Angel (season 3)
Encyclopedia
The third season of the television series Angel
, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on September 24, 2001 on The WB Television Network
and concluded its 22-episode season on May 20, 2002. The season aired in a new timeslot, Mondays at 9:00 pm ET. This was the first season where Angel and Buffy didn't air on the same network, as Buffy had moved to the UPN
network beginning with its sixth season.
and is welcomed home by Cordelia
, Wesley
and Gunn
while Fred
stays confined to her room, too frightened to leave the hotel. Cordelia is personally attacked by Wolfram & Hart
in "That Vision Thing" when Lilah
hires a Shaman to hack into the visions granted to Cordelia by the Powers That Be and manifest them physically in order to persuade Angel to free a convicted felon from a hell dimension which he then does. This felon would come back to haunt the females of the group in the episode "Billy" where he uses his power to bring out primal misogyny within the males of the species. Fred, Cordelia and even Lilah are forced to fend for themselves as they battle their friends and eventually overcome Billy's tyranny. Both Gunn and Fred officially join the Angel Investigations team after Gunn realizes where his true loyalties lie and Fred comes to terms with what happened in Pylea
and realizes she has something to offer to the team: her intellect. Meanwhile, Wesley starts to grow into his leadership position, portraying the same authority and ruthlessness he showed back in Pylea. He also starts developing feelings for Fred but halts his advances after the traumatic events of "Billy".
In "Offspring", Darla returns to L.A. eight and a half months pregnant with Angel's illegitimate love child brought upon by their one night stand during season two. Although vampires are unable to reproduce due to their lifeless bodies it becomes apparent that the second chance Angel won for Darla before she was re-sired was enough of a loophole for a child to come to term. Wesley finds reference to "the child born to two vampires" in the Nyazian prophecies and surmises that the child is part of the "Tro-Clon"; a confluence of events that will bring about either the purification or ruination of mankind. As Darla comes closer to labor more people find out about the coming birth of the miracle child including Wolfram & Hart and the current head of special projects, Linwood Murrow. They attempt to steal the baby in order to figure out why it exists. However, they are intercepted not by Angel but by a mysterious man from Angel's past who they come to know as Daniel Holtz
. It turns out that Holtz is a part of the Tro-Clon and was brought forth, almost two hundred years into the future, by the dimension hoping demon Sahjhan in order to kill Angel. As more of the Nyazian prophecy is deciphered it becomes clear that Darla will not give birth; "There will be no birth, only death". This cryptic message comes to fruition in the rain socked alley behind Lorne's club Caritas after Holtz destroys it using powerful explosives. Darla, realizing that the baby can not be born and realizing too that she will not be able to love it without a soul, kills herself in the hope that it will bring her baby life. As Darla's ashes fade away a baby boy is left in her stead. Holtz comes within killing range of Angel, but after seeing the new born baby in his arms, lets him go, informing Sahjhan that he has a plan that will truly destroy Angel. At the hospital, Angel comes to name his son Connor after his Irish roots.
Over the next few months Angel Investigations become a surrogate family towards baby Connor, looking after him when his father can't while their business continues to boom.Wesley and Gunn both vie for Fred's affection. After the destruction of Caritas, Lorne decides to move into the hotel. On her 21st birthday Cordelia falls into a mystical coma caused by the neurological damage of the ever more debilitating visions. She is then offered a second life of fame and fortune but decides to stand with Angel and help the helpless, allowed to do so by sacrificing her humanity. Now half-demon, Cordelia is wary of her new found powers but finds it to be a blessing in disguise after the visions cease to cause her pain. After a night fraught with sexual energy the gang return to the hotel to find the Groosalugg
waiting for them, having left Pylea to find his true love – Cordelia. With the two of them now together, Angel decides to send the two lovers away on a holiday to give Cordelia a much needed break. Meanwhile, Fred chooses Gunn as her suitor leaving Wesley devastated and emotionally withdrawn. While looking for references about Connor in the Nyazian prophecies, Wesley comes across a passage inscribed; "The father will kill the son." Meanwhile, Holtz has been raising an army of vengeful, vampire hunters willing to fight and die for his cause. Chief among them is Justine Cooper who lost her twin sister to a vampire attack. Wesley meets with Holtz and learns that he plans to assault Angel Investigations but gives Wesley the option to take the baby and go. With everything that Wesley has seen and heard and fearing for the safety of the baby, he feels he has no choice but to take Connor away. However, he is tricked by Holtz and, as he is about to leave, is confronted by Justine who slits his throat and steals the baby away. Holtz then attempts to flee with Justine and the baby but is ambushed by both Angel and Wolfram & Hart. Sahjhan appears and opens a portal to "Quor'toth" – darkest of the dark worlds. With Wolfram & Hart ready to take the baby away (or kill him), Angel tells Holtz to take the baby and run. Holtz jumps into the hell dimension, just before telling Angel that his son will never even know he existed. Angel is left emotionally shattered.
