No connection whatsoever!

Since you're giving it another chance (yay) I hope you let us know how you feel about it. As [MENTION=8356]HisMrs[/MENTION] said, there's no rule that say that you need to love the show. Everyone's opinion is valid. Too many don't even seem to give Angel a chance and you have. As long as someone do that you can't ask for more. The first season isn't my favourite so I hope you continue to watch.

Buffy is about growing up and get through school and starting to become an adult. Angel goes straight into the adult world and how to deal with that. A bit darker if you will, or less naive (yeah that'll be a popular thing to say). Buffy is about the evil of "right now", big bad of the season. Defeat it, life goes on. No, ooops. There comes a new big bad. Angel is more straight to the point. There's evil in the world, big and small. How are you going to fight it? Should you fight it at all? What are you prepared to lose?

During it's 7 seasons Buffy comes closer to that, with The First in the last season and all. I'm talking how I feel about the shows in general. No show is either this or that? What we as viewers identify with the most probably decides which show we like most.

Based on what you say, you can't have seen very many of the Wesley episodes. He really is a terrific, developing, nuanced character, with all the complexity you would want to find in a character.

To really get into Wesley's development you need to watch way more than season one. Which he hasn't finished. The same goes for Cordelia and Angel himself. The more one watch the more developing you'll see. Kind of obvious.
 
1. Give it a little longer. I felt the same way, but at the end of s1 I was like, "I LOVE THIS SHOW!" It is incredibly different from Buffy, so if you're looking for a second Buffy, I'm sorry.
2. You don't have to like Angel to like the show. In the beginning, it's a lot about him, but the other characters become more three-dimensional, as does Angel himself. His show made me love the character even more!

All in all, I'm so glad I watched Angel. I didn't see it on the air, but I really love the show. I now own the entire series on DVD.
 
start on a later season then go back

I started Angel with Season 5, then went back to Season 1 to understand it better. Season 5 does stand alone and you can watch it without watching the entire series and still understand whats going on. In the beginning I wasn't a big fan and it took having Spike on the show for me to pick it up. Now I like Angel even more than Buffy at times - it's a dark more grown up part of the Whedonverse. That said, I often tell people to start at season 2 and then watch season 1 if they get curious. Season 1, I feel, the show hadnt found it's voice yet.
 
I sort of agree. While it's a good show, it is kinda boring at times. The episode you mentioned, with the demon and sex and all that.... I don't think I watched it more than once, because I *love* it so much. It's not the worst episode though, I can think of more boring and aweful ones.
Although there are episodes I do enjoy, but it doesn't compare to Buffy.
 
I liked Angel from the start and was really sad when Doyle died. But I can see why you didn't, it is different from Btvs in many ways. Anyway, hope you liked it more after you decided to stick with it! Season 2 is really good, so I hoped you enjoyed it. 🙂
 
You can't love everything all of the time I suppose. Personally I loved Angel more than BtVS because it seemed more adult and had some awesome character cross overs. I thought Doyle's death was emotional and so much so I cried (a lot)! I'd suggest giving it another go and try to watch all of it if you can 🙂
 
Taake
Taake
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I had a difficult time getting into Angel myself, and just finished watching the whole series start to finish. I never related to anyone (or the stories) like I did with Buffy, and for the vast majority of the show, I didn't feel the characters had the same kind of great bond that the Scoobies in Sunnydale did.

By the end of it all, though, I was so glad I stuck with it. Season 1 was pretty blah, 2 and 3 were better, 4 was terrible, and 5 was great. Watching Angel is worth it just to follow Wes's growth, IMO. There are other great things too (Fred, Gunn, Lorne). One thing I wasn't expecting from watching Angel, is how disappointed I am with the character of Angel. He just isn't very heroic, and I expected him to be. It seems like he's always choosing to save friends at the expense of (oftentimes many) others and making other bad choices that hero like Buffy just, well...wouldn't. Spoiler about Buffy season 8:
I read Buffy season 8 comics before watching Angel, and couldn't believe that he would become Twilgiht. I assumed after Sunnydale he was playing the big hero in LA for 5 years, and surely such a move would be out of character. After watching Angel, I realize that's absolutely something he would do, and it isn't a stretch at all.

