So yeah, you'll see pretty quick that angel has a different vibe than buffy. Buffy explores a lot of issues that young adults have and tend to be more light hearted (though it can obviously have its serious dramatic moments). Angel explores more adult themes like drugs, abuse, corporate greed, emotional trauma, ect. It's a really amazing show that doesn't get as much credit as it deserves. I hope you like it!
The episode even explicitly says this, just in a perfectly diegetic way. "Look, High School is over, bud. You gotta make with the grown up talk, now." Slips perfectly in natural dialogue, and is a big neon sign to the audience if they know to see it
Vampire stories are usually set in dark, creepy locations like Transylvania or French Quarter New Orleans. Whedon chose to set Buffy in Southern California, known for sunny weather, and to film mostly in bright daylight. Angel is set in Los Angeles, which has a popular image of being about glitz and glamour, but Whedon chooses to focus on the dark side of that image -- the people who don't make it, the people who get used and tossed aside by the system.
The first episode of this show is virtually perfect. It recaps the story thus far for people who may not have seen Buffy. It sets up how different Angel is from Buffy - not only as a character, but also highlighting that Angel has both weaknesses that Buffy doesn't (he can't go out in the daytime) and strengths that she doesn't (Angel can take multiple gunshots at point blank range and shrug it off with only minimal medical attention). It's got the trademark Whedon humor that I love so much and Angel has some incredibly badass lines. And of course, the show is self-aware enough to poke fun at its own Batman similarities. To cap it all off, the way Angel kills Russell is the perfect crime. Because Russell was a vampire, he left no body. Without a body, even a law firm knows they can't charge Angel with anything more than destruction of property (the chair and the window). Angel just killed a dude in a room full of lawyers and they can't touch him (legally). If that's not a mic drop, I don't know what is.
Got to love the power walk with the swishy coat - it's all about the swishy coat :) I admit that Angel didn't do a lot for me on Buffy, but I've always liked the way his character comes into focus with his own series. Yay for Cordy muscling in and Doyle showing Angel his path. Nice reaction, Jules. Looking forward to seeing your journey with this darker side of the Buffy 'verse.
Angel without Buffy already is starting to have more of a personality than just being Buffy's boyfriend. He's still got a long way to go, though. There's so much about this show that shows the difference of adult vs coming of age, but one of my favorites is Angel not saving someone. It doesn't happen often on BtVS and Angel couldn't save his first protectee.
@@zenithquasar9623 I like to head canon that they did, but it was when no one on the BtVS main cast was around. Thus why he had the identity of Buffy's boyfriend. He was seen through her and her friends eyes and they never really knew him. Only a brooding guy that Buffy crushed on (even when he was Angelus he was just Buffy's cranky boyfriend to them).
Like Buffy, Angel will start to build a larger cast of regular characters. Can't wait for you to meet them. Also like Buffy, it starts out more episodic, but there's usually a continuing story arc each season. I actually think Angel's first season is better than Buffy's first. It benefitted from Buffy laying down the groundwork and establishing the world and its rules.
Bet he loves the fate that did that to him. Syndicated show with massive fanbase, interconnected with one of the most popular shows of all time. Talk about losing a winning lottery ticket.
SO glad you started this show! You did a really good job picking up on what it's about right away -- even mentioning the Batman vibes in the opener before Doyle outright makes a Batman reference. (it won't be the last Batman-esque moment, needless to say) I loved that Cordelia was able to recognize the vampire from her Sunnydale experiences - she's grown since her mean girl days.
Cordelia is actually amazing in this series 😅 She has retained a lot of what we love about good old Cordy, but has grown up juuuust a little too! Love it so very much!!
@@julesreacts My favorite Cordy moment of this ep was when she first runs into Angel, the "Are you still ... grrr" moment was all in the performance - it was still blunt like Cordelia, but not at all snarky or a put down (growth!) - you could tell she was still happy to see him, but with a side of trepidation. Great job by Carpenter!
Not just Batman, but the show also draws a lot from the tradition of L.A. private eye fiction and movies. The character of Angel here often reminds me of Phillip Marlowe, the hero of Raymond Chandler's books. Chandler, one of the first and best creators of the genre in the 1930's and 40's, described his hero by saying "down these mean streets must go a man who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid." That's Angel.
Took me years to realises the reason Doyle recaps Angles “History” is for those that watch the show that wouldn’t have seen Buffy - Odd to think nowadays as people binge watch in order but at the time must have made sense
Doyle is such a great character and the actor who plays him such a tragic thing that happened those are the people I want/need to save and tell the devil to piss off
I'm so happy to see that joyous smile on your face with your introduction to Angel. One of my favorite things in this pilot episode is that using Doyle's introduction, they provided just enough backstory for those viewers who had never watched BtVS to understand who Angel is, but not so much that it was boring for those of us who had, especially with Angel throwing in the occasional snarky comment while Doyle was telling the tale. I also love that it establishes with Tina right out of the gate that Angel can't save everyone, however, Doyle still manages to put a positive spin on it for Angel in reminding him that he DID save Cordelia. And of course, the little touch with seeing Angel making that call to Buffy that we saw in "The Freshman." Hope you continue to enjoy the show.
Yes, yes, yes!! It's very good!!! As an Angel fan, you're gonna love it 🥰 it's so different to Buffy, and seems darker already!! Have an awesome day, Texman 💜
The bit at the beginning with the manager assuming that Angel was an actor kind of mirrors how David Boreanaz got his own start: he was spotted walking down the street and had never acted before being cast in Buffy.
Hi, my Aussie mate ... and straight off there is another one of "Oh! That's xyz!" moments :D That's Josh Holloway of Lost heart-throb fame as the first vampire from the bar :) And, as promised, there is Cordelia :grins:
It has been theorized that the reason Angel just hung up is because he would have thought that Buffy was 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 becomes an excellent show on its own power and storytelling. The first 2 years Angel came on after Buffy on Tuesday nights. It was quite a 2-hour block on entertainment. The challenge was to first keep the established Buffy audience and then expand. Angel is a more mature show and stands on its own merits. The first season is tricky while the themes are established to be different than Buffy. It is entertaining while it finds its purpose and separates itself from other programs. You will enjoy the ride and appreciate the job the producers and writers undertake to make this more than just a spin-off. Like BTVS, Season 2 is when the show creates its own identity and becomes truly different and unique.
Great first episode! They were obviously going for a darker tone with Angel compared to Buffy, and I think it turned out well (like you said, very Batman-esque). I do feel that it takes Angel a little longer to find it's groove than Buffy did, but there are some amazing story arcs & one-off episodes throughout the series that you'll surely enjoy (I really hope Angel does well enough on the channel for you to reach some of them). Thanks for another excellent video Juliette, hope you're having a great week 💜
Neil 💜 thank you for your encouragement with Mr Angel! I have to say it's a good start so far. I like Doyle, and it's great to see a familiar face in this episode as well. Angel seems to be doing okay... he's certainly kept thay brooding and mysterious side to him, but I love that he wants to help people. He must actually feel so bad about what he did in his past 😔 I hope that he does at least find some peace within himself one day! I'm having a good week, thank you, Neil 💜 it's been a bit half and half as I'm half working and half time off, but I'm not feeling stressed so that's something 😅 I hope your week is going nicely as well 😻
The first time I saw this, it was certainly a surprise when the baddie went out the window. It is darker as you say and in more than one way as most if it is set in the dark or artificial light because the hero is a vampire.
Welcome to Angel! you'll definatly like it here! you are right, there is a very different vibe here than in Buffy, and there is a lot of little tie ins with Buffy sprinkled through out the series( and moments in Buffy that tie in here!) though I will warn that sometimes they can spoil events in each other if you see them out of order. enjoy the show, and I'll enjoy watching your reactions, love it as always Jules!
Russell Winters: We don't have to go around attacking each other. Look at me. I pay my taxes, I keep my name out of the paper, and I don't make waves. In return, I can do anything I want. Angel: Really? Hm. Can you fly? One of the best death scene in the Buffyverse. The show has indeed a bit of a dark knight fight. Doyle even mentioned the Batcave. And how great is it that Cordy also moved to L.A. she get's so much more to do now. I'm glad you really enjoyed the first episode of angel.
Oh gods, I knew I recognized Christian Kane from somewhere. It's so weird seeing him with Wolfram & Hart compared to his role in Taxi with Queen Latifah.
I always love that Cordy is smart enough to deduce that Russel is a vampire, but not quite bright enough not to blurt it out putting herself in danger.
