Fifteen years later: What ‘Angel’ did better than ‘Buffy’ 

Fifteen years later: What ‘Angel’ did better than ‘Buffy’

Home Features Fifteen years later: What ‘Angel’ did better than ‘Buffy’

premiered on The WB. The first episode, “City Of…” saw Angel (David Boreanaz) leave Sunnydale behind for L.A., where he was hoping to find redemption.

, and many fans of the original show didn’t bother with the spinoff. It also developed its own unique fanbase, who had either never watched

And for those who watched both, it was impossible not to have a favourite. And loyal

fans had to ask themselves the uncomfortable question: “Do I prefer

because it’s better, or because I watched it first?”

was darker. It was more grown-up, and the stakes were higher. Main characters died like flies, proving that “daring to kill characters” isn’t a new phenomenon in television.

But now, 15 years later, we believe it’s finally time to sit down together like the rational adults we have now become (in theory), and admit that – whichever show you prefer –

Let’s face it: Angel was cooler than Buffy.

Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was a teenage girl cursed with supernatural abilities and the responsibility of saving the world. Angel was a 200-something-year-old-vampire, cursed with a soul and an undying love for the aforementioned teenage girl. In

we delved deeper into his backstory, learning that the soul didn’t magically turn him into a hero. That was a choice.

series never quite managed to do with its lead (despite her awkward slayer puns): he got funny. Fans already loved Angel’s dark alter-ego Angelus, but when Angel got his own show, his good self had to be infused with a large dose of personality. Thus his broodiness became childish stubbornness, and he developed a wonderfully inappropriate, dark sense of humour.

While Angel was probably more angsty than Buffy, he was very rarely allowed to wallow for too long. When he sulked in the shadows, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) was there to lighten up the situation with a well-timed pun. When Buffy was sad,

Still both characters were badass and versatile in their own right. Buffy did a lot for female characters on television, and the fact that the writers rarely compromised her character for cheap gags speaks to their credit. She is a fantastically well-developed, flawed character whose biggest crime was reacting realistically to the countless tragedies she had to endure. She might have been depressed, but guys, she had plenty of reasons to be. And yet she kept fighting, being the hero everyone needed her to be.

Ultimately Angel probably comes across as more likeable because he tended to embrace and indulge his dark side, making him more of an antihero. Buffy was purely good, and unfortunately that’s not always as “interesting.”

is most often credited with really upping the stakes in terms of killing main characters, and TV writers today are killing characters left and right in a misguided attempt to be “edgy.” We tend to forget that a) killing characters for shock value is a soap opera trope which was already overused in the 90s, and b)

was the first – and arguably only – show that did it right.

Main character deaths do not automatically improve a show’s value. Believe it or not, living in uncertainty about the fate of your beloved characters doesn’t necessarily improve your viewing experience. When shows kill characters and life goes on like normal after the fact, the death was cheap and unnecessary.

were never cheap and unnecessary. Over the course of the series, the show killed a total of four main characters – that’s half its cast, by the way: Doyle (RIP Glenn Quinn), Cordelia, Fred (Amy Acker), and Wesley (Alexis Denisof). Each character was loved, each character was missed, and each character’s life and death

Peripheral characters had worthy arcs and demises, too. Most notable was Darla (Julie Benz), who staked herself giving birth to her and Angel’s son Connor (the o.g. vampire baby, y’all). Lindsey (Christian Kane) and Lilah (Stephanie Romanov) both had dramatic, worthy death scenes.

And it’s also worth remembering that less important/popular characters were not killed off for dramatic effect, but instead sent away: Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) and Kate (Elisabeth Röhm) were not honoured with emotional death scenes.

killed characters, too. It killed Angel (kind of) and Jenny Calendar (Robia LaMorte), and in later years we lost Buffy’s mother Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) and Tara (Amber Benson), with Anya (Emma Caulfield) and Spike (kind of) dying in the series finale. Because Buffy was already an emotional teenage wreck, there was a limit to how much damage her fragile self could take, and the writers (wisely) deemed the loss of Angel and Joyce enough. Plus, Buffy herself died twice!

, the show never let the characters forget about the people they had lost. There were always lasting consequences. Still, we gotta give the edge to

was set first in a high school, then a university, and later… a living room, we guess? All in small town Sunnydale, California, where monsters flocked because of a Hellmouth and because they heard there was a local Slayer that needed killing.

