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Angel
A Look Ahead At The Fifth Season
The end
of last season ushered in a major change: Angel and crew had
taken over the LA office of neer-do-well law firm Wolfram
and Hart. Why the so-called (and never seen) Senior Partners
wanted such a change is the one of the key question of the
upcoming seasons. And why The Fang Gang would want the job
is another.
The former
may have to do with the simple yet tried-and-true adage that
"power corrupts." The latter may involve that Corleone
pearl of wisdom of "keep your friends close, but your
enemies closer."
Whatever
the reasons, the new season is a welcome change from the tired
(almost from scene one!) Connor-Cordy centric story line.
Many fans are also anticipating --- or dreading --- the changes
resulting from the crossover of Spike, Harmony, and other
possible Buffy characters (no whining about spoilers:
any fan still unaware of these two additions should trade
their sub-rock dwelling for something less remote). A dose
of Buffy may have saved Angel in the short term
from the ratings ax (so go the rumors), but the move risks
inducing some of the same problems that weakened BTVS
overall during the last few seasons.
The first
of these problems is "cast-itis" --- inflammation
of the cast, or even more simply put, too many characters.
Afterr Riley departed, the Sunnydale ranks swelled to the
point that character development slowed or stopped in an unsatisfying
way. The writers are off to a bad start. In addition to Spike
and Harmony, there is also least one special W&H staffer
per Fang Ganger.
Even with
the departure of Connor and Cordelia, that's a whopping six
new characters. Fortunately the Angel writers have
been a little more willing to remove characters than their
Buffy counterparts.
Two exceptions
to the stalled character development were, of course, Buffy
and Spike. Unfortunately that growth was a symptom of the
second problem that threatens Angel: "It's the
Spike Show. Starring Spike! Co-Starring...Spike! This week's
special guest star...Spike! Featuring the Spike 7 All-Star
Band!"
Granted,
a lot of fans (and reviewers) like the character. Moreover,
the banter between rivals Spike and Angel has been entertaining
in the past (will it still work without the evil though?).
That being
said, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Plus
one has to wonder what else the writers can do with the character.
Fans have already seen Evil Spike, Funny Spike, Victimized
Spike, Love Spike, Protector Spike, and Redemption Spike (all
that's needed is G.I. Spike with the Kung-Fu grip). James
Marsters has done amazing work so far, so at least fans know
that given some good writing, he can deliver the goods.
 The
Spike-Buffy romance exemplified the third threat to Angel:
"Soap Opera-fication."
In the
later seasons, BTVS became too much about personal
relationships (often really just who was sleeping with whom)
and not enough about fighting evil. Part of the problem is
the Scoobies never really grew up despite departing high school.
In contrast,
the Fang Gang members have always been much more adult in
behavior. The Angel writers have done a good job limiting
the soap opera elements, e.g., the Gunn-Wes-Fred triangle.
Hopefully the cast additions and new love interests among
the Wolfram & Hart staff won't upset that balance.
So assuming
the writers avoid these pitfalls, here's what one reviewer
would like to see this season (and without the benefit of
all those spoilers floating around the net).
Overall:
More standalone episodes like the early seasons. Spare the
fans an X-Files
like "arc-morass."
Angel:
Once upon a time he was a man with a mission, i.e., to help
people threatened by evil. It would be refreshing to see him
return to that mission instead of focusing so much of his
attention on, well, himself and those he wants in his life.
With Conner and Cordelia gone, that should be possible.
Wes:
Keeping the best of both Prissy Wes and Stubble Wes, he needs
to continue the restoration of his bond with Angel. It will
be up to Wes, and not Angel, to figure out what W&H is
really up to with their gracious "offer." Both Wes
and Angel have learned a lot in the last few seasons. It would
be a lot of fun to see them pull off a few tricks or even
cons on the bad guys. Maybe even few episodes like that old
show "Switch." Robert Wagner could guest star!
Gunn:
It's all going to be about temptation --- power, women, suits
--- and Gunn will likely stumble towards a tragic ending involving
his sacrificial death. The writers cleverly left open the
possibility that the professor killed by Gunn wasn't really
the bad guy. Such a twist could contribute to his moral slide.
The love affair with Fred will likely and thankfully cool
off until a final dying words proclamation.
Fred:
Once "the appendix" of the Fang Gang, Fred has demonstrated
her value to the team. And although she will increase that
value through her new resource-rich environment, Fred will
eventually reach the conclusion that fighting evil isn't the
lifestyle she wants (especially if Gunn dies). Expect her
to depart for a university by the end of the season.
Lorne:
This green skinned crooner needs something to do other than
play wet nurse and valet. It would be nice for him to open
a new club. Bars are a convenient way to introduce interesting
new characters and plots. Maybe NBC would sell the Cheers
set cheap...
Spike:
Give the guy a break. Let him use his wit and smarts with
minimum encumbrance for a change. Let him enjoy being a good
guy.
Harmony:
Assuming she's still a vampire (and without an Initiative
chip), not much character development is possible. Which is
probably just fine. Harmony is like a spice. A little can
perk up a dish, but too much can ruin it.
Gwen:
Hopefully she's be back for a few episodes. Just a hunch,
but as an outsider, she might be the one to open Angel or
Wes' eyes to what W&H is really up to.
Connor
and Cordelia:
RIP.
Guest
Stars and Crossovers:
- Madonna
as a creepy shape shifting author-singer who steals souls
through leather wear and children's' books. Oh, never mind.
- The
Aqua Teen Hunger Force teams up with The Fang Gang on a tough
case. Sparks fly between Meatwad and Fred. Frylock and Wes
trade notes on facial hair grooming.
- The
cast of Will & Grace as a clan of demons that bore their
enemies into submission with countless, predictable variations
of the same jokes over and over and over...
And finally...
The
Senior Partners: Three disembodied brain energies
that are betting 200 quatloos on the new season.
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