SPS' Angel thread

[SPS]

We have to have new awards for this series so here we go:

Best episode of the season:
The Shanshu award

Worst episode of the season:
The Harmony award (It has to make a return because of her role in season 5)

Note: I will not be covering the crossover episodes I covered in the Buffy season 4 posts, so here we go:

Episode 1
City of
Essentially the pilot episode, not bad as it introduces the main cast and Wolfram and Hart. One of the better episodes.

Episode 2
Lonely Heart
Really only memorable for the introduction of Kate Lockley who was a decent character. Love how naivete she is.

Episode 4
Harmony Award
I fall to Pieces
Not a good episode because of the stalker boyfriend who can detach his limbs through mystical meditation stretches the limits of credibility even for Angel. I mean really.

Episode 5
Rm W/A Vu
Alright episode, not particularly memorable though.

Episode 6
Sense and Sensitivity
First appearance of Kate's father, funny episode and pretty good overall.

Episode 7
The Bachelor Party
I quite like this episode because it focuses on Doyle, and we learn that Doyle literally became the demon after he found out he was half demon. Another one of the better episodes this season.

Episode 9
Hero
Doyle sacrifices himself to save the world. Him being a popular character it made a lot of people angry. But overall a very good episode. I really like it.

Episode 10
Parting Gifts
Wesley returns and joins the cast. Cordelia has her first visions, then promptly gets put on auction and nearly bought by Wolfram and Hart.

Episode 11
Somnabulist
A vampire Angel sired comes back to haunt him. Alright but I think season 5 does it better.

Episode 12
Expecting
Here's a recurring theme Cordelia gets pregnant with a demon child. Lame.

Episode 13
She
A group of demons from another dimension make women their slaves. Lamer.

Episode 14
I've Got You Under My Skin
This was just a bad episode with lame twists and was just crap. Lamest.

Episode 15
The Prodigal
Kate's father dies and she blames Angel. Not the best episode but better than the previous 3.

Episode 16
The Ring
First appearance of Lilah Morgan, who is my favorite Wolfram and Hart lawyer. She's just so sexy and devious. This episode is light on plot but overall pretty fun.

Episode 17
Eternity
Angelus returns due to drug induced bliss. Huge plot hole in that if Angel looses his soul isn't it gone for good? Even if it was drug induced. I guess a soul is one of those things that is a plot device when it needs to be... Plus Rebecca is annoying as hell. Mediocre episode.

Episode 20
War Zone
Introduces two characters. One sorta annoying one and one who would've worked pretty well in the series. I'm talking about Gunn and David Nabitt. Gunn goes on to be a regular and has a pretty decent introduction, he is alright for conflict but a little too black for my tastes, hopefully that wasn't racist. Actually pretty decent episode.

Episode 21
Blind Date
Angel gets the Shanshu scroll and teams up with Lindsey. Pretty good episode overall and show's off Angel's intelligence. Plus Gunn's blackness was great this episode. He does a great disservice to the race though .

Episode 22
The Shanshu Award
To Shanshu in LA
This is one of the better Buffy/Angel finales and IMO is up there with seasons 2 and 5 of Buffy, it even has a sort of Becoming type vibe as Angel is seperated from his friends and has to fight the good fight alone, even though he isn't successful with stopping Wolfram and Hart's evil plan to...resurrect Darla? This plays a very important part throughout Angel seasons 2 and 3. Great episode.

Overall: The last 5 episodes make Angel lucky to have survived it's first season. When it's good it's really really good but some of the weaker episodes are pretty bad. Soon season 2!

[Elliot Kane]

You mean Gunn's pretty much a stereotype? Yeah. It's sad that he's actually LESS interesting once he joins the main cast, though... He's so obviously The Token Non-White that it's painful.

As ever with Angel, it's about half really good and half really bad. Cordelia & Wes are usually good and Doyle has some good moments, plus I really like the opening ep - especially where Angel kicks the other vamp through a window. Terrific stuff! However, while there's enough to keep me watching, the first series just was not all that good...

Kate was cool. They should have done more with her than they did.

[Gray Lensman]

It has to be said... Gunn was pretty much useless and one-note until Season 5. Then he pretty much had more complex characterization forced on him, at which point I finally ended up liking him. The lawyer angle redeemed his character quite a lot. Up to that point, he was a waste of space that just hit things.

