Angel: Complete Season 4 [DVD] [2000]

Right, lets start with the actual feature...or features, which evers best. I personally really liked Angel season 4. I felt the show stepped it up a level in terms of action and special effects. There were times where I actually forgot that I was watching a TV Show and not some big John Woo blockbuster movie. Apocolypse Nowish is a great example of just how fantastic the special effects are.

Compared to the last 2 seasons, the main story arc for season 4 seems to rely on lots of twist and turns to keep the viewer interested, which is fine by my standards. The character developments continue to be intriguing. Every character goes through changes, whether they be good or bad. This, I believe makes it more interesting for the more dramatic moments in the season. We also get to see the return of the Evil Angelus (Angel's alter ego). If you guys saw Buffy season 2 then you know all about this character. Boreanaz seems to do a better job with Angelus than he does with his Angel character,and he has much more fun in doing so.

I'd say the highlights of the season is the whole Angelus/Faith arc, which combines some fantastic dramatic performances and awesome fight scenes.

Now, onto the extras. Finally, and I say this like the Rock - FINALLY, ANGEL HAS SOME DECENT EXTRAS! The extras on these discs are far more superior than the extras on the previous season. The featurettes are fairly decent, but it's the commentaries that steal the show as far as extras are concerned. For the first time on Angel DVDs, we get actor commentaries from Alexis Denisof (Wesley) and Andy Hallet (Lorne). These guys are really great in their respective commentaries. There are 7 Commentaries to listen to! So i'd say don't do it whilst you've got homework.

Picture quality is as great as ever. It's anamorphic and theres hardly any grain on any of the episodes. That's it really. Slightly better than season 3's transfer.

Sound: Now this is what really gets my nickers in a twist. This show is full of sound. Without sound, this show really wouldn't be as great as it is...so why in the blue hell do we only get a 2.1 Surround mix?! It's not like it's difficult to mix it into 5.1. I could easily have been done, which makes me believe that Fox aren't that found of Buffy or Angel. I mean, 24 got a 5.1 mix straight away for season 2! It's quite a shame. However, for a 2.1 track it's decent. It's the best you'll ever hear, that's for damn sure.

Well, what are you waiting for, man! Buy ASAP

I don't want to say much about the story for people who haven't seen it. I watched the season without reading any spoilers and I was constantly surprised and amazed by the turn of events. The storyline is excellent and very deep. It raises philosophical and religious questions towards the end while remaining fun to watch.
The last episode mirrors the opening one in a very surprising ending. There was a lot of controversy amongst Angel fans about the ending when it first aired. However, looking back it makes perfect sense.

The regular cast were all great throughout but it's the guest star Gina Torres who shone as the best villain ever on Angel with brilliant acting. The excellent Eliza Dushku made a comeback as Faith, Alyson Hannigan guest starred as Willow and the story was somewhat linked to events in Buffy Season 7.

I would recommend Angel Season 4 to anyone, even people not familiar with Joss Whedon's universe will find something to hold their interest.