Angel (season 4)
Angel | |
---|---|
Season 4 | |
![]() Region 1 Season 4 DVD cover | |
Starring | |
Country of origin | United States |
No. of episodes | 22 |
Release | |
Original network | The WB |
Original release | October 6, 2002 May 7, 2003 | –
Season chronology | |
The fourth season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 6, 2002 on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 7, 2003. The season aired in a new timeslot, Sundays at 9:00 pm ET, and then relocated to Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET, beginning with "Habeas Corpses".
Season synopsis[]
![]() | This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (September 2015) |
Gunn and Fred search for Angel, who had been trapped at the bottom of the ocean by his treacherous son Connor, and Cordelia, who had been summoned to a Higher Plane of existence. Wesley, banished for betraying Angel, rescues Angel after coercing Justine. Angel banishes Connor from the hotel, and searches for Cordelia.
Eventually, he and his team learn about Cordelia's ascension, and give up their search. After going to Las Vegas to rescue Lorne, they return to find an amnesiac Cordelia. After Cordelia is made aware of the demonic world and her past, she chooses to live with Connor.
After Lorne restores Cordelia's memories, the team become aware of the Beast, an extremely powerful being summoned at the place of Connor's birth. The Beast easily defeats Angel and his team when they attempt to stop it, and causes a rain of fire. As the situation appears cataclysmic, Cordelia sleeps with Connor. Angel witnesses this, resenting them. The Beast goes on to attack the Wolfram & Hart offices, killing everyone inside except Lilah, who is saved by Wesley. The Beast kills the Conduit within the building, in a ritual that blocks out the sun.
In another confrontation, the Beast refers to Angel as "Angelus". Believing Angelus may know how to defeat it, the team uses magic to remove Angel's soul. Angelus is uncooperative, taunting and ridiculing them, but eventually reveals that the Beast is working for a greater entity. As Angelus holds no more information, they decide to return Angel's soul. While this appears to succeed, it is a ruse, and after the rest of the gang leaves, Angelus hunts down Cordelia and Lilah in the hotel. In the chaos, Lilah is killed by Cordelia, who reveals that she was behind the ruse.
The gang return to find Lilah dead and Angelus feeding off her corpse. After he escapes, Wesley frees the rogue Slayer Faith to stop him. Cordelia, revealed as the Beast's master, tries to recruit Angelus, but fails. Angelus arranges a fight between Faith and the Beast, wherein the Beast defeats Faith, and is then slain by Angelus, restoring the sun. Angelus attempts to kill Faith, but she has spiked her blood, and both fall into a coma. They witness Angel's past, while Willow Rosenberg attempts to restore his soul, against Cordelia's efforts. Willow succeeds, and takes Faith back to Sunnydale. Cordelia, who has hidden her actions thus far, reveals that she is pregnant with Connor's child.
Angel realizes that Cordelia is the Beast's master, and is possessed by an entity who seeks to be born as her child. Angel decides to kill Cordelia to prevent this, but she goads Connor into a ritual to accelerate the child's delivery, leading to the godlike Jasmine being born. Anyone who looks upon her falls into a loving trance, and she charms Angel, Connor, and his team, while Cordelia is left in a coma. Jasmine spreads her influence to the city, intending to do the same to the world. Fred accidentally breaks free of her influence, and brings Angel and the team to her side, except for Connor.
Jasmine hunts the team, and they flee underground. Wesley discovers a being from a world Jasmine once ruled, and learns that her real name can break her charm. Angel enters that world as the team is captured. Connor, growing mentally unhinged, becomes dissatisfied with Jasmine and finds the comatose Cordelia. Angel brings Jasmine's name back to Earth, destroying her power. The city, breaking free of her influence, is left in ruins. An enraged Jasmine overwhelms Angel, but Connor saves him, killing her.
Angel returns to the hotel, where a seemingly alive Lilah offers him and his team the L.A. branch of Wolfram & Hart, due to their ending world peace. Each member is given a tour of departments they would be suited for. Connor, completely unhinged after Jasmine's death, is about to kill himself, Cordelia and a crowd of people. Angel is able to stop him. It is revealed that Angel has accepted the offer to head Wolfram & Hart, with the condition that Connor is magically granted a new and normal life, with fabricated memories. All knowledge of him has been erased from his friends' memories.
