Editing Angel (1999 TV series) (section)

==Themes==
While ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' was built around the angst of adolescence, ''Angel'' chronicles the different stages of adulthood after one leaves home and begins working. Cordelia Chase, who had been the most popular and superficial girl in [[Sunnydale High]] on ''Buffy'', develops over the course of the series from an insecure young woman struggling in a daunting real world into an unexpectedly mature woman. Similarly, Wesley, the once uptight and bookish [[Watcher (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Watcher]], becomes a man of quiet confidence and often ruthless action.

[[File:Opening credits (Angel TV series).jpg|right|thumb|250px|''Angel'' screenshot from the opening credits. Taking place in a dark metropolis, ''Angel'' often alluded to the [[Hardboiled|noir]] detective genre that influenced the show.]]

In much the same way as ''Buffy'' had been both an homage and parody of traditional [[horror films]], ''Angel'' gave the same treatment to the classical [[film noir]]. Producer Kelly Manners said "''Angel'' is a dark show about a man looking for redemption... We have an alcoholic metaphor with ''Angel''. Angel is a guy who is one drink away from going back to his evil roots"<ref>"Season 1 featurette" ''Angel'' Season 1 DVD set, disc 3 (2001)</ref>  He attempts to find redemption through helping the helpless of Los Angeles in a fashion similar to that of noir detectives. The first episode even included a [[Philip Marlowe]]-style voiceover. Angel filled the role of the reluctant, streetwise detective who has dealings with a variety of underworld characters. In this case, the "underworld" is a literal underworld of demons and supernatural beings. In one instance, Angel is explicitly compared with fictional noir private-detective Marlowe.<ref>Episode "[[Dear Boy (Angel)|Dear Boy]]", ''Angel'' (2000). Wesley says of Angel, "Oh he's eccentric, all the great ones are. Sherlock Holmes, Philip Marlowe."</ref>  Many traditional ''noir'' stories and characters were explored in earlier episodes, including the ditzy but attractive secretary, the cagey but well-informed partner, and clashes with crooked lawyers, femme fatales and meddlesome, too-good-for-their-own-good cops. These were usually given a modern or supernatural twist.

The style and focus of the show changed considerably over its run, and starting late in season two the original noir idea was mostly discarded in favor of more large-scale supernatural-themed conflicts. In later seasons, the mythology and stories became increasingly complex; in Season Four, one of the characters on the show itself described the storyline as "a turgid supernatural soap opera."<ref>"[[Players (Angel episode)]]", ''20th Century Fox'' (2003).</ref>  Whereas the show initially dealt with the difficulty of being kind to people on a personal basis, the show ultimately focused on Angel's status as an [[archetype|archetypal]] [[Champion]] for humanity, and explored ideas such as moral ambiguity, the spiritual cost of violence, and the nature of [[free will]]. The enduring theme throughout the series was the struggle for [[Redemption (religious)|redemption]].

''Angel'' explored trust motifs as an increasingly central focus of the show. In the first two seasons, there were sprinklings of deceit and treachery, but in the last three seasons duplicity began to pervade the thematic structure, culminating in Season Five when almost every episode included some kind of double-cross, trickery, or illusion. An idea presented in Season Three was that even [[prophecy]] can betray, as they are often deceiving if not plain lies. In Season Five, it is repeatedly emphasized that the characters can trust no one in their new situation. The series is also notable for harsh betrayals within the cast of main characters; such events often having lethal consequences.

''Angel'' depicted the feelings of loneliness, danger, and callousness often attributed to the urban Los Angeles megalopolis. The divisions between the ordered world of the day and the chaotic world of the night have been trademark themes of ''noir'' and by depicting a protagonist who literally has no daytime life, the series was able to explore these same themes in more dramatic, metaphorical ways. As the series progressed, the creators were able to explore darker aspects of the characters, particularly Angel, who commits a number of morally questionable actions, and periodically reverts to his evil persona [[Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|Angelus]].