Despite having all but memorized the lines to the entirety of BtVS, I've only seen a handful of Angel episodes.
I'm looking to give it a go. And since I am always up for a Buffy rewatch, I decided that I would like to sort of watch them in something akin to chronological order. I started looking for an order in which to best watch the two shows in tandem and came across this guide : The Watcher's Council: Buffy and Angel Episode Viewing Order .
Does this make sense to you guys? Does it sound like a good plan?
I just recently watched Angel myself for the first time all the way through, despite having been a huge Buffy fan for years. I enjoyed it, but I watched it independently. I like the idea of watching in somewhat chronological order. I may do this on my next rewatch and see if it changes my opinions!
I'm a bit all over the place. The first thing I watched when I came back to the fold was "The Body" because I had seen a feature on it on YouTube and my mother had just been diagnosed with cancer. From there I watched there rest of s5 and all of s6 and went back to s1 and s2. It was sometime in s2 that I started watching AtS again, mostly for the first time, only having seen episode 1 on the original run. I just started season 2 and have skipped ahead to season 7 of Buffy, preparing for tears.
This guide is not bad, but it tends to switch shows after a big cliffhanger, so I had to make a few changes when I watched both shows. I made sure some episodes stayed together to be watched in a row because it's just more enjoyable that way, and the chronology of both show is still intact.
I've underlined the episodes that should absolutely be watched in this order.This to me would be a pretty perfect viewing order:
Angel 1x01 - City of...
Start with Angel because of that phone call scene, watching Buffy 4x01 after will make more sense that way.
Buffy 4x01 - The Freshman
Buffy 4x02 - Living Conditions
Angel 1x02 - Lonely Hearts
Buffy 4x03 - The Harsh Light Of Day
Angel 1x03 - In the Dark
Angel 1x04 - I Fall to Pieces
Buffy 4x04 - Fear Itself
Buffy 4x05 - Beer Bad
Buffy 4x06 - Wild at Heart
Buffy 4x07 - The Initiative
Angel 1x05 - Rm w/a Vu
Angel 1x06 - Sense and Sensitivity Angel 1x07 - The Bachelor Party
Buffy 4x08 - Pangs
Angel 1x08 - I Will Remember You
Angel 1x09 - Hero
Angel 1x10 - Parting Gifts
Angel 1x11 - Somnambulist
Buffy 4x09 - Something Blue
Buffy 4x10 - Hush
Buffy 4x11 - Doomed
Angel 1x12 - Expecting
Angel 1x13 - She
Buffy 4x12 - A New Man
Buffy 4x13 - The I In Team
Buffy 4x14 - Goodbye Iowa
Angel 1x14 - I've Got You Under My Skin
Angel 1x15 - The Prodigal
Angel 1x16 - The Ring
Angel 1x17 - Eternity
Buffy 4x15 - This Year's Girl (1 of 2)
Buffy 4x16 - Who Are You? (2 of 2)
Buffy 4x17 - Superstar
Buffy 4x18 - Where the Wild Things
Buffy 4x19 - New Moon Rising
Angel 1x18 - Five by Five (part 1 of 2)
Angel 1x19 - Sanctuary (part 2 of 2)
Buffy 4x20 - The Yoko Factor
Buffy 4x21 - Primeval
Angel 1x20 - War Zone
Angel 1x21 - Blind Date
Buffy 4x22 - Restless
Angel 1x22 - To Shanshu in LA
Angel 2x01: Judgment
Angel 2x02: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
Buffy 5x01: Buffy vs. Dracula
Buffy 5x02: Real Me
Angel 2x03: First Impressions
Angel 2x04: Untouched
Buffy 5x03: The Replacement
Buffy 5x04: Out of My Mind
Angel 2x05: Dear Boy
Angel 2x06: Guise Will Be Guise
Buffy 5x05: No Place Like Home
Buffy 5x06: Family
Angel 2x07: Darla
Watching "Darla" before "Fool for love" works better since you'll be watching the flash-backs in chronological order, starting with Darla in 1760, and ending with Spike in 1977.
