Overview
Premiere Date (US): October 5, 1999
Final Air Date (US): May 19, 2004
Seasons: 5
Created by: Joss Whedon
Principal Cast: David Boreanaz (Angel), Charisma Carptenter (Cordelia Chase), Glenn Quinn (Doyle (1999)), Alexis Denisof (Wesley Wyndham-Pryce), J.August Richards (Charles Gunn), Amy Acker (Winifred 'Fred' Burkle/Illyria), Andy Hallett (Lorne), Vincent Karthieser (Connor), James Marsters (Spike) and Mercedes McNab (Harmony)
As Buffy the Vampire Slayer's second season concluded, rumors began of a spin off featuring Buffy's recently sent to hell boyfriend Angel. The over two hundred year old vampire with a soul would be joined by spoiled Sunnydale native Cordelia. Completing the cast with be the character of Doyle, a demon sent by the powers that be to help Angel on his way. The tone of the show would be darker and more adult than Buffy.
The show began with Angel having moved to Los Angeles after breaking up with Buffy as she prepared to graduate from high school. Living on his own, he soon met Doyle. Doyle was a demon sent to help Angel by the powers that be. They would send Doyle a vision and then Angel would help that person. While on is first mission, Angel ran into Cordelia Chase. Now in L.A. aspiring to be an actress, Cordelia was her old self, but found herself in need of rescuing by Angel. The three then formed a business in order to bring in money - Angel Investigations. Angel also encountered a law firm known as Wolfram & Hart that knowingly represented vampire.
After Doyle's heroic and tragic death, former watcher Wesley Wyndham-Pryce found himself in Los Angeles and helping Angel and Cordelia. He eventually stayed to help them on a permanent basis. Soon joining the team was also Charles Gunn. Raised on the streets, Gunn began fighting vampires at an early age along with his sister. After she was turned into a vampire and died, he began helping Angel more frequently before being hired permanently.
While searching Wolfram & Hart, Angel took a scroll from their vault. After translating it Wesley determined that it said the vampire with a soul will live - Angel would become human again. In an effort to get to Angel, Wolfram & Hart brought Darla back to life. Before Angel could find out, he cut off Lindsey's hand in a fight.
In an effort to find help, Angel went to Caritas, a demon karaoke bar. Owned by an empath demon named Lorne, he could tell what was going to happen to people when he heard them sing. A trip to Lorne's home dimension of Pylea brought the group to Fred Burkle, a physicist who'd been trapped there as a slave for five years. When they brought her back, she also became a member of Angel Investigations. She also later dated Gunn.
After being brought back to life by Wolfram & Hart in the first season, Darla began to visit Angel in his sleep. Eventually realizing it was her, the two had sex before Angel sent her packing. The next time he would see her, he would find out that she was pregnant with his child.
An old enemy from two hundred years ago returned, a vampire hunter by the name of Daniel Holtz. He'd made a deal with a demon named Sahjhan to keep himself dormant until the time was right. Holtz returned and found Angel just as Darla was giving birth. Deciding that their son was the only good thing she and Angel ever did together, Darla killed herself. Holtz let Angel go, deciding to wait to get his revenge.
Finding a prophecy that declared "the father will kill the son," Wesley panicked and took Angel's son Connor. Trying to get the baby to safety, he took Connor to Holtz. Holtz took the baby to an alternate dimension, leaving Angel devastated and Wesley with his throat slit.
Cordelia, who'd left on vacation, soon returned to find Angel a wreck. Wesley was separated from the group and found himself being preyed upon by Wolfram & Hart attorney Lilah Morgan. A grown up Connor returned after having only been gone a few months. The dimension where Holtz took him caused him to age at a more rapid rate. Despite not being able to get Wesley to work for Wolfram & Hart, Lilah developed a sexual relationship with him. Believing his father to be pure evil, Connor sent Angel to the bottom of the Pacific. On her way to meet Angel, Cordelia ascended to a higher plane.
Months later Cordelia is still missing, Angel is still under water and Wesley is still sleeping with Lilah. With Fred and Gunn caring for Connor at the hotel, they spend their time trying to find Cordelia and Angel. Lorne has left for Las Vegas to perform a show there and calls made to him are not returned. Wesley finds Angel and takes him back to the hotel. After regaining some strength, Angel throws Connor out of the hotel.
Cordelia returns, having no memory of who she is. She finds herself drawn to Connor and when her memory returns, she elects to stay with him. Their relationship deepens as a new enemy known as the Beast beings to wreak havoc on Los Angeles. Angel had apparently known the Beast, but had no memory of it. Cordelia informed Connor that she was pregnant and they'd be expecting a baby. Needing to find some information on the Beast, they decided to take Angel's soul and bring Angelus back since he was the one who knew the Beast. Angel's soul went missing and Cordelia turned out to be controlling the Beast. Faith was brought in for assistance and Willow had to be called in from Sunnydale to help get Angel's soul back, but not before Lilah had been killed. While everyone believed Angel had done it, Cordelia had killed Lilah.
Cordelia, her evil doings the result of possession, gave birth to a beautiful grown woman named Jasmine, known as the Devourer. She brought about a great peace over the world, while eating people in order to remain strong. Fred was the first to discover what Jasmine was doing and did her best to try and convince the others that Jasmine was evil. She finally succeeded and Jasmine was killed by Connor. The world no longer at peace, Lilah returned with an offer.
As part of a claus in Lilah's contract, she was still working for Wolfram & Hart after her death. They sent her to offer Angel Investigations full control of the Los Angeles office of Wolfram & Hart, having been rebuilt after the Beast destroyed it. Eventually Angel agreed to the deal so that he could get medical care for Cordelia, who'd been in a coma since giving birth. He was also able to place Connor in a home with a nice, loving family with no memory of the events of his life that caused him such pain. The only one who did remember Connor was Angel.
Now running Wolfram & Hart, each person had their area of expertise. Fred ran the science lab, Wesley oversaw demon research, Lorne was in charge of the entertainment division and Gunn was implanted with vast knowledge of the legal system. Harmony returned to take on the job of Angel's assistant and when opening his mail, Angel found Spike. At first incorporeal, Fred worked hard to restore Spike. She finally did and Spike and Angel fought over the Shanshu prophecy, which they'd been led to believe could mean either one of them.
Lindsey had returned and was working with Eve, their new liaison to the senior partners. Lindsey had found a way to hide himself from the senior partners, but Angel stopped that with the help of the recently awakened Cordelia. The senior partners now having Lindsey, Cordelia and Angel shared a tearful good-bye before he received a call saying she had died without ever waking up.
Having longed to be with Fred since he'd met her, Wesley find got his wish and the two began seeing each other.
At Wolfram & Hart, Gunn allowed the acceptance of a sarcophagus. When Fred opened she became very ill and died. Immediately after dying, an ancient by the name of Illyria took control of her body.
Angel and everyone prepared for a final fight against the senior partners. The battle cost Wesley his life and Lorne killed Lindsey. Angel, Gunn, Spike and Illyria prepared to face the battle before them.
The show's cancellation was announced on February 14, 2004. Fans immediately began to try and save the show, however it ended on May 19th of that year after 110 successful episodes.