Subsequently, Wesley is found bleeding to death in a park and is taken to a hospital where Angel then attempts to smother him to death. Although he fails to do so he tells Wesley that if he ever sees him again he will kill him for the part he played in Connor's abduction. When Cordelia returns from holiday she is angry at the gang for not informing her of the events that transpired after she left and hurt that they wouldn't immediately call her back after things began to spiral out of control. Meanwhile, Gunn and Fred hit a snag in their relationship when an old acquaintance comes to collect Gunn's indebted soul. The gang use this as a catalyst to re-shape their team and get back on track with the Fred/Gunn romance strengthened because of it. As Angel, Inc. begin to rebuild their lives Wesley is busy being continuously ensnared by Wolfram & Hart. Now holding onto a dark and cynical outlook to life, Wesley is approached by Lilah who infiltrates his life and ends up having sex with him. Wesley refuses to join her company however and instead sets up his own, more militaristic demon hunting team.
After the Hyperion Hotel is infested by inter-dimensional, insect like demons (and subsequently cleansed by Cordelia's new found, angelic powers) a portal to the Quor'toth is created through which Connor re-appears, now eighteen years old and back on Earth to kill Angel for what he did to Holtz' family. Meanwhile, Holtz comes back through the portal as well and tells Connor that he should be with his father claiming to have no taste for vengeance anymore. This, however, is Holtz' final revenge after he has Justine kill him in the manner of a vampire and blames it on Angel. While Connor infiltrates Angel Investigations to lure them into a false sense of security, Angel believes everything in his life is finally starting to go well.Cordelia is halted by a spirit guide who tells her that she no longer belongs on Earth and instead has been called to a Higher Plane. Meanwhile, Connor attacks Angel on the beach and uses a stun gun to incapacitate him. With the help of Justine, he traps Angel in a crate and sinks him to the bottom of the ocean. After this night, Angel Investigations is left shattered; Cordelia is in a heavenly dimension, Lorne has moved on to Las Vegas, the Groosalugg left Cordelia, Connor betrayed his father and Angel was sent to the bottom of the sea. Fred and Gunn are the only members of the group left, curious as to where everyone has gone.
and David Greenwalt
served as executive producers, while Greenwalt would serve as the series' showrunner as Whedon was running Buffy and developing his new series, Firefly
. Whedon wrote and directed one episode during the season; "Waiting in the Wings". Greenwalt wrote four of the season's episodes and directed two, the premiere and the finale. Tim Minear
was promoted to executive producer midseason and wrote and/or directed six episodes of the season including important, Connor-centric episodes such as "Lullaby", "A New World" and "Benediction". Buffy writer/producer Marti Noxon
served as consulting producer for her final season on Angel, as she was also running Buffy since she was promoted to executive producer. No Buffy writers would freelance episodes as Buffy switched networks to UPN
.
The only other returning writer was Mere Smith
, who was promoted to story editor. New additions included Jeffrey Bell, who wrote and/or co-wrote six episodes during the season, and served as co-producer, then promoted to producer midseason. Scott Murphy was hired as story editor, although he only wrote two episodes in the first half of the season. Buffy script coordinator David H. Goodman was hired to write two freelance episodes.
This was the last season in which both David Greenwalt and Tim Minear served as full-time writer-producers, as Minear left to help develop Whedon's new series, Firefly and Greenwalt left as his contract with Fox was up. They both served as consulting producers for subsequent seasons.
Writer Tim Minear directed the highest amount of episodes in the third season, directing four episodes.
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of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With this season, Buffy switched networks from The WB
to UPN
, while Angel still remained on The WB. Because they were on competing networks, there were no official crossovers. At the time, WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin stated "There will be no crossovers between Angel and Buffy. I think it's more important, in the long term, that Angel really establishes itself as a world that obviously comes from the same mythology, but operates with its own set of principles, guidelines and characters, and really establishes itself independently from Buffy." Although there's no distinct crossovers where characters appear on the other shows, there are moments where characters are mentioned or moments that happen off screen.
