffy so it's her POV, lol. Since I started with Angel's show, back then I declared that Angel was my favorite of the two. I liked both, but there was just something about Angel. But over the years, I think I've grown to really love and appreciate Buffy as a show in its own right, and feel like it's too hard to choose because they both have amazing episodes and they both have some annoying episodes (lol, what show doesn't?) and I just love them both. I cannot WAIT for you to continue with Angel and see what you think as well! So excited!! 🎉🎉🎉
Great first reaction to the pilot ep of a great series! I love that you caught Sawyer as one of the vamps in the opening scene... You quickly caught on that this is a darker and "more grown up" world compared to Buffy. Glad that you were prepped to avoid the opening credits to not get spoiled that the awesomeness that is Cordy would be a series regular.. (I'm sure you'll be told to avoid some of the guest star credits in some later eps eventually as well).... I love this series as well and would perhaps give it an edge to BtVS just by a hair because of the darker tone... but the humor that the Buffyverse is known for is still present. I'm very much looking forward to you discovering this new show, D! A broody CTU for you today, and keep em coming! 🧛🧛♂🧛♀
Really glad this has started. I'm afraid I'm in the camp that thinks Angel tails off badly in later seasons, but the first two seasons or so are fantastic. You nailed it completely, it is absolutely the next stage on from Buffy - instead of weaving fantastical tales from the hardship of life in high school and college, this is all about being a young person out in the world for the first time, alone, facing the dangers of the world as you try to find your place. And it has the best theme tune of any show ever.
I mean season 5 is, generally speaking, universally acknowledged as the best with better fan and critical ratings across the series, and some of the best and funniest individual episodes. Even season 4, where other conversations about the story can be had (when she gets there, can't spoil anything), the core story is still great and there are some good individual episodes.
And just like that, the Buffyverse expanded. Love it! He's the Batman in this universe lol. Hope you'll catch all those little references to the Avengers. Great stuff. And I like to think Cordelia was needed to bounce off from Angel. She is the light that softens the darkness within him. I'm happy you're excited Dakara. More surprises are coming your way. Catch you on the next one! ♥ ✌.
I always loved concept of Angel's character in Buffy and now in his own show he can really breath with full chest) Also opening song is so melodramatic and sweet and sad and epic and I really love it))
Hi! I'm glad to have found this. Your take was very enjoyable. I always check-out "Angel" reactions. It's a favorite. You locked in quick. I look forward to the future. Thanks for sharing!
I love Angel as a show so much, so happy to see your reaction to this. I'm part of the group that thinks its better than Buffy. Also, Cordy has 10x more character development in Angel than she did in Buffy.
Yes! I'm one of those fans who enjoy Angel a bit more than Buffy. Not that I have any issues with Buffy, she's still my favorite female hero & I love her, she was awesomely written. However, I was always a huge Angel fan, the mix of hero & villian, the vampire version being legendarily evil & then the human soul being restored & trapped with those memories & the demon & struggling for redemption. And Daivid Boreanaz acted so phenomenally well, he was the only actor I'd seen who portrayed, physically, differences between his human & his vampire roles. Angelus, & Angel, walk, talk, and gesture, differently. We saw a lot of people turned, but aside from being evil David made a real effort to change how he acted. I love this show & the theme song is awesome, glad to watch along with you Dakara. Ps, Angel influenced the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man too, catching the food tray, & some DC shows. There's that Doctor Who show too, Torchwood I think? That was influenced by both the character of Angel & the show, with the long coat & standing on top of the building all Batman-esque. To be fair, Buffy apparently influenced Doctor Who a great deal according to the guy who brought it back so it makes sense that spinning off a character from there would follow the way Whedon did it here.
@@PurpleNurpleSPN Guess so, never saw much of it, I saw the first few seasons of Doctor Who cause my Mom was a fan of the original & I ended up seeing a few episodes of Torchwood but didn't stick with it. I do remember one of the first episodes of Torchwood was incredibly familiar. It wasn't until later I realized it was the mind-reading episode of Buffy, in Cardiff I guess. Even the scene with Buffy & Angel on the couch, dialogue wasn't as good in Torchwood though, to me at least. But yeah, at least they had great taste in what to be influenced by lol. No offense meant if you loved Torchwood & Doctor Who btw, I'm sure they're great, just never landed with me.
Let's Go we're finally at Angel ! 🙌🧛 , also I've always found it interesting that those 3 vampires that Angel fought In alleyway didn't know who he was because have they never of Angelus the most notorious and evil vampire to have ever existed like even if those 3 we're baby vampires like and they are only a year or more old surely they've heard whispers of the legendary vampire Angelus
Probably young vampires. I wouldn't expect most sires in the Buffyverse to be nurturing and fonts of information. I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't heard of slayers, either.