Here we go, I'm so excited! I honestly forgot how strongly the show comes out of the gate. This first episode does a great job of catching people up on Angel's backstory, laying the foundations for the show's initial structure and establishing the tone of the show. Angel is definitely a darker, more mature show in many ways, but it also has plenty of that Joss Whedon humour and it has some wonderfully fun and bonkers episodes down the line. The best thing about this show though, in my opinion, is that it does wonders for Angel as a character. I always found him to be pretty dull in Buffy, but here you'll gradually see him grow and actually develop a more well-rounded personality. Seeing Cordelia show up is unexpected, but it works so well. She and Angel may have hardly spoken in Buffy, but here she serves as a perfect link to humanity for Angel. Doyle is incredibly fun too, but apparently he was originally meant to be Whistler, the demon who first pointed Angel in Buffy's direction. As cool as it would have been to see him again, I love Doyle and think that he, Angel and Cordy make a great team. I also love how this show expands the mythology of the Buffyverse. First you get the Powers that Be, then the mysterious Wolfram & Hart law firm. Speaking of which, that lawyer, Lindsey, is played by Christian Kane, who's pretty beloved in geek circles. Oh and I'm glad you picked up on the phone call connection between this episode and Buffy. Not everyone q9uld have noticed that. Finally, it's good that you skipped the intro, otherwise the Cordelia surprise would have been ruined for you. However, you really need to watch the intro at least once, because the theme song is incredible. The full version of the song is even better. I'm so pumped to watch you embark on this journey, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!
I adored Angel in Buffy but I agree with you SO much! He really gets a chance to shine in this. He's no longer just "Buffy's vampire boyfriend". He's making a name for himself, helping people, and making amends. It's soooo good 💜 It is a lot darker but I love it! It seems they aren't shy to explore other grittier aspects in Angel. It's wonderful ☺️☺️
@@julesreactsoh yeah, trust me, further down the line you'll see some visuals that are straight out of a horror movie. But again, they still balance it out with lighter stuff and I think you overall message of the show is one of hope.
Hey Jules! I think Angel knew Buffy was supposed to be at college, and wasn't calling her - I think he was calling Joyce in order to ask about Buffy, but when Buffy answered he wasn't ready to talk to her which is why he reacted by hanging up.
Ok, wasn't sure about this, I've only watched Angel once, unlike repeatedly watching Buffy. But that was fun, I may rewatch it all. When Doyle said "Tough gate" the ducklings said what a dumby, you have to ram a gate with the boot so you don't damage the engine. Immediately the alpacas and I looked at them and asked how do you k ow that? They are right, but still. They did the innocent look and just shrugged and quietly watch the rest of the video. I'm beginning to worry more about the ducklings. Have a wonderful day.
How DID they know that? I have so many questions! 1, they are ducklings, they cannot drive. 2, they are baby ducklings, so definitely cannot drive. 3, well.... the first two questions are enough 🤣 I'm so glad that you and the alpacas are sus to them, Cat! They definitely need keeping an eye on. Angel seems really good so far! It's VERY different to Buffy, and also Angel seems to be more like his own character here, and not just someone that is connected to Buffy. It's very cool! Very dark!! Have a lovely week, Cat 😸💜
I don't know how they know these things, I learned it inI a combat driving course. I don't think they could drive if they all worked together. They don't weigh enough to push down the pedals. They must be working with someone.
@@catindigo9907clearly the ducklings are reincarnated from some team of SWAT or special forces of some kind. They are just too knowledgeable about these things! The alpacas, on the other hand...
Apologies if I've already told you this story, Jules, but it amuses me so I wanted to share it, if I haven't already. 😄 I didn't start with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I started with Angel. Which is kind of backwards, I know, but that's how it happened for me, lol. I was folding laundry with the TV on for noise, only half-paying attention to it, and they must have re-aired the Angel pilot episode to draw in viewers (I'm guessing, since it was a random Sunday afternoon). I wasn't watching the opening scene, just folding my laundry, when all of a sudden I heard the most beautiful haunting cello solo (which happened to be the opening strains of the Angel theme song) and I thought, "Oh! That's pretty. What's that from?" And as I looked up to see what I was watching, the rock beat kicked in, and I was like, "Oh! That's different! Cool cello AND rockin' beat? You've got my attention. What IS this show?" So I started watching the episode, and by the end of it, with Angel walking off away from the camera, his coat billowing heroically in the wind, I was like, "Oh, I'M IN." I loved the dark nature of it, the humor, Angel's dry wit and awkward heroism, the badass action -- that double-staking of the vampires in the opening scene was pretty amazing, wasn't it??? -- and how the storyline surprised me. 1) I was fully expecting Angel to be able to save Tina, as would happen in most other shows, and 2) I was NOT expecting Angel to kick the bad guy out a skyscraper window in the first episode! Lol! It just felt like a different kind of show than I was used to, and I liked it. After a few episodes in, I realized it was a spin-off from Buffy, and I was like, "Oh no, I'm going to have to check out that show too, aren't I?" So when a crossover happened, I made sure to watch the Buffy-related episode first, and then the Angel episode after it, and I liked the Buffy characters just as much, so I ended up going back and catching up with the first 3 seasons of Buffy so I wouldn't get spoiled on anything, and then continued on with Angel and Buffy episodes as they aired. Of course, because I started with Angel, I already knew the big secret about Angel before Buffy finds out what he is, so that episode wasn't a surprise to me. But I was in the dark about everything else about the show, so it wasn't a huge deal. It might have been fun to have that be a surprise, though. A part of me will always love the Angel series because that's what I started with and that's what took me down the Whedon shows journey in the first place, but I really do love the Buffy series as well. Still, whenever I hear the opening cello of the Angel theme, I smile. It's my favorite. ❤🥰
I LOVE THIS STORY!!! You've just told me your own personal Buffy and Angel origin story and I adore it 🥰🥰 I actually know of another person in the comments who has only ever watched Angel, so I guess it's pretty uncommon but you're definitely not alone! It's wonderful how you came to learn about this show and to love the universe as much as you do 💜💜
Angel is truly superior to buffy as its themes and stories feel more real life. Also no spoilers but truly the best season of whole buffyverse is s5 of angel...
Yeah, different vibe with 'Angel', very noir-ish (which makes sense for a character that can basically _only_ go out at night :), with the "seedy underbelly of LA" aspect and a kinda sorta PI format. Has its ups and downs in the early going IMO but once it hits its stride the show becomes pretty special (maybe not BtVS special but then very few shows manage that).
I love all the little and big crossovers with Buffy. Angel and Buffy was the perfect double feature. So glad you're watching Angel Jules, and so glad you liked it.
Jules Welcome to the other part of The Buffyverse. Give it time it's a brilliant show. This was a strong opener Angel as a character has so much depth in this. Great to see Cordy too, and along with Doyle a great trio. Great crossover episodes and plotlines too with BTVS. If you keep to the watch order it will make a bit more sense but as you said if you are going to do alternative episodes you will enjoy it the same. Enjoy the show, IMHO the very best episodes of Angel are easily a match for BTVS and many surpass it. Enjoy the show, you will love it. Good Luck.
Still never had anyone successfully give an example of why any watch order other than the release alternating order (as long as you watch them in the correct, one was broadcast before the other) has a benefit. At best it changes nothing. In reality, it just makes watching them a tiny bit worse for no reason.
Boreanaz gets to do more in this show.. Who would have known the attractive former dog walker had it in him. Cordelia gets to play more with her character. They are both looking for redemption. Buffy's fights feature more speed and skill. Lot of multiple hits in a flurry. There is more of a harder hitting choreography in this show. But angel yes is a cranky superhero. Sort of glowery night creature Batman feel. Yes. Watch the intro's. They change over time. I like Doyle. I also liked Whistler from season two who is the guy that put Angel on his path to fight the good fight. These guys seem a lot like the same character and here is another guy/part demon looking for redemption. Really enjoyed the end of episode one. They don't tend to get much cleaner. Wolfram and Hart. Great Special effect to kick off the show. He is mostly very cool in episode one. They do undercut that a lot as time goes on with many more moments like ramming the gate. Cordelia is a nice foil for Angel.
Very good! Flowing waves, a tasteful hairband, covered in stars, and a light, pink glow over all. You look so very Happy this day!😊 Hello, Jules.💜 I have been waiting for this day since you were first pestered about it, 3 seasons gone.🤭 Let's do this 1st episode!😉 Your face, at 9:28, and again, at 9:44. Surprise!😜 Yes, definitely a Batman atmosphere, a classic noir vibe, in the dark side of Los Angeles.😍 Both of the knowns here have already shown a more expressive, and expansive range than on the original series.🤭 I am pleased you enjoyed this so much, and absolutely looking forward to the rest of these here on your react channel, Jules.🤗💜 Thank you for taking the chance, and taking on the extra work. Have a lovely day, and a fantastic summery week, as well.💜😊
Ahhhh finally, Tom! Something else you've seen 🤣 I couldn't be happier knowing that you've seen this. I know it's silly, but I do feel better if it's something you're familiar with so it can kinda make more sense to you! It's honestly such a great start, though I am a few episodes ahead now 😅 Doyle and Cordelia fit in nicely here, Angel stands out on his own, rather than being in Buffy's shadow (though her shadow WOULD be quite helpful to avoid catching on fire!), and it has a lovely sense of humour as well. It's wonderful to have you here and knowledgeable of this one, Tom 😸💜 Finally. Now I am happy 🤣 Halloween night! I'm going for my annual walk around the neighbourhood soon hehe 👻👻 trick or treat!!
