Well, I was at Walmart last night, picking out my own damn Easter gifts (I also got Misery, Lost in Translation [finally!!!!!!!], and Walking Tall), and after looking over Just Married and Signs, I see Angel: Season 1, marked down to a stunning $28. That's half of what it was when it came out, so I had to get it, if only for the fact that I could have gotten 13 Going on 30 for the same price, and only a sixth of the discs (damn, when will they mark 13 Going on 30 down to $6.88?!).

So, my question is... what's Angel like? I've NEVER watched the show, despite being a huge Buffy fan. I wasn't really a huge fan of Angel himself on Buffy, but then again, there's not much to hate about him either. I could never see him with his own show. Is it darker than Buffy? Lighter? In Season 1 a good year for Angel? Thanks in advance.

I'm the same as you... big fan of Buffy, but very new to the Angel DVDs.

I'm still working my way through Season 1. I've had it for awhile, it just is taking me a long time to get around to seeing them. It starts off kind of slow, and hasn't really held my interest as there is no running plot lines from show to show, like Buffy has. There are a few Buffy references and visiting characters (Spike and Oz have shown up so far). I hear the show picks up with time, just not sure when.

It skews slightly more adult than Buffy did (less high school/young adult type romance stuff). It has less humor, less engaging characters so far. But, again, I'm only about halfway through season 1.

That's probably not much help, but it's all I know. You'll likely finish season 1 long before I will.

Angel reaches it's creative strive in Season 2. The storyline with Dru and Darla is great (Redefinition is one the best Angel or Buffy episodes ever). You also get Gunn, Lorne, Fred, Numfar, and some great cast crossovers.

Not only is the show more adult than Buffy, it also has more stand alone episodes. Season arcs in Angel are developed much slower. That said, Season 5 of Angel is as good as Season 3 of Buffy (widely considered to be the best season).

I liked Season 3 of Buffy, but I liked Season 4 better. It had some great episodes in that season, like Hush.

Thanks Tony and Loyal. I couldn't possibly pass up such a good offer. It was either Angel Season 1 or King of the Hill Season 1, and that's only 13 twenty-two minute episodes, as opposed to 22 forty-four minute episodes. I only watched Buffy on DVD, from Season 1 on, and I have yet to start Season 6. Once I get into a season, I like to watch right through quickly, so with one season after that, I'm afraid it'll be gone too soon.

Adam just wasn't a good enough Big Bad for me. Plus Riley was poison on screen.

I agree about Hush, it's in my top 5 of all time Buffy/Angel episodes. The Faith two-parter was great, as was the early signs of a witch out of a control in Something Blue. Jonathan's ep Superstar is pretty classic too.

I just thought the whole Initiative storyline wasn't the strongest in the history of the show.

I can pick out more individual shows (all the ones you mentioned and a few more) that I liked in season 4 over season 3. However, I'll agree that the arcing storyline was better in Season 3 with the mayor/Faith stuff over the Riley/Initiative/Adam thing in Ssn 4. Ah... I'll just call it a tie. It's all good.

Besides, Glory in Season 5 was the best villian ever.

I kind of liked Spike and Dru for villains.

Season 1 of Angel is good, but I suggest staying the hell away from season 4, though. That season was a piece of garbage, almost made me stop watching. Which would have been a shame, cause Season 5 was the best season.

I didn't like season 1 at all. I don't know why I kept on watching Angel. But I guess I didn't want to miss any possible reference to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (my favorite show). But the second season was great and from that point I was hooked. The first season was so weak and uninteresting (Plus they killed Doyle, I didn't like that at all, supposedly they killed him because audience didn't like him but he was the best character in the first season)...

They ruined Cordy in season 4. DAMN YOU JOSS WHEDON!!!!

The first season of Angel was weak, but it got a lot better in season two, then was great in season three. But season four... one of the worst seasons, ever. Season five was merely okay.

Poor Cordy...

Holy shit they are still selling it at full price? Here its £8.99 which is the cheaper bracket and its back in the top 20 dvds as a result

As soon as I saw it, I got a vibe from it, like Jennifer was saying "Don't buy me! I will be marked down uber cheap really soon!!"