Season 1 Review Eight months ago, many of us wondered how this brooding, angst ridden, 244 year old vampire would fare in a world without Buffy. Leaving Sunnydale behind, he ventured to the darker, seedier, lonely hearts and desperate souls part of Los Angeles hoping to redeem a small part of himself while trying to find his destiny. Stories that would be darker, edgier and more adult than we were used to seeing in the Hellmouth followed Angel as he discovered more about himself and the friends that would surround him. As creators Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt promised, so did they deliver! We were first caught with the complex concept of Angel being the main character and the catalyst for each of the events he would encounter. Then, the introduction of new supporting characters was a challenge. And finally, the intricacies of keeping the theme fresh with new ideas and yet staying in touch with those same elements that made Buffy the Vampire Slayer such a success. Knowing the strengths which David Boreanaz has to carry this burden, made the production task a little easier. Feeling your way through a show whose main character can't be seen in the daylight or cast a reflection has its disadvantages. But having these rather obvious problems, forces you to be creative in other aspects which, as I found, proved challenging and refreshing. > Cordelia Chase also set her sights on LA after graduating from Sunnydale, but for different reasons. Charisma Carpenter portrays this self-absorbed, fashion keen engeinu with flair and witty sarcasm better than she ever has before. The introduction of Doyle was brought to life via the talents of Glenn Quinn. But the charming Irishman wasn't enough to keep this half-breed demon alive although there is still a strong fan-based following that would love to see his return. Detective Kate Lockely, trusted to provide access to police files is wonderfully portrayed by Elisabeth Rohm. But now that Kate knows Angel's true self, he'll have to keep an eye out for her, especially after she ran him through with a four-foot wooden plank! Enter Wesley Wyndam Price, self proclaimed Rogue Demon Hunter. This excommunicated Watcher now assists Angel with his valued knowledge. Alexis Denisof has had the interesting challenge of taking this rather bumbling Brit to a more developed level and has done so quite brilliantly at that. Lindsey McDonald, the antagonistic lawyer from demon defending law firm of Wolfram & Hart is now the crux of Angel's foes. Christian Kane is an amazing young talent that will take this character far in the coming new season! And last, but certainly not least, J. August Richards brings life to the character of Gunn, a tough guy from the streets who's a self-appointed Slayer! And so the supporting players, as these talents are truly a strong component for Angel they can only continue to grow. Most, if not all, of the crossover guest appearances contributed to some of the best episodes this season. James Marsters (the villainous vampire Spike) was superb in 'In the Dark'. Seth Green (Werewolf stricken Oz) also had an enjoyable part in this episode. Sarah Michelle Gellar (reprising her role as the Vampire Slayer Buffy) once again showed that the chemistry between herself and David Boreanaz is amazing in 'I Will Remember You'. Eliza Dusku (the rogue Slayer) did outstanding work in what might be the best two-parter this season on either show with 'Five by Five' and 'Sanctuary'. There is a constant stream of wonderful talent each week that runs through this show that I have yet to see fail. Just to name a few: Tracy Middendorf (Tina, 'City of . . .'), Malia Mathis (Rachael, 'In The Dark'), Jeremy Renner (Penn, 'Somnambulist'), and Tamara Gorski (Rebecca, 'Eternity'). Keep your eyes open to these fine young actors, they don't come any better than this and I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of them in other projects in the future. Outstanding episodes would include all I've mentioned above plus 'The Prodigal', 'Room w/a Vu' and the season finale 'To Shanshu in LA.' Not everything was roses and gravestones though, and a few episodes did fall short of expectation such as 'The Bachelor Party' but that is to be expected with a show just getting it's footing. But for the most part this series delivered what it had hoped for with such outstanding episodes as 'Somnambulist', 'The Prodigal' and 'Eternity'. There are thousands of hours and hundreds of people that bring a show like Angel together. Writers Tim Minear and Howard Gordon, directors James A. Contner, David Grossman and Michael Lange all did outstanding work. Musical Composer Rob Kral who brought a theatrical spirit only to rival that of Chris Beck from BtVS, and Spiro Razatos and Mike Vendrell's stunt work was brilliantly performed. Last but not least, the amazing special effects and make-up by Loni Peristere of Digital Magic and Dave Miller with the assist of John Vulich of Optic Nerve respectively. We sometimes forget the efforts and talents of all those involved to bring us a bit of darkness, humor and fascination into our homes every Tuesday night. Often we are too quick to judge that we could see Angel's reflection in a window or be too upset that Doyle is killed off. We are lucky that there are such skilled and talented people who see Angel as a fascinating character full of passion, growth and a destiny that will only take him to places that Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt know he is going. I look forward to all they are willing to give us. This season has been quite enjoyable and I have no doubt that the next is going to be even better! Cheers to the entire Crew and Staff for a great First Season! The best is yet to come!