I am so glad you are now happy.💜 And hopefully there will be all treats and no tricks! 😅 Tell me. Are you costuming up as Black Cat?😉💜 Have a great walk!
And now, a novel by John Campbell. My apologies in advance. Backstory part 1. Buffy filmed at a FOX owned lot in eastern Santa Monica. There were some connected warehouses and an office building. The rest was a parking lot. All of this was tirn down and replaced by a corporate complex years later. Diagonally across the street wad Todd AO studios were all the ADR and other sound work was done. They moved out a few years ago. Joss' last project before getting dumped due to the allegations against him (The Nevers) had their writer's office two sections over in the same building complex as Todd AO. The office building at the Buffy lot was two stories tall and was sort of in sections. Almost all of the offices for the entire production, writers to editiors took up half the top floor. Right nextvto the stairs were the casting offices for Buffy & Angel. The set decorations room was directly below 1/3 of it. The prop room and set builders had sections of the warehouse. As half the Angel writers were still officially on the Buffy staff, the Angel writers and post production, and, for S1 only, the office where David Miller made the vampire and other demons' special effects appliances. The sputh wing first floor had the Buffy crew lunch room, extras holding area and Cynthia Bergdtrom's costume design office abd the cast closets. The catering truck parked right outside the cafeteria when they weren't on location. (We got permission to eat off their truck) and the cast traikers were lined up next to that. The mini-graveyard was between those, the warehouses and the exit gate. 😮I woukd walk along that way when delivering stuff to TODD AO when the post-PA was unavailable. During thise walks were the only times I ever spoke to Sarah. So, other than when on location (S1-3 Buffy's house exteriors and Sunnydale High School were blocks apart way down in Torrance. Until they finished the college srts, they film UC Sunnydale across town at USC. Angel filmed at the Paramount lot 10 miles from the Buffy lot. Each show only gets 3 PAs and these PAs rarely have slow time. So hsvibgbthem drivevthe 30 minutes or sometimes far more each was just to get the writers lunch or deliver the make up effects, wasn't worth it. I interviewed fir one of the PA spots but lost to the head of Post Production's daughter and Zack Whedon, Joss' little brother. I can't imagine how they beat me out. So, the Friday before filming, my friend who used to be Angel show runner David Greenwalt's assistant called me and saved ne frim a horrible reality show I won't talk about. How one small accident could have ended the entire show on Day 3 to follow. (Have a delivery to do now)
@@julesreacts And now the story of how the show could have ended on day 3, and we were glad no network people were on location. My day 1. I go to the Angel writers' office and meet and greet. Then I go to the Paramount Lot across town to get my ID so I can deliver scripts* and the prosthetics to the set. *Sending scripts via email started in season 2. I then got a tour of the Paramount lot by another, as far as we know, unrelated John Campbell. He pointed out that yet another John Campbell worked in the lighting department. Day 3. Angel is on location filming the "Coffee Spot" scenes in Manhattan Beach pretending to be Santa Monica. Tracy Middendorf was fantastic. She nailed everything. We loved her, but wanted to make a statement by having Angel fail to save her. So, we shoot the scenes where she and Angel first meet. We break for lunch. I'm standing in the parking lot with RD Price (Associate Producer and Greenwalt's former assistant), David Miller who made most of the prosthetics in S1, David Boreanaz, David Greenwalt, and Joss Whedon. We are waiting gir the crew van to take up back to base camp so we can eat. Joss, DG and Boreanaz get tired of waiting and hitch a ride in the back seat of an extended cab pick up truck. The three remaining of us are concerned about this. The bed of the pick up is filled with the gasoline pumps like at a gas station to refuel the other vehicles. If someone rear ended that truck, the star and both co-creators would explode. The Vampire makeup looks different on Angel S1 as the company who made them for Buffy owned the design and the network didn't want to pay them if they weren't working on Angel. For S2 on, the company that did Buffy, did Angel as well. The side issue was that I was on set dramatically less in S2 as I no longer had to deliver the appliances. Joss git his start writing on Roseanne. He wrote the Buffy film script while there. Glenn Quinn (Doyle) was Becky's boyfriend on the show. He used an American accent. For Angel, he used his natural Irish accent, sometimes cleaned up a bit so we could understand him. LOL The original idea was Whistler was going to be the character, but either thr actor wasn't available, or there were issues on set because someone told the actor that Joss write the character fir himself to play abd it made him nervous abd he had too many problems with his lines. One of those is correct. I've been told both. By different people who should know. The Angel Theme song. Joss wanted a different darling Gothic feel for Angel and put out feelers for "cello rock." Darling Violetta fit that description. They were actually the band playing The Bronze in Ep 3.3 Faith, Hope, Trick. I watched that episode, and in the morning, finished packing my moving truck and drove from NJ to Los Angeles. Two months later I first met Darling Violetta and quickly became very good friends with the guitarist, Jymm. I actually drove Joss' final notes on the theme song to famed songwriter Holly Knight's house where she was producing the song for them. While she helped share the song a bit, as a thank you for producing the song, Jymm and singer Cami shared the writing credit with Holly. I was also on location for the scenes at the vampire's mansion. It was out in Malibu and was incredible. I was with a bunch of crew members just off camera during the fight sequences around the stairs and the jump/fall from the upstairs hallway. That was a long, but fun night. End chapter one. LOL
John Campbell is a familiar name to me, you're in good company: "John Wood Campbell Jr. was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of Astounding Science Fiction from late 1937 until his death and was part of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Campbell wrote super-science space opera under his own name and stories under his primary pseudonym, Don A. Stuart." It is really awesome seeing your stories from the actual sets etc., keep them coming! Sometimes the typos are a bit much - but as someone who makes a lot of typos himself I sympathize, and autocorrect doesn't always help. Anyways, thanks for the deep dives behind the scenes! No apologies necessary!
@@ernesthakey3396 There are a lot of John Campbells out there. A lot of my typos are from typing on this tiny phone keyboard. And a few autoincorrect moments where it changes the proper spelling to something else for unknown reasons. Sadly, I have more behind the scenes stories from before my time there than after I left. Most episodes will have far less trivia than this.
I have avoided watching Angel with UA-cam reactors simply because I just don't have the time!!! BUT, I'll start watching with you anyway because it has been MANY years since I have seen it. Extra pressure for you to keep me entertained. LOL.
Was it a fun surprise for you to see Cordelia on the show? 😄 Since I saw the Angel pilot episode first before eventually seeing seasons 1 through 3 of Buffy, I was stunned to watch the Buffy series and see how mean girl Cordelia was back then, because she's clearly grown a lot (even though she has her Cordelia moments, lol). It's cool that her character gets to have continued to growth, even if it's not with the Buffy crew.
It really was fun to see Cordelia here! And a huge WOW to see what sort of life she lives now... So different to how we knew her for the last 3 seasons 😔 I'm sure she will be fine, with Angel and Doyle's help 💜
Hi Jules! 1. I loved that you started Angel and that you enjoyed it. I will watch everything that either combines your reaction + a show I like/love OR your reaction + a show I never heard of. 2. Love how you said the word "Tattoo" 3. Doyle is not really a guardian angel, but he reminds me a lot of Xander. 4. Russell was just a client of the lawfirm "Wolfram & Hart", he seemed to have them on retainer. The lawyer Lindsey McDonald was also a regular on one of my favourite shows "Leverage" (Maybe give it a look into and decide if you want to record it or not, the characters are amazing and you could also guess, who I had a crush on back then, lol). Have a wonderful day and give the cat/s a pet from me.
That's a good pilot. And I will say I love Doyle! But I have some issues with this show. I can't say what because spoilers XD I'll be around for some episodes. I hope you enjoy your Angel journey!
Another one? Girl, HOW... YOU... KEEP... THEM... ALL... STRAIGHT!!! My memory is amazing but I can't even remember all the details in my favorite movies. Here, let me run a test... Hey, Jules, do you remember that one episode where Angel and Mulder had to work together to keep Rose safe from the Daleks?