@@Tantalus010 oh yeah that's true, most young vampires I'm sure don't have important information especially one about a slayer before it's too late unfortunately for said young vampire
Hey Dakara, so glad you decided to react to Angel, it is an incredible show in its own right. Different in tone than BTVS. It is important to watch both shows in watch order because of the crossover plots, storylines, and characters appearing in both. This was a strong opener where as Angel was very much a one dimensional character in BTVS, here we get to see a more richer character with brilliant flashbacks to see how he developed. The addition of Cordy is great too and Doyle provides some great comic moments. Enjoy the show, the best episodes of Angel are easily a match for most from BTVS and many surpass it, the very best episodes of Angel are exceptional. Enjoy the show, you will love it. if you noticed the phone call a link to BTVS S4 E1 when Buffy answers the phone and nobody is there, great writing. I know many that watched BTVS would not watch Angel which is crazy. It is a superb addition, very much part of The Buffyverse, but very much its own show. Seasons 2 and 3 are superb, and Season 5 of Angel is just off the charts, the very best Season from either show in my honest opinion. Enjoy your journey. I think once you get watching it you will love it. It's a brilliant show!
I could never get into Buffy, but I *loved* Angel. And there's a whole arc starting in season 4 that's just.... So cool! Guess I'll have to wait awhile until you get to that point, though, won't I? 😅
Do you remember Whistler from S2 Finale of Buffy? He was the one who told Angel a put Buffy and convince him to help her fight evil. Originally he was going to be in this show, but instead they created Doyle who started as a similar type character.
So doyle was created as a Whistler type character after the actor who portrayed Whistler in the buffy season 2 finale and penultimate episode became unavailable
Amazing series, like Buffy, been forever since i watched it from the start, but i remember about season 1, one of the main actors died in real life and it was terrible, i actually cried at the time, i have that memory, but do not want to go back, always sun after the rain, it went in a different direction, and i loved it just as much.Vampire with a soul, awesome or as i say Disponulant.
A different network with a different production crew and they didn’t know how the Buffy crew did the face make up. But they got the recipe from them by the next episode. (I think that’s the story. 🙃)
I LOVE Buffy but yeah, for me Angel is better because this is the show that made this universe much much bigger. Angel is like vampire version of Batman in LA.😅 BTW one of the best part in Angel for me is that basically a redemption arc for characters from Buffy like Cordie or Angel for example.
In my opinion Angel was the vampire show done right. It was...darker isn't the right word but sort of works, and more introspective. You are going to love the ride.
I think you just misspoke when you said Cordelia didn’t get into college, but just in case: she got into a bunch of colleges, she just can’t afford to go to any of them because of her Dad’s tax evasion bankrupting her parents. Glad you’re reacting to this as well as Buffy. Not sure why the villain in this episode was so splotchy (zombie like as you said), but it appears to be just something unique about this particular vampiric visage. Keep up the great reactions! 🎉
Another fun fact is that according to the ep commentary, joss based the Russell character after then real estate mogul Donald Trump. It's been a very long time since I researched all of the commentary episodes but if I think of more that aren't spoilery, I'll share them
It has been theorized that the reason Angel just hung up is because he would know that Buffy would be off at college and shouldn't have been back home at that point, so most likely he was actually calling Joyce to check on Buffy and see how things where going for her.
The difference between Buffy and Angel is the difference between an 8pm show and a 9pm show in the 90’s. A little darker, a little grimmer, a little more “grown up.”
The lawyer for Wolfram and Hart is Christian Kane, one of the coolest guys around. Leverage, Librarians and Almost Paradise are some great shows he’s in, and he’s and excellent singer/songwriter.
While the watch list order mostly keeps small things in step, there are a few places where you really need to see episodes in the intended sequence to avoid some major spoilers; you don't want to see one show reacting to events in the other show before you've seen those events happen in their home show. When Buffy and Angel were originally shown on UK TV there was no effort to match them up; I'm not even sure that the various series of Buffy and Angel were shown in parallel.
It's a little rough until the end of the first season, but has some gems along the way. After that it finds its own tone and its own message and by the end, it's just as good as Buffy. I think you'll enjoy it a lot.
I think Joss wanted to let his Buffy viewers know that it was going to be a different show right off the bat. He even had a line in the Angel pilot where Doyle (I think?) tells Angel that "high school is over" and it's time to "make with the grown-up talk." So anyone coming from Buffy would realize, oh, this is going to be different. No school kids growing up stories. Angel's already 200+ and is now living in this lonely city trying to make a difference on his own. Plus, there's Cordelia! (Lol... surprise!)