Cast and characters[]
Main cast[]
- David Boreanaz as Angel
- Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase/Jasmine
- J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
- Amy Acker as Winifred "Fred" Burkle
- Vincent Kartheiser as Connor
- Andy Hallett as Lorne
- Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Recurring cast[]
- Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
- Vladimir Kulich as The Beast
- Gina Torres as Jasmine
- Alexa Davalos as Gwen Raiden
- Eliza Dushku as Faith
- Daniel Dae Kim as Gavin Park
Guest cast[]
- Julie Benz as Darla
- David Denman as Skip
- Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
- Laurel Holloman as Justine Cooper
- John Rubinstein as Linwood Murrow
- Jonathan M. Woodward as Knox
Crew[]
Series creator Joss Whedon remained as the sole executive producer of the show after David Greenwalt left at the end of season three to produce the ABC series Miracles after his contract with 20th Century Fox was up. He stayed on as a consulting producer for the remainder of the series. At the start of the season, David Simkins was made showrunner and executive producer, but after three months, he left the show due to "creative differences" and is not credited in any episodes. Jeffrey Bell was promoted to co-executive producer and assumed the role of showrunner for the season. Tim Minear also left the series to run Whedon's new series Firefly but, like Greenwalt, stayed on as a consulting producer, and wrote and directed the season finale "Home". Whedon would write and direct only one episode of the season, "Spin the Bottle", because of his commitments to the first season of Firefly and the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Steven S. DeKnight, who had written for Buffy during seasons five and six, moved over to Angel where he stayed for the remainder of the show's run. He wrote or co-wrote six episodes of the season, including the season premiere and also directed his debut episode; "Inside Out". Buffy writer-producer David Fury joined as a consulting producer (taking over Marti Noxon's role) and ended up writing four episodes. Mere Smith was promoted to executive story editor and wrote or co-wrote four episodes. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain joined the show as staff writers and wrote or co-wrote five episodes. Firefly writer Ben Edlund was hired as a producer towards the end of the season, following the cancellation of Firefly.[1]
Episodes[]
No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
67 | 1 | "Deep Down" | Terrence O'Hara | Steven S. DeKnight | October 6, 2002 | 4ADH01 | 4.57[2] |
Angel is trapped on the ocean floor and Cordelia is stuck on a mystical plane. Wesley searches independently for them as well as Fred and Gunn. | |||||||
68 | 2 | "Ground State" | Michael Grossman | Mere Smith | October 13, 2002 | 4ADH02 | 4.21[3] |
Angel, Fred and Gunn break into an auction house to get an object that may locate Cordelia, but a cat burglar named Gwen, who possesses the power to control electricity, targets the same relic. | |||||||
69 | 3 | "The House Always Wins" | Marita Grabiak | David Fury | October 20, 2002 | 4ADH03 | 5.06[4] |
Angel decides to take Gunn and Fred on a road trip to Vegas to visit Lorne, who is being blackmailed to help a manager steal people's destinies. | |||||||
70 | 4 | "Slouching Toward Bethlehem" | Skip Schoolnik | Jeffrey Bell | October 27, 2002 | 4ADH04 | 4.13[5] |
Cordelia returns but has no memory of who she is. Connor saves her from a demon and she decides to stay with him. | |||||||
71 | 5 | "Supersymmetry" | Bill L. Norton | Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain | November 3, 2002 | 4ADH05 | 3.64[6] |
Fred's article is published and she's invited to speak at a symposium where a portal opens. | |||||||
72 | 6 | "Spin the Bottle" | Joss Whedon | Joss Whedon | November 10, 2002 | 4ADH06 | 3.63[7] |
Lorne attempts a spell on Cordelia to restore her memory, which results in the gang reverting to their memories as teenagers. | |||||||
73 | 7 | "Apocalypse, Nowish" | Vern Gillum | Steven S. DeKnight | November 17, 2002 | 4ADH07 | 4.25[5] |
Cordelia's apocalyptic nightmares become a reality as a powerful demon emerges in L.A. | |||||||
74 | 8 | "Habeas Corpses" | Skip Schoolnik | Jeffrey Bell | January 15, 2003 | 4ADH08 | 4.01[8] |