Buffy 5x07: Fool for Love
Buffy 5x08: Shadow
Buffy 5x09: Listening to Fear
Buffy 5x10: Into the Woods
Buffy 5x11: Triangle
Buffy 5x12: Checkpoint
Buffy 5x13: Blood Ties
Angel 2x08: The Shroud of Rahmon
Angel 2x09: The Trial
Angel 2x10: Reunion Angel 2x11: Redefinition
Buffy 5x14: Crush
Angel 2x12: Blood Money
Angel 2x13: Happy Anniversary
Angel 2x14: The Thin Dead Line
Angel 2x15: Reprise
Angel 2x16: Epiphany Angel 2x17: Disharmony
Buffy 5x15: I Was Made to Love You
Buffy 5x16: The Body Buffy 5x17: Forever
Buffy 5x18: Intervention
Angel 2x18: Dead End
Angel 2x19: Belonging
Buffy 5x19: Tough Love
Buffy 5x20: Spiral
Buffy 5x21: The Weight of the World Buffy 5x22: The Gift
Angel 2x20: Over the Rainbow
Angel 2x21: Through the Looking Glass Angel 2x22: There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb
Angel 3x01: Heartthrob
Angel 3x02: That Vision Thing
Angel 3x03: That Old Gang of Mine
Buffy 6x01: Bargaining: Part 1
Buffy 6x02: Bargaining: Part 2
Buffy 6x03: After Life
Angel 3x04: Carpe Noctem
Buffy 6x04: Flooded
Buffy 6x05: Life Serial
Angel 3x05: Fredless
Angel 3x06: Billy
(at this point you can watch them however you want until mid season 7 of Buffy [indicated] as Buffy moved to UPN and there were less crossovers.)
Buffy 6x06: All the Way
Buffy 6x07: Once More, with Feeling
Buffy 6x08: Tabula Rasa
Angel 3x18: Double or Nothing
Angel 3x19: The Price
Angel 3x20: A New World
Angel 3x21: Benediction
Angel 3x22: Tomorrow
Buffy 6x18: Entropy
Buffy 6x19: Seeing Red
Buffy 6x20: Villains
Buffy 6x21: Two to Go
Buffy 6x22: Grave
Buffy 7x01: Lessons
Buffy 7x02: Beneath You
Angel 4x01: Deep Down
Angel 4x02: Ground State
Buffy 7x03: Same Time, Same Place
Buffy 7x04: Help
Angel 4x03: The House Always Wins
Angel 4x04: Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Buffy 7x05: Selfless
Buffy 7x06: Him
Angel 4x05: Supersymmetry
Angel 4x06: Spin the Bottle
Buffy 7x07: Conversations with Dead People
Buffy 7x08: Sleeper
Buffy 7x09: Never Leave Me
Buffy 7x10: Bring on the Night
Buffy 7x11: Showtime
Buffy 7x12: Potential
Buffy 7x13: The Killer in Me
Buffy 7x14: First Date
Buffy 7x15: Get It Done
Buffy 7x16: Storyteller
Angel 4x07: Apocalypse, Nowish
Angel 4x08: Habeas Corpses
Angel 4x09: Long Day's Journey
Angel 4x10: Awakening
Angel 4x11: Soulless
Angel 4x12: Calvary
Angel 4x13: Salvage
Angel 4x14: Release
(Start watching in this order again here or before here.)
Buffy 7x17: Lies My Parents Told Me
Angel 4x15: Orpheus
Buffy 7x18: Dirty Girls
Angel 4x16: Players
Angel 4x17: Inside Out
Angel 4x18: Shiny Happy People
Angel 4x19: The Magic Bullet
Angel 4x20: Sacrifice
Angel 4x21: Peace Out Angel 4x22: Home
Buffy 7x19: Empty Places
Buffy 7x20: Touched Buffy 7x21: End of Days
Buffy 7x22: Chosen
(And of course finish with season 5 of Angel).
KentyI started following this order (I'm at the beginning of Buffy season 6) and it works great, better than the Watchers Council one, because yours take the cliffhangers into account. I recommend it :)
I know this is a month-old thread, but I don't think it's a good idea to watch them in tandem. I think it kills some of the momentum building for both shows, and it's not like they ever cross over anyway. I might recommend watching BS4/AS1 together, if you've never done it before, but generally I think alternating seasons is best, starting with Angel.
I know this is a month-old thread, but I don't think it's a good idea to watch them in tandem. I think it kills some of the momentum building for both shows, and it's not like they ever cross over anyway. I might recommend watching BS4/AS1 together, if you've never done it before, but generally I think alternating seasons is best, starting with Angel.