I didn't care for Angel in the beginning, but appreciate it a LOT more now that I'm older. It is more grown up. Like the early line about not being in High School anymore. I still like Buffy a lot better, but Angel is still a great show that needs to be watched. Cordy works a lot better on Angel now. There really wasn't much room to do much with her on Buffy, with all the other characters. She worked well as a secondary character on the show, but on Angel can be a Prime character. I love that Cordy is smart enough to recognize a vampire by the clues, but not smart enough not to blurt it out even though it puts her in danger. Like she said she tests well, and I see the blurting it out, not so much being dumb, but her usual having no filter and saying exactly what she thinks as she thinks it. Angel does okay with people, but he's recently cut himself off from Buffy and the gang, and is going solo. THAT is what creates the danger of cutting himself off from humanity. He needs to find new connections.
Well, I have some issues with this show, most I won't mention because spoilers, but I can say that it bothers me when they decide to "forget" things that were established in Buffy. I do love Doyle though 🙂
People don’t realize how many vampire movies and yo shows like twighlt vampire diaries and many other took from angel character angel was one of the first icon vampires in the 90s and 2000s
The pilot to Angel the new series was super strong setting up the premise of the series and also catching up new viewers who didn't watch Buffy. But let's be real it feels a bit redundant because when these aired so long ago, I did not know anyone and I mean anyone who was watching Angel and wasn't already a huge Buffy fan!
One thing to note about the cast here - Glenn Quinn, who plays Doyle, is actually Irish, so this is his real accent, unlike the horrible fake Irish accent Angel had in flashback scenes on Buffy. He was also previously in the TV show Roseanne as the brother of the character played by Johnny Galecki (from the Big Bang Theory) and boyfriend of one of the daughters, but acting with a decent fake American accent there. Personally, I think he's more attractive than David Boreanaz, as well, but then I never found David Boreanaz particularly attractive, so that might just be me.
I don't think so. With Angel, you're dealing with adults in the show, and that gives more license to handle mature themes than a teen-centric series. By season four of Buffy, Buffy's entering adulthood while Angel is "Been There. Done That".
Man Dakara I remember when this aired I was hooked honestly if Spike was not on Buffy I would have stuck to this show🤣😂 You know that about me lol James Marsters all the way 🤘 and man RIP Glenn ❤️🙏 aka Doyle
When people discuss where a character is and / or why were they written out etc. It’s almost always financial in both Angel & Buffy. They had incredible fights with the networks over budget and had to submit massive re-writes when talent was denied. There was another reason in Angel that would spoil, so I'll avoid that for now.
If you like Cordelia, you'll love this show. She is one out of 3 cast members, instead of one out of 6 or more. Much more story and growth in Angel than in Buffy.
the lawyer you saw was in The Librarians. Wolfram and Hart = Wolf Ram and Hart not your ordinary corporation, as you will find out in later seasons. Cordelias character develops in a way it didnt in buffy. another buffy character appears soon, and two much later on one of whom will join the team.. all seasons are good, but 4 i found a bit problematic. season 5 tho i found excellent
There was a completely new make-up team for this show, but this is the only episode where the vampire makeup looks so weird. The rest of the show is more consistent, once they got some tips from the Buffy team.
Love Cordy join Angel ❤️ she had become too underexploited. Season 1 was really good. And Angel IS so more interesting And better ,dark and funny than in BTVS
I actually know of quite a few people who prefer Angel to Buffy. I'm not one of them but still love it. Much like Buffy it gets much better as it goes on.
Why I love the Angel show more than Buffy. It’s just has a different…idk…grownup feel to it, and the big bads are a lot more interesting. Same with Originals and VD, which the latter feels much better. In my opinion, of course.
Cordy has no reason to go back to SD. Her father's in prison for tax fraud. We never learned about her mother but I'm guessing trophy wife (who lost her looks given the comment CC made in "Band Candy" about needing an age limit on spandex or lycra) with no real connection to Cordy given how she was probably "raised" by nannies (and not very well). But that's just my guess.
I like Angel as a series a little bit better than Buffy overall. But both are great. Also season 1 is very up and down in quality while they try to figure the show out. Season 1 has some amazing episodes but also a lot of the worst episodes of the series. But in season 2 it really finds a consistency. Also season 1 has some great episodes too. There are just a couple more stinkers too.
This really is a pilot episode, the special effects will improve quickly. That's also why we get the exposition about Angel's history for new viewers. I was never a big fan of Angel's character and prefer the "Buffy" cast of characters.
Can we all agree the Angel theme song is Amazing
I had about a 5 minute or so laughing fit the first time I heard Doyle say "get a job, you lazy sow!" after telling Angel it was all about reaching out to people and showing kindness 😂.
