With the recent announcements of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer remake and HBO show, The Nerves, it seems as good a time as any to reflect on the onscreen relationships of one of his greatest creations, Angel.
The successful Buffy spinoff found its unique voice with the vampire detective noir angle and ultimately blew us away by its fifth and final season, but the central romantic relationships in the series left something to be desired. When it comes to onscreen love stories, Whedon is certainly audacious. He’s managed to tear out our hearts by eliminating one-half of nearly every important couple he ever wrote a love story for, and Angel was no exception.
Angel's story is one of redemption: the tale of a vampire with a soul who hopes to become human again by helping the helpless, fighting demons, and attempting to stop an evil law firm, Wolfram & Hart, at every opportunity. The journey of Angel saw the creation of countless iconic friendships, but the memorable romances were few and far between. Each time a relationship had a flourishing promise, it either faded out or someone actually lost their life.
That being said, some of the less epic love stories on the show were excellent catalysts for character development and there were even a couple pairings that remain timeless.
From the cringeworthy love triangle between Angel, Cordelia, and Connor to the tragic saga of Fred and Wesley, here are 14 Couples That Hurt Angel (And 6 That Saved It).
HURT: BUFFY AND ANGEL
Iconic romance aside, splitting Buffy and Angel up was the right call. These characters desperately needed a chance to grow without each other.
Unfortunately, the weight of their romance loomed over Angel for a long time, ultimately hurting the show.
During “I Will You”, Angel is turned into a human and spends the day with Buffy. Of course, this can’t last and the day is erased in everyone’s mind except Angel’s. It’s a beautiful and beloved episode, but it makes it hard to want to see Angel with anyone else.
The fact that Sarah Michelle Gellar made her last appearance in season two didn’t help things. Fans were extremely disappointed when she didn’t show up after Buffy ended, especially since Spike had made the jump to Angel. With episodes like “The Girl in Question” teasing Buffy’s presence, it always felt like the show was lacking romantic closure.
SAVED: CORDELIA AND DOYLE
While Doyle's ing made for some compelling television, it’s a true shame that Glenn Quinn’s early departure meant that this relationship wasn’t able to blossom. The first nine episodes of the series were made interesting by Doyle and his complicated feelings for Cordy.
The crush wasn’t reciprocated until his final episode, but it never felt as though he was being a creep. Doyle’s slobbish and occasional low-brow behavior was completely overshadowed by his charm and kindness. Once Cordelia came to appreciate this combination of attributes, it was clear that she had grown as a person in a short period of time.
Their big kiss at the end of “Hero” was also an important turning point for Cordy. She was given his visions and a purpose, which was needed after years of watching her play the self-obsessed mean girl.
HURT: KATE AND ANGEL
It’s a shame the writers never quite knew what to do with Kate, the L.A. cop who became obsessed with the otherworldly dealings in her city.
Elisabeth Röhm, best known for Law & Order, never felt like more than a Buffy substitute.
She was strong, brave, and most importantly, blonde. The character had potential but was never given her time to shine.
It was always unclear what the romantic endgame was for Angel, but in the early days, Kate felt like the strongest contender. Everyone thought he couldn’t fall in love without turning evil, so rooting for his romances was complicated. That could be why Kate and Angel never really came to fruition.
Kate's chemistry with Angel was undeniable, but she ultimately lifted out of the show easily and was never mentioned again after her season two departure.
HURT: WESLEY AND VIRGINIA
The character arc of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is one of the best in television history and his first shift in behavior began when he met Virginia while pretending to be Angel in “Guise Will Be Guise”.
The audience finally got to see Wesley as a hero instead of a bumbling sidekick, and it suddenly became obvious that he was handsome and desirable. Virginia's attraction to him made perfect sense and it was nice to see Wesley get treated as more than a doormat.
All of that being said, Brigid Brannagh only ended up appearing in four episodes of the series so the relationship never had room to grow. When Virginia broke up with Wesley because she couldn’t handle the danger of his job, it was hard to feel invested.
SAVED: ANGEL AND DARLA
The romance between Angel and Darla was the most complex relationship to come out of the series. Darla's history with Angel was extremely rich and their chemistry was an unstoppable force.
Bringing her back to the present day was a smart decision. Raising Darla from the grave was the fiercest move Wolfram & Hart ever made against Angel.
Her return led to his dark spiral, which was the closest he ever got to being evil while still having a soul.
When Angel finally reached a low enough point to sleep with Darla, it brought about one of the series biggest reveals: the fact that he could have relations without turning into Angelus. This, of course, led to the unheard of vampire pregnancy.
While the entire existence of their son is a touchy subject for many fans, Connor’s birth was a poetic end to the once everlasting romance between Darla and Angel.
HURT: ANGEL AND FRED
Thankfully, this potential relationship never blossomed into anything real, but the early days of Fred crushing on Angel were unbearable. While it’s understandable that any woman trapped in a hell dimension for five years would gravitate towards her savior, it made Fred hard to like at first.
Up until this point, we had seen Angel save countless women, but this was the first time one actually stuck around. Her erratic behavior mixed with a puppy-like affection for Angel even annoyed the other characters, which makes us wonder who this arc was even for.
Luckily, the show eventually allowed her to set her romantic sights elsewhere, which finally made her seem less childlike and more like the woman she was meant to be.
HURT: DARLA AND LINDSEY
The return of Darla was enough to sustain the energy of the show without Lindsey’s delusional feelings creeping in. Despite working for Wolfram & Hart, Lindsey often came across as someone with a bleeding heart, so it’s no surprise that he found himself falling for a vulnerable woman.
Falling for his enemy’s sire was a bit soapy, even for Lindsey.
Darla was just using him to get to Angel, but it occasionally felt like she returned the feelings. No matter the intentions, their relationship only ever felt forced and awkward.
The storyline ran its course rather quickly and was forgotten as soon as Lindsey skipped town.
SAVED: FRED AND GUNN
Gunn’s love for Fred finally allowed him to present the softer side of his personality. Until this relationship, he was always flying off the handle and looking for something to hit. Fred’s love for Gunn was proof that she was moving past her days as a captive in Pylea and growing into a more mature, independent person.
On a more dramatic note, everyone from Cordelia to the viewers at home knew about Wes' feelings for Fred and watching him watch the Fred/Gunn romance blossom was heartbreaking. It was also a turning point in Gunn and Wesley’s friendship, which had incredible growth and an incredibly believable decline due to their overlapping feelings for Fred.
HURT: CORDELIA AND GROO
On paper, Groo was perfect for Cordelia. He was valiant, handsome, kind, and called her “princess” without any hint of irony.
He truly loved her, which is why it was difficult to watch as she strung him along for half a season.
Their relationship felt like nothing more than a catalyst for Angel’s jealousy, which never quite worked the way it did in the Fred/Gunn/Wesley triangle.
It didn’t help matters that Groo wasn’t given much to do. He occasionally ed in on the fight, but his purpose was mostly to swoon whenever Cordy walked into a room. His entire existence on the show was centered on his feelings for her, making him and the relationship rather forgettable.
SAVED: WESLEY AND LILAH
This was a bad relationship that is still appreciated for allowing both parties to have character growth. At this point in the series, Lilah’s attempts to corrupt or eliminate Angel via Wolfram & Hart had become tired, but she still had a charming likability that left us wanting more.
Lilah’s complicated relationship with Wes proved that there was more to her than evil plots and self-preservation. For Wesley, this was just another step in the direction of darkness and loneliness.
When all of his friends abandoned him, Lilah became the only source of comfort for Wesley, and the fact that they were fighting on opposite sides of the big war made it a more torrid affair.