Angel: 
The Complete First Season
(Fox Region 1 NTSC Boxed Set)
(1999)
review by Head Cheeze

One of the most consistantly entertaining shows on American television has finally been released on DVD, and I, for one, couldn't be happier. The 22 episodes presente here chronicle the early nocturnal adventures of the titular character (Boreanez) and his unique team of paranormal crime fighters as they battle evil in the demon-infested city of Los Angeles. Angel's associates include the ditzy yet loveable Cordelia (Carpenter), the shady yet loveable demon Doyle (the late Glenn Quinn), and former vampire watcher and present "rogue demon hunter" Wesley Wyndham Price (Denisof), who, along with the dark brooding hero, are given the task of fighting off potentially world-ending evil on the regular basis. It's all in a night's work.

With over 22 episodes to cover, I don't have the space to break them each down, but I can tell you that there really isn't a lemon in the bunch, which is rare for episodic television. I've seen them all before, as I'm a huge fan of the show, but I did spin some particularly memorable ones, including the extremely cool pilot episode, which begins with one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen on network television. That's one of Angel's strong points. It's always top quality stuff, with fantastic action, witty scripts and a genuinely great leading man in Boreanez, who exudes both a quiet cool and an uncharacteristically effective vulnerability that makes Angel much more than a cardboard cut-out vampire/detective cliche. The supporting players, especially the sadly departed Glenn Quinn, lend even more depth to the show, and give Angel's often melancholy mood swings a much appreciated comic goose.

The Season One Boxed Set includes all 22 episodes of the first season (999 minutes to be precise) presented in their standard aspect ratio (although Angel has been airing in widescreen format since the second season, which will most likely be the case for future sets as they are released). The picture quality is what one would expect from a recent TV series, and the audio is just as superb. Each disc features several episodes, and a group of extras, including a few full episode commentaries with creator Joss Whedon, as well as interviews and loads of behind the scenes footage. It's a huge set and comes at a fairly decent price (Under $60.00) which makes it an absolute bargain.

Fans of Buffy are probably already watching their Angel DVD's so I don't need to tell them to get this, so instead I address you, the uninitiated. Even if you DESPISE Buffy the Vampire Slayer, if you haven't given it a shot, you owe it to yourself to at least watch ONE episode of Angel during it's current run. If you're a fan of horror/comedy/superhero genre, you'll find much to love here, and with this set you get to see it all from the beginning.