I've just about wrapped up my Angel boxset collection as of yesterday with the purchase of Season 4, and as such I thought we'd take another moment to appreciate the silver-medal of Joss Whedon's work (gold to Firefly, and only a bronze for Buffy after she took two steps following her balance beam dismount). For those of you who do not know, and are therefore abominations in the eyes of the Lord, Angel was Whedon's second series, spun-off from Buffy after the Slayer's third season. Unlike the teen angst-driven, youth-in-america meets supernatural setting of the aforementioned series, this show took a darker tone from the beginning. First playing itself as a film-noir effort, it eventually evolved into a primetime, supernatural soap opera with an ensemble cast that was arguably better arranged than even the original Scoobies of Buffy's lore. Also, Angel began the current Whedon phenomena of getting his shows cancelled just as they hit their prime, as the series was killed halfway through its fifth, and highest rated, season. So let's take a moment to remember Angel... in the manner to which Joss Whedon shows are best honored: by a quick admiration of the jaw-dropping caliber of the female leads on his show, somehow matching the series' creative genius with the same quality in good old fashion t-and-or-a. Delicious.
Charisma Carpenter as "Cordelia Chase"
Amy Acker as "Winifred Burkle"
Julie Benz as "Darla"
Stephanie Romanov as "Lilah Morgan"