At the end of the episode "Carpe Noctem", Angel (David Boreanaz
) receives a telephone call in which Willow
tells him Buffy
is alive. Buffy then receives a call from Angel at the end of the Buffy episode "Flooded", and immediately leaves to meet with him. Although the phone call scenes happen on screen, neither Willow's side on Angel or Angel's side on Buffy is shown. The scene between Buffy and Angel also happens off screen, but is described by them in the following episodes.
s – Best Network Television Series, Best Actor on Television (David Boreanaz
) and Female Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award (Amy Acker
). The episode "Waiting in the Wings" was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
The Futon Critic named "Billy" the 36th best episode of 2001 and "That Vision Thing" the 14th best episode of 2001.
The third season averaged 4.4 million viewers, slightly lower than the sixth season of Buffy.
and Jeffrey Bell; "Lullaby" by writer/director Tim Minear
and Mere Smith
; and "Waiting in the Wings" by writer/director Joss Whedon
. There are two sets of deleted scenes, for "Birthday" with commentary by Tim Minear and Mere Smith and "Waiting in the Wings" with commentary by Joss Whedon. Featurettes include, "Darla: Deliver Us From Evil", a featurette on the character of Darla with interviews with actress Julie Benz
; "Page to Screen" which details the process from the script to the completed episode; and "Season 3 Overview" is a summary of the season featuring interviews with cast and crew members. Also included are screen tests for Amy Acker
and Vincent Kartheiser
, series outtakes, and photo galleries.
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on September 24, 2001 on The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
and concluded its 22-episode season on May 20, 2002. The season aired in a new timeslot, Mondays at 9:00 pm ET. This was the first season where Angel and Buffy didn't air on the same network, as Buffy had moved to the UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
network beginning with its sixth season.
Season synopsis
After Angel spends time at a monastery in Sri Lanka, mourning Buffy's death he returns to Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and is welcomed home by Cordelia
Cordelia Chase
Cordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
, Wesley
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce
Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel...
and Gunn
Charles Gunn
Charles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon...
while Fred
Winifred Burkle
Winifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...
stays confined to her room, too frightened to leave the hotel. Cordelia is personally attacked by Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart
Wolfram & Hart − Attorneys at Law is a fictional international, and interdimensional law firm featured in the television series Angel, as well as other extended materials in Joss Whedon's Buffyverse.-Fictional history:...
in "That Vision Thing" when Lilah
Lilah Morgan
Lilah Morgan is a fictional character from the television series Angel, played by Stephanie Romanov. She is first introduced in the episode "The Ring," and appears in the show's first and second seasons. After Lindsey McDonald leaves Los Angeles, Lilah becomes the primary face of Wolfram & Hart,...
hires a Shaman to hack into the visions granted to Cordelia by the Powers That Be and manifest them physically in order to persuade Angel to free a convicted felon from a hell dimension which he then does. This felon would come back to haunt the females of the group in the episode "Billy" where he uses his power to bring out primal misogyny within the males of the species. Fred, Cordelia and even Lilah are forced to fend for themselves as they battle their friends and eventually overcome Billy's tyranny. Both Gunn and Fred officially join the Angel Investigations team after Gunn realizes where his true loyalties lie and Fred comes to terms with what happened in Pylea
Pylea
In the fictional universe established by the television series Angel, Pylea is a world in an alternate dimension where demons are the dominant life form and humans are treated as animals to be used as beasts of burden or even food...
and realizes she has something to offer to the team: her intellect. Meanwhile, Wesley starts to grow into his leadership position, portraying the same authority and ruthlessness he showed back in Pylea. He also starts developing feelings for Fred but halts his advances after the traumatic events of "Billy".
In "Offspring", Darla returns to L.A. eight and a half months pregnant with Angel's illegitimate love child brought upon by their one night stand during season two. Although vampires are unable to reproduce due to their lifeless bodies it becomes apparent that the second chance Angel won for Darla before she was re-sired was enough of a loophole for a child to come to term. Wesley finds reference to "the child born to two vampires" in the Nyazian prophecies and surmises that the child is part of the "Tro-Clon"; a confluence of events that will bring about either the purification or ruination of mankind. As Darla comes closer to labor more people find out about the coming birth of the miracle child including Wolfram & Hart and the current head of special projects, Linwood Murrow. They attempt to steal the baby in order to figure out why it exists. However, they are intercepted not by Angel but by a mysterious man from Angel's past who they come to know as Daniel Holtz
Daniel Holtz
Daniel Holtz is a fictional character on the television series Angel. He was played by Keith Szarabajka.-Character history:Holtz was an 18th century English vampire hunter who chased Angelus and Darla through much of Europe and North Africa. He had connections to an elite order of Inquisitors...
