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fantastic conclusion, bittersweet and memoriable First of all, I just want to say that this season has probably THE BEST COVER design for Angel. The past years' DVD cover of Angel all made Angel look soooo ugly and not like him, especially season four's, Angel look so ugly on the cover. But season five's Angel actually brings out Angel (and DB)'s beauty, his beautiful, intense eyes, his intelligence, his struggle, his broodiness, and his sadness. Season five is probably the most unique of all the Angel seasons. All the episodes indicate that Angel is moving to the next level. Although the insert of Spike can never replace our beloved Cordelia, his placement definitely proves that Angel is moving up, that there's another equally as powerful warrior as Angel to fight along side the team. Spike also replaced the muscle role that used to be Gunn's. Spike is also an important role in because he just completely reflects Angel. He keeps Angel in check, he's Angel's dual self, and in a way, he's Angel's inheritor. Unlike Angel, Spike wanted a soul, he didn't suffer as much as Angel, and unlike Angel, Spike is looking forward to a future, and he has things to look forward to. This brings me to say about the series finale, we all want Angel to shanshu, we all know he's earned it, but if he did, what then? He still has to face with the problems he did in season one when he was turned into a human. In Buffy, Buffy should get a happy ending because if you recall in Angel season one, Angel sacrificed his happiness so that Buffy can live, so that he can protect Buffy and everybody else. So if Buffy ended up dying that would've been completely in vain. In a way, Angel sacrificed his future for Buffy, so Buffy can have a future, therefore Buffy have a future. Also, in the past seasons of Angel, Angel learned the important thing that fighting shouldn't be about rewards, that one fight because one cares, not because of reward, one might never get a reward, one might never be appreciated, then why should one care? Angel couldn't have said it better: "It doesn't matter where we come from, what we've done or suffered, or even if we make a difference. We live as though the world was what it should be, to show it what it can be; if nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do, the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world." And "Not Fade Away", with all its ambiguity and disappointment, concluded this important theme of Angel. Angel's signing away his reward is significant in many ways, that he no longer cared about the reward, and that he is willing to sacrifice everything for what he believes in. But also, it is like Angel is giving his reward to Spike who is more fitting in turning into a human, not because he deserved it more than Angel, but that he can do more with the reward than Angel. So the question becomes, did Angel EVER get his redemption? This is of course, base on opinion, but in my opinion, he did. His son is his redemption, that his son is finally grateful for what Angel has done for him, and finally accepts Angel for what he is. And like in Angel's fantasy, Connor finally comes fighting by Angel's side like Angel has always wanted. Also, Angel's friends, who literately went out and died for Angel, this also is kind of like redemption. As for the numerous death count, we all want good things happen to good people, but it's because of Angel's non-cliché-ness that makes Angel a superior show. No one can say Angel is a comedy, but Angel does not really follow the main codes of tragedy either, isn't that why we love the show? Each tragic death in season five is touching, beautiful, and meaningful, we grieve for Cordelia, Fred, and Wesley, and they will always be in our hearts as beautiful characters alongside Angel. Like all Angel's seasons, this one has flaws. Season five actually produced some of the worst episodes in Angel history. If you have been reading the Amazon reviews of Angel, it said that season two is Angel's best and worst year. NO this description actually fits perfectly for season five. Here are worst ones: " Life of the Party"- it has good potential and focuses on Lorne, but it's too cheesy and the whole Halloween-is-important-to-evildoers thing is too cliché and I really think Angel is way past the " I'm under a spell doing stupid stuff" phase; " The Cautionary Tale of Numero Cinco"- we all know that it's because Angel isn't like a comic hero character that's why we love him, so what's with the return of " masked-muscle-hero-to-the-rescue"?; "A Girl In Question"- this episode is suppose to make Buffy's " out of picture" conclusion funny, didn't work though, it was horrible. It makes our heroes look silly, puppy-love-sick, and foolish, which by now Angel should be waaayy past that; " Why We Fight"- this episode has good ideas and tried to bring about the incident where Angel does an evil thing to save people. But it totally clashes with Angel. Angel's soul-but-not-now years are suppose to be very reserved years, that's how we can see his incredible transformation, but in this episode Angel seemed very confident, sorry, didn't work, not to mention if you think about it, this episode goes very inconsistent with Angel's history. Overall, season five is a fantastic ending and conclusion to one of the best show on earth. Farewell Angel!!!! *CRYS* P.S please read all my Angel reviews!!! also, I wrote other Angel reviews under the name of Shi Feng, which for season five is just on the next web page, I will be very happy for audiences!!!