Angel gets better n better with each season
I completely agree. I know a lot of people would rate a certain season very differently, but I honestly put 1 < 2 < 3 < 4 < 5 for this show, which is rare. (Of course, that is not to say Season 1 is _bad;_ indeed, it’s still good imo).
Season 1 is always gonna be my favorite
Like Buffy, Angel's smart writing is sustained through the length of show.
In the middle there is that season with Angels son that i really don't like that much, but it gets better again after that especially when we get the return of Spike.
The character Development of EVERYBODY in Angel is amazing
6:24
That's not far off how David Boreanaz was cast as Angel in real life. He was spotted walking a dog by someone who knew the Buffy casting director. It's not quite the same, because Boreanaz was already an actor, he wasn't cast *just* because he's ridiculously handsome...but at the same time, Angel was only his third credited role. If he hadn't perfectly looked the part then he never would have been on the production's radar.
And think of the career he has been able to have, founded on his portrayal of this supporting character.
To be fair Angel was originally going to be an unimportant, practically throwaway, character. So it wouldn't have mattered much when casting as long as he looked the part and could passably speak the correct lines.
I think Cordelia moving to Angel really makes sense as the Buffy cast had gotten a bit unwieldy and large.
Her role on Buffy was down to only trading insults with Xander, so switching over was a better chance to grow the character.
I agree with both of you. Her character had outgrown that dynamic. Making her closer to the group would take the edge off her snarky one liners. lol She needs a whole new group to sharpen her barbs on. haha
Always exciting to see reactors see Cordy in this show for the first time! Enjoy the show - it gets SO GOOD.
Angel is my favorite of the two shows partly because of that more mature feel, but also because I like the concept of immortal good guys. I blame Highlander for that. There's just something awesome about being able to see hundreds of years of history firsthand that really appeals to me.
Fully agree with this show being more mature, not that Buffy is immature, but I think as fans got older, we needed something a little different. I do lean slightly more towards Angel though.
@@rkempo I think Angel is better dramatically than Buffy because it has adults involved in the show.
@@Madbandit77 Yes and as a result more mature themes. As I said, I think Angel grew with the audience that Buffy created, most of us were in our teens when watching Buffy, by the time Angel came around we were coming out of it.
@@rkempo I was already out of high school by the time Buffy premiered (SMG is older than me by some months, but we're born in the same year). So I couldn't get into it at the time.
@@Madbandit77 That's your experience and I appreciate that, but Buffy's target audience was teenagers and so by the time Angel was released most of us were turning into adults, hence the more mature theme. I think both shows are great and Angel would never have happened without Buffy, so be grateful for that at least.
6:35-6:42 Of course Cordelia went to LA. After all "[She'd] kill to live near that many shoes." 😁
It is interesting to note that Dakara noticed the difference in the vamp-mask technology. I think they said on the DVD that they tried a new graphics technology for the vamp-masks on this episode (only) and then went back to the original.
I had read that they just had a totally different team doing the makeup. After the pilot they had the Buffy makeup team mentor them.
Looking forward to your reaction at the end of season 1. I like how Angel expands the Buffyverse
Gonna enjoy going on this angel journey with you. First time watching any of your content, I just saw angel and thought “oh, I love that show”
You are going to get some of the best character arcs in all of television in this series....so buckle up DJ because you are going to get put through it with Angel.
Wow. I have seen this episode several times and never noticed what Doyle said (stiffener) near the end of the episode until you said it out loud. Welcome to Angel. Great reaction.
Nice one! Love it and thank you for sharing your time.
I don't think it easy to compare Angel and Buffy. Each show has a different feel: Angel is more grown up, more in the big world; while Buffy is a kid's show with lot of humor, with everyone in one small isolated town. As a kid - I would prefer Buffy, but as an adult I enjoy Angel much more.
Yeah, you nailed the comparison. The way i'd put it is, 'Buffy...'s a show about becoming a grown-up whereas 'Angel's a a show about how to navigate being one (including living with your mistakes).
(like BtVS it has some rough edges in the early going IMO but _also_ like BtVS, 'Angel' pretty quickly develops into something very special)
I think out all all the other Scooby gang to move to Los Angeles, Cordy seeking stardom as an actress makes the most sense. She seemed like one of the more independent ones out of all of them.
Cordelia is much better in Angel. Trust us, you'll love her in this show.
She has a bigger role and more room to grow as a bigger part of the story.
I think she started out as a mirror of Buffy. Or a shadow character. What she might have been like if she wasn’t called as the slayer. Then she kinda got shoved back a little when Faith became the new shadow character as a rogue slayer. Here she’s totally out of Buffy’s shadow.