See I disagree. I think for sure, as you say, Btvs s4/ats s1 had the most crossovers and should definitely be watched together but I also think that S2 somewhat makes sense as both Buffy and Angel's journeys are about self-identity and their inner darkness (Buffy and her Slayer Identity / Angel and his Demon) they are interesting to see together. Also, I have always taken something from the Forever visit in terms of how Angel goes back to his friends and then finally gut punch after the Pylea arc from Willow standing in the Hyperion (which is why I think the Pylea arc should be watched after the Buffy death). AtS s3 after Fredless is pretty far removed from its sister show and the two seasons had nothing to do with each other. I could see an argument for watching these two seasons (Btvs s6/ats s3) apart. But when we get back to s4, I think the two seasons actually parallel each other in themes and tone pretty well and then you have the Willow crossover and the Faith arc which informs where she has come from and where she is when she heads back to SunnyD. Then Home leads seamlessly into EoD. So there two shows do exist in the same space in btvs s7/ats s4 and I have always found watching them together enjoyable. Not to mention seeing Spike die and then popping in s5 ats and boom there he is... just fine and ready to annoy the crap out of Angel.
I don't do tandem watches very much anymore because I know the shows so well and I tend to only watch episodes I really like but my first tandem watch was a very enjoyable experience.
I watched it in the order from the watchers council and it did switch to the other show right on a cliff hanger so sometimes when the suspense was too much I'd go a little out of order but overall, I'd say it is a decent order. Especially in terms of the very few crossover episodes there were.
This guide is not bad, but it tends to switch shows after a big cliffhanger, so I had to make a few changes when I watched both shows. I made sure some episodes stayed together to be watched in a row because it's just more enjoyable that way, and the chronology of both show is still intact.
I've underlined the episodes that should absolutely be watched in this order.This to me would be a pretty perfect viewing order:
I started following your guide (I'm at the beginning of Buffy season 6) and it works great, better than the Watchers Council one, because yours take the cliffhangers into account. I recommend it
I've made a couple of changes to the guide, since I realized for instance that the last 4 eps of Angel season 2 should be watched together. So here's a slightly different list, which I believe would be the best way for someone to discover both shows in tandem (my list for a rewatch might be a little different), and it is still designed for minimum disc switching when possible. I think it makes a lot more sense than the Buffyfest guide.
So here's the guide again. The underlined episodes should absolutely be watched in this order. Let me know what you think:
SEASONS 4 / 1
Angel 1x01: City of...
Not a big deal, but starting with Angel seems better, partly because of the phone call scene, watching Buffy 4x01 after will make more sense that way.
Buffy 4x01: The Freshman
Buffy 4x02: Living Conditions
Angel 1x02: Lonely Hearts
Buffy 4x03: The Harsh Light Of Day
Angel 1x03: In the Dark
Angel 1x04: I Fall to Pieces
Buffy 4x04: Fear Itself
Buffy 4x05: Beer Bad
Buffy 4x06: Wild at Heart
Buffy 4x07: The Initiative
Angel 1x05: Rm w/a Vu
Angel 1x06: Sense and Sensitivity Angel 1x07: The Bachelor Party
Buffy 4x08: Pangs
Angel 1x08: I Will Remember You
Angel 1x09: Hero
Angel 1x10: Parting Gifts
Angel 1x11: Somnambulist
Buffy 4x09: Something Blue
Buffy 4x10: Hush
Buffy 4x11: Doomed
Angel 1x12: Expecting
Angel 1x13: She
Buffy 4x12: A New Man
Buffy 4x13: The I In Team
Buffy 4x14: Goodbye Iowa
Angel 1x14: I've Got You Under My Skin
Angel 1x15: The Prodigal
Angel 1x16: The Ring
