Angel (season 5)

The fifth and final season of the television series "Angel", the spin-off of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", premiered on October 1, 2003 on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season and its television run on May 19, 2004. The season aired on Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET. This was the first and only season of "Angel" to air following the finale of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
Season synopsis.
Having been handed the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram & Hart, Angel and his allies are determined to use the company's resources to help the world. Angel handles the day-to-day running of the company, and the rest of his team head departments which suit them; notably, Gunn becomes the firm's top lawyer after having his brain upgraded at the behest of the Senior Partners. Connor lives a new life with fake memories, while Cordelia remains in a coma. Harmony Kendall becomes Angel's secretary and a new character, Eve, acts as the team's liaison to the partners. Angel receives the amulet used to destroy the Hellmouth, from which Spike is resurrected in a non-corporeal state.
Eventually, Spike is re-corporealized, causing chaos throughout the world. Eve claims that this chaos is due to there now being two candidates for the Shanshu Prophecy (which claimed that an ensouled vampire would play a pivotal role in the apocalypse, and then become human). To determine to whom the prophecy applies, Angel and Spike fight, with Spike winning. The situation is revealed to be a ruse, but Angel begins to doubt the Shanshu Prophecy, and himself. The ruse was orchestrated by Eve and her boyfriend Lindsey McDonald, Angel's former rival, who seeks to demoralize Angel and take his place. 
Eve and Lindsey continue their schemes, although the gang eventually realizes Eve's duplicity. Lindsey approaches Spike under the guise of Angel's late friend Doyle, and manipulates him into taking Angel's former role. After Cordelia awakens from her coma, she helps Angel recover his confidence, and aids him in thwarting Lindsey's plans, who is sent to a hell dimension by the Senior Partners. Cordelia kisses Angel, before disappearing, as Angel is told that she had died that morning. 
Eve is replaced by Marcus Hamilton, for her betrayal. Fred and Wesley eventually begin a relationship. However, Fred becomes infected with the spirit of the ancient demon Illyria. Illyria consumes Fred's body, and she dies in Wesley's arms. Illyria attempts to retake the Earth, but finds that her forces are long gone. Lost in the modern world, she asks Wesley to be her guide, to which he agrees. The gang is devastated by the loss of Fred, but adjusts to Illyria. Gunn feels guilt over Fred's death, having accidentally allowed her infection to receive a brain upgrade. Angel decides to oppose the Senior Partners, and rescues Lindsey to learn what he knows of them. Gunn stays behind in Lindsey's place to atone. 
Angel comes into contact with Connor and learns that the demon Cyvus Vail requires Connor to kill the demon Sahjhan. Although Connor succeeds, he has his original memories restored after Wesley uses Vail's magic in an attempt to bring Fred back. Connor understands Angel's actions and continues living his fabricated life. After Illyria rescues Gunn, her powers spiral out of control. Wesley drains most of her power, leaving her distraught. 
Angel seemingly grows corrupt, as his efforts against the Senior Partners fail. His team stages an intervention, during which Angel reveals that his actions are a front. He claims that the Powers That Be had allowed Cordelia her last day, in which she gave Angel a vision, revealing the Circle of the Black Thorn, a society of demons who serve the Senior Partners directly. Angel has infiltrated the group, to kill them in defiance against the Senior Partners. The team joins Angel in this task. 
As the Circle suspects him, he feigns loyalty by signing away his rights to the Shanshu Prophecy. After spending one day doing what they want, the team splits up to kill the Circle members. Angel poisons their leader, Archduke Sebassis, and is confronted by Hamilton, killing him with Connor's help. Wesley fights Vail, but is defeated and dies in Illyria's arms; she recreates Fred for him as he dies, before killing Vail. Spike and Gunn kill their targets, but Gunn is gravely wounded in the process. Lorne helps Lindsey with his target, then kills him, on Angel's orders, after which he leaves the city.
With the Circle destroyed, the survivors meet up. In retaliation, the Senior Partners unleash a demonic army against them. Despite noting the overwhelming odds, the team heads into battle.
Crew.
Series creator Joss Whedon served as executive producer, now able to concentrate more on "Angel" as both "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly" ended. Whedon wrote and directed two episodes throughout the season ("Conviction" and "A Hole in the World"), co-wrote the story for "Smile Time" and co-wrote (as well as directed a number of scenes of) the series finale, "Not Fade Away". Whedon was originally intended to direct the final episode of the show but his commitments to filming "Serenity" (the sequel film to "Firefly") made it impossible for him to do so. He delegated the task to showrunner Jeffrey Bell who also wrote the episode alongside Whedon. Bell would write and direct only one other episode of the season.
After "Buffy" ended, David Fury joined the writing staff full-time as co-executive producer, later promoted to executive producer midseason, and wrote or co-wrote four episodes, including writing and directing the 100th episode. "Buffy" writer Drew Goddard also joined the staff as executive story editor and wrote or co-wrote five episodes. Steven S. DeKnight was promoted to producer, later promoted to supervising producer midseason, and wrote or co-wrote six episodes, two of which he directed. Ben Edlund was promoted to supervising producer and wrote or co-wrote four episodes, including writing and directing "Smile Time". Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain were promoted to executive story editors and wrote three episodes. Brent Fletcher, who was a script coordinator, wrote one episode, which was directed by series star David Boreanaz.
Co-creator David Greenwalt, who had left "Angel" in an official capacity at the end of season three, came back to direct the antepenultimate episode of the series, "The Girl in Question".