For sure. She has some of the best character growth from any show I’ve watched.
I am SO thrilled that you liked the first episode! ❤❤
I don't remember if I've already said this in a previous Buffy comment, so apologies if this is a repeat story. I started with Angel, not Buffy, lol. I had heard of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but was like, "What kind of name of a show is that?" And I thought it would be really dumb, so I didn't check out. Cut to Buffy starting season 4, and Angel starting season 1....
I was doing laundry and had the TV on for noise, when this gorgeous cello solo started playing, and I looked up because I was like, "Ooh, that's beautiful, what is this?" And then the rock beat kicked in, and I was like, "Okay, now you've got my attention completely! This is very different. What is this??" So really, the Angel theme song is what pulled me first and started everything for me. 😊 Got to love the power of music! 🎵🎶
Once I realized there were ties to the Buffy show, I was like, oh man, I"m going to have to check that one after all, because I really love this Angel show and I want to understand its origins. So I tracked down season 1 of Buffy and started watching it, and I thought, "I'm an idiot. I love this show. I love both of these shows. Now I WANT to watch both of them." Just goes to show, never judge a book (or tv series) by its cover (name). My bad. 🤷♀😜🤣
I like Buffy for the humor and the journey through high school and beyond, and I like Angel for its tone as well, which has its own wonderful dry sarcastic humor (much like Angel) and also has this darker, film noir-ish tone which immediately felt really cool to me. So I was drawn to it, and I thought Angel was actually really funny, surprisingly given the tone. After seeing him on both shows, I do think giving him his own show made more room to explore his character in ways they probably couldn't on Buffy because, well, it's called Buffy so it's her POV, lol.
Since I started with Angel's show, back then I declared that Angel was my favorite of the two. I liked both, but there was just something about Angel. But over the years, I think I've grown to really love and appreciate Buffy as a show in its own right, and feel like it's too hard to choose because they both have amazing episodes and they both have some annoying episodes (lol, what show doesn't?) and I just love them both.
I cannot WAIT for you to continue with Angel and see what you think as well! So excited!! 🎉🎉🎉
Great first reaction to the pilot ep of a great series! I love that you caught Sawyer as one of the vamps in the opening scene... You quickly caught on that this is a darker and "more grown up" world compared to Buffy. Glad that you were prepped to avoid the opening credits to not get spoiled that the awesomeness that is Cordy would be a series regular.. (I'm sure you'll be told to avoid some of the guest star credits in some later eps eventually as well).... I love this series as well and would perhaps give it an edge to BtVS just by a hair because of the darker tone... but the humor that the Buffyverse is known for is still present. I'm very much looking forward to you discovering this new show, D! A broody CTU for you today, and keep em coming! 🧛🧛♂🧛♀
Really glad this has started. I'm afraid I'm in the camp that thinks Angel tails off badly in later seasons, but the first two seasons or so are fantastic. You nailed it completely, it is absolutely the next stage on from Buffy - instead of weaving fantastical tales from the hardship of life in high school and college, this is all about being a young person out in the world for the first time, alone, facing the dangers of the world as you try to find your place. And it has the best theme tune of any show ever.
He's only young by appearance though.
I mean season 5 is, generally speaking, universally acknowledged as the best with better fan and critical ratings across the series, and some of the best and funniest individual episodes. Even season 4, where other conversations about the story can be had (when she gets there, can't spoil anything), the core story is still great and there are some good individual episodes.
A young person out in the world for the first time alone? Are we watching the same show 😂
And just like that, the Buffyverse expanded. Love it! He's the Batman in this universe lol. Hope you'll catch all those little references to the Avengers. Great stuff.
And I like to think Cordelia was needed to bounce off from Angel. She is the light that softens the darkness within him. I'm happy you're excited Dakara. More surprises are coming your way. Catch you on the next one! ♥ ✌.
I always loved concept of Angel's character in Buffy and now in his own show he can really breath with full chest)
Also opening song is so melodramatic and sweet and sad and epic and I really love it))
Hi! I'm glad to have found this. Your take was very enjoyable. I always check-out "Angel" reactions. It's a favorite. You locked in quick. I look forward to the future. Thanks for sharing!
glad to see you watching Angel. i was surprised how good it is especially as new characters join Angel Investigations
Yup. That was Josh Holloway (Sawyer from "Lost").
I love Angel as a show so much, so happy to see your reaction to this. I'm part of the group that thinks its better than Buffy. Also, Cordy has 10x more character development in Angel than she did in Buffy.
