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Previously on "Angel": The vampire-with-a-soul
(played by David Boreanaz) can only utter "Connor,"
his baby son's name, in devastation. The child has disappeared
into "the darkest of the dark worlds" with
Angel's archenemy Holtz (Keith Szarabajka); the dark
world's entrance closes when a lightning bolt thrusts
an advancing Angel back.
When the WB's supernatural action series returns from
hiatus Monday (8 p.m. on WGN-Ch. 9), fans will probably
expect Angel, the 300-year-old blood-sucking detective,
and his associates to mount a rescue attempt. Well,
whatever fans expect, they're in for a surprise.
"They will never save the baby. The baby is gone
forever," says David Greenwalt, who co-created
the show with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" creator
Joss Whedon.
However, "there may be another form his son might
take," Greenwalt teases. The latest development
adds to what has already become a fascinating third
season for "Angel."
"We kind of had a breakthrough," Boreanaz
says. "A lot of people counted us out in a lot
of areas, but we stayed the course and knew where we
were going. All you can do is hope for the best, and
we planted a good, solid story line now that we can
really run with, rather than us being all over the place."
Improves with age
The "Buffy" spinoff could arguably be the
season's most improved series, given the strengthening
of the supporting cast and the Angel-is-a-daddy story
line infusing the series with a potent new punch and
much-needed direction.
This surprising comeback is surprising, considering
"Angel's" fate was up in the air last season
when "Buffy" went from the WB to UPN. Rather
than allowing "Angel" to go also, the WB kept
the show because it appeals to the desirable young-male
demographic. The network paired it on Mondays with "7th
Heaven," the wholesome family series and the network's
highest-rated show. "Angel's" ratings haven't
capitalized on its strong lead-in ("Angel"
averages 4.3 million viewers, down from "Heaven's"
7 million-viewer average), but the series flourished
creatively after the breakup with "Buffy."
"The show was connected to `Buffy' because of
the same kind of story lines," says Boreanaz, 32.
"We felt that we were strong enough when we were
still associated on the same night with `Buffy.'
"People are going to say, `Do you feel like you're
a stronger show because of [the split?]?' We are stronger
because our characters got better and we just matured
as a show."
A giant step forward
A lot of that positive feedback comes from the Connor
story line, which Greenwalt calls "a big step forward"
for the series.
"For me, the [Angel] metaphor is, `I may be eternal,
but I have no future, I have no tomorrow,'" Greenwalt
says. "And the fact is, having a child is almost
as good as him becoming human." The sense of purpose
for the character was vital for the show to survive,
according to Kathryn Thomas, associate director for
Chicago-based media buyer Starcom Entertainment.
"I think everybody was getting the feeling that
Angel, as he is the eternal man, if he doesn't have
anything to shoot for, and he can't experience love,
what are you going to do with him?" she says. "So
yes, they are definitely trying to give him a reason
for being, which is what the baby has done."
Thomas does throw up a possible red flag: "You're
always concerned when a series brings an infant or a
baby into the story line, because it begins to feel
like Scrappy Doo [joining the "Scooby Doo"
cartoon series]; sort of the beginning of the end."
According to Boreanaz , however, the baby being replaced
by "another form" isn't happening because
there was a fear of him becoming annoying, a la Scrappy.
Rather, the "new" Connor is part of the natural
growth of the series, he says.
The growth of the show is predicated on the fact that
Angel can't be a happy camper, Greenwalt says -- and
not just because the reformed vampire is under a Gypsy
curse that gives him a soul, which is his penance for
centuries of evildoing.
Plenty of pain
With six episodes left this season (Greenwalt says
the WB will pick up the series for a fourth season,
but whether it remains on Mondays or moves to another
night in the fall is unknown), the producer promises
the vampire's propensity for pain will continue, especially
in the four-episode season-finale arc that concludes
May 20.
For instance, Angel's season-long attraction to his
half-demon psychic friend, the headstrong Cordelia Chase
(Charisma Carpenter), will come to some "fruition,"
Greenwalt promises; he also promises Cordy's new demon
powers will manifest themselves in ways "you would
not believe."
"Actually, [the relationship] will be incredibly
painful," Greenwalt says. "The promise of
niceness will be there before it all turns horrible,
because it's Angel."
Copyright © 2002, Chicago
Tribune
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