Angel (TV series)

A 1999-2004 TV series, spin-off from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and also created by Joss Whedon.

This spin-off was noticeably less feminist that the show that it followed. Angel's quest for redemption straightforwardly (that is, with little to no overt signs of irony) embraced male-centered narrative conventions. There were many fewer regular female characters, the lead was a male character, and the series took on a decidely patriarchal (in the father-figure rather than the economic sense) bent when it followed the formation of Angel's new and twisted family.

The more "adult-oriented" style of the show generally translated to a "noir"ish view of the universe, in opposition to Buffy's cautious optimism, but Angel attempted to portay its characters as morally more ambiguous. Unfortunately, the series also espoused more egregiously sexist storylines, such as mystical pregnancies resulting from rapes and men acting as capital-C Champions, defenders of women and saviours of the universe and so forth.

Main characters

• Angel - played by David Boreanaz
• Cordelia Chase - played by Charisma Carpenter (Seasons 1-4, guest star 5.12)
• Doyle - played by Glenn Quinn (1.01-1.10)
• Wesley Wyndam-Pryce - played by Alexis Denisof (1.11-5.22, guest star 1.10)
• Charles Gunn - played by J. August Richards (Seasons 2-5, recurring before)
• Winifred "Fred" Burkle and Illyria - played by Amy Acker (Seasons 3-5, recurring before)
• Connor - played by Vincent Kartheiser (Season 4, recurring before & afterwards)
• Lorne aka The Host - played by Andy Hallett (4.14-5.22, recurring before)
• Spike - played by James Marsters (Season 5, guest star 1.03 & 2.07)
• Harmony Kendall - played by Mercedes McNab (5.17-5.22, recurring before)

Recurring characters

• Kate Lockley (police detective), played by Elisabeth Röhm, Seasons 1-2
• Lilah Morgan (attorney), played by Stephanie Romanov, Seasons 1-4
• Gwen (cat burglar)
• Justine

Episodes of particular interest

The below episodes including characters or themes of relevance to feminist analysis.

• "Lonely Hearts" (1999) (1x02) - introduction of Kate
• "Expecting" (2000) (1x12) - Cordelia & other women are impregnated by demons in the LA dating scene
• "She" (2000) (1x13) - Female demon from another species rescuing other females; allusion to FGM
• "Eternity" (2000) (1x17) - Female celebrity craves everlasting life of a vampire
• "Five by Five" (2000) (1x18) - Faith is in town, part 1
• "Sanctuary" (2000) (1x19) - Faith is in town, part 2
• "Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" (2000) (2x02) - Angel in the racist McCarthy-esque 1950s
• "Reunion" (2000) (2x10) - Bad girl duo Drusilla and Darla
• "Disharmony" (2001) (2x17) - Harmony & Cordelia, old best friends, reunited
• "Billy" (2001) (3x06) - A man has a psychic power to create misogynyistic violence
• "Ground State" (2002) (4x02) - Cat burglar Gwen
• "Long Day's Journey" (2003) (4x09) - Cat burglar Gwen
• "Salvage" (2003) (4x13) - Faith vs. Angel
• "Release" (2003) (4x14) - Faith vs. Angel, part 2
• "Orpheus" (2003) (4x15) - Faith vs. Angel, part 3
• "Players" (2003) (4x16) - Cat burglar Gwen
• "Shiny Happy People"" (2003) (4x18) - Demon or utopia?
• "The Magic Bullet" (2003) (4x19) - Fred is free
• "Peace Out" (2003) (4x21) - End of utopia
• "Harm's Way" (2004) (5x09) - A day in the life of a secretary (Harmony)
• "Damage" (2004) (5x11) - psychotic Slayer
• "The Girl in Question" (2004) (5x20) - Angel & Spike pursuing baking cookies

External Links

• Wikipedia entry for Angel the Series