Yes! I'm one of those fans who enjoy Angel a bit more than Buffy. Not that I have any issues with Buffy, she's still my favorite female hero & I love her, she was awesomely written. However, I was always a huge Angel fan, the mix of hero & villian, the vampire version being legendarily evil & then the human soul being restored & trapped with those memories & the demon & struggling for redemption. And Daivid Boreanaz acted so phenomenally well, he was the only actor I'd seen who portrayed, physically, differences between his human & his vampire roles. Angelus, & Angel, walk, talk, and gesture, differently. We saw a lot of people turned, but aside from being evil David made a real effort to change how he acted. I love this show & the theme song is awesome, glad to watch along with you Dakara. Ps, Angel influenced the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man too, catching the food tray, & some DC shows. There's that Doctor Who show too, Torchwood I think? That was influenced by both the character of Angel & the show, with the long coat & standing on top of the building all Batman-esque. To be fair, Buffy apparently influenced Doctor Who a great deal according to the guy who brought it back so it makes sense that spinning off a character from there would follow the way Whedon did it here.
Oh Torchwood was definitely influenced by Angel... except Jack Harkness was looking at Cardiff and not LA... a bit underwhelming haha
@@PurpleNurpleSPN Guess so, never saw much of it, I saw the first few seasons of Doctor Who cause my Mom was a fan of the original & I ended up seeing a few episodes of Torchwood but didn't stick with it. I do remember one of the first episodes of Torchwood was incredibly familiar. It wasn't until later I realized it was the mind-reading episode of Buffy, in Cardiff I guess. Even the scene with Buffy & Angel on the couch, dialogue wasn't as good in Torchwood though, to me at least. But yeah, at least they had great taste in what to be influenced by lol. No offense meant if you loved Torchwood & Doctor Who btw, I'm sure they're great, just never landed with me.
@@PurpleNurpleSPN I know where I would rather be to be honest, and it wouldn't be LA.
Let's Go we're finally at Angel ! 🙌🧛 , also I've always found it interesting that those 3 vampires that Angel fought In alleyway didn't know who he was because have they never of Angelus the most notorious and evil vampire to have ever existed like even if those 3 we're baby vampires like and they are only a year or more old surely they've heard whispers of the legendary vampire Angelus
Probably young vampires. I wouldn't expect most sires in the Buffyverse to be nurturing and fonts of information. I wouldn't be surprised if they hadn't heard of slayers, either.
@@Tantalus010 oh yeah that's true, most young vampires I'm sure don't have important information especially one about a slayer before it's too late unfortunately for said young vampire
Hey Dakara, so glad you decided to react to Angel, it is an incredible show in its own right. Different in tone than BTVS. It is important to watch both shows in watch order because of the crossover plots, storylines, and characters appearing in both. This was a strong opener where as Angel was very much a one dimensional character in BTVS, here we get to see a more richer character with brilliant flashbacks to see how he developed. The addition of Cordy is great too and Doyle provides some great comic moments. Enjoy the show, the best episodes of Angel are easily a match for most from BTVS and many surpass it, the very best episodes of Angel are exceptional. Enjoy the show, you will love it. if you noticed the phone call a link to BTVS S4 E1 when Buffy answers the phone and nobody is there, great writing. I know many that watched BTVS would not watch Angel which is crazy. It is a superb addition, very much part of The Buffyverse, but very much its own show. Seasons 2 and 3 are superb, and Season 5 of Angel is just off the charts, the very best Season from either show in my honest opinion. Enjoy your journey. I think once you get watching it you will love it. It's a brilliant show!
My favorite show, Angel in my opinion is the best character, was so happy that he got his own show worked out perfectly.
I could never get into Buffy, but I *loved* Angel. And there's a whole arc starting in season 4 that's just.... So cool! Guess I'll have to wait awhile until you get to that point, though, won't I? 😅
Angel isn't better than Buffy. They both compliment and contrast each other perfectly. As equals.
I have miss you!! Hope your holidays are going nice and peaceful! ✨🎄❤️
Now I will watch all your reactions on Angel 😊
I’m so happy after the first episode!! So much fun is coming! I ready know you love it! ❤🎉
Dakara, you may remember Christian kane( Lindsey the lawyer) was Dean's old hunter/bar owner friend in the 15th season of Supernatural...
See, this is why you should watch one Buffy then one Angel, you get the crossovers such as the phone-call.
The makeup artist didn't quite get the vamp makeup right but it was corrected by Joss
Do you remember Whistler from S2 Finale of Buffy? He was the one who told Angel a put Buffy and convince him to help her fight evil. Originally he was going to be in this show, but instead they created Doyle who started as a similar type character.
So doyle was created as a Whistler type character after the actor who portrayed Whistler in the buffy season 2 finale and penultimate episode became unavailable
Amazing series, like Buffy, been forever since i watched it from the start, but i remember about season 1, one of the main actors died in real life and it was terrible, i actually cried at the time, i have that memory, but do not want to go back, always sun after the rain, it went in a different direction, and i loved it just as much.Vampire with a soul, awesome or as i say Disponulant.
