Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30051 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-02-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Formats: Box set, PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Swedish
• Number of discs: 6
• Running time: 990 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Lives were upended--and some co-opted--in the fifth and final season of Angel, as the denizens of Angel Investigations found themselves taking on one of their scariest endeavors ever: corporate life. After making a literal deal with the devil (or something distinctly devil-like), Angel (David Boreanaz) moved his team from their crumbling hotel to the high-rise digs of law-firm-from-hell Wolfram & Hart, his reasoning being they could better fight the forces of evil from the inside, and with more resources to boot. Clever maneuvering or easy rationalization? A few members of Angel's team accused him of selling out (as did a number of viewers), but as with most of the show's previous four seasons, Angel somehow took a dubious premise and mined it for gold. And with one core cast member gone (Charisma Carpenter, whose Cordelia was immersed in a deep coma), it seemed as if the show, from within and without, would suddenly fall apart--that is, until Angel's longtime nemesis Spike (James Marsters) showed up, fresh from his sacrificial roasting at the series finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Let the vampire games begin!

With Buffy off the air, fans flocked to Angel's last season to get their fix of Joss Whedon's "Buffyverse" in any form they could, and the addition of Spike was a shrewd one, albeit not enough to keep the show from getting canceled. And for the first half of the season, the creative forces behind the show seemed to be toying ruthlessly with the audience. Spike was around, but not entirely corporeal; Angel himself became sullen and withdrawn; and most horrifically, sweetheart scientist Fred (Amy Acker) and former watcher Wesley (Alexis Denisof) underwent traumas that would test even the most devoted viewer. However, just when you'd be about to throw in the towel, things started changing for the better--Spike became a permanent fixture (both in the flesh and on the show), Angel's secret motives were revealed, and the introduction of demon warrior Illyria, who proved to be the show's answer to Buffy's sardonic demon-made-human Anya, was a welcome breath of fresh air. Creatively, Angel also came up with some of its best episodes, including "Smile Time" (where Angel is turned into a puppet – really!) and "You're Welcome" (the show's 100th episode, which marked the bittersweet return of Carpenter's Cordelia). The ending of the series was deliberately ambiguous, and not everyone made it through alive, but in going out kicking, it was a proper sendoff for a show that always fought the good fight. --Mark Englehart

Synopsis
The fifth season of this popular spinoff of WB's BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER features more battles between the powers of good, evil, and in-between, with storylines that are humorous, hip, and somewhat soap-operatic. After centuries as a practising vampire, Angel (David Boreanaz) is now motivated by guilt to rid Los Angeles of the multitudes of evil beings that infest it. He leads his team of immortal beings, who are now running the firm of former enemy Wolfram and Hart, in the fight against the forces of darkness. He also must battle his own dark side, which causes him, at times, to lose heart in his pursuit of heroism. In this season, Angel is about to give up, until someone from his past returns to inspire him. Also, a disembodied Spike spends a great deal of time attempting to become corporeal once again. A new liaison with The Powers That Be appears in the form of a young woman named Eve, but is she really who she says she is.

Customer Reviews

The Never Ending Story
It's always been difficult to decide whether Buffy or Angel was the better show, until now. Set in new surroundings, Wolfram & Hart, Angel got a fresh new look for it's final and best season.

The 4th season was evidence of the show getting a bit stale and this move was a breath of fresh air. The season has some excellent continuous storylines, but also some great individual episodes. Smile Time, You're Welcome and Harm's Way are great examples of these. Every charcter had episodes devoted just to them, with references going back to the beginning in some cases. The story arcs are great too. Adjusting to life in the largest, oldest and not forgetting most evil law firm in the world provides a great plot for the 1st half with some memorable and hilarious moments, the reintroductions of Spike and Harmony being an excellent choice. The 2nd half then moves into more serious plots that don't just revolve around individuals, but the company as a whole. The introduction of Illyria halfway through was a bold but great move and the build up to the final battle with the Senior Partners is addictive viewing, quite literally. I watched the whole series in the space of 25 hours. Never has a show had such a moving ending. It leaves you feeling very satisfied while at the same time wanting more. You get closure on all the characters that matter, from Cordelia all the way through to Lindsey. The progress in the relationships between Fred & Wes and Connor & Angel are especially moving.

The final few episodes manage to create a sense of finality at the same time as having a familiar sense of continuity. It has stuck to the theme of all the seasons - you have to fight on and although the war may never end, you can always make a difference in the world. This will not let any Angel fans down. Joss has done his best job yet and it was truly sad to see the show go. Essential viewing.

Although the special features have not yet been revealed, if they're like other seasons, they will be well worth having and just make the DVD even better value for money. The episodes alone make it worth it, though.

Let's Go to Work
I have to admit, when I bought this series I had my doubts. I had heard a lot of negative viewpoints on the season, and the absence of Cordelia did not look appealing.

However, when I finally watched it, I was completely amazed. Angel went out with a bang, not a whimper, and kept it's premise until the very end. There's plenty of stand-alone episodes, which makes a refreshing change to the interesting although heavy arcs of the last 3 seasons, and a focus on character development. Everyone changes in this season, whether it's Lorne, Gunn, Fred or Connor (please note that despite being a chief Connor hater, this season convinced me that the character could be incredibly likeable). Angel's loyalties are kept ambiguous right from the very end, as he dives deeper and deeper into Wolfram & Hart. There are plenty of new characters to pique your interest, as well as the return of Buffy favourites (most obviously, Spike). For those interested in what happens to the Scooby gang after Chosen, there is even a little valuable info on their whereabouts!

To cut it short, this is a worthy last season to a surprise hit show. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, you'll cover your eyes during the gory bits, but most importantly, it will reward you 8 years of watching the Buffyverse unfold.

A must buy!

Fabulous season
Wow, this DVD set has the best featurettes I've seen on any Angel series. Right from the art work to the commentaries this is a feast of salty goodness for any Angel fan. Commentaries by Joss Whedon, Skip Schoolnik, David Fury, Steven S. Deknight, David Boreanaz, Juliet Landau, Christian Kane, Brent Fletcher, Alexis Denisof, Amy Acker, Sarah Thompson, Adam Baldwin, Jeffrey Bell and wonderful insights into the show that I'd never have known without it. The show production values come shinning through to reveal just what Warner Brothers through away when they cancelled Angel.