"; if(is_file("header.php")) include "header.php"; else include "../header.php"; ?>

Going out with a bang instead of a whimper... The cruel irony of the fifth season of Angel is that not only was it the best season, it was also the last. After Buffy the Vampire Slayer went off the air, several of its writers started working on episodes for Angel. The difference was apparent right from the season opener. There was a much more playful attitude and the dialogue had more snap to it and more of a zing that was missing from previous seasons. The addition of James Marsters to the cast also helped greatly as he brought his own unique brand of charisma and energy to the show. Each disc features an audio commentary on a specific episode with the writers and directors, and sometimes with a member of the cast (including David Boreanaz, Christian Kane and Adam Baldwin). Joss Whedon contributes a surprisingly sedate commentary on "Conviction" but bounces back on the one for "A Hole in the World," where he is joined by Amy Acker and Alexis Denisof. Most of the tracks explore various plot points and offer production anecdotes. Some are a tad on the dull side (like the one for "Destiny") while others quite chatty and informative ("Underneath"). Disc one also includes the "Hey Kids! It's Smile Time" featurette which examines the episode where demons possess puppets on a kids show. The cast (and quite humourously, the puppets) are interviewed and talk about the challenge of pulling off this episode. Disc four features "Angel 100," which documents the celebration of the 100th episode of the show. Whedon talks about how he wanted to shake things up with this season. The cast talks with pride at reaching this milestone in television. The fifth disc includes "Angel: Choreography of a Stunt," a featurette that examines the stunts in the "Shells" episode. Boreanaz's stunt double takes us through one stunt that involves Angel being thrown through an office building and shows us how it was done. The sixth disc features a season overview as cast and crew talk about the predominant themes: trying to do good from within the corporate machine that is Wolfram and Hart. "To Live and Die in L.A.: The Best of Angel" has Joss pick his favourite episodes from the show's entire run and explain why he likes them so much. "Halos and Horns: Recurring Villainy" examines the most popular bad guys (and girls) on the show. Juliet Landau, Julie Benz, Christian Kane and others talk about their characters and working on the show. Finally, there is "Angel Unbound: The Gag Reels," a good collection of funny line readings, blown lines and pratfalls that fans of the show will enjoy. It's disappointing that a smart, funny show like Angel could not garner decent enough ratings to stay on the air. It had a good run but was ultimately cut down in its prime, just when it was hitting its stride. At least went out on top but the way it did still leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.