A different network with a different production crew and they didn’t know how the Buffy crew did the face make up. But they got the recipe from them by the next episode. (I think that’s the story. 🙃)
Angel was on the WB as Buffy, until Buffy left for UPN for its sixth season. You're right that it's a different production crew that worked on Angel.
yes that is Sawyer! a few years before Lost.
Angel❤️
I LOVE Buffy but yeah, for me Angel is better because this is the show that made this universe much much bigger. Angel is like vampire version of Batman in LA.😅 BTW one of the best part in Angel for me is that basically a redemption arc for characters from Buffy like Cordie or Angel for example.
In my opinion Angel was the vampire show done right. It was...darker isn't the right word but sort of works, and more introspective. You are going to love the ride.
I think you just misspoke when you said Cordelia didn’t get into college, but just in case: she got into a bunch of colleges, she just can’t afford to go to any of them because of her Dad’s tax evasion bankrupting her parents.
Glad you’re reacting to this as well as Buffy. Not sure why the villain in this episode was so splotchy (zombie like as you said), but it appears to be just something unique about this particular vampiric visage.
Keep up the great reactions! 🎉
Another fun fact is that according to the ep commentary, joss based the Russell character after then real estate mogul Donald Trump. It's been a very long time since I researched all of the commentary episodes but if I think of more that aren't spoilery, I'll share them
That's interesting, considering joss's own bad workplace habits.
@@Madbandit77 oh no doubt.
It has been theorized that the reason Angel just hung up is because he would know that Buffy would be off at college and shouldn't have been back home at that point, so most likely he was actually calling Joyce to check on Buffy and see how things where going for her.
Angel's car is a classic Lincoln Continental sedan convetible, black on black, of course
Very good series. You will definitely enjoy
The difference between Buffy and Angel is the difference between an 8pm show and a 9pm show in the 90’s. A little darker, a little grimmer, a little more “grown up.”
Earth Angel 😇
You know what, Angel' and Dôyle are both Irish. Angel's accident just didn't stick🤷🏼♂️🍀☘️
In some ways I do prefer Angel over Buffy and I wish it had gotten more seasons.
The lawyer for Wolfram and Hart is Christian Kane, one of the coolest guys around. Leverage, Librarians and Almost Paradise are some great shows he’s in, and he’s and excellent singer/songwriter.
He was also in SPN 15x07 Last Call, where Dean finally sings on stage with C. Kane
While the watch list order mostly keeps small things in step, there are a few places where you really need to see episodes in the intended sequence to avoid some major spoilers; you don't want to see one show reacting to events in the other show before you've seen those events happen in their home show. When Buffy and Angel were originally shown on UK TV there was no effort to match them up; I'm not even sure that the various series of Buffy and Angel were shown in parallel.
No worries, she has a whole host of people on discord that makes sure she watches them in an order where all crossovers line up.
Doyle has visions from the Powers that Be, which another character will inherit
I loved that show and you will too
It's a little rough until the end of the first season, but has some gems along the way. After that it finds its own tone and its own message and by the end, it's just as good as Buffy. I think you'll enjoy it a lot.
As much as a classic Buffys theme song is I love Angels even more! 🤷♂️
I think Joss wanted to let his Buffy viewers know that it was going to be a different show right off the bat. He even had a line in the Angel pilot where Doyle (I think?) tells Angel that "high school is over" and it's time to "make with the grown-up talk." So anyone coming from Buffy would realize, oh, this is going to be different. No school kids growing up stories. Angel's already 200+ and is now living in this lonely city trying to make a difference on his own. Plus, there's Cordelia! (Lol... surprise!)
Cordelia is incredible on this show. I had the same reaction that I still wanted her on Buffy. She's better here
I didn't care for Angel in the beginning, but appreciate it a LOT more now that I'm older. It is more grown up. Like the early line about not being in High School anymore. I still like Buffy a lot better, but Angel is still a great show that needs to be watched.
Cordy works a lot better on Angel now. There really wasn't much room to do much with her on Buffy, with all the other characters. She worked well as a secondary character on the show, but on Angel can be a Prime character.
I love that Cordy is smart enough to recognize a vampire by the clues, but not smart enough not to blurt it out even though it puts her in danger. Like she said she tests well, and I see the blurting it out, not so much being dumb, but her usual having no filter and saying exactly what she thinks as she thinks it.
Angel does okay with people, but he's recently cut himself off from Buffy and the gang, and is going solo. THAT is what creates the danger of cutting himself off from humanity. He needs to find new connections.
