ANGEL's Leading Ladies

[LadyLavinia]

One of the things that really disappointed me about ANGEL's Season 5, is the lack of a leading lady with any substance. Especially since Charisma Carpenter's departure. Come to think of it, most of the female characters this season, have not really been that promising. I believe it is due to the fact that during S5, ANGEL lacked an actress with any real presence and stature.

Okay, we have the show's regular and probably its leading lady - Amy Acker. Mind you, Miss Acker is an excellent actress. However, I'm afraid that she lacks any real presence to be a convincing leading lady, especially for a show with depth like ANGEL. She would make a good leading lady for something more lightweight, but on ANGEL, Miss Acker is at best, a good suppporting actress. And not even her transformation from Fred Burkle to the she-demon, Illyria, can overcome this.

Also on the show were Mercedes McNab as Harmony and Sarah Thompson as Eve. And that's it. Both are competent actresses - despite numerous complaints from many of the show's fans about Miss Thompson. But like Amy Acker, they do not have the presence to be a leading lady and they have been stuck with portraying female characters without any real oomph.

Gone are the days when ANGEL had Charisma Carpenter, who did an excellent job as David Boreanaz's leading lady for four years. Julie Benz, as Angel's former paramour, Darla, has not really made any impact since early S3. We haven't seen Juliette Landau (Drusilla) since S2. And ANGEL has really suffered from the lack of Stephanie Romanov, who had really rivaled Carpenter as a potential leading lady and did an excellent job as evil lawyer, Lilah Morgan.

Since Carpenter and Romanov's departure, ANGEL has suffered from a lack of memorable leading female characters. And despite her best efforts, Amy Acker cannot match their presence or stature.

 

[Latara]

I have to disagree. Although I have been feeling the lack of a female presence on the show, it was time for Cordy to go. In fact, it was probably overdue. I think the show has improved having her gone. It made me enjoy You're Welcome a lot less than most people (for the record, I liked it. A lot. But I didn't think it was the greatest episode ever, and it's nowhere near the gift). And as for Lilah, a villian can't be a leading lady in a show about the good guys, and that's when Lilah was at her best - when she was villainous.

As for Amy Acker, I must disagree again. I think she has done a beautiful job with Fred over the years, showing the subtle changes in her character wonderfully, and also has showed what she can do outside of Fred with Illyria. She definately has the presence needed to be a leading lady.

I personally think Faith coming back would have been a great thing, on a more semi regular basis.

 

[Hostile 17]

I think Eve was supposed to fill this gap but she doesn't have the on screen charisma to match any of the great actresses (SR, JB, CC) mentioned above.

 

[Allycat]

Now here's the big question: do we need a leading lady?

I mean, I'm all pro girl-power and all, but do we really need one? In a way Spike is the new leading lady, the relationship of the season this time isn't a romantical one (though some of us wish it were), but one of friendship (sort of anyway). I think that Joss & Co. are now exploring something we have never gotten into this deep and I'm glad they are, it gives me more satisfaction then last year's Cordy-story... 'cause honostly, do we want a repeat of that?

 

[slayerpower]

I do have to agree. Angel needs a leading lady. I would've like Lilah to be on this season.

 

[LadyLavinia]

Disagree

I have to disagree. Although I have been feeling the lack of a female presence on the show, it was time for Cordy to go. In fact, it was probably overdue. I think the show has improved having her gone. It made me enjoy You're Welcome a lot less than most people (for the record, I liked it. A lot. But I didn't think it was the greatest episode ever, and it's nowhere near the gift). And as for Lilah, a villian can't be a leading lady in a show about the good guys, and that's when Lilah was at her best - when she was villainous.

As for Amy Acker, I must disagree again. I think she has done a beautiful job with Fred over the years, showing the subtle changes in her character wonderfully, and also has showed what she can do outside of Fred with Illyria. She definately has the presence needed to be a leading lady.

I personally think Faith coming back would have been a great thing, on a more semi regular basis.

