City of Angel: "You Game?"

While reading most of these posts, I only kept thinking one thing: Don't Give Up On Angel!! For me, pilots always seem to be the rough start to a series, typically because they are filmed months ahead of the following episodes (that is, if the series gets picked up). Pilots contain a lot of information to get the audience acquainted with the show's plotline and cast of characters, and even Buffy was no exception. Angel tested the Buffy audience to see if they could accept a similar hero and be willing to jump from Sunnydale to Los Angeles over a long period of time. Obviously, that jump happened and Angel had a solid 5 season run and established a loyal following of cross-over fans.

"City of" is the beginning of Angel's new life. I was one of the people curious to see how Angel would cope with leaving Buffy, and I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the difference in tone and atmosphere in the series. Instead of shutting himself off from the world as so many people thought he would do (or even fight evil alone), he was given a purpose to "help the helpless" and begin his journey towards redemption for the sins of his past. This theme of redemption granted the show more of an adult target because it's seems realistic to become an adult want/need. How many teenagers can say they've had enough experience in the world, made their share of mistakes, and are now trying to become a better person by atoning for their actions? Not too many, I guess, including Buffy. This is the entire question of this show: Will Angel achieve amends for all the destruction he caused, or will he die trying?

I've always loved the initial scene between Angel and Doyle that addresses Angel's life. In a short amount of time, Doyle clues the audience in on how Angel spent his first 200 years, then tells him "what comes next." Doyle's visions from the Powers That Be become a key factor in Angel's mission--in this case, leading Angel to Tina--jumpstarting his abilities as a champion. Cordelia is worked in nicely on the show, also becoming a key member of the Angel Investigations team. Her career as an actress is anything but glamourous and she eventually does "grow more as a person."

Overall, the adult themes and emotions are very present in Angel: Moving away from home to live on your own in the real world (here it's Los Angeles), trying to find connections with new people and perhaps establish a friendship, love and loss, happiness and grief, problems at work, and even finding out your new, lush apartment with a terrific view is being haunted by a really overprotective ghost...hey, it could happen! Everything's more grown up in Angel's world, even more realistic...of course minus the vampires, demons and that pesky law firm that never let's you have a good day.

For your entertainment: Scenes from Buffy/Angel/Firefly, enjoy ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyt8-_mP6Z4&feature=fvsr