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Angel - Season Five
Actor: Angel
Rated: Unrated
Retail Price (not our price): $59.98
Release Date: 2005-02-15
Theatrical Release Date: 1999-10-05
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Run Time: 990 minutes
Format: Array
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Discs: 6


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Amazon.com
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? Not 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 Spike was around, but not entirely corporeal; Angel himself became sullen and withdrawn; and most horrifically, sweetheart scientist Fred (Amy Acker) and former watcher Wesley (Alexis Denisof) underwent traumas that would test even the most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

2) Description
The Angel Investigations team is stunned when the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart give them control of the L.A. office. The gang quickly moves in, and although everyone is delighted at the amazing resources they now have at their command, they canÂ't stop wondering what the catch is. But the biggest mystery of all revolves around a small package Angel receives containing an amulet and a handful of dustÂ?which coalesces into a very-much-alive Spike.

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5

1) "You're A Bloody Puppet!"-Spike   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
Angel's fifth and unfortunatly last season was aired in 2003-2004 and was announced to be cancelled before the season's end.It was a questionnable decision as the show was one of WB's highest rated that season yet they decided to cancel it for a series that no one cares for anymore,funny isn't it?That decision haunts them even today.Season five of Angel was arguably the best depending of your opinion but it still manage to be very interresting and captivating.Partly due to the arrival of Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer wich made this season the funniest of Angel and comedy had a great place in the first half of the season.Its also in this last season that Angel celebrates its 100th episode in wich Cordelia appears for the last time in the series.There is also the brilliant puppet episode "Smile Time" included on this.This season also had many Buffy fans watching the show since the show ended after season 7. The season starts with the Angel Investigations team moving in the Wolfram and Hart L.A. office after being given control of it by the senior partners of the company.That is one of the misteries that season five holds.Also Angel receves a package that contains Spike in it!Spike at first doesn't have ,instead is like a ghost as he doesn't feel anything by he is there.His body starts to fade away and he just really added humor to the show and he was a great additon and by doing that it attracted Buffy watchers as well to in conclusion become one of Angel's most entertaining seasons.There is also the mystery of Illyria who will ocupy the boody of Fred latter on this season.This season also has Angel litterally making a deal with the devil and there is an episode where he becomes evil.As one could have expected not everyone of the gang will survive and that makes some intense drama and especially since I and fans really liked that character.After Cordelia being in a coma in season 4(Charisma Charpenter who played her was pregnant)some fans tought the show wasn't going to survive without her.But with the great addition off Spike,it did and we can live with the fact Cordelia ain't around because he's a great character.Its also to note that Wesley Windam Prince(Alexis Denisof)was getting unleashed in recent seasons and we discovered that he is more than a nerdy looking guy.In fact during this season he goes from being prey to predator!The first half of the season was wonderfull and they were some of my favourite and some of the best moments of the series too.The second part of the season is more of story ark with Illyria and Fred with many other things that the team has to deal with,its a noticably slower moment in the season.It gets better in the last couple of episodes and the final episode despite some minor complaints made by fans was pretty good and we felt the pressure the crew had and it ended nicely with Angel saying "Lets Get To Work" to the gang(as there was an army of villains against them)and then saying "Well personnally i kinda wanna slay the dragon" ending on a humorous touch,and there is enough emotion and action to making anyone's heart beat real fast. I really enjoyed watching the team work and issues between Angel and Spike.Also i tought they did a great job of doing a season that wasn't confusing like season four was,it was like some maze and all.The WB themselves tought that as they said that they would renew Angel's contract for another year during season four at the condition that those complicated plots as season four wouldn't be too much of a big presence instead wanting the show to return to its original monster-of-the-week format as in the first season.They did that in season 5 and it worked and immediatly worked with viewers of the show and its ratings just exploded,Spike being a reason why.Some other characters got some more spotlight thi season like Fred who became very important by the end of the season and Harmony who took a big place and was hilarious as Angel's secretary.New character Nina,the werewolf was interresting but was only present in a couple of great episodes and i tought she there was a great story going with her. Its too bad that the show got cancelled then when it was doing so great and it became even more interresting with Spike in it and if there would have been a sixth season it would have been very good as well.Even Spike couldn't save the series from being cancelled.There was still potential and stories to be told about Angel,the vampire with a soul,for instance we would probably have seen Fred returning and Willow from Buffy would have made a special appearance by making her come back with her wizard skills along with another character.No one expected the show would be cancelled at that time and neither did i,still Joss Whedon gave us 144 episodes of Buffy and 110 of Angel.This closed the Buffyverse and Whedon stopped doing any other shows and closed his company Mutant Ennemy Inc.A great ending season of a great series and it provided great episodes such as "Smile Time" and "Lineage" were Wesley faces his father wich were excellent nad were really entertaining.I highly recommend it to fans of the show or of the Buffyverse.