The show's got a darker vibe, a Batman heroic tone, but the humor of a Whedon show is still here, over on Angel. It always cracks me up when Doyle is lecturing Angel about how it's all about reaching out to people and showing them there's still love and hope in this world... as they walk by a homeless person who asks for spare change and Doyle side-comments, "Get a job, you lazy sow!" *facepalm 🤭 Oh, Doyle. 😆🤣
Great you are on starting Angel season one episode one and i hope you like it I'm here watching and hope you have a fantastic week see you later and Thank You my friend Juliette.🇦🇺🐈⬛🐈🇦🇺
@@julesreacts I had seen Angel's show a few times but never watched it as much as Buffy because I couldn't get the channel that it came on at the time but I hope you like it and have a great week and tomorrow I will be helping out my community Halloween block party in town all day and most of the evening but I'll have my tablet with me in case you are on, take care and see you later my friend Juliette.🇦🇺🎃🇦🇺 🕸️👻🐈⬛🕷️🕸️
You’ve replied to a number of my comments so you may recall I didn’t care for Angel on Buffy. He’s so much better on his own show, though! This is a fantastic pilot, too. One of the best I’ve ever seen, and the series is great for the most part, especially in the early seasons. Cordelia has found her place, and there’s real growth coming for her, which is good to see.
I can absolutely understand why you'd prefer Angel more on Angel! He seems so different here, without being part of Buffy herself. I really feel that we get to see so much more of Angel here, rather than a character that is in an impossible romance, and someone that skulks around in the shadows. He's definitely standing on his own two feet here, and I love it!! Cordelia is awesome here, too. She's kept a lot of what we loved about her on Buffy, but I really feel there's lots of room to grow for her. I'm SO excited to see where her journey goes!
Personally, I've always preferred the characters around Angel to Angel himself. As characters on the show itself say on multiple occasions, the broody-ness gets old fast.
Awesome video as always! So happy you're watching Angel! My hot take will always be that Angels theme song is better than Buffys. Buffys is good but The Angel theme is better 😉
@@wutangkang One of the old-time Buffy fans used the name Angle Man on the official site due to the amount of people who either accidentally or just wrongly kept typing Angle. "Angle is a hottie!" became a trope.
@@johncampbell756 🤣🤣🤣 that's funny. I was so annoyed i messed it up on the last Angel i should have checked. To be fair my friend who got me into Buffy did always say Angel looked good from any angle🤣
The balance of the show right off the bat was so awesome. I feel like they really set up a terrific vibe from the very start. The humor -- Doyle (smashing into the gate, which you'd expect to fall down like on any other show when a hero goes busting through, but instead it stays standing): Good gate. 😆 Angel jumping into the wrong car because apparently everyone in L.A. drives black convertibles, lol. Oops. Angel: Doyle, I don't want to talk, I don't want to share my feelings. I want to find the guy who killed Tina and look him in the eye. Doyle: And then what? Angel: Then I'm going to share my feelings. Me: Heeeeeeeeeeee. Cordelia: You don't know who he is, do you? Ohhhh, you're about to get your ass kicked. (LOL!) Russell: I can do whatever I want. Angel: (dryly) Really. Can you fly? (kicks Russell out the window) Me: (jaw on the floor) YEEEEEESSSSSSSSS. That was AWESOME! The drama -- Angel shoving Russell out the window. 😲 The shock that the hero DOESN'T get to save the girl. The overall tone of the show having a very mysterious, noir-ish, L.A. detective, dark Batman vibe. Awesome. The many shots of Angel moving heroically with awesomely EPIC music playing in the background. YES, PLEASE. 😄🤩 "I'm game," indeed.
Vampire Batman 100% 🤣🤣 I love it a LOT. It's very different to Buffy but I'm glad it is. It should stand out on its own, something separate. It's really very good 💜
I actually preferred the Angel series to Buffy. It is mostly MotW format, but they will have long-arc 'big bads' at points, and introduce many new people. Not saying what or who, of course.
@@julesreacts I also grew with the original Evil Dead Moives so that's why I said Groovy we need to bring back some of these older phrases just to make Gen Z go WHAT
I am soooo very glad you are watching this show. . .no, _thrilled!_ It has one of my most satisfying seasons of TV! Bravo for skipping the intro to the first episode. 😎👍 IMO the show actually gets better over time, with perhaps a very slight dip (for some) and ultimately culminating with a season I really cannot wait for you to get to! Yes, it is the aforementioned _"most satisfying seasons of TV"_ Fear not, that's all I'm going to say. 🤫 🏃🏼💨 _And away we go!_
So yeah, you'll see pretty quick that angel has a different vibe than buffy. Buffy explores a lot of issues that young adults have and tend to be more light hearted (though it can obviously have its serious dramatic moments). Angel explores more adult themes like drugs, abuse, corporate greed, emotional trauma, ect. It's a really amazing show that doesn't get as much credit as it deserves. I hope you like it!
Angel is absolutely amazing! I'm a few episodes in now and loving it a LOT!
The episode even explicitly says this, just in a perfectly diegetic way. "Look, High School is over, bud. You gotta make with the grown up talk, now." Slips perfectly in natural dialogue, and is a big neon sign to the audience if they know to see it
Buffy is about being a human amongst monsters. Angel is about being a monster amongst humans.
Vampire stories are usually set in dark, creepy locations like Transylvania or French Quarter New Orleans. Whedon chose to set Buffy in Southern California, known for sunny weather, and to film mostly in bright daylight. Angel is set in Los Angeles, which has a popular image of being about glitz and glamour, but Whedon chooses to focus on the dark side of that image -- the people who don't make it, the people who get used and tossed aside by the system.
Nice one, both Angel and Cordelia were way better characters in Angel than they ever were in Buffy.
The first episode of this show is virtually perfect. It recaps the story thus far for people who may not have seen Buffy. It sets up how different Angel is from Buffy - not only as a character, but also highlighting that Angel has both weaknesses that Buffy doesn't (he can't go out in the daytime) and strengths that she doesn't (Angel can take multiple gunshots at point blank range and shrug it off with only minimal medical attention). It's got the trademark Whedon humor that I love so much and Angel has some incredibly badass lines. And of course, the show is self-aware enough to poke fun at its own Batman similarities.
To cap it all off, the way Angel kills Russell is the perfect crime. Because Russell was a vampire, he left no body. Without a body, even a law firm knows they can't charge Angel with anything more than destruction of property (the chair and the window). Angel just killed a dude in a room full of lawyers and they can't touch him (legally). If that's not a mic drop, I don't know what is.
The shove out the window here is second only to "And yet, somehow, I can't seem to care." as my favorite "Angel is a badass" moment.
I always loved how defensive Russel got when accused of being a vampire.
"...am not..."
Got to love the power walk with the swishy coat - it's all about the swishy coat :) I admit that Angel didn't do a lot for me on Buffy, but I've always liked the way his character comes into focus with his own series. Yay for Cordy muscling in and Doyle showing Angel his path. Nice reaction, Jules. Looking forward to seeing your journey with this darker side of the Buffy 'verse.
That slow motion walk with the swishy coat AAAAAHHHHHH!! It was simply epic 🤩🤩
Angel without Buffy already is starting to have more of a personality than just being Buffy's boyfriend. He's still got a long way to go, though.
There's so much about this show that shows the difference of adult vs coming of age, but one of my favorites is Angel not saving someone. It doesn't happen often on BtVS and Angel couldn't save his first protectee.
Some of the choices they made for his character make me laugh. They couldn't do any of that on Buffy.
@@zenithquasar9623 I like to head canon that they did, but it was when no one on the BtVS main cast was around. Thus why he had the identity of Buffy's boyfriend. He was seen through her and her friends eyes and they never really knew him. Only a brooding guy that Buffy crushed on (even when he was Angelus he was just Buffy's cranky boyfriend to them).
Like Buffy, Angel will start to build a larger cast of regular characters. Can't wait for you to meet them. Also like Buffy, it starts out more episodic, but there's usually a continuing story arc each season. I actually think Angel's first season is better than Buffy's first. It benefitted from Buffy laying down the groundwork and establishing the world and its rules.
"During the Depression... My depression... I was depressed there." 😂😂😂
HILARIOUS!!!
BROADCAST ORDER - yay, the way we did it originally. Well done you.
Thank you, Warren! Most people seem okay with alternating/broadcast which is nice 😸
I believe the character of Doyle was originally supposed to be the character Whistler from Becoming but the actor was not available
YES!!!! WHISTLER! I don't remember if I mentioned that in this episode, but for a moment I did think he was. I'm sure they were both Irish!
Bet he loves the fate that did that to him. Syndicated show with massive fanbase, interconnected with one of the most popular shows of all time. Talk about losing a winning lottery ticket.