Now I need to read Angel: After the Fall to see what happens to the gang! Angel himself doesn't interest me much, though.
 
I find Angel such an interesting character, I've seen 14 episodes so far and I've only seen the last season of Buffy. I like the way he isn't the stereotype big muscular good looking guy who gets all the ladies.

The guy doesn't have great social skills which I find to be really great about the character, adds more depth to Angel. Where as with Buffy, from what I know of her and her character, shes a lot more out going, an average teenage girl apart from the fact she fights vampires etc.

I can sort of tell they're leaving that shy angel behind though but it made a great impact and made me enjoy the first few episodes because they show him in a lonely manner. Great stuff and I can't wait to carry on watching, oh and Cord and Wes are really great characters, its a shame Doyle got killed off and its a real shame that he died in real life afterwards.
 
The only thing I can say that I see what you mean! I loved season 1. Then season 2 and 3 were ok but not the best seasons. Today I started season 4 and what to say? I watched 9 episodes today! Season 4 is so amazing! I can just say watch them! If not you'll miss something! All in all I agree with you: Angel was never on the level Buffy was. Or at least on the story-level. But the action-level is settled higher in Angel than in Buffy!
 
I like Angel more out of the two and really hope you continue watching. I don't know about the body switching demon episode in season 1 have not watched in a while but didn't it just try to switch fast because it was dying? I thought it was going up to people trying to get some kind of contact but the women were running away because you could see the decomposition on the regular body.

Angel season one I like it but it is more one of the week type episodes in season 2 we get the story arc and kind of what you are going to be dealing with for the rest of the series.
 
See, the thing about Angel is, even though it was pretty enjoyable throughout, there was just such a jarring difference between its good moments, and its bad. While Buffy had its fair share of stinkers, for the most part, the quality of the show was consistent. With Angel, I had a couple of instances where I was just like, wow, this is so amazing, and then they hit me with some of the worst moments and plot lines I've ever seen.

Season 2 was great up until the Plyea arc (sorry, I know people love that arc, but I hated it). I mean, "Loyalty" in season 3 was a series highlight, but they completely took me out of the story with that ridiculous talking hamburger. I'm all for cheesy goodness, but that was insulting. I've never been so up and down with a series the way I was with Angel. That's one of the main reasons why I prefer Buffy over Angel.
 
Gum Gnome33
Gum Gnome33
totally agree
See, the thing about Angel is, even though it was pretty enjoyable throughout, there was just such a jarring difference between its good moments, and its bad. While Buffy had its fair share of stinkers, for the most part, the quality of the show was consistent. With Angel, I had a couple of instances where I was just like, wow, this is so amazing, and then they hit me with some of the worst moments and plot lines I've ever seen.

Season 2 was great up until the Plyea arc (sorry, I know people love that arc, but I hated it). I mean, "Loyalty" in season 3 was a series highlight, but they completely took me out of the story with that ridiculous talking hamburger. I'm all for cheesy goodness, but that was insulting. I've never been so up and down with a series the way I was with Angel. That's one of the main reasons why I prefer Buffy over Angel.

It's so interesting what different perspectives people can have. I like BtVS far better than AtS (though I love AtS), but to me, AtS is far more consistent. BtVS has some absolutely wretched episodes (Go Fish, Bad Eggs, Beer Bad, Superstar, Storyteller) and some over the top genius eps (Passion, Becoming Pt 2, Hush, Restless, The Body, OMWF). AtS, in contrast, didn't have any duds that I can recall, and only had a small handful of stellar eps (Hero, A Hole in the World, Smile Time, Not Fade Away).
 
It's so interesting what different perspectives people can have. I like BtVS far better than AtS (though I love AtS), but to me, AtS is far more consistent. BtVS has some absolutely wretched episodes (Go Fish, Bad Eggs, Beer Bad, Superstar, Storyteller) and some over the top genius eps (Passion, Becoming Pt 2, Hush, Restless, The Body, OMWF). AtS, in contrast, didn't have any duds that I can recall, and only had a small handful of stellar eps (Hero, A Hole in the World, Smile Time, Not Fade Away).