I have to disagree on a few counts. One, I saw no reason to get rid of Charisma Carpenter. She could have stayed. If anyone was expendable, it was Amy Acker. Two, yes Amy did a great job as Fred, but she lacks Carpenter, Romanov and Benz's screen presence. Sorry, but she does. And three, Lilah was at her best when she was ambiguous, not villainous.

 

[Latara]

I don't think Charisma herself needed to go, more just Cordy. Because I came to hate Cordy, and that made me sad, because watching season 2 and 3 of BtVS and season 1 of Angel, I love Cordy, and I hate when that happens to a character. They could have made Cordy grow without giving her the sue treatment. As for screen presence... I don't know if I can picture that more than an abstract concept, but I feel that the death of Fred hit me harder than the death of Cordy, as characters, I valued Fred's contributions to the show more at that point than I did Cordy's.

As for Lilah, well, that's not something that can really be debated, it's more of a preference thing 🙂 But I love my evil Lilah.

 

[Hitome]

Lilah was at her best when she was ambiguous, not villainous.

Agreed. Romanov was wonderful as Lilah and Carpenter imbued Cordelia with a unique and powerful presence. As for the idea that it was time to see Cordy go I completely disagree. Cordelia was one of the most interesting characters in the show. Although the writers created a situtation with the visions in which Cordy couldn't live after the demon essence of Jasmine was removed from her body, it is possible that they could have found a way to save Cordy and awakened her from her coma by infusing her with demon essence or maybe even passing the visions to someone else in time to save her. I always thought that Wesley would find a way to bring Lilah back. She was one of my favorite characters and I miss both her and Cordy greatly. I also don't understand why Fred couldn't become a stronger character and learn how to use weapons and be assertive. I mean if Wesley can change as much as he did, why can't Fred. I think Acker has the potential to carry a show. She just was never given good enough material to work with. Plus, Fred has always been sort of marginal compared to Cordy. I would have liked to see her developed in S5, but everyone knows what happened instead.

 

[Helga the Viking]

I just watched You're Welcome today. I am woefully behind, but slowly catching up. Anyway, during it I couldnt help but think of how much the show misses Cordelia. (Angel lacks charisma! There i said it... couldnt resist) Not last year's possessed by a higher power cordy, but the real cordy from seasons 1-3... who was prolly my favorite character. I am still thoroughly upset that she had to go, but I am pleased that she got to go out like the champion she was. And even more pleased that we got to see classic cordy one final time.

-helga

i really need to stay away from this place to avoid spoilers... but damn its addictive

 

[Ninjalizer]

The point of 'Angel' was to be it's own distinctive show. It had to set its self apart from 'Buffy'. 'Angel' didn't need a bigger leading lady than Fred. Angel himself WAS the lead. Just as Buffy was the lead in 'Buffy'. The show was about Angel, and to bring in a leading lady, to be parallel to him, would have been a mistake. Cordy was the leading lady throughout the first few seasons because she was the only one.

Cordy hit her character climax and left in a good way. Fred was then the semi-leading lady. She was good at it. They didn't make her more popular than anyone else. I enjoy Fred. I cared for her a lot more than Cordy. Especially in regards to their deaths.

 

[Brulia]

I thought that Amy pretty much stepped into Charisma's shoes this year as Ange's leading lady. And doing so I think that she did it gracefully at that.

 

[Guestage_87]

I kinda of like the "guys club" feel of ATS this season. Buffy has her pro-girl power show that a fairly big female cast as Angel has his "buddies and that female co-worker everyone loves" with a fairly male dominated cast. Sorry, but Cordy had to go, the writers screwed up the character and "Your Welcome" was the perfect send off for her. Plus, Charisma was in the Buffyverse just as long as SMG, NB, ASH, AH, kind of good that she left around the same time. Making DB the longest running Buffy-U character around, good for him. And I don't think that Eve was the leading lady replacement, just didn't see it from the minute she showed up, couldn't fill Cordy's or Lilah's shoes and I don't think she supposed to. And Mercedes is there for much needed comic relief and it helps. But yeah, it's all about the men in Angel.