2) Awesome with a little disappointment.   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I purchased this set just to see the 'ending' of the show that I thought I did not see on television.I loved both BUFFY and ANGEL and they used to run concurrently when I got home from work in the morning so it would be a nice pre-sleep entertainment.Anyway I checked the discs out and ALAS TO MY CHAGRIN that was the ending.I did enjoy the plot and depth of characters in the series. And I do understand why the other reviewers lied the ending. But after the BUFFY ending this one kind of let me down. Since we didnt get a sixth season they could have at least let us know how the battle turned out. I might have to bribe Joss Whedon to write an EXTRA end story that explains it.To me the fifth season was the best. Especially because Spike(my personal hero) was involved. And Amy Acker was gorgeous and powerful as Illyria. Even though Wesley made some bad decisions his fight and enemy at the end were poetic after a fashion.If I ever get my druthers I may write a Buffy/Angel possible future fanfic and get a friend to draw stills like a manga.The Slayer Coalition and the Demon Three(Angel , Spike, Illyria) would make a good combo. I might keep Gunn because the Slayers kept Andrew.Till I die make mine Angel.

3) In the Belly of the Beast-Angel's Fifth and Final Season   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
A season full of changes, death and many farewells, Angel's fifth and final year is not only a great season, but the perfect send off to this wonderful series. Now as the new owners of L.A.'s Wolfram and Hart branch, Angel and the gang have a vast supply of facilities, weapons, workers and resources to help them fight the forces of evil. Not to mention, Spike mysteriously returns and becomes a pivotal part of the team. But where the fight truly lies is within Wolfram and Hart as Angel and the gang try to use the once evil empire as a force of good, but throughout the year, they will find that they are being corrupted by their new found power and it will cost them not only their very own lives but will set into motion THE Apocalypse they might not win. Here's Season 5:Conviction-Pretty good episode! "As Angel and the gang adjust to being the new owners of Wolfram and Hart, Angel must stop his latest client who has hid a mystical bomb that could wipe out all of California." The whole cast acts well in their new setting even though the plot could have been better. Harmony returns and Eve is introduced.Just Rewards-Weak episode!! "Spike mysteriously returns from the amulet that Angel gave to Buffy and immediately becomes a pain in Angel's side, just as Angel must stop an evil Necromancer." James Masters is a wonderful new addition to the cast and is hilarious as Spike as he interacts with the cast. I wish the plot was better though. Unleashed-Weak episode!! "Just as Angel and the gang help Nina, a young woman recently turned into a werewolf; deal with her new situation, a man plans to serve Nina as the main course at his formal gathering." Nina is a good character that gets some good development, but I never liked her relationship with Angel.Hell Bound-Great episode!! "Fred and the gang struggle to help Spike when Pavayne, The Reaper is after him and tries to force him into hell." A creepy and disturbing episode as Pavayne was a great villain and the haunting scenes were wonderful.Life of the Party-Weak Episode!! "After giving his sleep away to Wolfram and Hart, Lorne,unknowingly forces everyone to do whatever he says, leading to some outrageous hijnks and his mind manifesting." While there were some funny moments, the whole episode is pointless filler.The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco-Bad Episode!! "Angel asks for the help of Numero Cinco, a member of The Luchadors; a group of demon fighting Mexican wrestlers when an Aztec demon is on a rampage." One of the worst episodes of Angel's run, just boring, corny and forgettable!Lineage-Great episode!! "Just as Wesley struggles to get along with his father when he stops by for a visit, a group of cyborg assassins attack Wolfram and Hart as they plan to still Angel's will." Wesley gets some amazing development here and the scene where he shoots his father is very shocking!Destiny-Great episode!! "When Spike is mysteriously re-corporealized by another strange package in the mail, Angel and Spike must battle for an ancient cup to stop the world from being thrown into chaos." David Boreanaz and James Masters are great as both Spike and Angel battle to the death for the cup. Also, the flashbacks with Drusilla were great. Lindsey returns as well and is working with Eve!Harm's Way-Great episode!! "After a one night stand with a guy, Harmony awakes to find out she might have killed him. Thinking she was framed, Harmony investigates and tries to stop anyone from finding out." Harmony is so hilarious here, especially when she keeps knocking people out. Also, the demon clan was funny, lol.Soul Purpose-Great episode!! "While Eve traps Angel in his nightmares of failure to Spike, Lindsey takes on the persona of Doyle and guides Spike to the innocents of L.A." The dream sequences were top notch and show David is an effective