Yep, like Cordy said back in Buffy - "I think it, I say it." ;)
I'm glad she's still that woman.
Well, I have some issues with this show, most I won't mention because spoilers, but I can say that it bothers me when they decide to "forget" things that were established in Buffy. I do love Doyle though 🙂
People don’t realize how many vampire movies and yo shows like twighlt vampire diaries and many other took from angel character angel was one of the first icon vampires in the 90s and 2000s
The pilot to Angel the new series was super strong setting up the premise of the series and also catching up new viewers who didn't watch Buffy. But let's be real it feels a bit redundant because when these aired so long ago, I did not know anyone and I mean anyone who was watching Angel and wasn't already a huge Buffy fan!
It was and he’s dead😆. Hello 👋🏻 The Queen is here, Cordelia.
One thing to note about the cast here - Glenn Quinn, who plays Doyle, is actually Irish, so this is his real accent, unlike the horrible fake Irish accent Angel had in flashback scenes on Buffy. He was also previously in the TV show Roseanne as the brother of the character played by Johnny Galecki (from the Big Bang Theory) and boyfriend of one of the daughters, but acting with a decent fake American accent there. Personally, I think he's more attractive than David Boreanaz, as well, but then I never found David Boreanaz particularly attractive, so that might just be me.
Yay finally
WOOOOT angel. love it. 3x better than buffy. which is werid
I don't think so. With Angel, you're dealing with adults in the show, and that gives more license to handle mature themes than a teen-centric series. By season four of Buffy, Buffy's entering adulthood while Angel is "Been There. Done That".
For the pilot, they tried to go with a different design on the Vampires' faces but it was not well received from the audience.
Man Dakara I remember when this aired I was hooked honestly if Spike was not on Buffy I would have stuck to this show🤣😂 You know that about me lol James Marsters all the way 🤘 and man RIP Glenn ❤️🙏 aka Doyle
When people discuss where a character is and / or why were they written out etc. It’s almost always financial in both Angel & Buffy. They had incredible fights with the networks over budget and had to submit massive re-writes when talent was denied. There was another reason in Angel that would spoil, so I'll avoid that for now.
If you like Cordelia, you'll love this show. She is one out of 3 cast members, instead of one out of 6 or more. Much more story and growth in Angel than in Buffy.
the lawyer you saw was in The Librarians. Wolfram and Hart = Wolf Ram and Hart not your ordinary corporation, as you will find out in later seasons. Cordelias character develops in a way it didnt in buffy. another buffy character appears soon, and two much later on one of whom will join the team.. all seasons are good, but 4 i found a bit problematic. season 5 tho i found excellent
finally dakara ive been waiting for this reaction, cus for me angel is better than buffy
There was a completely new make-up team for this show, but this is the only episode where the vampire makeup looks so weird. The rest of the show is more consistent, once they got some tips from the Buffy team.
Love Cordy join Angel ❤️ she had become too underexploited.
Season 1 was really good. And Angel IS so more interesting And better ,dark and funny than in BTVS
I actually know of quite a few people who prefer Angel to Buffy. I'm not one of them but still love it. Much like Buffy it gets much better as it goes on.
It WAS sawyer lol
Pretty sure you will soon change your opinion of Cordi being in Angel and not in Buffy.
Just saying... 😉
Angel is Batman.
Why I love the Angel show more than Buffy. It’s just has a different…idk…grownup feel to it, and the big bads are a lot more interesting. Same with Originals and VD, which the latter feels much better. In my opinion, of course.
meeh, just deleted all text as just some hints about this or that show can be spoiler, meeh, ANYWAY. both shows are great,
Cordy has no reason to go back to SD. Her father's in prison for tax fraud. We never learned about her mother but I'm guessing trophy wife (who lost her looks given the comment CC made in "Band Candy" about needing an age limit on spandex or lycra) with no real connection to Cordy given how she was probably "raised" by nannies (and not very well). But that's just my guess.
Buffy kinda jumped the shark but this show gets better and better!
I like Angel as a series a little bit better than Buffy overall. But both are great. Also season 1 is very up and down in quality while they try to figure the show out. Season 1 has some amazing episodes but also a lot of the worst episodes of the series. But in season 2 it really finds a consistency. Also season 1 has some great episodes too. There are just a couple more stinkers too.
This really is a pilot episode, the special effects will improve quickly. That's also why we get the exposition about Angel's history for new viewers. I was never a big fan of Angel's character and prefer the "Buffy" cast of characters.
like the car where JFK was shooted in 1963
Angel to me is better than Buffy. Buffy never seems to get past high school problems, Angel is more grown up.
They changed the makeup fir tge 1st episode but did not like so the went back to the original look.