Angel 1x17: Eternity
Buffy 4x15: This Year's Girl (1 of 2)
Buffy 4x16: Who Are You? (2 of 2)
Buffy 4x17: Superstar
Buffy 4x18: Where the Wild Things
Buffy 4x19: New Moon Rising
Angel 1x18: Five by Five (part 1 of 2)
Angel 1x19: Sanctuary (part 2 of 2)
Buffy 4x20: The Yoko Factor
Buffy 4x21: Primeval
Angel 1x20: War Zone
Angel 1x21: Blind Date
Buffy 4x22: Restless
Angel 1x22: To Shanshu in LA
SEASONS 5 / 2
Angel 2x01: Judgment
Angel 2x02: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been
Buffy 5x01: Buffy vs. Dracula
Buffy 5x02: Real Me
Buffy 5x03: The Replacement
Buffy 5x04: Out of My Mind
Angel 2x03: First Impressions
Angel 2x04: Untouched
Buffy 5x05: No Place Like Home
Buffy 5x06: Family
Angel 2x05: Dear Boy
Angel 2x06: Guise Will Be Guise
Buffy 5x07: Fool for Love
Angel 2x07: Darla
Angel 2x08: The Shroud of Rahmon
Buffy 5x08: Shadow
Buffy 5x09: Listening to Fear
Buffy 5x10: Into the Woods
Buffy 5x11: Triangle
Angel 2x09: The Trial
Angel 2x10: Reunion Angel 2x11: Redefinition
Buffy 5x12: Checkpoint
Buffy 5x13: Blood Ties Buffy 5x14: Crush
Angel 2x12: Blood Money
Angel 2x13: Happy Anniversary
Angel 2x14: The Thin Dead Line
Angel 2x15: Reprise
Angel 2x16: Epiphany
Buffy 5x15: I Was Made to Love You
Buffy 5x16: The Body
Buffy 5x17: Forever
Buffy 5x18: Intervention
Angel 2x17: Disharmony
Angel 2x18: Dead End
Buffy 5x19: Tough Love
Buffy 5x20: Spiral
Buffy 5x21: The Weight of the World Buffy 5x22: The Gift
Angel 2x19: Belonging
Angel 2x20: Over the Rainbow
Angel 2x21: Through the Looking Glass Angel 2x22: There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb
SEASONS 6 / 3
Angel 3x01: Heartthrob
Angel 3x02: That Vision Thing
Angel 3x03: That Old Gang of Mine
Buffy 6x01: Bargaining: Part 1
Buffy 6x02: Bargaining: Part 2
Buffy 6x03: After Life
Angel 3x04: Carpe Noctem
Buffy 6x04: Flooded
Buffy 6x05: Life Serial
Angel 3x05: Fredless
(at this point you can watch them however you want until mid season 7 of Buffy [indicated] as Buffy moved to UPN and there were less crossovers.)
Angel 3x06: Billy
Buffy 6x06: All the Way
Buffy 6x07: Once More, with Feeling
Buffy 6x08: Tabula Rasa
Angel 3x19: The Price
Angel 3x20: A New World
Angel 3x21: Benediction
Angel 3x22: Tomorrow
Buffy 6x18: Entropy
Buffy 6x19: Seeing Red
Buffy 6x20: Villains
Buffy 6x21: Two to Go
Buffy 6x22: Grave
SEASONS 7 / 4
Buffy 7x01: Lessons
Buffy 7x02: Beneath You
Angel 4x01: Deep Down
Angel 4x02: Ground State
Buffy 7x03: Same Time, Same Place
Buffy 7x04: Help
Angel 4x03: The House Always Wins
Angel 4x04: Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Buffy 7x05: Selfless
Buffy 7x06: Him
Buffy 7x07: Conversations with Dead People
Buffy 7x08: Sleeper
Buffy 7x09: Never Leave Me
Buffy 7x10: Bring on the Night
Buffy 7x11: Showtime
Angel 4x05: Supersymmetry
Angel 4x06: Spin the Bottle
Buffy 7x12: Potential
Buffy 7x13: The Killer in Me
Buffy 7x14: First Date
Buffy 7x15: Get It Done
Buffy 7x16: Storyteller
Yeah, I didn't notice before but the Pylea arc definitely works better that way, the last four of Buffy S5 followed by the last four of Angel S2 is perfect.
And I had never watched "Darla" and then "Fool for Love" but it works great!
Awesome guide!
Thanks. But I recently rewatched "Darla" and then "Fool for Love" and although it may work well chronologically for a rewatch, I realized watching "Fool for Love" first will work better on a first time watcher, since you get to fill the gaps in "Darla" right after, in a way that you can't if you do the opposite.
Could a moderator please edit my last post, and replace that part with the following one?
Angel 2x05: Dear Boy
Angel 2x06: Guise Will Be Guise
Buffy 5x07: Fool for Love
Angel 2x07: Darla
Angel 2x08: The Shroud of Rahmon
Buffy 5x08: Shadow
Buffy 5x09: Listening to Fear
Buffy 5x10: Into the Woods
Buffy 5x11: Triangle
Angel 2x09: The Trial
Angel 2x10: Reunion
Angel 2x11: Redefinition
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