It is definitely interesting. That's the wonderful thing about the Buffyverse, everyone views it differently. But I've been connected to the Scoobies for so long, and that's one of the other reasons why I love Buffy more than Angel. I had a hard time connecting to the Fang Gang. And it's interesting that you say that because some of your stinkers (like Storyteller) are some of my all time favorite episodes. See, it's all subjective. 🙂
 
I always recommend people start with Season 2 and then go back to S1 if they're curious. Every season gets better - I didn't get it at first either but I grew to love it even more than Buffy at times. Give it a chance.
 
Okay, only read the first page so hope I'm not jumping in the middle of anything.

I sat through about half of season 1 on the original airing before giving up completely and not revisiting for years and years. About two-three years ago my ex bought me the Season 1 box set, and it collected dust on my bookshelf for a couple of months. One Sunday with a shocking hangover I decided that the thought of getting up any further than my bookshelf was hideous and popped it on.

I sat there and just watched episode after episode and finally found myself at the end of Season 1, the last couple of episodes felt similar to getting towards the end of BtVS S1 and for that reason alone I decided to buy S2 on ebay and see what happened.

I never looked back.

Also, just wanted to point out that I find Angel to be one of the least interesting aspects of the entire verse but still love the show.
 
Oh, Angel, Angel, Angel. It's tough when you like one show, but not the spinoff, but sometimes it happens that way. And I agree with what a lot are saying about season 1 not really finding it's groove...

The fact that shows like Buffy and Angel got a second season when the first suffered so badly is a miracle, and I wonder if, by today's standards, Buffy or Angel would have been axed by the networks right away... Networks today drop shows so fast if they don't do well in the ratings, and they never really get a chance to find their groove, and it's hard to get a second chance that way. When you have a great show creator, I think you get more of the benefit of the doubt than if you haven't had a successful show. Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams for example... Would Dollhouse have gotten a second season if those names weren't on the bill? Maybe not.

I'm just saying that sometimes the first few episodes, or even the whole season may not be the best way to judge a good show. But it's up to you to decide whether it's interesting to you or not.

Good luck, and I hope you give AtS another chance... there are so many great episodes to come. "Smile Time" for one 🙂
 
See, the thing about Angel is, even though it was pretty enjoyable throughout, there was just such a jarring difference between its good moments, and its bad. While Buffy had its fair share of stinkers, for the most part, the quality of the show was consistent. With Angel, I had a couple of instances where I was just like, wow, this is so amazing, and then they hit me with some of the worst moments and plot lines I've ever seen.

Season 2 was great up until the Plyea arc (sorry, I know people love that arc, but I hated it). I mean, "Loyalty" in season 3 was a series highlight, but they completely took me out of the story with that ridiculous talking hamburger. I'm all for cheesy goodness, but that was insulting. I've never been so up and down with a series the way I was with Angel. That's one of the main reasons why I prefer Buffy over Angel.

I pretty much agree with everything. Although I do find the Pylea arc really fun, I don't love it. I will just never love another show as much as I love Buffy. Angel just does not compare haha I don't even know what it is. I think even the semi-crappy episodes of Buffy are better than some really good Angel episodes. I mean, the good Angel ones do not even compare to some of the amazing BTVS episodes like Passion, The Body, Restless...I really like Angel, but I get bored when I do re-watches.
 
L
Living Dead Boy
[No message]
I desperately love Angel, but his spin off lost me. He just didnt seem like the Angel I grew to love on Buffy. Alot of things just were---off. I.E. His reaction to Buffy dying. It seemed like the writers couldnt give two damns. They have him talking about some girl he killed that he used to run with when he was Angelus, he ony get emotional for like a second...smh after that episode I couldnt bear to watch it anymore. I've recently began rewatching the series and it feels like a chore...smh....I think he had a better chance at character development on Buffy.
 
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