Angel: My Favorite Show Ever

One thing you’ll have to remember about me is I’m a nerd. So when it comes to entertainment culture like tv and movies, I have a lot of favorites of both. There are ALOT of tv shows I call my favorites. So many from nearly every channel and every genre, but if I was to select any one show as my top favorite tv show off all time it would hands down be Joss Whedon’s Angel.

First hitting the small screen on this very night 25 years ago, Angel, which was the spin-off of Whedon’s mega hit series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, chronicles the journey of Buffy’s love interest, Angel, the vampire with a soul who fights against evil to save the souls of the helpless, as well as redeem his own soul from a lifetime of sins committed during his time as a souless creature of the night.

After parting ways with Buffy at the end of her third season, Angel set forth for Los Angeles, California to fight evil and save lives in the big city, effectively becoming a champion or a hero of the people. In his crusade as a warrior of good he meets a number of like minded individuals who share his interest in fighting against evil. They all end up fighting alongside him as teammates under his leadership.

For five seasons from 1999 to 2004 we watch Angel become a hero and deal with the struggle of trying to preserve all that is good and innocent in a world that is ruled by the influence of evil empowered. We also see Angel and his cohorts battle with their own personal flaws and shortcomings as much as they battle their evil enemies. The sometimes questionable morals of all the show’s characters are a big part of the show’s theme.

Like Buffy, Angel had a big sense of humor mixed in with its serious themes. Also like Buffy, Angel’s supernatural adventures were only a metaphor for real life, whereas Buffy was socially conscious, Angel was morally conscious. It was through this consciousness that Angel became my top favorite show ever.

Growing up watching Angel, I didn’t just find it’s story entertaining, but realistic and important in every way because it really said a lot about who we are and what we go through as people. Even after Angel ended its original run I watched it every morning on TNT before I went to school. This is where it resonated with the me the most. Certain commentary from the show such as always having to “fight the good fight” no matter what and making the right choice even when it seemingly enables something negative as an unavoidable consequence were things I related to heavy in my daily personal life.

In a way I was actually angered at times when being confronted with the show’s themes in real life after watching an episode in which my reality applied. I hated the realization of certain things the show made clear like how life is a nonstop battle that we’re always gonna have to fight no matter how much good we accomplish. I was even bothered by harsh realities the show spoke on like being a person who does good things for others, but never getting the appreciation or acknowledgement for such or having your good acts never be enough. Nevertheless I learned to adjust myself to these realities and pressed forward with my life while keeping the subtext of Angel in mind. Like the characters in the show, it really made me feel like I had a strong sense of purpose.

To this day I still apply the themes of Angel to my personal life. This show is the main reason why Joss Whedon is one of my favorite screenwriters as well as just one of my favorite storytellers ever. The story and character development was so on point because of how realistic and complex it all was and in being so, it heavily influenced my style of writing. 25 years later I still binge watch Angel all the time. It’s one of my muses that sets the tone for me when I go into my writing cave. I’ve never had writer’s block thanks to Angel playing in my background. For its great sense of story and real-life sense of purpose, Angel will always be my top favorite show ever.