Angel Finale

I finally got a chance to watch the series finale, and was torn between pissed and pleased. If I had my way, there would have been another season or two to witness the continuing evolution of these characters; Wesley and Illyria could have carried another 2 seasons on their own.

But I couldn't have it my way, and so Angel comes to an end. If it had to go, it certainly did it with style and grace. Every character got a chance to shine and the "choose your own ending" way of closing the series out left it open ended enough for a return at some later point, but left the viewer feeling satisfied and uplifted if nothing more is done with the characters.

After seeing how things turn out for many of the cast, I am not sure if I even want a follow up to the series. It would be rather depressing after the death of my favorite character and Lorne becoming ForLorne. I must admit that the way they handled Harmony was masterful; it is unbelievable that I still love her character so much after the events of this episode; a lot of credit must go to Mercedes McNab for that.

Kudos to Alexis Denisof, especially, for turning a comic-relief character from BTVS into one of the most tragic characters of the Buffyverse; and never making me doubt the transition.

The entire cast has shown a remarkable range throughout the series and I hope that they all move on to new and exciting projects. Angel managed to surpass BTVS in becoming a much stronger and more nuanced show. It may have stumbled along the way, but it finished on top of the game.