director. The Spike/Lindsey scenes were also good. I liked how Eve gets busted at the end.Damage-Great episode!! "When Angel discovers that a recent escapee from a mental ward, Dana, is a vampire slayer, he gets the help of watcher-in-training Andrew to help just as Spike tracks down Dana." A very dark and impressive episode as Dana is a great character. I loved the torture scenes with Spike and the hilarious scenes with Andrew. The last scene is also very touching.You're Welcome-Incredible episode!! "When Cordelia finally wakes up from her coma, she is shocked to find Angel and the gang are in control of Wolfram and Hart and plans to get Angel back on track just as Lindsey makes his move to defeat Angel once and for all." Charimsa Carpenter makes her final appearance as this episode is full of so many amazing moments like Cordelia guiding Angel, the hilarious dialogue, the fight scene with Lindsey and the sad conclusion as Cordelia says goodbye.Why We Fight-Weak episode!! "Lawson, a mysterious man from Angel's past, returns to seek vengeance on Angel by taking the gang hostage just as Angel recalls during World War 2 when he was sent to save Lawson and his crew underwater." A slow, boring episode with a boring villain and horrible conclusion. Although, Spike being a Nazi was hilarious!Smile Time-Amazing episode!! "After a series of children falling into bizarre comas after watching a TV show called "Smile Time", Angel investigates at the show's studio only to be turned into a puppet mistakenly." One of the funniest episodes of Angel that's full of hilarious dialogue, great scenes and unforgettable moments. Watching the gang fighting the puppets was too priceless!A Hole in the World-Incredible episode!! "After being exposed to some dust from an ancient sarcophagus, Fred begins to slowly die as Angel and the rest of the gang go to extreme lengths to save her." A powerful episode that has tremendous acting, shocking revelations and an ending so moving that you are lost for words. Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker give their best performances yet!Shells-Incredible episode!! "Illyria, the parasite that slowly killed Fred, takes over her body and plans to take back the world she has conquered a millennia ago as a God King, just as Angel and Spike return to stop her and Wesley's grief causes him to go on a rampage." Just as powerful as the last episode, Illyria is a wonderful character/villain and her power display is amazing to watch. The ending is also the saddest scene in Angel history.Underneath-Great episode!! "After losing Fred, Angel along with Spike and Gunn, decide to find Lindsey for some information which leads them to a bizarre hell dimension where the Senior Partners put him in." The hell dimension was very impressive as it seems like a perfect world but isn't. I loved the introduction of Hamilton and the revelations of the upcoming apocalypse. Also, the Wesley/Illyria scenes were amazing.Origin-Great episode!! "Angel is shocked to find his son, Connor, has returned. Finally agreeing to take the case, Angel helps Connor and prepares him for a fight against Sahjan." Connor returns and has a great new personality. I loved his meeting with Illyria and the fight scene against Sahjan was great as well.Time Bomb-Great episode!! "When Illryia's powers become unstable and cause her to jump through time, Angel and the gang plan to kill her just as Illyria plans kill them herself." Loved the time loop scenes and the scene when Illryia kills the whole gang in like 5 seconds! The character also gets some good development.The Girl In Question-Weak episode!! "When Angel and Spike find out their old nemesis, The Immortal is with Buffy in Rome, they go there to stop him while Illyria takes the form of Fred when her parents visit." While the Immortal plot was lame, the sub-plot with Illryia's interaction with her parents was sad yet great to watch.Power Play-Amazing episode!! "The gang is worried that Angel has been corrupt by Wolfram and Hart when Drogyn returns and Angel joins the evil organization, Circle of the Black Throne." A dark and fantastic episode as it sets up for the finale so well. The fight between Illyria and Hamilton was great and the final scene is moving.No Fade Away-The Last episode!! "Angel and the gang live the day like it's their last as they prepare for the final fight against the Senior Partners when they plan to destroy the Circle of the Black Thorn." An incredibly perfect and epic finale as the whole cast does so well until their finale moments. From Wesley's death, to the scenes between Angel and Conner, to the last moments of the series...its stands true to what the show was all about.Angel's final season is one of the best seasons of the whole Buffyverse as there is a wonderful collection of some of the saddest and funniest episodes ever produced on TV. It's very sad that a series beyond it's time like Angel was cut short after just 5 seasons, but its legacy of fascinating writing, captivating storylines, strong acting and talented writers will live on. The DVD boxset has some great extras like hilarious bloopers as well as a special with Joss Whedon talking about the best episodes of Angel and an overview of the last season.