SO glad you started this show! You did a really good job picking up on what it's about right away -- even mentioning the Batman vibes in the opener before Doyle outright makes a Batman reference. (it won't be the last Batman-esque moment, needless to say) I loved that Cordelia was able to recognize the vampire from her Sunnydale experiences - she's grown since her mean girl days.
Cordelia is actually amazing in this series 😅 She has retained a lot of what we love about good old Cordy, but has grown up juuuust a little too! Love it so very much!!
@@julesreacts My favorite Cordy moment of this ep was when she first runs into Angel, the "Are you still ... grrr" moment was all in the performance - it was still blunt like Cordelia, but not at all snarky or a put down (growth!) - you could tell she was still happy to see him, but with a side of trepidation. Great job by Carpenter!
Buffy is about growing up (a bildungsroman) with all that entails, as you will see. Angel is about grown ups. Hence the more noirish atmosphere.
Not just Batman, but the show also draws a lot from the tradition of L.A. private eye fiction and movies. The character of Angel here often reminds me of Phillip Marlowe, the hero of Raymond Chandler's books. Chandler, one of the first and best creators of the genre in the 1930's and 40's, described his hero by saying "down these mean streets must go a man who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid." That's Angel.
Took me years to realises the reason Doyle recaps Angles “History” is for those that watch the show that wouldn’t have seen Buffy - Odd to think nowadays as people binge watch in order but at the time must have made sense
yeah, for sure! I'd say most people watching Angel had watched Buffy, but I'm glad they put that in there!
Ive never seen this show before. I look forward to following you on this journey
Awesome to hear!! It's a really great show so far. I hope you enjoy!!
Hoo-boy does this show just drip with that late 90s edginess! I love it!
Hehehe it does!! Some of the best times, the 90s and early 00s 💜
Very late 90's. It aired for like 3-4 months before it wasn't the 90's anymore ;)
Great series, takes a little bit for it to get its footing, just like Buffy, but it really develops into an awesome show!!
I love that Angel has a superhero score that comes up throughout the show.
Yessss he is amazing!!
Doyle is such a great character and the actor who plays him such a tragic thing that happened those are the people I want/need to save and tell the devil to piss off
😀David Boreanaz finally gets a chance to be the lead character. I think it's really a great series.
Reeaally glad you're doing Angel too. It really is its own unique show. I'm pretty sure you're going to enjoy it. Have a good week, Jules.
Thank you, Petie! I hope you have a great week, too!
I'm so happy to see that joyous smile on your face with your introduction to Angel.
One of my favorite things in this pilot episode is that using Doyle's introduction, they provided just enough backstory for those viewers who had never watched BtVS to understand who Angel is, but not so much that it was boring for those of us who had, especially with Angel throwing in the occasional snarky comment while Doyle was telling the tale.
I also love that it establishes with Tina right out of the gate that Angel can't save everyone, however, Doyle still manages to put a positive spin on it for Angel in reminding him that he DID save Cordelia.
And of course, the little touch with seeing Angel making that call to Buffy that we saw in "The Freshman."
Hope you continue to enjoy the show.
Awww thank you, Lanie! It was such a great beginning 💜
One of the advantages this show has is it can get away with lore binges from early on. You'll love it.
I think of Doyle as the Jiminy Cricket to Angels Pinocchio. He's trying his best to help Angel become a real boy.
AWWWW that is SO CUTE!
Doyle always reminds me of Whistler, the demon that helped Angel at the end of season 2 of Buffy.
YES!!! Me too!!
OH-MY-Goodness! SOOOooooo good!🙂Thanks so much Juliette🥰I'm going to look into getting the complete series, I loved it!
Yes, yes, yes!! It's very good!!! As an Angel fan, you're gonna love it 🥰 it's so different to Buffy, and seems darker already!! Have an awesome day, Texman 💜
The bit at the beginning with the manager assuming that Angel was an actor kind of mirrors how David Boreanaz got his own start: he was spotted walking down the street and had never acted before being cast in Buffy.
Hi, my Aussie mate ... and straight off there is another one of "Oh! That's xyz!" moments :D That's Josh Holloway of Lost heart-throb fame as the first vampire from the bar :)
And, as promised, there is Cordelia :grins:
OH! I remember watching some Lost! Not enough to recognise the dude haha
I cannot wait to see your reaction to this series, Jules!! It's going to be a fun ride! 😊
I remember watching this show a few years ago great show next to Buffy. Enjoy
It has been theorized that the reason Angel just hung up is because he would have thought that Buffy was 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.
Ooooooh I wonder if that's what it was!!
You weren’t even watching the episode before I gave the video a 👍🏾. I’m so ready for this series reaction.
Ayyyy awesome to hear! Let's go 😸
I am so happy to go on this journey with you for the show, Angel!
I'm happy to have you here 😊 ☺️
The elevator pitch for this show is literally "Batman but he's in LA & he's a vampire" so yeah, well spotted :D
He is absolutely just like Batman 😅
Angel becomes an excellent show on its own power and storytelling. The first 2 years Angel came on after Buffy on Tuesday nights. It was quite a 2-hour block on entertainment. The challenge was to first keep the established Buffy audience and then expand. Angel is a more mature show and stands on its own merits. The first season is tricky while the themes are established to be different than Buffy. It is entertaining while it finds its purpose and separates itself from other programs. You will enjoy the ride and appreciate the job the producers and writers undertake to make this more than just a spin-off. Like BTVS, Season 2 is when the show creates its own identity and becomes truly different and unique.
Great first episode! They were obviously going for a darker tone with Angel compared to Buffy, and I think it turned out well (like you said, very Batman-esque).
I do feel that it takes Angel a little longer to find it's groove than Buffy did, but there are some amazing story arcs & one-off episodes throughout the series that you'll surely enjoy (I really hope Angel does well enough on the channel for you to reach some of them).
Thanks for another excellent video Juliette, hope you're having a great week 💜
Neil 💜 thank you for your encouragement with Mr Angel! I have to say it's a good start so far. I like Doyle, and it's great to see a familiar face in this episode as well. Angel seems to be doing okay... he's certainly kept thay brooding and mysterious side to him, but I love that he wants to help people. He must actually feel so bad about what he did in his past 😔 I hope that he does at least find some peace within himself one day!
I'm having a good week, thank you, Neil 💜 it's been a bit half and half as I'm half working and half time off, but I'm not feeling stressed so that's something 😅 I hope your week is going nicely as well 😻
Solid start to a Buffyverse spin-off!
I started this show a few weeks ago and I am constantly telling my mom that angel is batman haha
17:44 - This was indeed a creative time on TV, back in the 2000's. See 'Regenesis' (where Ellen Page started), '24' and more.
"He's like Batman!" and he's a vampire........bat? 😀 And, he has a bat cave!
Vampire bat for sure hahaha
24:00 He is... Angelman! The Protector... Dark Angel... Oh wait, there is actually a series called like that. :)
The transitions are good in Angel. NCIS stole them from Angel, and now almost every show uses it. But it was Angel that pioneered it.
They often jump scare me 🤣
I'm here for the Angel ride as well :D
The first time I saw this, it was certainly a surprise when the baddie went out the window. It is darker as you say and in more than one way as most if it is set in the dark or artificial light because the hero is a vampire.
Super. Really liking the show now. Gotta love a show set in LA with no sun. Bring it.
HA! Yes!! It's like if they tried to make a show where I live in Australia 😅
Welcome to Angel! you'll definatly like it here! you are right, there is a very different vibe here than in Buffy, and there is a lot of little tie ins with Buffy sprinkled through out the series( and moments in Buffy that tie in here!) though I will warn that sometimes they can spoil events in each other if you see them out of order. enjoy the show, and I'll enjoy watching your reactions, love it as always Jules!
Russell Winters: We don't have to go around attacking each other. Look at me. I pay my taxes, I keep my name out of the paper, and I don't make waves. In return, I can do anything I want.
Angel: Really? Hm. Can you fly?
One of the best death scene in the Buffyverse.
The show has indeed a bit of a dark knight fight. Doyle even mentioned the Batcave.
And how great is it that Cordy also moved to L.A. she get's so much more to do now.
I'm glad you really enjoyed the first episode of angel.
It was wonderful! I really feel Angel will get a chance to shine on his own ✨️
The actor who played angel was in a TV series called bones after angel and now he is currently in TV series called seal which is in its 6th season
Oh gods, I knew I recognized Christian Kane from somewhere. It's so weird seeing him with Wolfram & Hart compared to his role in Taxi with Queen Latifah.
I always love that Cordy is smart enough to deduce that Russel is a vampire, but not quite bright enough not to blurt it out putting herself in danger.
🤣🤣 that's why we love her!