Episodes.
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Crossovers with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" concluded the previous season, therefore there are no official crossovers between the two series. Despite this, references are made throughout the fifth season of "Angel" that relate to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Spike is resurrected (after his death in "Chosen") by the magical amulet Angel gave to Buffy at the start of the finale. Spike subsequently becomes a main character of the season. Harmony Kendall (Mercedes McNab) also becomes a main character and joins the star cast for the season. "Buffy" recurring character Andrew Wells (Tom Lenk) appears in two episodes ("Damage" and "The Girl in Question"), revealed to be a Watcher-in-training. Andrew states in "Damage" that Xander is in Africa, Willow and Kennedy are in Brazil, Buffy and Dawn are in Rome, and everyone else is in England.
Cancellation.
On February 14, 2004, The WB Network announced that "Angel" would not be brought back for a sixth season. The one-paragraph statement indicated the news, which had been reported by a web site the previous day, had been leaked well before the network intended to make its announcement. Joss Whedon posted a message on a popular fan site, The Bronze: Beta, in which he expressed his dismay and surprise, saying he was "heartbroken" and compared it to a "healthy guy falling dead from a heart attack." Fan reaction was to organize letter-writing campaigns, online petitions, blood and food drives, advertisements in trade magazines and via mobile billboards, and attempts to lobby other networks. UPN was a particular target, as it had already picked up "Buffy". Outrage for the cancellation focused on Jordan Levin, The WB's Head of Entertainment.
Writer and producer David Fury "guarantees" that if Joss Whedon hadn't requested an early renewal "Angel" would have been back for a season six:
The only reason that "Angel" didn't come back...it's a very simple thing. Because our ratings were up, because of our critical attention, Joss specifically asked Jordan Levin, who was the head of The WB at the time, to give us an early pick-up because every year they [would] wait so long to give "Angel" a pick-up [and] a lot of us [would] turn down jobs hoping that "Angel" will continue – he [Joss] didn't want that to happen. So, he was feeling very confident and he [Joss] just asked Jordan, "Like, make your decision now whether you're going to pick us up or not," and Jordan, sort of with his hands tied, with his back up against the wall, called him the next day and said, "Okay, we're canceling you." Jordan's no longer there and The WB has since recognized...I believe Garth Ancier at The WB said that it was a big mistake to cancel "Angel". There was a power play that happened that just didn't fall out the way they wanted it to. We wanted to get an early pick-up, we didn't. In fact we forced them [The WB] to make a decision, and with his hand forced he [Levin] made the decision to cancel us.
I guarantee that, if we waited as we normally did, by the time May had come around they would have picked up "Angel". I can guarantee that.
Reception.
The fifth season has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 8 out 10. The site's critics consensus reads, ""Angel"s final season concludes the series with a creative resurgence that restores the show's signature blend of humor and horror, ending on a bittersweet high note that should satisfy fans while leaving them wishing there could have been more."
The fifth season won four Saturn Awards – Best Network Television Series (tied with ""), Best Actor in a Television Series (David Boreanaz), Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series (James Marsters), and Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series (Amy Acker). While Alexis Denisof was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series and Charisma Carpenter was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series. The series, Marsters, and Acker also received nominations again in 2005.
"Smile Time" and "Not Fade Away" were nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
The Futon Critic named "Lineage" the 32nd best episode of 2003, "Smile Time" the 21st best episode 2004 and "Not Fade Away" the 4th best episode of 2004.
The fifth season averaged 3.97 million viewers, slightly higher than season four.
Comic book continuation.
After the success of the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight" comic books, Joss Whedon announced a canonical comic book continuation of "Angel" would be published. Titled "", published by IDW Publishing, written by Brian Lynch (along with the help of Whedon), the book takes place after the events the final episode, with Los Angeles in Hell. The first issue was released on November 21, 2007. Originally released as a 17-issue limited series, the book spawned into an ongoing spin-off series.
DVD release.
"Angel": The Complete Fifth Season was released on DVD in region 1 on February 15, 2005 and in region 2 on February 21, 2005. The DVD includes all 22 episodes on 6 discs presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Special features on the DVD include seven commentary tracks—"Conviction" by writer/director Joss Whedon; "Destiny" by writers David Fury and Steven S. DeKnight, director Skip Schoolnik and actress Juliet Landau; "Soul Purpose" by writer Brent Fletcher, actor/director David Boreanaz and actor Christian Kane; "You're Welcome" by writer/director David Fury and actors Christian Kane and Sarah Thompson; "A Hole in the World" by writer/director Joss Whedon and actors Alexis Denisof and Amy Acker; "Underneath" by writers Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, director Skip Schoolnik and actor Adam Baldwin; and "Not Fade Away" by co-writer/director Jeffrey Bell. Featurettes include, ""Angel" 100", a look at the 100th episode celebration party; "To Live & Die in L.A.: The Best of "Angel"", where Joss Whedon discusses the best episodes of the show; "Halos & Horns: Recurring Villainy", interviews with cast members who played villains over the course of the show; "Hey Kids! It's Smile Time", a featurette on the making of "Smile Time"; ""Angel": Choreography of a Stunt", detailing the a performance of a stunt and interview with stunt coordinator Mike Massa; ""Angel" Unbound: The Gag Reels", a series of outtakes from all five seasons; and ""Angel": The Final Season", a summary of the season featuring interviews with cast and crew members.