Angel learns that Connor is trapped in Wolfram and Hart, which is under attack from the Beast. | |||||||
75 | 9 | "Long Day's Journey" | Terrence O'Hara | Mere Smith | January 22, 2003 | 4ADH09 | 3.46[9] |
The gang learns that the answer to stopping The Beast is "among them", they suspect Connor. Meanwhile, Gwen returns, and the gang learn that the Beast intends to blot out the sun. | |||||||
76 | 10 | "Awakening" | James A. Contner | David Fury & Steven S. DeKnight | January 29, 2003 | 4ADH10 | 3.19[10] |
In an attempt to locate The Beast and restore the sun, Wesley brings in a dark mystic to extract Angel's soul. | |||||||
77 | 11 | "Soulless" | Sean Astin | Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain | February 5, 2003 | 4ADH11 | 3.46[5] |
Angelus is interrogated by Wesley and co as they attempt to find out how to kill The Beast. | |||||||
78 | 12 | "Calvary" | Bill L. Norton | Jeffrey Bell & Steven S. DeKnight & Mere Smith | February 12, 2003 | 4ADH12 | 3.69[11] |
The gang discover The Beast is working for a much more powerful Master, who is far closer to home than they realize. | |||||||
79 | 13 | "Salvage" | Jefferson Kibbee | David Fury | March 5, 2003 | 4ADH13 | 3.72[12] |
Wesley releases Faith from prison to help capture Angelus, who is himself going after the Beast. | |||||||
80 | 14 | "Release" | James A. Contner | Steven S. DeKnight & Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain | March 12, 2003 | 4ADH14 | 3.91[13] |
Angelus continues his search for the Beast's Master as Faith attempts to find a way to contain Angelus. | |||||||
81 | 15 | "Orpheus" | Terrence O'Hara | Mere Smith | March 19, 2003 | 4ADH15 | 3.60[14] |
Willow is called in to restore Angel's soul. Meanwhile, while in their comas, Angelus and Faith experience flashbacks of Angel's good deeds over the centuries, culminating in a mental showdown between Angel and Angelus. | |||||||
82 | 16 | "Players" | Michael Grossman | Jeffrey Bell & Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain | March 26, 2003 | 4ADH16 | 3.45[15] |
Gwen enlists Gunn's help to steal a device to control her abilities while Lorne attempts a ritual to restore his empathic powers. | |||||||
83 | 17 | "Inside Out" | Steven S. DeKnight | Steven S. DeKnight | April 2, 2003 | 4ADH17 | 3.55[16] |
The gang learns of a higher being's plan to give birth to itself through Cordelia, and Connor receives a visit from the spirit of his deceased mother, Darla. | |||||||
84 | 18 | "Shiny Happy People" | Marita Grabiak | Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain | April 9, 2003 | 4ADH18 | 3.92[17] |
As Cordelia lies in a coma following her demonic delivery, the rest of the gang becomes acquainted with—and enchanted by—her unexpected offspring, Jasmine. | |||||||
85 | 19 | "The Magic Bullet" | Jeffrey Bell | Jeffrey Bell | April 16, 2003 | 4ADH19 | 4.09[18] |
After discovering the secret to breaking Jasmine's spell over the nation's citizens, Fred must find a way to save the others before she's captured and killed. | |||||||
86 | 20 | "Sacrifice" | David Straiton | Ben Edlund | April 23, 2003 | 4ADH20 | 3.71[19] |
Free from Jasmine's spell, Angel and the gang escape into the sewers for protection, where Wesley discovers an insect-like demon that may hold the key to defeating Jasmine. | |||||||
87 | 21 | "Peace Out" | Jefferson Kibbee | David Fury | April 30, 2003 | 4ADH21 | 4.04[20] |
Connor goes in search of the missing Cordelia, while Angel travels to another dimension in search of Jasmine's true name. | |||||||
88 | 22 | "Home" | Tim Minear | Tim Minear | May 7, 2003 | 4ADH22 | 3.95[21] |
With Jasmine defeated, Angel and the gang are made an offer they can't refuse from W&H, and Connor goes over the edge into madness. |
Crossovers with Buffy the Vampire Slayer[]
The fourth season of Angel coincided with the seventh and final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This was the final year in which both shows were on television together.
In the Buffy episode "Lies My Parents Told Me", Willow (Alyson Hannigan) receives a call from Fred. She leaves immediately and goes to L.A. without telling Buffy why. Willow appears in "Orpheus" to re-ensoul Angel (David Boreanaz) as she previously did in the Buffy season two finale "Becoming, Part Two". After successfully re-ensouling Angel, she brings Faith (Eliza Dushku) back with her to Sunnydale to help in the fight against The First Evil.
