Angel is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Here are the best episodes to pick up and watch at random!

Billed as being the darker, more noir-seeped tale of a vampire with a soul living in the demon-riddled Los Angeles in the early 2000s, Angel took pains to break from Buffy‘s shadow and carve out its own place on network television. When the cast reunited for EW earlier in 2019, much to this writer’s delight, executive producer David Greenwalt described Angel saying, “The stories will be darker and, more important, [Angel]’ll be darker.”

Dark, dark, dark. That is the word used to describe the lightest, and arguably, most fluffy vampire to ever done sharpened teeth on television. Sure, you cannot parade a pancake of a man on television and say, “Come for the brutal and morally manipulative scenarios each week, but stay for the cozy, sweater wearing undead being who just wants to love his friends.”

That’s exactly what happened three years ago when I met David Boreanaz’s Angel for the first time. Hypable’s ReWatchable podcast dedicated a great stretch of time to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then on Angel. Watching the two in tandem, in the order that they aired, revealed something not only to the newbies watching the show for the first time, but also posed a question for the superfans revisiting their favorite series. Buffy was what brought everyone to the table, but Angel is what made me stay.

You can listen to our Buffy and Angel coverage starting at episode #139 and concluding with episode #267!

The character, though insufferable at most times on Buffy grew into one of my all-time favorite characters on television by the fifth season’s conclusion. Angel changed because of the people he met in his own series. Charles Gunn, the return of Cordelia Chase and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Lorne, Fred, and yes, even Connor, all allow Angel to blossom on his never-ending journey of redemption. From Doyle’s short-lived, yet impactful presence, to the comings and goings of villains, ill-translated prophecies, and a few cut throats and hands, Angel seasons 1-4 are a rollercoaster of what it means to love and trust in a world where nothing good ever seems to happen.

By the time we get to season 5, things are off the rails in the best way possible with the addition of the equally soulful Spike. That season is a dream–I can’t believe it happened in the way it happened with the episodes it had.

Unfortunately, if you followed the show in real-time or caught up after the fact, not everything was smooth sailing for Charisma Carpenter both off screen and on, leaving her absent for season 5 and portrayed in less-than-ideal circumstances for the one prior. This left Angel broken-hearted and fans even more so when during EW’s reunion it was reported that Boreanaz walked into Carpenter and Aker’s makeup chairs, “plops himself on the counter and sits, legs swinging giddily, catching up with them while they’re curled and coiffed. “Look at that smile,” he says, gesturing to Carpenter with affection.” Honestly, bury me right here.

The friendships and family that was formed on screen is unlike anything, perhaps maybe only rivaling Tara and Willow, on Buffy. You want this band of unlikely heroes to win and to feel good about it.

The series ran from October 5, 1999, airing 110 episodes before the series finale dropped on May 19, 2004. Before the cast reunites one more time at New York Comic Con, here are the episodes that capture the true essence of the show–found family, unconditional love, fighting for what’s right, and finding a way to step into the sun.

If you could only pick two, here are the picks for the best episodes to watch that do not rely too heavily on preceding plot points, or cross-over knowledge. When in doubt there’s always the “previously on” to catch you up!

Guide to the best ‘Angel’ episodes

‘Angel’ season 1 episodes:

Episode 1, “City Of”
The pilot of Angel is actually one of my favorite episodes of the series. It plucks Angel right from Buffy and sets him on his own course, in this new city, not so far away mileage wise, but worlds away from the Hellmouth. It’s a city with its own troubles, a place where a person can make amends and strike out in a new direction. And, of course, it all starts with saving the life of a familiar face.

Episode 16, “The Ring”
Humanity is just as evil as any demon from any dimension. This is one of the themes that Angel comes back to again and again. And it is one that I appreciated the most about the series. The demons are sometimes the people who need help, it is not easy to determine the monster of the week, especially when the Monster of the Series is a corporation run by humans. It’s a murky gray area, always. This episode also gives Cordelia and Wes some time to work on their undercover work, which is always hilarious.

‘Angel’ season 2 episodes:

Episode 2, “Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been”
Fresh out the gate, Angel season 2 strikes with a great episode blending some of Angel’s past experiences in Los Angeles with a present Monster of the Week case. The Hyperion hotel, which becomes a central location for the pancake gang, serves as the local for the group to confront a demon who preys on the insecurities of its guests, driving them to eventual madness. The group move into the hotel at the end of the episode as it is now a place that is meant to accepted and made whole again, now that the evil is gone.

Episode 21, “Through the Looking Glass”
I forgot how much time is spent in Pylea! The penultimate episode of the season, however, is where the best bits of the adventure occur. With Cordelia on the throne, the illusion of her power and pull to stay in Pylea begins to fade. Additionally, we meet Fred when Angel saves her life. She is not indebted to him for long as he struggles to face the monster, he is usually so great at burying inside of himself. This spawns the beginning of a great alliance between Fred and Angel that carries over throughout the entire series…well… until…you know.

‘Angel’ season 3 episodes:

Episode 5, “Fredless”
This episode is the best snapshot of this group. The dialogue alone is the rapid-fire, sharp-witted exchanges that you would expect from siblings or friends who have known each other for years. From Cordelia and Wes reenacting what Buffy and Angel’s reunion looked like, to Angel getting offended that he was called “fat” to Wes and Gunn bickering endlessly it’s all there.

Episode 13, “Waiting in the Wings”
“Waiting in the Wings” is one of those episodes that sticks with you. Not just because of some fan fulfillment, although that was very much appreciated. But mostly this episode gets a lot of things on the table–Angel’s feelings for Cordelia, the moves made between Gunn and Fred, Wesley handling the loss of that coupled with the changing dynamic of the group.

‘Angel’ season 4 episodes:

Episode 11, “Soulless”

I am, unapologetically, obsessed with Angelus. Boreanaz is incredible as Angel’s alter ego. When he opens his eyes at the conclusion of the prior episode, I screamed. Boreanaz’s ability to bring this character to such a deeply twisted place is baffling to me. Of course, I would not miss an opportunity to bring Angelus into the mix. He is always a welcome delight. Don’t just take my word for it, listen to the director, Sean Astin (fun fact!).

In his television directing debut, Astin noted in an interview with Zap2it that, “Angelus [has] so many layers and so many different shades and qualities, you want to keep exploring them and mining them and pulling them out. It’s such a rich, meaty character for him to do. He’s good at evil. It’s a little creepy.”

Episode 22, “Home”
Season 4 left a lot to be desired. But “Home” sets the show on a new path for season 5, one that leads right into the belly of the beast – Wolfram and Hart. Lilah’s pitch has undeniable appeal and even without Angel handing down a decision for the group, everyone gets the hint on their own. With the resources at hand, they can keep evil in check much better from the inside than waiting for hints that it is coming from the outside.

Plus, Angel gets office windows that let him stand in the sun, and the knowledge that Connor now has a family and memories of a life where he is loved, cared for, and never alone.

‘Angel’ season 5 episodes:

Episode 14, “Smile Time”
One word: puppets. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, funnier to ever happen on this series than watching Spike fight with a puppet Angel and then having Lorne pick up his body with fluff coming out of it saying, “My little prince.”

I could barely write that last sentence. This episode is a gift.

Episode 22, “Not Fade Away”
The series finale of Angel can be polarizing. I, for one, think it is brilliant and ends the way the show needed to–no answers, just fight for the chance to see another day. So long as they are on the side of good, the series did its job.

Angel is now available to stream on Hulu.