As for S1... the best episodes were the ones with Buffy crossover factor. The Spike and Faith eps, the Buffy guest-spot... all those were good and entertaining. Most of the others... not so much, really. Finale was all right, though.

The show mostly gets better from here, but it had some serious growing pains, to be sure.

[SPS]

season 2

Episode 1
Judgement
Angel sings! This episode introduces the Host, or Lorne, the owner of a Demon Karaoke bar. I still think that Lorne is a character better suited for Buffy because Angel is so dark. But this is also why I think he works for Angel. I like the twist that Angel kills the pregnant woman's protector, then botches being a replacement one. Good episode.

Episode 2
Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?
Introduces the Hyperion and shows us just how bad it was being Angel, and how he transitions. Mediocre episode but shows us more of Angel's past.

Episode 3
First Impressions
Cordelia takes on being Gunn's protector, a thread that sorta gets dropped pretty quickly, also Angel dreams of Darla...except she's really having sex with him! This episode really isn't bad at all.

Episode 4
Untouched
Angel meets a telekinetic girl who has already been claimed by Wolfram and Hart. Plus more Darla! Not a bad episode just above mediocre, would've gotten the Harmony award if it hadn't have had Lilah Morgan in it.

Episode 5
Dear Boy
Angel encounters Darla, except she's human. Wolfram and Hart is messing with Angel and it seems to work. Angel is withdrawing from his friends. Good episode.

Episode 6
Guise Will be Guise
Wesley pretends he's Angel and gets the girl! The Wesley parts are awesome as he utterly fails being Angel and then still impresses. I loved the twist at the end, hilarious and pretty sweet. Plus Yeska was pretty ugly.

Episode 7
Darla
An episode that focuses on Darla of course. I loved the flashbacks in this episode. Great episode.

Episode 8
The Shroud of Rahmon
Heist episode of sorts but the plot really never comes together. The only thing that saves it is the parts with Kate.

Episode 9
The Trial
Angel prepares to sacrifice himself to save Darla after it's found that she has Syphilis. Good episode.

Episode 10
Reunion
Drusilla returns and sires Darla, just like she mentioned in an earlier episode. I love how Angel locks Wolfram and Hart's lawyers in a room with Drusilla and Darla. One of the best episodes of the series right here.

Episode 11
Redefinition
Angel begins to become more vampire like and takes on Darla and Drusilla again, this time lighting his former loves on fire, which is something Angelus would do. This is Composite Angel right here in that he takes the worst parts of Angelus and combines them with the best parts of Angel. Another one of the best of the series.

Episode 12
Blood Money
Anne from Buffy returns! Angel sure pulls the wool over her eyes, as we see another decent twist. Okay episode.

Episode 13
Happy Anniversary
Some demons want to end the world by using a college grad student!? A bit too sci-fiy for me but sorta entertaining. The girl who breaks up with the grad student plays a character on Jericho also. Alright episode.

Episode 14
The Thin Dead Line
Harmony Award
Zombie cops. Do I really have to say more? Good drama though and the third eye girl appears. I almost want to call this a bad episode.

Episodes 15/16
Reprise/Epiphany
Shanshu award
This unofficial two-parter is One of the greatest episodes of the series IMO as it has excellent drama and I really love the fake-out that ends the first part and opens the second. I love how jealous Lindsey gets, and I love how Angel can return but under Wesley's leadership. Just wow! This is the point where you realize that this season was overall even better than Buffy season 5.

Episode 17
Disharmony
For an episode that focuses on Harmony this actually isn't that bad. I love the pyramid scheme vampire and it is kinda hilarious.

Episode 18
Dead End
Lindsey gets a new hand after Angel chopped it off last season. Neatly wraps up the Lindsey storyline for now. Not a bad episode.

Episode 19-22
The Pylea arc
I have stated on first viewing that this is where Angel jumps the shark but now I noticed that after a pretty dark season this is exactly what the doctor ordered. Okay action, some really nice twists, and overall a pretty fun arc. Introduces two kinda important characters in Groosalugg and Gavin and one important character in Fred. Also Joss Whedon has his only visual acting role that I know of as Numfar, who dances! Not a bad arc but I can see where there are problems.

Overall: By far the best season of Angel. Sorry season 5 fans this one just has the most compelling arc of the season even if it does veer off towards the end. Angel's fall and rebirth was a pretty good arc and I love how Wolfram and Hart messes with Angel at every turn. Darla is an amazing character. Plus Lorne is a pretty sweet character too. I found it kinda sad that he doesn't become a regular until the end of season 4 though. I enjoy this season and it is well worth another view if you haven't seen it recently.

