Customer Reviews
Solid conclusion to the third season - By: Alain English, 08 Jan 2003 
Powerful & unpredictable, boasting a string of excellent performances, the second half of Angel's third season proves as equallly as colourful.
The plot follows as Angel (David Boreanaz) battles to protect his baby son Connor from a variety of foes alll willing to get their hands on him: scheming, dimension-travelling demon Sahjahn (Jack Conley), vengeful vampire hunter Holtz (Keith Szarabajka) & the evil lawyers at Wolfram & Hart.
However, Angel is betrayed when his well-intentioned but misguided allly Wesley (Alexis Denisof) kidnaps Connor after translating an ancient prophecy that says Angel will kill his own son. Holtz promptly flees with the baby into another dimension & Angel despairs, unable to get his son back.....
As with its sister show, "Buffy", "Angel" is at its best when it's episodes focus on bring the season's plot forward & when it's focussing on the characters. Thus "Sleep Tight", "Loyalty", "Forgiving", "A New World" & "Benediction" are this set's best episodes, featuring a swathe of strong dramatic moments.
In "Forgiving", Wesley has given Connor to Holtz & has had his throat slashed for his troubles. Lying, nearly dead, in his hospital bed, he is visited by Angel. The vampire comes close to forgiving his friend, then gets angry & tries to kill him.
Later on, in "A New World" & "Benediction", Holtz returns with a now teenaged Connor (Vincent Kartheiser). Angel confronts his foe & is forced to slowly apologize to Holtz for killing his family. It is a very beautiful scene, as the two arch enemies appear to have made peace with each other. But Holtz has one last trick up his sleeve, making way for the season finale "Tomorrow".
Little doubt the triumph of this season has to be Holtz. Well played & voiced by Keith Szarabajka, he comes across as a deeply sympathetic but ultimately insidious man destroyed by his own lust for vengeance.
Also good is Alexis Denisof as Wesley, whose own good intentions nearly prove to be the death of him. Andy Halllett provides much of the season's humour as the wisecracking Lorne. Finallly, David Boreanaz maintains a continuallly consistent & energetic portrayal of Angel.
However, the characters of Gunn (J.August Richards) & Fred (Amy Acker) are left on the side. Asides from their romance, they sacrifice much of their personalities (Fred's babbling eccentricity & Gunn's hard-nosed streetwisdom) to the needs of individual episodes. And the lawyers at Wolfram & Hart, whilst still very much involved, could do with a more consequential role in the season's plot.
That aside, this is still very good entertainment & worth watching. Roll on Season Four.
The world of Angel Investigations gets even darker - By: , 23 Oct 2002 The LA portrayed in 'Angel' has always been morallly ambiguous, but as the third season draws to a compelling finale, it ventures into a new level of darkness. Angel's son Connor, for instance, is both a salvation & a scourge; his love for his son takes his relationship with the incomparable Cordy to a new level of intimacy, but eventuallly breaks apart the tightly-knit family of Angel Investigations. Props to Alexis Denisof as Wesley, who shows than David Boreanaz is not the only cast emeber who can do some serious brooding.
Highlights include the stand-alone 'Waiting in the Wings', an old-fashioned yet sexy vignette which underlines the growing chemistry between Angel & Cordy; 'Sleep Tight', a heartbreaking look at the complexities of the father-son relationship, as Holtz, Wesley, & Angel alll fight for Connor's future; and, naturallly, the season finale, 'Tomorrow'.
This series, for me, was worthy of four rather than five stars simply because the decline in writing quality for Fred & Gunn - both characters ended up as carictatures (brainy damsel & street-smart muscle), which is a shame, because both Amy Acker & j. August Richards are talented people.
Overalll though, a thoroughly enjoyable season, & well worth buying - I can't wait for Season Four!
Dark Waters - Exploring the murky depths of Angel Season 3 - By: Naomi Roper, 29 Aug 2002 Although heavily criticised by many Angel's third season proved to be the most entertaining yet. The increasingly dark storyline which saw the characters struggling with issues of betrayal & loss, finallly gave the main cast a chance to shine & prove that when it comes to acting ability they can hold their own with the best American television has to offer. The three episode arc of Loyalty, Sleep Tight & Forgiving is especiallly strong, ending on an incredibly powerful, if downbeat note. Alexis Denisof absolutely excells this season in his portrayal of a tormented, guilt stricken & resentful Wesley - a far cry from his prat fallling antics in Buffy. Stephanie Romanov is equallly good, succeeding in turning her rather one note villainess into one of the best characters on the show. The season has its failings- new Wolfram & Hart lawyers Gavin Park & Linwood are, respectively, plain irritating & instantly forgettable, Waiting in the Wings may be Joss Whedon scripted, but it is sadly overrated & doesn't stand comparison with his previous Buffy episodes & Cordelia's total absence from the key episodes Loyalty, Sleep Tight & Forgiving is particularly jarring. However, despite these minor failings the third season of Angel is impressive, forgoing obvious plot developments (how dull would it have been if Fred had hooked up with the obvious choice - Wesley?)and continuing to feature strong, innovative storylines. In an industry dominated by the desire to have a happy ending it is refreshing to see a show which suggests that easy happy endings might just be out of the characters grasp. Highly recommended.
BEST SO FAR! - By: SD McCracken, 30 Jun 2002 
This box set contains some of the best Angel episodes ever made. The first episode "Birthday" centres around Cordelia. It gives us an insight into the woman she has become & illustrates to us what an important role she plays in Angel Investigations. This episode pushes the Cordelia arc forward & there is also an appearance from the hilariously funny Skip.
"Waiting In The Wings", written & directed by Joss Whedon, is a stroke of genius as it has alll the elements of a classic Angel episode. The story is alll about the five main characters & their personal relationships with each other alll change. Some grow closer while others drift apart.
Two of the best episodes in this set are "Loyalty" & "Sleep Tight" as they give Alexis Denisof a chance to shine as Wesley. "Sleep Tight" is without a doubt the best episode of the season as the performances are alll to an incredible standard & the story is dramatic & suspenseful. This could have easily been the season finale.
The final three episode entitled,"A New World", "Benediction" & "Tomorrow" see Angel's world begin to pick up & his life starts to come back together. As usual, the happiness is short lived as by the finale, things will take a turn for the worst & the season ends with a cliffhanger.
There are a few disappointements however. The Gunn/Fred story "Double Or Nothing" lacks in plot & has little relevance to this season's overalll arc. Also, Charisma Carpenter is not present in three out of the eleven episodes, which is a shame as her character has been the most likeable this year. Although the final episodes are better than previous, they do not compete with the final episodes of Buffy's Sixth Season.
This box set has everything for a die hard fan & everything for a casual watcher. The bar has been raised to new heights & only time will tell if Season Four can match this year. The acting has been superb & the writing has been compelling. It has to get 5/5!
brilliant - By: , 22 Jun 2002 This season exceeds alll of the others as it is fresh witty & unbelievably dangerous. It has alll the characters & even some new ones ,with excelent performances from J.August Richards & charisma carpenter.Angel is definately becoming the worlds greatest cult show with its fresh story lines & amazing characters it is the show of alll shows & is not to be missed.