Angel left the small town behind and moved to L.A., a naturally much darker, diverse setting. We started in a dingy, old-school detective agency, moved into a hotel (

location, by the way! Very original), and finally to Wolfram & Hart. And where

fans were happy to see some of their favourite characters “move on” to bigger and better things. L.A. offered so many new possibilities: cop corruption, gang warfare, fighting rings, huge corporations that sometimes made Angel’s cases eerily clinical. People died because money changed hands, not because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That was a new, interesting way to approach supernatural drama.

And because Angel could not go out during the day (the writers’ decision to abandon the daylight ring was a brave one – it would have made their lives so much easier!), the show almost always took place inside or at night. This was not a weakness, but a strength.

‘s seven seasons do you ever feel like any character or storyline has been reset for the sake of setting up a new monster of the week. Whatever the characters are doing (and however ludicrous it might be), they never forget their own backstories, and their personalities are never compromised to serve the story. And that’s more than can be said for a lot of shows on air today.

Of course there were clunkers: Riley (Marc Blucas), Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) and Tara have been criticised widely both in and outside of fandom.

had Gunn (J. August Richards), one of the most stereotypical, underdeveloped main characters of all time. And he had so much potential. And, guys,

had Kate. Remember Kate? Cause we almost didn’t.

. It had Cordelia, whose complete character assassination in season 4 we’re willing to overlook because she was just so damn amazing in the first three seasons. It had Fred, whose arc was so tragic and heartbreaking, we still can’t talk about it. It had Wesley, who might just be the best character in the Buffyverse. It had Harmony (Mercedes McNab). And of course it had Darla, a character who was

executed some of the best character transformations. Cordy evolved from the one-note, superficial it-girl we met in the pilot to Angel’s rock, and the heart of the show. Wesley went from bumbling young Watcher to strong leader, hero and antihero all at once. Fred became amazing, then she became Illyria. And of course,

‘s most well-developed characters, Spike and Faith (Eliza Dushku).

did have some amazing standalones that need to be mentioned: “Surprise” and “Innocence,” “Becoming, Part 2,” “Hush,” “Restless” and “The Body” probably delivered the strongest emotional punches.

suffered from some terrible storylines, and the biggest sin of any TV show: abandoned character arcs (Kate, we’re looking at you). Cordy was magically impregnated at least three times, turned evil, became and then birthed (what?!) Jasmine the happy-demon-god, and then slipped into a frickin’

had some fantastic episodes. First it made you care deeply about its characters, then it made them go through literal and figurative hell in a way only

has ever surpassed. The show’s biggest gut-wrenchers include “Hero,” “I Will Remember You,” “Are You Now or Have You Ever Been,” “Reprise,” “Darla,” “Lullaby,” Waiting in the Wings,” “You’re Welcome,” “A Hole in the World” (which we will never ever ever rewatch, because Freeeeed!), and “Sleep Tight.” And that only scratches the surface.

was serious. At least that’s the most generally accepted way to differentiate between the two shows, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

did heartbreaking tragedy better than most, and was arguably funniest when it was also super creepy (“Hush” is infinitely more funny than “Beer Bad,” for example).

was hilarious, mainly because the show was so dark and twisted; the viewers were beyond ready for some comic relief when it finally came. Cordy, Harmony, Lorne and Spike all provided great comedic material, but

wins here mainly because the main character often provided most of the laughs. We didn’t need a funny side-character distracting us from the lead’s heartache, because Angel was as inappropriate and awkward as anyone.

Season 5 was full of pure comedy gold, finally fulfilling fans’ dream (even if they didn’t know they had it) of seeing Spike and Angel fight evil and each other on a weekly basis. Even Illyria, born out of the biggest tragedy of all, provided some great laughs. Genius storytelling.

will always appeal to different audiences, though the generalizing statement that the latter show was more “for adults” than the former is, in my opinion, doing a disservice to both shows.

As far as repeat value goes, both series definitely suffer from the fact that they were filmed in the twilight years (no pun intended) of The WB, and though they both improved dramatically over the years, watching either show for the first time today must be painful. The special effects are ridiculous, the sets are obviously sets, and some episode premises were just depressingly bad.

But the heart with which these stories were told makes them stand out, even in today’s supposed second golden age of television. The writers thought every decision they made through, and the actors never let their characters forget their past.

had been filmed as theatre plays, their value would still hold up. Through humour and occasional melodrama, you can get powerful messages of friendship, love and bravery across, and these are the things we still take away from the series today.

anniversary! Now go rewatch your favourite episodes, and share your thoughts on the show in the comments.

