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 than the show that it followed.
Angel's quest for redemption initially appears straightforward (that is, with little signs of irony). There were many fewer regular female characters, the lead was a male character.
However the extended family of the Angel Investigation agency made regular allusion to the close-knit working environments of start-up and smaller local non-profit community organizations, of which feminist activists are found in (among other employment options). A combination of long hours and tight budgets conspire to create this strong sense of family in an employment enviroment. Series creator Joss Whedon holds a degree in Gender Studies.
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. The series examined current events through several storylines, such as "She". Angel continuously is shown wrestling with both his concience and pre-concieved notions about who/what is good and a reccurent plotline (from the pilot onward) critiques conventional male heterosexuality as being a 'charade' rather than being a moral absolute.
In Season Four, Lorne (aka "The Host") becomes a main character) further pushing the boundaries of sexuality. Angel had been a great womanizer first as a human in Ireland, and then as a souless vampire, so the visible personal comfort of him now hanging out in the present day with a 'queer' man promotes another example of anti-sexist masculinity. Leaving the infant Connor in his care is not an issue, Angel implicitly trusts "Uncle Lorne" to provide quality childcare for his son irrespective of real/percieved sexuality.
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 Raiden (cat burglar), played by Alexa Davalos, Season 4
- Justine
Episodes of particular interest
- The below episodes including characters or themes of relevance to feminist analysis. See List of Angel episodes for a complete list.
- "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 deals with a different kind of evil in the racist McCarthy-esque 1950s
- "Untouched" (2000) (2x04) - A sexually abused girl with psychic powers is being recruited by Wolfram & Hart
- "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