Critic Reviews

Angel turns out to be as nimble, in its own way, as "Buffy" itself, and Boreanaz a revelation. It helps matters that Whedon has said his primary focus this year will be on the progeny, not the parent. [4 Oct 1999, p.1]

In the pilot, at least, Whedon manages to capture some of the same "Buffy" sensibility -- a rare combination of sexual energy, irony, intelligence, hot bodies, cool moves, action, menace and comic relief. The challenge is to sustain that tricky tone for a full season. [5 Oct 1999, p.1E]

Boreanaz oozes the perfect mixture of angst and irony. He's darkly foreboding when necessary, and then slips into the glib, smart humor that's the hallmark of the Buffy franchise. [5 Oct 1999, p.1E]

Angel is more straight-ahead action than Buffy, but it is a spin-off that twirls terrificly. Plunked behind Buffy, it completes the most joyously entertaining two hours on television. [5 Oct 1999, p.E01]

The good news is that the folks behind "Buffy" -- notably writer-creator Joss Whedon -- have come along for this new chapter in a vampire's life and, at least for the first episode, have brought their wit, style and keen sense of pop culture with them. [4 Oct 1999, p.1C]

Some weeks, the series works beautifully, moving along like the otherworldly detective show it's meant to be. ... But other times Angel can tip too far into jokiness—or, worse, come off like a supernatural version of hollow USA Network shows such as Silk Stalkings.

The new season of Angel is both Batman-dark and sly fun. What began as an awkward Buffy spin-off now has, under the guidance of exec producer David Greenwalt, its own tone, embodied by Boreanaz's relaxed L.A.-hipster vampire-detective: He's become the Dean Martin of bloodsuckers, and I mean that as a compliment.

For a show with such superb acting -- all honor to Boreanaz, who's got macho vulnerability down to a smooth essence not achieved since James Garner in his 'Rockford Files' days, and to Amy Acker, who has gone from victim to sexpot to villain without ever hitting a false note – 'Angel' is surprisingly rife with leaden lines like 'Rules can be broken; all you have to do is push hard enough.'

Angel upholds Whedon's spellbinding "Buffy" mantle and expands it, taking his surprisingly mature and witty view of life among the supernatural into an adult realm. [5 Oct 1999, p.B27]

Not only does Angel make sense as an extension of the "Buffy" mythology, it makes Angel seem more alive than he's been in about, oh, 240 years