Cordy is smart just not as smart as her mouth. 😂
As with Buffy don't forget to have tissues nearby. You never know when you're going to need them .
also really I love the intro theme such a beautifully written piece of art
I just realized both Cordy and Xander spent their first year out of high school sleeping on sofa beds.
Ooooh yes!!
10:04 Never change, Cordy.
Here we go, I'm so excited! I honestly forgot how strongly the show comes out of the gate. This first episode does a great job of catching people up on Angel's backstory, laying the foundations for the show's initial structure and establishing the tone of the show.
Angel is definitely a darker, more mature show in many ways, but it also has plenty of that Joss Whedon humour and it has some wonderfully fun and bonkers episodes down the line.
The best thing about this show though, in my opinion, is that it does wonders for Angel as a character. I always found him to be pretty dull in Buffy, but here you'll gradually see him grow and actually develop a more well-rounded personality.
Seeing Cordelia show up is unexpected, but it works so well. She and Angel may have hardly spoken in Buffy, but here she serves as a perfect link to humanity for Angel. Doyle is incredibly fun too, but apparently he was originally meant to be Whistler, the demon who first pointed Angel in Buffy's direction. As cool as it would have been to see him again, I love Doyle and think that he, Angel and Cordy make a great team.
I also love how this show expands the mythology of the Buffyverse. First you get the Powers that Be, then the mysterious Wolfram & Hart law firm. Speaking of which, that lawyer, Lindsey, is played by Christian Kane, who's pretty beloved in geek circles.
Oh and I'm glad you picked up on the phone call connection between this episode and Buffy. Not everyone q9uld have noticed that.
Finally, it's good that you skipped the intro, otherwise the Cordelia surprise would have been ruined for you. However, you really need to watch the intro at least once, because the theme song is incredible. The full version of the song is even better.
I'm so pumped to watch you embark on this journey, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!
I adored Angel in Buffy but I agree with you SO much! He really gets a chance to shine in this. He's no longer just "Buffy's vampire boyfriend". He's making a name for himself, helping people, and making amends. It's soooo good 💜
It is a lot darker but I love it! It seems they aren't shy to explore other grittier aspects in Angel. It's wonderful ☺️☺️
@@julesreactsoh yeah, trust me, further down the line you'll see some visuals that are straight out of a horror movie. But again, they still balance it out with lighter stuff and I think you overall message of the show is one of hope.
Hey Jules! I think Angel knew Buffy was supposed to be at college, and wasn't calling her - I think he was calling Joyce in order to ask about Buffy, but when Buffy answered he wasn't ready to talk to her which is why he reacted by hanging up.
Ahhh yes... I love that 💜💜
I think the real purpose of his first mission was to save Cordelia, not Tina. And going to that party with Tina was the way to bring them together.
Ok, wasn't sure about this, I've only watched Angel once, unlike repeatedly watching Buffy. But that was fun, I may rewatch it all.
When Doyle said "Tough gate" the ducklings said what a dumby, you have to ram a gate with the boot so you don't damage the engine. Immediately the alpacas and I looked at them and asked how do you k ow that? They are right, but still. They did the innocent look and just shrugged and quietly watch the rest of the video. I'm beginning to worry more about the ducklings.
Have a wonderful day.
How DID they know that? I have so many questions! 1, they are ducklings, they cannot drive. 2, they are baby ducklings, so definitely cannot drive. 3, well.... the first two questions are enough 🤣
I'm so glad that you and the alpacas are sus to them, Cat! They definitely need keeping an eye on.
Angel seems really good so far! It's VERY different to Buffy, and also Angel seems to be more like his own character here, and not just someone that is connected to Buffy. It's very cool! Very dark!! Have a lovely week, Cat 😸💜
I don't know how they know these things, I learned it inI a combat driving course. I don't think they could drive if they all worked together. They don't weigh enough to push down the pedals. They must be working with someone.
@@catindigo9907clearly the ducklings are reincarnated from some team of SWAT or special forces of some kind. They are just too knowledgeable about these things! The alpacas, on the other hand...
Apologies if I've already told you this story, Jules, but it amuses me so I wanted to share it, if I haven't already. 😄 I didn't start with Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I started with Angel. Which is kind of backwards, I know, but that's how it happened for me, lol.
I was folding laundry with the TV on for noise, only half-paying attention to it, and they must have re-aired the Angel pilot episode to draw in viewers (I'm guessing, since it was a random Sunday afternoon). I wasn't watching the opening scene, just folding my laundry, when all of a sudden I heard the most beautiful haunting cello solo (which happened to be the opening strains of the Angel theme song) and I thought, "Oh! That's pretty. What's that from?" And as I looked up to see what I was watching, the rock beat kicked in, and I was like, "Oh! That's different! Cool cello AND rockin' beat? You've got my attention. What IS this show?" So I started watching the episode, and by the end of it, with Angel walking off away from the camera, his coat billowing heroically in the wind, I was like, "Oh, I'M IN."
I loved the dark nature of it, the humor, Angel's dry wit and awkward heroism, the badass action -- that double-staking of the vampires in the opening scene was pretty amazing, wasn't it??? -- and how the storyline surprised me. 1) I was fully expecting Angel to be able to save Tina, as would happen in most other shows, and 2) I was NOT expecting Angel to kick the bad guy out a skyscraper window in the first episode! Lol! It just felt like a different kind of show than I was used to, and I liked it.
After a few episodes in, I realized it was a spin-off from Buffy, and I was like, "Oh no, I'm going to have to check out that show too, aren't I?" So when a crossover happened, I made sure to watch the Buffy-related episode first, and then the Angel episode after it, and I liked the Buffy characters just as much, so I ended up going back and catching up with the first 3 seasons of Buffy so I wouldn't get spoiled on anything, and then continued on with Angel and Buffy episodes as they aired. Of course, because I started with Angel, I already knew the big secret about Angel before Buffy finds out what he is, so that episode wasn't a surprise to me. But I was in the dark about everything else about the show, so it wasn't a huge deal. It might have been fun to have that be a surprise, though.
A part of me will always love the Angel series because that's what I started with and that's what took me down the Whedon shows journey in the first place, but I really do love the Buffy series as well. Still, whenever I hear the opening cello of the Angel theme, I smile. It's my favorite. ❤🥰
I LOVE THIS STORY!!! You've just told me your own personal Buffy and Angel origin story and I adore it 🥰🥰 I actually know of another person in the comments who has only ever watched Angel, so I guess it's pretty uncommon but you're definitely not alone!
It's wonderful how you came to learn about this show and to love the universe as much as you do 💜💜
omgg, so happy u start Angel in the same time u watch Buffy's four season 😊😊❤ that's so nice!!
Aww yay! I hope you like it!!
Angel is truly superior to buffy as its themes and stories feel more real life. Also no spoilers but truly the best season of whole buffyverse is s5 of angel...
It's honestly SO SO good!!
Yeah, different vibe with 'Angel', very noir-ish (which makes sense for a character that can basically _only_ go out at night :), with the "seedy underbelly of LA" aspect and a kinda sorta PI format.
Has its ups and downs in the early going IMO but once it hits its stride the show becomes pretty special (maybe not BtVS special but then very few shows manage that).
Not sure if you like the show Lost, but the vampire in the first scene is the guy who plays Sawyer.
Ah, I've seen a couple of episodes! I didn't recognise him haha
I love all the little and big crossovers with Buffy. Angel and Buffy was the perfect double feature. So glad you're watching Angel Jules, and so glad you liked it.
It's wonderful 🥰
@@julesreacts and it's quite the journey. Enjoy the ride.
Jules Welcome to the other part of The Buffyverse. Give it time it's a brilliant show. This was a strong opener Angel as a character has so much depth in this. Great to see Cordy too, and along with Doyle a great trio. Great crossover episodes and plotlines too with BTVS. If you keep to the watch order it will make a bit more sense but as you said if you are going to do alternative episodes you will enjoy it the same. Enjoy the show, IMHO the very best episodes of Angel are easily a match for BTVS and many surpass it. Enjoy the show, you will love it. Good Luck.
Still never had anyone successfully give an example of why any watch order other than the release alternating order (as long as you watch them in the correct, one was broadcast before the other) has a benefit.
At best it changes nothing. In reality, it just makes watching them a tiny bit worse for no reason.
Boreanaz gets to do more in this show.. Who would have known the attractive former dog walker had it in him. Cordelia gets to play more with her character. They are both looking for redemption.
Buffy's fights feature more speed and skill. Lot of multiple hits in a flurry. There is more of a harder hitting choreography in this show.
But angel yes is a cranky superhero. Sort of glowery night creature Batman feel. Yes.
Watch the intro's. They change over time.
I like Doyle. I also liked Whistler from season two who is the guy that put Angel on his path to fight the good fight. These guys seem a lot like the same character and here is another guy/part demon looking for redemption.