[Elliot Kane]

While I thought Angel S2 was solid, and that parts of it are indeed excellent, I think too much of it was mediocre. I like Lorne and Lindsey as characters, and the slowly darkening Angel was done well, but a few great moments do not an entire series make.

Reunion was my favourite ep, because of the 'locking the lawyers in the room with the vampires' ending. "But they'll kill us!" "Somehow I find myself not caring." Or close to that. Just great!

It's still not really quite clicking as a whole, though. They're still trying to really work out how to make Angel all that distinct from Buffy and it shows.

Probably the second best series overall, though.

[Gray Lensman]

An improved season from S1, but still not what it's capable of at this point. They did seem to finally realize they needed to go for a much darker tone with this show around here, though. Once they did, Angel seemed to find more of an individual voice as a show and became less dependent on Buffy for episode fodder.

There were some interesting ideas in here, even if they didn't quite click. Bringing back Darla as kind of a Catwoman to Angel's Batman was a good idea. Pushing Angel gradually closer to the brink of darkness was good. Lorne was awesome, and Lindsey worked well in this season too.

I enjoyed the following seasons (barring 4) better than this one, personally. But overall, reasonably entertaining and with some good ideas.

[SPS]

Season 3

Episode 1
Heartthrob
One of the weakest episodes of the season. Angel stakes one of his old crew, and he wants revenge. The whole removing the vampire's heart to make him invincible is stupid and it feels like a pretty light episode.

Episode 2
That Vision-Thing
Wolfram and Hart makes Cordelia the damsel in distress again and forces Angel to get a client from the powers that be. First appearance of Skip who makes a few appearances in the series. He is also played by the same guy who plays Roy on the American Office (Pam's first boyfriend). Forgettable to me at least.

Episode 3
That Old Gang of Mine
Gunn's old gang starts killing innocent demons. Caritas gets destroyed...again. Kinda eh. Episode

Episode 4
Carpe Noctem
Angel gets his body swapped with an old man. Kinda forgettable episode overall.

Episode 5
Fredless
Fred's parents come to meet Fred after five years, and Fred saves the day. Sorta generic episode that proves the small guy is important.

Episode 6
Billy
Billy returns an Lilah shows she has some sort of heart. Again rather generic episode.

Episode 7
Offspring
Darla returns and reveals to the group that she is preagnant, there is the Tro-Clan that is announced as coming. I either sped through this season too fast or I don't remember much of it

Episode 8
Quickening
Darla goes through her birthing pains and Holtz makes his first appearance. I don't like Holtz much as he is pretty much your generic vengeful character. He does end up hurting Angel pretty badly but since he introduces Connor to the world of Angel he ultimately hurt the series as a character rather than help it.

Episode 9
Lullaby
Connor is born! Darla kills herself! Holtz blows up Caritas again! Kinda an eh. Episode.

Episode 10
Dad
Angel tries to take care of Connor and overdoes it and takes care of everybody in one fell swoop. Shows Angel and Lorne's intelligence. Good episode

Episode 11
Shanshu award
Birthday
A cordelia centric episode where Cordelia becomes part demon. Still a rather eh. episode but it is slightly better than the previous ones. More gets it because I am a sucker for these types of stories than actually liking it.

Episode 12
Provider
Angel spreads himself too thin trying to take care of Connor. I like it as you get to see everybody in hilarious situations still not the best episode of the season.

Episode 13
Waiting in the Wings
Bad episode. Moves way too slow and not a lot of action. I think this episode gets a lot more credit than it deserves because it introduced the world to Summer Glau. One of Whedon's worse episodes.

Episode 14
Couplet
The Groosalugg is back! Angel is shown how ineffectual he is but he saves the day in the end. Again kinda eh episode.

Episode 15
Loyalty
Wesley finds out about the father shall kill the son prophecy and starts trying to do his best to save Connor. Starts Wesley on his arc of becoming a badass and is frankly an alright episode.

Episode 16
Sleep Tight
Holtz takes Connor to the demon dimension. Again rather eh. episode.

Episode 17
Forgiving
Angel tries to bring Connor back. Forgettable.

Episode 18
Double or Nothing
Harmony Award
Gunn has sold his soul...for a truck. Rather blech episode though it does have an alright ending.

Episode 19
The Price
A bunch of slugs are draining people of their fluid. And Connor returns, much older. Forgettable episode.

