Angel, the spin-off series to Joss Whedon's cult classic supernatural teen drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, made a smart decision by embracing darker, real life issues surrounding corruption, politics, and crime in the city of Los Angeles.
After the character's departure in season 3 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel (Sarah Michelle Gellar) long-time love set off to open up shop in Los Angeles. While the spin-off, created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, still embraced Whedon's unique writing style and overlapped several plots and characters—and had a few crossover episodes—the series blazed its own trail and truly set itself apart from Buffy. The show was arguably not as popular as the original series, but clearly understood and even embraced its necessity to be a completely different show right from the start. Beginning in 1999 and running for five seasons until its series finale in 2004, one year after Buffy the Vampire Slayer ended, Angel allowed the titular character to establish his own identity independently from Buffy.
From the series premiere, "City of Angels", it was apparent that the grittier, almost noir themes of Angel would serve as a stark contrast to the fictional Sunnydale, California. Where Buffy was very much focused on following Buffy and her friends from their high school pursuits into college and beyond, Angel pitted the vampire against more mature themes and enemies that were depicted through a supernatural lens, though were certainly no less realistic.
How Angel Embraced Real Life Problems & Themes
In season 1, episode 1, "City of Angels", Angel finds himself facing a supernatural foe with real-life connotations: Russell Winters is a wealthy businessman—and vampire—who manipulates and preys on young women who have come to Los Angeles with big dreams. Not only does this kickstart the vampire's calling to open up a private investigation firm so he can continue "helping the hopeless", but it sets the tone for the series. Los Angeles is notoriously full of corruption, and has a reputation for chewing up ambitious youngsters with big dreams and spitting them out; it's a seedy location that often times feels like a fictional world through Whedon's storytelling, but audiences know it's only so far removed from fiction.
As Angel sits atop a tall building against the night sky, looking out over the city as a tormented protector, he is just like Batman overlooking Gotham City—he might not be the most likely hero, given his tortured past, but he's dedicated to making a difference and saving the world in his own way. It's different than Buffy's calling in a lot of ways; she was born into her legacy as a Slayer, she was always meant to be a hero, but Angel was a villain who chose to atone and become a hero, and he still struggles on occasion and falls short. The opening scene in "City of Angels" sees him rescuing a young woman from a vampire, then recoiling at the sight of her blood; he's clearly tempted, but can pull himself away.
Through his work, Angel becomes aware of an evil law firm, Wolfram & Hart, who becomes the series' central antagonist, which also speaks to the underlying commentary by Whedon that the monsters in Angel are still demons, but based more in reality. Where Cordelia Chase (Charisma Carpenter)—who was on the top of the social heap in Sunnydale—is revealed to be a struggling actress who can't make ends meet financially. She almost ends up as one of Russell's victims, and likely would have if not for Angel's interference. Where Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a coming-of-age story that audiences can relate to due to its commentary on growing up, Angel shows the dark side of the world that comes after high school, the perils of adulthood, and the dangers that feel human, even if they're not.