Really enjoyed the end of episode one. They don't tend to get much cleaner.
Wolfram and Hart.
Great Special effect to kick off the show.
He is mostly very cool in episode one. They do undercut that a lot as time goes on with many more moments like ramming the gate.
Cordelia is a nice foil for Angel.
Very good! Flowing waves, a tasteful hairband, covered in stars, and a light, pink glow over all. You look so very Happy this day!😊
Hello, Jules.💜 I have been waiting for this day since you were first pestered about it, 3 seasons gone.🤭 Let's do this 1st episode!😉
Your face, at 9:28, and again, at 9:44. Surprise!😜
Yes, definitely a Batman atmosphere, a classic noir vibe, in the dark side of Los Angeles.😍
Both of the knowns here have already shown a more expressive, and expansive range than on the original series.🤭
I am pleased you enjoyed this so much, and absolutely looking forward to the rest of these here on your react channel, Jules.🤗💜
Thank you for taking the chance, and taking on the extra work. Have a lovely day, and a fantastic summery week, as well.💜😊
Ahhhh finally, Tom! Something else you've seen 🤣 I couldn't be happier knowing that you've seen this. I know it's silly, but I do feel better if it's something you're familiar with so it can kinda make more sense to you!
It's honestly such a great start, though I am a few episodes ahead now 😅 Doyle and Cordelia fit in nicely here, Angel stands out on his own, rather than being in Buffy's shadow (though her shadow WOULD be quite helpful to avoid catching on fire!), and it has a lovely sense of humour as well.
It's wonderful to have you here and knowledgeable of this one, Tom 😸💜 Finally. Now I am happy 🤣
Halloween night! I'm going for my annual walk around the neighbourhood soon hehe 👻👻 trick or treat!!
I am so glad you are now happy.💜 And hopefully there will be all treats and no tricks! 😅
Tell me. Are you costuming up as Black Cat?😉💜 Have a great walk!
And now, a novel by John Campbell. My apologies in advance.
Backstory part 1. Buffy filmed at a FOX owned lot in eastern Santa Monica. There were some connected warehouses and an office building. The rest was a parking lot. All of this was tirn down and replaced by a corporate complex years later. Diagonally across the street wad Todd AO studios were all the ADR and other sound work was done. They moved out a few years ago. Joss' last project before getting dumped due to the allegations against him (The Nevers) had their writer's office two sections over in the same building complex as Todd AO. The office building at the Buffy lot was two stories tall and was sort of in sections. Almost all of the offices for the entire production, writers to editiors took up half the top floor. Right nextvto the stairs were the casting offices for Buffy & Angel. The set decorations room was directly below 1/3 of it. The prop room and set builders had sections of the warehouse. As half the Angel writers were still officially on the Buffy staff, the Angel writers and post production, and, for S1 only, the office where David Miller made the vampire and other demons' special effects appliances. The sputh wing first floor had the Buffy crew lunch room, extras holding area and Cynthia Bergdtrom's costume design office abd the cast closets. The catering truck parked right outside the cafeteria when they weren't on location. (We got permission to eat off their truck) and the cast traikers were lined up next to that. The mini-graveyard was between those, the warehouses and the exit gate. 😮I woukd walk along that way when delivering stuff to TODD AO when the post-PA was unavailable. During thise walks were the only times I ever spoke to Sarah.
So, other than when on location (S1-3 Buffy's house exteriors and Sunnydale High School were blocks apart way down in Torrance. Until they finished the college srts, they film UC Sunnydale across town at USC.
Angel filmed at the Paramount lot 10 miles from the Buffy lot. Each show only gets 3 PAs and these PAs rarely have slow time. So hsvibgbthem drivevthe 30 minutes or sometimes far more each was just to get the writers lunch or deliver the make up effects, wasn't worth it. I interviewed fir one of the PA spots but lost to the head of Post Production's daughter and Zack Whedon, Joss' little brother. I can't imagine how they beat me out. So, the Friday before filming, my friend who used to be Angel show runner David Greenwalt's assistant called me and saved ne frim a horrible reality show I won't talk about.
How one small accident could have ended the entire show on Day 3 to follow. (Have a delivery to do now)
That is VERY cool! Thank you so much for telling me all this!
@@julesreacts And now the story of how the show could have ended on day 3, and we were glad no network people were on location.
My day 1. I go to the Angel writers' office and meet and greet. Then I go to the Paramount Lot across town to get my ID so I can deliver scripts* and the prosthetics to the set. *Sending scripts via email started in season 2. I then got a tour of the Paramount lot by another, as far as we know, unrelated John Campbell. He pointed out that yet another John Campbell worked in the lighting department.
Day 3. Angel is on location filming the "Coffee Spot" scenes in Manhattan Beach pretending to be Santa Monica. Tracy Middendorf was fantastic. She nailed everything. We loved her, but wanted to make a statement by having Angel fail to save her. So, we shoot the scenes where she and Angel first meet. We break for lunch. I'm standing in the parking lot with RD Price (Associate Producer and Greenwalt's former assistant), David Miller who made most of the prosthetics in S1, David Boreanaz, David Greenwalt, and Joss Whedon. We are waiting gir the crew van to take up back to base camp so we can eat. Joss, DG and Boreanaz get tired of waiting and hitch a ride in the back seat of an extended cab pick up truck. The three remaining of us are concerned about this. The bed of the pick up is filled with the gasoline pumps like at a gas station to refuel the other vehicles. If someone rear ended that truck, the star and both co-creators would explode.
The Vampire makeup looks different on Angel S1 as the company who made them for Buffy owned the design and the network didn't want to pay them if they weren't working on Angel. For S2 on, the company that did Buffy, did Angel as well. The side issue was that I was on set dramatically less in S2 as I no longer had to deliver the appliances.
Joss git his start writing on Roseanne. He wrote the Buffy film script while there. Glenn Quinn (Doyle) was Becky's boyfriend on the show. He used an American accent. For Angel, he used his natural Irish accent, sometimes cleaned up a bit so we could understand him. LOL The original idea was Whistler was going to be the character, but either thr actor wasn't available, or there were issues on set because someone told the actor that Joss write the character fir himself to play abd it made him nervous abd he had too many problems with his lines. One of those is correct. I've been told both. By different people who should know.
The Angel Theme song. Joss wanted a different darling Gothic feel for Angel and put out feelers for "cello rock." Darling Violetta fit that description. They were actually the band playing The Bronze in Ep 3.3 Faith, Hope, Trick. I watched that episode, and in the morning, finished packing my moving truck and drove from NJ to Los Angeles. Two months later I first met Darling Violetta and quickly became very good friends with the guitarist, Jymm. I actually drove Joss' final notes on the theme song to famed songwriter Holly Knight's house where she was producing the song for them. While she helped share the song a bit, as a thank you for producing the song, Jymm and singer Cami shared the writing credit with Holly.
I was also on location for the scenes at the vampire's mansion. It was out in Malibu and was incredible. I was with a bunch of crew members just off camera during the fight sequences around the stairs and the jump/fall from the upstairs hallway. That was a long, but fun night.
End chapter one. LOL
John Campbell is a familiar name to me, you're in good company:
"John Wood Campbell Jr. was an American science fiction writer and editor. He was editor of Astounding Science Fiction from late 1937 until his death and was part of the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Campbell wrote super-science space opera under his own name and stories under his primary pseudonym, Don A. Stuart."
It is really awesome seeing your stories from the actual sets etc., keep them coming! Sometimes the typos are a bit much - but as someone who makes a lot of typos himself I sympathize, and autocorrect doesn't always help. Anyways, thanks for the deep dives behind the scenes! No apologies necessary!
@@ernesthakey3396 There are a lot of John Campbells out there.
A lot of my typos are from typing on this tiny phone keyboard. And a few autoincorrect moments where it changes the proper spelling to something else for unknown reasons.
Sadly, I have more behind the scenes stories from before my time there than after I left. Most episodes will have far less trivia than this.
I have avoided watching Angel with UA-cam reactors simply because I just don't have the time!!! BUT, I'll start watching with you anyway because it has been MANY years since I have seen it. Extra pressure for you to keep me entertained. LOL.
Oh yikes! I don't know if I'm the right person for the challenge 🤣
I really liked the two first seasons of Angel. :)
Was it a fun surprise for you to see Cordelia on the show? 😄 Since I saw the Angel pilot episode first before eventually seeing seasons 1 through 3 of Buffy, I was stunned to watch the Buffy series and see how mean girl Cordelia was back then, because she's clearly grown a lot (even though she has her Cordelia moments, lol). It's cool that her character gets to have continued to growth, even if it's not with the Buffy crew.