You might also consider checking out two podcasts, PotentialCast and RedemptionCast, that feature a group of hosts experiencing

for the first time. It’s a great way to look back on the shows in a new way, and to find out how they are received by newcomers whose opinions aren’t compromised by childhood memories or nostalgia.

10 year Alexis Denisof Angel anniversary better Buffy Charisma Carpenter CW David Boreanaz versus VS wb

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Season 5 was like the reward for making through the mess that was season 4. I love “Angel”. I still think Buffy wins overall for me, mostly for sentimental/girl power reasons, but really isn’t “Buffy/Angel” just one giant show? I choose yes. Great article. And that GIF of Doyle still makes me tear up.

I totally agree! In my opinion, Wesley was the greatest character in the Buffyverse. I have never in my life seen any character on television with a more powerful, heartwrenching, BRILLIANT arc than Wesley had. I’ve often tried to figure out whether I think Buffy or Angel is better, and to be honest, this question is impossible for me to answer. Buffy will always be my favorite show, as it shaped my teenage years and changed the way I thought about the world. But Angel… some episodes of that show have the most incredible one-shot stories I’ve ever seen. Can we all just agree that they’re both awesome?

(But as a side note, I will never get over Fred. NEVER. I hate you, Whedon.)

I hated Angel because I HATED how they dealt with Cordelia’s death. It was quiet and set in the back and you almost forgot she was even on the show until the episode where she astral projects around with Angel just to find out later that she died. NO ONE MOURNED HER! She became a great and evolved character from Buffy to Angel and she was effin loveable in the end and her send off was subpar. Fred got a better send off than Cordy and I am still pissed about it to this day.

Buffy’s send off of characters was at least satisfying in the end. I felt closure. Not with Angel. And if that was their intention, it was a shit move.

I really didn’t enjoy Angel. I watched it again at an older age and I still didn’t like it. Angel was my favorite character too but I don’t like where they went with that show at all. Guess I’m a hardcore Buffy fan.

Angel got canceled, so they left it open on purpose in case they could wrangle a return.

Love Buffy, love Angel, love Selina! Great article!

Good to know I’m not the only one who was deeply and completely traumatized by Fred’s death. I started watching Angel after watching the Buffy Season 5 finale and Angel came on immediately after. Fred’s first episode was my first episode. She was my character. I waited ages for her and Wesley to get together and spent an entire week bouncing after “Smile Time” only to throw things at the TV the next week. I vowed to never trust Whedon again after that. Evil evil man.

I can’t belive that show started 15 years ago! Wow!

Agree! As much as I freaking love “Buffy” there was still something about “Angel” that I think I found satisfactory overall and more enjoyable. I think I preferred the darker atmosphere.

I will watch every episode of Fred as Illyria because. Because FOREVER the best. And Angel and Spike being frenemies is comedy gold every time. And the time there was Andrew hugging Spike and doing a Lord of the Rings on him…You can see James Marsters doing everything in his acting power not to laugh his fucking ass off. I love it…always.

My therapist thought I was holding onto false hope, but… I knew you’d come back.

(sniffles, releases Spike from the hug to look him in the eyes)

You’re like… you’re like Gandalf the White, resurrected from the pit of the Balrog,

For me, it wasn’t so much which series was better, it was that Angel refused to deal with the philosophical questions raised by Buffy. Like how do we reconcile the power of the slayer and that responsibility with the daily rigors of young adulthood? Angel, arguably, didn’t have those same moral constraints, but didn’t deal with the philosophical question of what does it mean to live for 200 years? And how can a being evolve after that immortality has set in? Angel was far more interested in the drama and tragedy of a few characters, not the main character’s moral dilemma.

Really? I thought it did deal with that at times, although it’s been a while so I can’t reference specific times. But I do remember it being discussed, I just think they didn’t want to overdo it.

I beg to disagree with you. Angel has his own philosophical questions. Didn’t have moral constraints? What about struggling to keep your soul intact and fighting your own demon? What about saving a good soul against those who souls who have done evil thing? What about letting your own son being taken away by your old enemy so he could live in a dimension-he-didn’t-know-should-exist or be murdered by the people who wanted to dissect him? Angel has dealt him more moral ambiguities and philosophical questions than Buffy who’s main struggle focused only on her responsibilities as a supernatural being and her desire to live a normal life.