. It turns out that Holtz is a part of the Tro-Clon and was brought forth, almost two hundred years into the future, by the dimension hoping demon Sahjhan in order to kill Angel. As more of the Nyazian prophecy is deciphered it becomes clear that Darla will not give birth; "There will be no birth, only death". This cryptic message comes to fruition in the rain socked alley behind Lorne's club Caritas after Holtz destroys it using powerful explosives. Darla, realizing that the baby can not be born and realizing too that she will not be able to love it without a soul, kills herself in the hope that it will bring her baby life. As Darla's ashes fade away a baby boy is left in her stead. Holtz comes within killing range of Angel, but after seeing the new born baby in his arms, lets him go, informing Sahjhan that he has a plan that will truly destroy Angel. At the hospital, Angel comes to name his son Connor after his Irish roots.
Over the next few months Angel Investigations become a surrogate family towards baby Connor, looking after him when his father can't while their business continues to boom.Wesley and Gunn both vie for Fred's affection. After the destruction of Caritas, Lorne decides to move into the hotel. On her 21st birthday Cordelia falls into a mystical coma caused by the neurological damage of the ever more debilitating visions. She is then offered a second life of fame and fortune but decides to stand with Angel and help the helpless, allowed to do so by sacrificing her humanity. Now half-demon, Cordelia is wary of her new found powers but finds it to be a blessing in disguise after the visions cease to cause her pain. After a night fraught with sexual energy the gang return to the hotel to find the Groosalugg
Groosalugg
The Groosalugg, nicknamed Groo, is a fictional character on the WB network's series Angel. He appeared in seasons 2 and 3, and is portrayed by Mark Lutz.-History:...
waiting for them, having left Pylea to find his true love – Cordelia. With the two of them now together, Angel decides to send the two lovers away on a holiday to give Cordelia a much needed break. Meanwhile, Fred chooses Gunn as her suitor leaving Wesley devastated and emotionally withdrawn. While looking for references about Connor in the Nyazian prophecies, Wesley comes across a passage inscribed; "The father will kill the son." Meanwhile, Holtz has been raising an army of vengeful, vampire hunters willing to fight and die for his cause. Chief among them is Justine Cooper who lost her twin sister to a vampire attack. Wesley meets with Holtz and learns that he plans to assault Angel Investigations but gives Wesley the option to take the baby and go. With everything that Wesley has seen and heard and fearing for the safety of the baby, he feels he has no choice but to take Connor away. However, he is tricked by Holtz and, as he is about to leave, is confronted by Justine who slits his throat and steals the baby away. Holtz then attempts to flee with Justine and the baby but is ambushed by both Angel and Wolfram & Hart. Sahjhan appears and opens a portal to "Quor'toth" – darkest of the dark worlds. With Wolfram & Hart ready to take the baby away (or kill him), Angel tells Holtz to take the baby and run. Holtz jumps into the hell dimension, just before telling Angel that his son will never even know he existed. Angel is left emotionally shattered.
Subsequently, Wesley is found bleeding to death in a park and is taken to a hospital where Angel then attempts to smother him to death. Although he fails to do so he tells Wesley that if he ever sees him again he will kill him for the part he played in Connor's abduction. When Cordelia returns from holiday she is angry at the gang for not informing her of the events that transpired after she left and hurt that they wouldn't immediately call her back after things began to spiral out of control. Meanwhile, Gunn and Fred hit a snag in their relationship when an old acquaintance comes to collect Gunn's indebted soul. The gang use this as a catalyst to re-shape their team and get back on track with the Fred/Gunn romance strengthened because of it. As Angel, Inc. begin to rebuild their lives Wesley is busy being continuously ensnared by Wolfram & Hart. Now holding onto a dark and cynical outlook to life, Wesley is approached by Lilah who infiltrates his life and ends up having sex with him. Wesley refuses to join her company however and instead sets up his own, more militaristic demon hunting team.
