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As the season moves to its climax, Wesley (Alexis Denisof) has hard choices to make and of the show's core cast it is Denisof who has the most interesting things to do; he has triumphantly turned the bumbling fop of Buffy's third season into a man nearly destroyed by good intentions and despair. The season's devastating climax is compulsive viewing and this box also contains one of the most impressive single episodes the show has yet come up with: in "Waiting in the Wings" writer, director and creator Joss Whedon comes up with a classic ghost story as Angel and his crew go to the ballet and find a performance that is literally timeless. --Roz Kaveney
Waiting In The Wings:Angel and his friends attend a ballet, where Angel realizes he saw the exact same dancers on stage 110 years ago.
Couplet: Angel struggles with his jealousy of the Groosalugg and Cordelias attraction to him; Gunn and Fred get captured by a tree monster.
Loyalty:Wes dreads the fulfilment of the prophecy that Angel will kill Connor; Sahjhan becomes dissatisfied with Holtzs progress in staking Angel and takes matters into his own hands; Fred and Gunn try to figure out how to juggle working together with their new romance.
Tape Five:
Sleep Tight:To save Connors life, Wes takes him away from Angel; Angel uncovers Lilahs plot to have him kill Connor; Holtz finally attacks.
Forgiving:As Fred and Gunn search for Wesley, Angel searches for Sahjhan and casts a spell to make him corporeal so he can be killed.
Double or Nothing:When a demon Gunn once sold his soul to comes to collect on the debt, Angel, Fred and Cordelia help to save him.
The Price:Angels hotel is infested by demonic slugs created by the spell he used to alter Sahjhan.
Tape Six: A New World:Angel pursues Connor, who makes a new friend on the streets; something else comes through the portal from Quor-Toth; Lilah approaches Wesley.
Benediction:Holtz insists that Connor rejoin Angel; Justine learns Holtz is back; the Groosalugg realizes the depths of Cordelias feelings for Angel.
Tomorrow:Connor returns to Angel to seek his revenge; Angel and Cordelia acknowledge their feelings for each other.
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The plot follows as Angel (David Boreanaz) battles to protect his baby son Connor from a variety of foes all willing to get their hands on him: scheming, dimension-travelling demon Sahjahn (Jack Conley), vengeful vampire hunter Holtz (Keith Szarabajka) and the evil lawyers at Wolfram and Hart.
However, Angel is betrayed when his well-intentioned but misguided ally Wesley (Alexis Denisof) kidnaps Connor after translating an ancient prophecy that says Angel will kill his own son. Holtz promptly flees with the baby into another dimension and Angel despairs, unable to get his son back.....
As with its sister show, "Buffy", "Angel" is at its best when it's episodes focus on bring the season's plot forward and when it's focussing on the characters. Thus "Sleep Tight", "Loyalty", "Forgiving", "A New World" and "Benediction" are this set's best episodes, featuring a swathe of strong dramatic moments.
In "Forgiving", Wesley has given Connor to Holtz and has had his throat slashed for his troubles. Lying, nearly dead, in his hospital bed, he is visited by Angel. The vampire comes close to forgiving his friend, then gets angry and tries to kill him.
Later on, in "A New World" and "Benediction", Holtz returns with a now teenaged Connor (Vincent Kartheiser). Angel confronts his foe and is forced to slowly apologize to Holtz for killing his family. It is a very beautiful scene, as the two arch enemies appear to have made peace with each other. But Holtz has one last trick up his sleeve, making way for the season finale "Tomorrow".
Little doubt the triumph of this season has to be Holtz. Well played and voiced by Keith Szarabajka, he comes across as a deeply sympathetic but ultimately insidious man destroyed by his own lust for vengeance.
Also good is Alexis Denisof as Wesley, whose own good intentions nearly prove to be the death of him. Andy Hallett provides much of the season's humour as the wisecracking Lorne. Finally, David Boreanaz maintains a continually consistent and energetic portrayal of Angel.
However, the characters of Gunn (J.August Richards) and Fred (Amy Acker) are left on the side. Asides from their romance, they sacrifice much of their personalities (Fred's babbling eccentricity and Gunn's hard-nosed streetwisdom) to the needs of individual episodes. And the lawyers at Wolfram and Hart, whilst still very much involved, could do with a more consequential role in the season's plot.
That aside, this is still very good entertainment and worth watching. Roll on Season Four.
Highlights include the stand-alone 'Waiting in the Wings', an old-fashioned yet sexy vignette which underlines the growing chemistry between Angel and Cordy; 'Sleep Tight', a heartbreaking look at the complexities of the father-son relationship, as Holtz, Wesley, and Angel all fight for Connor's future; and, naturally, the season finale, 'Tomorrow'.
This series, for me, was worthy of four rather than five stars simply because the decline in writing quality for Fred and Gunn - both characters ended up as carictatures (brainy damsel and street-smart muscle), which is a shame, because both Amy Acker and j. August Richards are talented people.
Overall though, a thoroughly enjoyable season, and well worth buying - I can't wait for Season Four!
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