I would probably agree with your reasoning here. I think I meant to say that the morality of the show wasn’t as accessible as it was in Buffy. In Angel, you had to dig into season arcs to find the moral messages. Whereas with Buffy, most of the episodes dealt with individual moral questions, specific to that episode. I didn’t mean to shot Angel down entirely, I just got the feeling, when I initially watched the series, that Whedon preferred to create external drama outside of Angel to provide a moral compass to the show. It wasn’t bad, but I personally prefer Buffy having to reconcile what being the slayer is, and the morality of that kind of feminism it brought up. As opposed to Angel’s dilemma, which is wasn’t dealt with in his show as spectacularly as it was when he was in Buffy

then it’s more of your personal preference to look at stand-alone episodes than arc stories in which Ats has more leverage. BTVS dealt more with episodic villains and as you quoted “individual moral questions specific to that episode”. While Ats has ONE villain in form of Wolfram & Hart, which is an entity that is FULL of moral questions.

I guess it all boils down in which picture you prefer to discuss these “moral & philosophical” questions: per episode or per arc? As for me, I enjoy the arc Ats presented. But then I remember, Ats also has episodic “moral questions”. Especially in Season1, such as “Eternity” – when an actress risked her life to be a vampire to have that youthful look. Or “Rm w/ a View”, when a mother preferred to “store her son” inside a wall so he couldn’t elope with his prostitute girlfriend. I think these episodes was just overlooked by most critics because for them, Ats was just a spinoff of BTVS.

i dont know why i read this article. i’d never seen an episode of Angel and i basically just spoiled myself for the whole thing. willingly. why. why why. wh y.

is it a total cop-out to say I like both? They each have their own strong and weak points and I have marathoned both :)

Joyce’s death has to be the saddest of the entire Buffyverse, it was utterly plain old mundane death, not a villain’s plot or collateral damage, simply the cessation of life from natural causes, sorry Fred it outdoes even you (sniff).

Well Angel had Cordelia, that is what made ‘Angel’ watchable to me. In fact Season 4 and 5 were truly terrible, lack of female energy, lack of ‘Angel’ energy completely. I see people saying Wesley is the greatest character when he became completely dull and emotionless; which is ok but people made it ”look cool”. Let’s face it, S4 & S5 were ridiculously dull.

Angel, Cordelia & Wesley are what made ‘Angel’, these characters however became lost. This article is nonsense, ‘Buffy’ had most of these elements also, Sarah Michelle Gellar was very ‘likable’, and personally lovable, Angel too was likable but not when he falls in the same cycle. It’s characters like Willow & Xander who are less likable.

Both shows don’t need comparison because they both offered fantastic moments, all in the same universe.

You have some good points, but Willow not likeable? She’s one of the best Buffyverse characters for me. What don’t you like? (Notice I didn’t question Xander, who I used to like but in rewatching some years later, I can see how in the early seasons he was really selfish and kind of a jerk)

Wow, so many feels. I haven’t rewatched Angel in years, considered myself a bigger fan of Buffy (although I love Angel too), but now I think need to rewatch it!

In the interest of full disclosure I will start by admitting I just STARTED watching Buffy/Angel in mid 2012, mostly because I was a kid by the time Angel ended. I was brought into the fandom by some older friends of mine who practically blackmailed me into watching the show. And you know what? I am so, so glad they did.

I started with Buffy first because I wanted to watch the first 3 seasons of background information before jumping into hell (Sorry, I meant L.A.) Then I kind of switched my time depending on my mood until I finished season 7 of Buffy and then I continue with Angel’s season 5.

Two years ago, I still enjoyed supernatural-oriented teen drama, which is a reason of why I definitely enjoyed Buffy. But one of the things I enjoyed about Angel is that i felt it grow and evolve along with me. By the time I started Angel, I was getting tired of the similar-in-tone shows I was watching. I wanted more complex characters with storylines full of conflict. I wanted them flawed and I wanted them to have a sort of anti-hero vibe, for a change. So, I think my vote as for who I consider better ultimately goes to Angel because that show delivered what I wanted to see on TV and it did it masterfully. And supernatural topics aside, the central themes were so timeless I could see them become basis for philosophical currents.

I have watched a lot of TV on my time, but if I were to have to pick the show that has had the most influence on my outlook of life (so far), gun to the head, I would pick Angel. That show was my TV teacher and I thank Joss Whedon for producing such master piece.

“Surprise”, “Innocence” and “Becoming, Part 2” are not standalones…

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