Angel - Series 4 Part 1 [VHS] [2000]

Season 4 continuously follows on from one episode to the next, meaning that the events are roughly set over a 3-4 week period. This creates a complex, multi-layered story arc similar in style to 24. Although there are some good ideas - and some amazing episodes - the tension and interest is not retained. Season 4 Part 1 is a good example. "Deep Down" is a very good season opener. But the next five episodes are mediocre, due to the fact that the characters are not as fully-realised as their Buffy the Vampire Slayer counterparts. "Apocalypse, Nowish" re-invigorates the show for the rest of this boxset. "Awakening" is particularly good.

Its hard to explain just why Season 4 Part 1 doesn't get five stars. The final five episodes of the set ( episodes 7 to 11 of the season) are some of the best in the entire Buffy/Angel franchise. Others have their moments ("Spin The Bottle"), others are just boring ("Ground State", "Supersymmetry") whilst "Spin the Bottle" is a not-quite-as-good imitation of Buffy's "Tabula Rasa". The lack of character development and believable stories for Cordelia is my biggest complaint. What she does in "Apocalyse, Nowish" is just wrong, purely there for shock value and to add a twist to the tale. The amnesia storyline is poor and the lack of clarification over her between-season hiatus is unsatisfying. This gets only worse over the second part of the season. Sadly Charisma Carpenter will not be a part of the Season Five cast. Draw your own conclusions.

There's plenty of potential, but there is no real sense of chemistry between the characters, and the storyline sometimes just can't hold up. Its a shame, because Angel could be amazing.

Well...yes and no....

The first episode, "Deep Down", picks up three months after Angel sank to the bottom of the ocean (thanks to his son Connor and Season 3 regular Justine) and Cordelia was transported to a "higher plane" thanks to demon guide Skip. Wesley is considerably worse for wear, and Fred and Gunn have been parenting Connor, unaware of the reasons behind Angel and Cordy's vanishing act. Needless to say when Angel is rescued and everything is out in the open, all hell breaks loose. "Deep Down" is a fantastic season opener that more than lives up to the Season 3 arc.

However what follows is distinctly average. The episodes aren't bad, they just lack the spark that separates the average and mundane from the spectacular. "Ground State" is a rip-off of themes more commonly found in (yes, really) X-Men. "The House Always Wins" is a diverting but hardly brilliant trip to Vegas; things start to pick up a little in "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" as a coming apocalypse becomes the focus of the season arc. Things slip again with "Supersymmetry", a re-hash of last seasons "Fredless" with added stuff. "Spin The Bottle" is amusing in places but is completely derivative of Buffy Season 6 episode "Tabula Rasa".

Thankfully "Rain of Fire" is the beginning of one of the more emotionally intense and exciting story arcs in the Buffy/Angel franchise. The Apocalypse takes centre stage as does the Beast, a seemingly indestructible force that is responsible for, sadly, destroying one of the best elements of the Angel series. The twists and plot development of "Habeas Corpses" and "Long Days Journey" lead to the absolutely stunning "Awakening" - it has a killer twist that really will make your jaw drop. And "Soulless" sees the emergence of an old Buffy villain, continuing to develop a complex story arc.

The first episode and episodes 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are owrthy of a five-star rating; episodes 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are around 3 stars, hence the overall 4 Stars. When Angel Season 4 Part 1 is good it’s amazing; when its average, it’s just plain boring.