The Angel finale aired 20 years ago.
Here’s what made the spinoff special.
What do we want from a spinoff?
More time with a favorite supporting character, as withFrasierorBetter Call Saul?
An expansion of a compelling mythos, as withStar Trek: Deep Space NineorHouse of the Dragon?
Or perhaps a deeper exploration of some potent themes, as withRugratsoffshootAll Grown Up?
Buffy the Vampire SlayerspinoffAngelfulfilled all of those criteria and more.
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What made a weird cult shows weirder, more cult spin-off such a gem?
The key word is redefinition.
He even had a cool car.
But from that very first episode, the writers never quite presented Angel as a straightforward hero.
As the series progressed, Angel would continue to evolve in unexpected directions.
He would turn evil again.
He would become a father to Connor (Vincent Kartheiser).
His character and purpose would be redefined right up until the last moments of the show.
And he wasnt alone.
TheAngelcharacter with the most pronounced evolution was arguably Wesley Wyndam-Price (Alexis Denisof).
Which brings us to Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter).
But the showwouldnt just redefine its characters it would do the same with the Buffyverse itself.
And then there was Wolfram & Hart.
In one form or another.
It works with us.
It works because of us.
How could a lone champion and his ragtag crew go up against such bottomless power?
Could such ancient, institutional evil be put to good moral use?
Could such an instrument of suffering ever be reconfigured to alleviate suffering?
To (perhaps pretentiously) paraphrase Audre Lorde: can the masters tools ever dismantle the masters house?
The answer the show eventually came down upon was a resoundingno.
The machine was too big, too complex, too evil.
While arguably one of the mostexhilarating endings in TV history, its also in some ways astoundingly bleak.
And the show tells us in no uncertain terms that this system cannot be fixed.
Redefinition has its limits, and the only option left is to revolt, and very possibly die trying.
ThroughoutBuffy the Vampire Slayer, the gang faced some steep odds.
There was grief, there was loss.
But good always triumphed eventually.
It was a good ending cathartic, satisfying, mythic.
But contrast it withAngels final shot.
Fighting until their last breath, which was more than likely imminent.
Because it was never about victory.
You dont fight the good fight because you expect it to end but neither do you give up.
You continue to fight because thats the only moral choice.
Because if nothing we do matters, the only thing that matters is what we do.