In the season four finale, "Home", Angel receives an amulet from Wolfram & Hart which is important to the final battle in Sunnydale. Angel goes to Sunnydale in the penultimate Buffy episode "End of Days" and also appears in the series finale "Chosen". Angel gives Buffy the amulet (which is later worn by Spike in the final battle) and offers his help, but Buffy declines as she needs him to be the second front if they fail. Buffy and Angel share one final moment in a graveyard where they discuss a possible future.
Reception[]
The fourth season was nominated for five Saturn Awards – Best Network Television Series, Best Actress in a Television Series (Charisma Carpenter), Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series (Alexis Denisof), Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series (Amy Acker), and David Boreanaz won for Best Actor in a Television Series. The season was also nominated for four Satellite Awards – David Boreanaz for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, Andy Hallett for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series Drama, and Amy Acker and Gina Torres both for Best Supporting Actress – Television Series Drama.[22]
The Futon Critic named "Spin the Bottle" the 33rd best episode of 2002[23] and "Peace Out" the 25th best episode of 2003.[24]
The fourth season averaged 3.7 million viewers, slightly lower than the seventh and final season of Buffy.[25]
DVD release[]
Angel: The Complete Fourth Season was released on DVD in region 1 on September 7, 2004[26] and in region 2 on April 1, 2004.[27] 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—"The House Always Wins" by writer David Fury and actor Andy Hallett; "Spin the Bottle" by writer/director Joss Whedon and actor Alexis Denisof; "Apocalypse, Nowish" by writer Steven S. DeKnight and director Vern Gillum; "Orpheus" by co-executive producer Jeffrey Bell and director Terrence O'Hara; "Inside Out" by writer/director Steven S. DeKnight; "The Magic Bullet" by writer/director Jeffrey Bell; and "Home" by writer/director Tim Minear. Featurettes include, "Angel and the Apocalypse", which details how they depicted the apocalypse on the show; "Unplugged: Season 4 Outtakes", a series of outtakes from the season; "Last Looks: The Hyperion Hotel", a set tour of the Hyperion Hotel; "Fatal Beauty and the Beast", a look at the villains of the season; "Malice in Wonderland: Wolfram & Hart", a look at the law firm and its importance in the show; and "Prophecies: Season 4 Overview", a summary of the season featuring interviews with cast and crew members.[28]
References[]
- ^ "A Brief History of Mutant Enemy". Whedon.info. May 24, 2004. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 30–Oct. 6)". The Los Angeles Times. October 9, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 7-13)". The Los Angeles Times. October 16, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 14-20)". The Los Angeles Times. October 23, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Nielsen Ratings for Angel's Fourth Season". Archived from the original on June 4, 2004. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 28–Nov. 3)". The Los Angeles Times. November 6, 2002. Retrieved May 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 4-10)". The Los Angeles Times. November 13, 2002. Retrieved May 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13–19)". The Los Angeles Times. January 23, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 20-26)". The Los Angeles Times. January 29, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 27-Feb. 2)". The Los Angeles Times. February 5, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Prime-Time TV Rankings (March 3–9)". The Los Angeles Times. March 12, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Mar. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Prime-Time TV Rankings (March 17–23)". The Los Angeles Times. March 28, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Mar. 24-30)". The Los Angeles Times. April 2, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Mar. 31-Apr. 6)". The Los Angeles Times. April 9, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Apr. 7-13)". The Los Angeles Times. April 16, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Apr. 14-20)". The Los Angeles Times. April 23, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Apr. 21-27)". The Los Angeles Times. April 30, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (Apr. 28-May. 4)". The Los Angeles Times. May 7, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "National Nielsen Viewership (May. 5-11)". The Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ ""Angel" (1999) - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ Brian Ford Sullivan (January 7, 2003). "The 50 Best Episodes of 2002 - #40-31". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ Brian Ford Sullivan (January 14, 2004). "The 50 Best Episodes of 2003 - #30-21". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ "Season Ratings 2002-2003". Nielsen Media Research. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
- ^ "Angel - Season Four (1999)". Amazon.com. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ "Buffy DVD and VHS". BBC. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
- ^ "Angel - The Complete 4th Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
External links[]
- Angel (1999 TV series)
- Angel (season 4) episodes
- 2002 American television seasons
- 2003 American television seasons