Episode 20
A New World
Connor is exposed to the real world. Wow I watched this episode a few hours ago and I barely remember any of it.

Episode 21
Benediction
Holtz gets sets his final part of his plan in motion and dies IIRC. Again another forgettable episode.

Episode 22
Tomorrow
I hate Connor and this episode is a big reason why. He hasn't hit S4 annoyance levels yet but this episode is just a jumble of crap and I don't like it much.

Overall:
This season is not as bad as season 4 but it overall is pretty blech and forgettable. I ended up having half of it on as background noise as I was just not that interested in the plots.

On a side note: I will be taking a couple of week break before I finish this series up because I need a break.

[Elliot Kane]

Oh, three. Dreadful season. I spent most of my time watching it trying to stave off sleep. I hate Fred with a vengeance, considering her to be a badly written insult to intelligent people by being a deliberate caricature of one. All the baby stuff bored me to tears and Connor is such an obvious Illyana rip-off with the 'raised in a hell dimension by an evil mentor and seemingly aging years overnight' without ever really becoming all that interesting in his own right. As a true foil for Angel he never really clicks and none of the Father/Son drama is all that effective.

The worst season, IMO.

[Gray Lensman]

I'll stick up a little for S3. For all its flaws, this season brought a lot of development for Wesley, who started coming into his own around here. Holtz was one of the better Angel villains for me as well (but then he didn't have many great ones outside of Wolfram & Hart).

Connor... well, I don't think he worked for me until Season 5 when he got a total personality transplant. A lot of the conflict with him and Angel in S3 was pretty stupid and pointless, and this season wasn't even the worst of it. I could deal with the obvious Illyana rip if it actually accomplished anything, but it never really did.

Very hit or miss, as was a lot of early Angel, and when it missed it sucked... but it struck me as more ambitious and with a stronger voice in some respects than it had earlier on.

[SPS]

okay that few weeks was a lie...Dang procrastination...lol

Anyhow here we go with Season 4

Episode 1
Deep Down
Nice episode, with the main group reduced to 3. Should've focused more on Gunn and Fred, but they get a couple of good moments. Plus some good Lilah and Wesley moments. Decent episode, despite Connor being a bit of a [Censored] (a theme that follows throughout the season).

Episode 2
Ground State
Introduces Gwen, who is a pretty good character, if a bit of a Rogue ripoff. I enjoy how she plays off the group and I'm a bit sad that she didn't become a regular. Average episode.

Episode 3
The House Always Wins
Lorne centric episode, and alright. First thought I had when I saw the episode is: Boy Vegas has changed in 7 years, even the Freemont Street Experience and the Tropicana (which were prominently featured in the episode) look different. Yes this was pretty much all shot on location. Fun episode.

Episode 4
Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Cordy is back and an amnesiac. Overall pretty forgettable episode. Starts the horrible Cordelia/Connor romance arc.

Episode 5
Supersymmetry
Fred meets her old professor. Starts the decline of Fred and Gunn's relationship when Gunn murders Fred's old professor. I like it but it is ultimately a tad on the forgettable.

Episode 6
Spin the Bottle
Very good episode where Cordelia gets her memory back. Angel's answer to the Buffy episode Tabula Rasa. Everyone is reduced to teenagers and Connor and young Angel play well off each other. Ending nearly had me in tears for some reason. Just Lorne's ending monologue was nice.

Episode 7
Apocalypse, Nowish
Introduces the Beast which was a pretty awesome villain. He should have been the big bad this season and I really think that was the intent. Begins the overuse of guns and slow motion. Cordelia and Connor boink.

Episode 8
Habeas Corpses
Wolfram and Hart gets annihilated. Forgettable episode.

Episode 9
Long Day's Journey
The sun gets blocked out and Gwen returns. Forgettable episode okay.

Episode 10
Awakenin
Angel becomes Angelus once more. Good episode if only because of the fakeout at the end. I liked it.

Episode 11
Soulless
Angelus messes with everyone, and this is the best acting David Boreanaz has ever done. It helps that Angelus is like the Joker. He's much more interesting than Angel. Though it makes me wonder why he isn't the lead lol.

Episode 12
Calvary
I believe Lilah Morgan dies in this episode, and Cordelia acts like a ho-bag and kisses the Beast. Who hasn't Cordelia loved? Pretty forgettable episode.