4) Angel Is better than spike   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
In his season Angel runs the LA branch of wolframheart. The evil law firm in the past has tried killing angel and trying to get him to join them. How will it end? Also in this season Spike returns from the hell mouth to bug Angel.

5) The Beginning of the End   [Rating: 3 out of 5]
All right, I may have to duck behind something and hide because Whedon fans don't like it when their shows are critisized but here goes anyway:Yes, Angel season 5 is by a wide-margin my least favorite season of the series. Just thought I'd get the most negative statement of the review out of the way.At the end of Angel season 4, Cordelia had been left in a coma. Angel had made a deal with Wolfram & Hart to take over their Los Angeles branch provided his son Connor was given new memories and a happy home that he himself could never provide. Season 5 finds the Fang Gang uneasy in their new offices. As they are beginning to adjust, Spike appears out of nowhere in ghost-like form to haunt and annoy Angel. Most of the people I've heard say they dislike Angel season 5 tend to think Spike is the problem with this season. That may be true for some fans who were never big Buffy viewers, but the addition didn't bother me. I was always a bigger Buffy fan than an Angel fan and Spike was a big part of that show. Nor was it the lack of Cordelia that irked me. I'd loved her in season one and two but the whole Angel loves Cordelia storyline, followed by the evil Cordy story had kind of killed the character for me. I think for me the show was just starting to run out of steam. There are certainly many people who will disagree with that statement, but hear me out at least. I think the reason people think the show could have carried on for a few more years is because the final storyline is a particularly good one and the last episode is great (definitely a lot better than Buffy's). But all of the really good things about this season came after it was cancelled and things had to be wrapped up. The first half of this season is (for the most part) quite mediocre. Up until season 5, Angel had only had one really bad episode in my opinion (season one's "She"), although many of the individual Cordelia/Connor scenes in season 4 had been a little hard to swallow. In early season 5, I sat through three episodes in a row that were all pretty bad ("Hellbound", which I struggled to stay awake during, "Life of the Party" which is basically a less funny remake of Buffy's "Something Blue", and "Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco" which spent a lot of time concentrating on an unimportant/uninteresting character). To be fair, those were followed by "Lineage" which was fantastic. For much of the first half of season 5, the rest of the Fang Gang aren't given much to do, but for this one episode, Angel actually felt like Angel again. "Soul Purpose" was also a lackluster episode, though not to the same extent. Tom Lenk's guest appearence in "Damages" was somewhat awkward. I liked Andrew on Buffy, but that's one character that really just didn't seem to fit the tone on Angel. Now that we're through with the unpleasant complaining, let's get to the good part of Angel season 5. As the show began to build up to the end, Joss Whedon got back to business. Fred is killed off in a heartbreaking episode, to be inhabited by the powerful Illyria. Wes is sent back to his dark place, and is in no mood to be forgiving when he discovers Gunn had a role in Fred's demise. Meanwhile, Angel seems to be going to a darker and darker place. Anyway, I must say that I do like this series and parts of this season. I just feel that Angel peaked in season 2 and never got to be that good again. I was upset like everyone else when it got cancelled, but that seems to have been a blessing in disguise. It allowed Joss to really move things along in the latter half of season 5 and let the show end on a high note. People like to say it could have gone on several more seasons, but I feel like it would have done so in a diminished capacity. Buffy season 5 was (in my opinion) far stronger than Angel season 5 and Buffy definitely went downhill by staying on the air for two more seasons (although it was never terrible). Overall, I think five seasons is a pretty good run. Certainly the loss of Firefly is a greater tragedy. I would recommend this set to fans of the series, although I would warn them that the rest of the series is quite a bit better.