It really was fun to see Cordelia here! And a huge WOW to see what sort of life she lives now... So different to how we knew her for the last 3 seasons 😔 I'm sure she will be fine, with Angel and Doyle's help 💜
Hi Jules!
1. I loved that you started Angel and that you enjoyed it. I will watch everything that either combines your reaction + a show I like/love OR your reaction + a show I never heard of.
2. Love how you said the word "Tattoo"
3. Doyle is not really a guardian angel, but he reminds me a lot of Xander.
4. Russell was just a client of the lawfirm "Wolfram & Hart", he seemed to have them on retainer. The lawyer Lindsey McDonald was also a regular on one of my favourite shows "Leverage" (Maybe give it a look into and decide if you want to record it or not, the characters are amazing and you could also guess, who I had a crush on back then, lol).
Have a wonderful day and give the cat/s a pet from me.
Awww thank you 🤗💜 consider the kitty cats patted! They are suckers for love hehe
@@julesreacts Well, I feel all creatures are (including humans).
Hi Jules, thank you for this great reaction! This is a great show and I hope you enjoy it - it's quite a wild ride over the 110 episodes!
I'm so glad you enjoyed! Thank you so much!
That's a good pilot. And I will say I love Doyle! But I have some issues with this show. I can't say what because spoilers XD I'll be around for some episodes. I hope you enjoy your Angel journey!
Another one? Girl, HOW... YOU... KEEP... THEM... ALL... STRAIGHT!!! My memory is amazing but I can't even remember all the details in my favorite movies.
Here, let me run a test...
Hey, Jules, do you remember that one episode where Angel and Mulder had to work together to keep Rose safe from the Daleks?
LMAO!!! Hmmmm nothing rings a bell. Do you remember the title 🤣🤣
I see through your trick question - Jules doesn't even watch Torchwood.
I love your doing this cu honestly i never watched Angel so i can watch along with you im really excited!! Happy Halloween 🎃
Awww YAY! That makes me happy!!
Angel got into the wrong car in the parking lot. Hasn't everybody done that?
Sometimes it does get hard to find your car in huge lots haha
I love the first two seasons of Buffy and Angel the most but I still enjoy all seasons of both series very much and your reactions are always lovely.😊
Awww thank you! I'm so glad you enjoy the episodes!!
The show's got a darker vibe, a Batman heroic tone, but the humor of a Whedon show is still here, over on Angel. It always cracks me up when Doyle is lecturing Angel about how it's all about reaching out to people and showing them there's still love and hope in this world... as they walk by a homeless person who asks for spare change and Doyle side-comments, "Get a job, you lazy sow!" *facepalm 🤭 Oh, Doyle. 😆🤣
Great show, great reactor. Thanks for doing this!
My pleasure! I'm glad you liked it, David!!
Grats on a new show! :D
Yes! Thank you 💜
Great you are on starting Angel season
one episode one and i hope you like it
I'm here watching and hope you have a
fantastic week see you later and Thank
You my friend Juliette.🇦🇺🐈⬛🐈🇦🇺
Aww thanks, Roger!! I hope you enjoy!
@@julesreacts
I had seen Angel's show a few times
but never watched it as much as
Buffy because I couldn't get the
channel that it came on at the time
but I hope you like it and have a great
week and tomorrow I will be helping
out my community Halloween block
party in town all day and most of the
evening but I'll have my tablet with me
in case you are on, take care and see
you later my friend Juliette.🇦🇺🎃🇦🇺
🕸️👻🐈⬛🕷️🕸️
You’ve replied to a number of my comments so you may recall I didn’t care for Angel on Buffy. He’s so much better on his own show, though! This is a fantastic pilot, too. One of the best I’ve ever seen, and the series is great for the most part, especially in the early seasons. Cordelia has found her place, and there’s real growth coming for her, which is good to see.
I can absolutely understand why you'd prefer Angel more on Angel! He seems so different here, without being part of Buffy herself. I really feel that we get to see so much more of Angel here, rather than a character that is in an impossible romance, and someone that skulks around in the shadows. He's definitely standing on his own two feet here, and I love it!!
Cordelia is awesome here, too. She's kept a lot of what we loved about her on Buffy, but I really feel there's lots of room to grow for her. I'm SO excited to see where her journey goes!
Personally, I've always preferred the characters around Angel to Angel himself. As characters on the show itself say on multiple occasions, the broody-ness gets old fast.
Awesome video as always! So happy you're watching Angel! My hot take will always be that Angels theme song is better than Buffys. Buffys is good but The Angel theme is better 😉
You made "The Typo." Angle. Darling Violetta did the theme song. The appeared in Faith. Hope, Trick.
@@johncampbell756 my bad fixed it 👍
@@wutangkang One of the old-time Buffy fans used the name Angle Man on the official site due to the amount of people who either accidentally or just wrongly kept typing Angle. "Angle is a hottie!" became a trope.
@@johncampbell756 🤣🤣🤣 that's funny. I was so annoyed i messed it up on the last Angel i should have checked. To be fair my friend who got me into Buffy did always say Angel looked good from any angle🤣
@@wutangkang "'Angle' A show about a vampire with a soul seaking redemption by teaching night classes on Geometry. This Fall on The Learning Channel."
С Дэвидом Бореаназом есть очень интересный сериал Кости
Ahhhh, Doyle. What a lovely character. RIP Glenn Quinn. It's such a tragedy that addiction took him away from the world.
No way, he died? 😭😭😭
The balance of the show right off the bat was so awesome. I feel like they really set up a terrific vibe from the very start.
The humor --
Doyle (smashing into the gate, which you'd expect to fall down like on any other show when a hero goes busting through, but instead it stays standing): Good gate. 😆
Angel jumping into the wrong car because apparently everyone in L.A. drives black convertibles, lol. Oops.
Angel: Doyle, I don't want to talk, I don't want to share my feelings. I want to find the guy who killed Tina and look him in the eye.
Doyle: And then what?
Angel: Then I'm going to share my feelings.
Me: Heeeeeeeeeeee.
Cordelia: You don't know who he is, do you? Ohhhh, you're about to get your ass kicked. (LOL!)
Russell: I can do whatever I want.
Angel: (dryly) Really. Can you fly? (kicks Russell out the window)
Me: (jaw on the floor) YEEEEEESSSSSSSSS. That was AWESOME!
The drama --
Angel shoving Russell out the window. 😲
The shock that the hero DOESN'T get to save the girl.
The overall tone of the show having a very mysterious, noir-ish, L.A. detective, dark Batman vibe. Awesome.
The many shots of Angel moving heroically with awesomely EPIC music playing in the background. YES, PLEASE. 😄🤩 "I'm game," indeed.
Vampire Batman 100% 🤣🤣 I love it a LOT. It's very different to Buffy but I'm glad it is. It should stand out on its own, something separate. It's really very good 💜
I actually preferred the Angel series to Buffy. It is mostly MotW format, but they will have long-arc 'big bads' at points, and introduce many new people. Not saying what or who, of course.
Believe it or not I grew up Batman The Animated Series and my first Burton film was Batman 89
Aww nice 😸
@@julesreacts Yeah it was Groovy
@@julesreacts I also grew with the original Evil Dead Moives so that's why I said Groovy we need to bring back some of these older phrases just to make Gen Z go WHAT
YES! As an 80's baby, I agree!
Angel is an extremely cool man... when Buffy Summers isn't around. 😎
It seems so 😅
I was hoping that you would alternate the Buffy/Angel series. It helps the crossover episodes transition so well.
It really does!! I think alternating works for the first two seasons of Angel, then I'll refer to the broadcast order :)
Angel is my favourite 🤙🏽
It's soooo good 🤩
Not watched Angel for years. It started off as compulsive as Buffy but I went off it during the second series.
So is Monday going to be Angel and Friday Buffy from now on?
Yep! Or for me in Australia, Tuesday Angel, Saturday Buffy!
Keep up the good work, Juliette 💜 pretty sure the next episode will be interesting 💯.
It is very good! Thank you 😊💜
I am soooo very glad you are watching this show. . .no, _thrilled!_ It has one of my most satisfying seasons of TV!
Bravo for skipping the intro to the first episode. 😎👍
IMO the show actually gets better over time, with perhaps a very slight dip (for some) and ultimately culminating with a season I really cannot wait for you to get to! Yes, it is the aforementioned _"most satisfying seasons of TV"_ Fear not, that's all I'm going to say. 🤫
🏃🏼💨 _And away we go!_
Awww yay!! I'm honestly so glad you're so excited for this one! Thank you!!
Good gate 👍
It was delightful to watch your reaction! I'm glad that you got into it so quickly!! Hope you have a wonderful week!!! ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
Awww thank you, Becca! It was very easy to get into! I'm so glad I enjoyed it as much as I did 😸💜