Episode 13
Salvage
Second Faith arc begins here, and again pretty forgettable. But it starts to get a little better. Oh and the Beast was defeated, like the Ubervamp in Buffy S7 the Beast is made into a joke. Being stabbed in the back, quite literally by Angelus.

Episode 14
Release
Again pretty forgettable episode but we see Faith and Angelus fight and she gets owned. Good but forgettable.

Episode 15
Shanshu award
Orpheus
Amazing episode and easily the best of the season. Seeing Willow guest star was excellent because she doesn't fit. Then Faith in Angel's head was great. I loved it. Redeems the second Faith arc.

Episode 16
Players
Cordelia is pregnant, and is beginning to show her cards. The character assassination of Cordelia continues! Again forgettable episode.

Episode 17
Harmony Award
Inside Out
Nope. I refuse to believe it. This was not what it has all been leading up to since season 2. It makes sense in a sense but it gets rid of all free will for the characters. Blech. I think Skip also died in this episode.

Episode 18
Shiny Happy People
Jasmine is born and Fred is very quickly turned against her by breathing in some blood particles. Forgettable episode and Jasmine is a pretty weak enemy overall.

Episode 19
The Magic Bullet
Fred runs around and converts Angel back to the good side. Angel and Fred finally kiss. Again forgettable episode.

Episode 20
Sacrifice
This episode is pretty much padding as Angel goes into a dimension to find out how to defeat Jasmine.

Episode 21
Peace Out
Jasmine is defeated. The only thing memorable about the episode is the ending.

Episode 22
Home
Good episode as the team signs up for the new Wolfram and Hart. Serves as not only a decent season finale for Angel but a decent pilot for season 5.

overall: Not as bad as season 3 but still 3/4ths of the season is forgettable. It was sad to see the character assassinations of Connor and Cordelia, and the overall plot was rather weak, and requires too many plot holes and leaps in logic. Also it has an overuse of matrix effects and guns. Luckily the former is toned down significantly in season 5.

[Elliot Kane]

Yeah, I'll pretty much go with that. Weak season overall, redeemed only by a few rare good moments. I like Gwen. Faith is always cool. And "You managed to defeat world peace. Well done!" is classic.

And yeah, Angelus rocks. Boreanaz may not be a great actor, but he certainly does well here.

Overall, the series still suffers from not knowing what its strengths are or how to use them. A condition about to be dealt with in the vastly superior S5...

I still hate Fred, of course, But fortunately, the solution to that is on the horizon, too...

[Gray Lensman]

Must admit, I passed on most of S4, though I did see a few eps here and there. I will admit I wasn't so impressed by any of it, really, so I can't say the motivation is there to track down the DVD set of this. Spin the Bottle was okay, though, I guess.

Good thing for S5, as that really redeems the whole series.

[SPS]

Season 5

Note: There will be no shanshu or Harmony Awards because it was really hard picking one good episode.

Episode 1
Conviction
Deals with Angel taking up Wolfram and Hart. Of all the episodes it's decent but forgettable because it serves a second pilot for the series.

Episode 2
Just Rewards
Spike returns and his hilarious which is his purpose until mid season. Loved the death by Spoon, forgettable but good.

Episode 3
Unleashed
Introduces Nina a new werewolf which looks less like a possum, and more like a wolf. Again forgettable but good.

Episode 4
Hell Bound
Spike can touch people again because of a complicated series of events. Alright episode.

Episode 5
Life of the Party
Hilarious episode with Lorne loosing his sleep. Unfortunately they don't make the obvious Hulk joke.

Episode 6
The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco
Angel doubts himself, meets a mexican luchadore and saves the day, alright episode but just kinda there.

Episode 7
Lineage
If I did a Harmony award this would be a likely candidate. Just don't care for this episode much. Wesley meets his cyborg dad.

Episode 8
Destiny
Great episode that has the best battle between Angel and Spike and is pretty funny overall.

Episode 9
Harm's Way
Legally Blonde meets Angel. Another suprisingly good episode.

Episode 10
Soul Purpose
Lindsey revealed and Angel hallucinates. Forgettable episode but it is awesome seeing that Angel's worse nightmare is Spike being a hero.

Episode 11
Damage
A psycho slayer, another poor episode, and kinda blech. Also Andrew returns.

Episode 12
You're Welcome
Cordelia returns and dies to set Angel back on his path. Also the Lindsey storyarc ends sorta. Great episode that is a fitting end to Cordelia.

Episode 13
Why We Fight
Bad episode. WWII episode.

Episode 14
Smile Time
This is like the musical episode of Buffy where almost everyone knows about it and is often considered the best of the series. Angel gets turned into a puppet. Need I say more? Okay how about Spike has his most embarrassing moment where he gets his ass kicked by puppet Angel.

Episode 15
A Hole in the World
A sarcophagus comes and Fred dies, great episode. Just to see how everybody deals with Fred dying is great.

Episode 16
Shells
Illyria is introduced. Okay episode but Illyria is a great character.

Episode 17
Underneath
Lindsey is rescued. Forgettable episode.

Episode 18
Origin
Connor returns and kills Sahjahn. Good episode.

Episode 19
Time Bomb
This episode...everybody dies! Illyria is depowered. Okay if forgettable episode.

Episode 20
The Girl in Question
Angel and Spike head to Italy to deal with Buffy. Actually a decent episode despite me hating it at first.

Episode 21
Power Play
Angel sets his master plan in motion. Only the ending is memorable.

Episode 22
Not Fade Away
Angel takes on the Circle of the Black Thorn. Great episode One of the best of the season.

Overall:
A few episodes does not make a good season. I still do not feel Season 5 is the best of the series because there was a lot of episodes that were just meh, and it feels like it was a whole new series as opposed to Angel. Lorne should've been kicked to the curb as he is completely wasted this season and doesn't fit in with the overall Wolfram and Hart theme. Plus while the season's episodes stand alone it does make the rush to the finale seem well rushed. Still alright start for Angel 2 season 1 lol.

Now the wrap ups:

Top 5 season 5 episodes
1. You're Welcome
2. Smile Time
3. Not Fade Away
4. A Hole in the World
5. Destiny

Top 5 Angel episodes
1. I Will Remember You
2. Reprise
3. Epiphany
4. Hero
5. To Shanshu in LA

Top 5 heroes
1. Spike
2. Doyle
3. Cordelia
4. Lorne
5. Angel

Top 5 villains.
1. Lilah Morgan
2. Darla
3. Lindsey
4. Circle of the Black Thorne
5. Angelus

top 5 seasons
2
5
1
4
3

[Elliot Kane]

I love S5. To me, the best series by some distance, with most of the best eps. And extra props for killing Fred, who was the single most annoying character in the entire Buffyverse.

Five has an amazing ending and fires on all cylinders throughout. It's what the series should have been from the start, but never really got close to. The character deaths are well handled (Except Fred's - far too schmaltzy and drawn out to boring lengths) and the introduction of the awesome Illyria replacing the awful Fred is a great thing.

Last season went out on an amazing high, yet at the same time showed just how good the series could have been as a whole, if only they'd worked out what to do with it sooner.

Overall, Angel is a flawed series, but the good moments make up for the bad. Not as good as Buffy, but I liked it regardless.

[Gray Lensman]

S5 is easily my favorite in the whole show, but then it really struggled to get to this point. The cast of S5 is one of my favorite Buffyverse casts ever, mainly on the strength of the Angel/Spike core dynamic. I love that they absolutely can't stand each other, and yet they're bound quite literally by blood. Also definite props to the show for giving Gunn a personality boost, making Connor halfway likable, bringing in Illyria, and giving the Fang Gang one of the most awesome sendoffs I've ever seen.

It definitely ended at the right time too, if the comic version is any indication. But I won't really go into that here. All the same, I'll miss it... but S5 is the season I always come back to when I rewatch this show. Destiny, The Girl In Question (that it guest-starred the annoying Andrew and did not irritate me is an achievement in itself), and Not Fade Away are three of my favorite episodes of the entire series, and the others range from decent to pretty good.

Top 5's soon to follow.

[Gray Lensman]

And now... the Top 5's.

Top 5 season 5 episodes

1. Destiny
2. Not Fade Away
3. The Girl In Question
4. You're Welcome
5. A Hole In The World

Top 5 Angel episodes

1. Destiny
2. Not Fade Away
3. The Girl In Question
4. Reunion
5. Loyalty

Top 5 heroes

1. Spike
2. Wesley
3. Illyria
4. Cordelia
5. Lorne/Season 5 Gunn (tie)

Top 5 villains.

1. Angelus (because the whole point of the show is that Angel is his own worst enemy)
2. Lindsey
3. Darla
4. Lilah
5. Holtz

top 5 seasons

5
3
2
1
4 (by default, as I've not seen enough of it)