After the Hyperion Hotel is infested by inter-dimensional, insect like demons (and subsequently cleansed by Cordelia's new found, angelic powers) a portal to the Quor'toth is created through which Connor re-appears, now eighteen years old and back on Earth to kill Angel for what he did to Holtz' family. Meanwhile, Holtz comes back through the portal as well and tells Connor that he should be with his father claiming to have no taste for vengeance anymore. This, however, is Holtz' final revenge after he has Justine kill him in the manner of a vampire and blames it on Angel. While Connor infiltrates Angel Investigations to lure them into a false sense of security, Angel believes everything in his life is finally starting to go well.Cordelia is halted by a spirit guide who tells her that she no longer belongs on Earth and instead has been called to a Higher Plane. Meanwhile, Connor attacks Angel on the beach and uses a stun gun to incapacitate him. With the help of Justine, he traps Angel in a crate and sinks him to the bottom of the ocean. After this night, Angel Investigations is left shattered; Cordelia is in a heavenly dimension, Lorne has moved on to Las Vegas, the Groosalugg left Cordelia, Connor betrayed his father and Angel was sent to the bottom of the sea. Fred and Gunn are the only members of the group left, curious as to where everyone has gone.
Main cast
- David BoreanazDavid BoreanazDavid Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
as Angel - Charisma CarpenterCharisma CarpenterCharisma Lee Carpenter is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Cordelia Chase in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel, for which she was nominated for four Saturn Awards. In her most recent film she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason...
as Cordelia ChaseCordelia ChaseCordelia Chase is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer; she also appeared on Buffy's spin-off series Angel...
(Does not appear in "Loyalty", "Sleep Tight" and "Forgiving") - Alexis DenisofAlexis DenisofAlexis Denisof is an American actor who is known for playing Wesley Wyndam-Pryce in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel.-Early life:...
as Wesley Wyndam-PryceWesley Wyndam-PryceWesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel... - J. August RichardsJ. August RichardsJaime Augusto Richards III is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of vampire hunter Charles Gunn on the WB cult television series Angel.-Early life and education:...
as Charles GunnCharles GunnCharles Gunn is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series, Angel. The character is portrayed by J. August Richards, and was named by Whedon after filmmaker James Gunn and actor Sean Gunn, both of whom had worked with Whedon... - Amy AckerAmy AckerAmy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
as Winifred "Fred" BurkleWinifred BurkleWinifred "Fred" Burkle is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon and introduced by Shawn Ryan and Mere Smith on the television series Angel. The character is portrayed by Amy Acker.-Character history:...
Recurring cast
- Andy HallettAndy HallettAndrew Alcott "Andy" Hallett was an American singer and actor best known for playing the part of Lorne in the television series Angel. He used his singing talents often on the show, and performed two songs on the series' 2005 soundtrack album, Angel: Live Fast, Die Never.-Early life:Andrew Alcott...
as Lorne (18 episodes) - Stephanie RomanovStephanie RomanovStephanie A. Romanov is an American model and actress, best known for playing Lilah Morgan on Angel.-Career:She first began modeling in Europe and was discovered at 15 by Elite Model Management founder, John Casablancas. Her first professional modeling job was in Europe, shooting fashion layouts...
as Lilah MorganLilah MorganLilah Morgan is a fictional character from the television series Angel, played by Stephanie Romanov. She is first introduced in the episode "The Ring," and appears in the show's first and second seasons. After Lindsey McDonald leaves Los Angeles, Lilah becomes the primary face of Wolfram & Hart,...
(14 episodes) - Keith SzarabajkaKeith SzarabajkaKeith Szarabajka is an American actor and voice artist.-Early life:Szarabajka was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Anne, a school teacher, and Edward Szarabajka, a savings and loan officer....
as Daniel HoltzDaniel HoltzDaniel Holtz is a fictional character on the television series Angel. He was played by Keith Szarabajka.-Character history:Holtz was an 18th century English vampire hunter who chased Angelus and Darla through much of Europe and North Africa. He had connections to an elite order of Inquisitors...
(11 episodes) - Daniel Dae Kim as Gavin Park (8 episodes)
- Jack ConleyJack Conley (actor)Jack Conley is an American actor with an established career as a guest actor on a long list of television series. His wife Francesca Casale is also an actor, working primarily in theater.-Filmography:* Hit the Dutchman as Thomas Dewey...
as Sahjhan (7 episodes) - Laurel HollomanLaurel HollomanLaurel Holloman is an American actress, best known for her roles as Randy Dean in the 1995 indie film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love, Justine Cooper on Angel, and Tina Kennard on the Showtime series The L Word.-Career:Laurel attended the University of North Carolina and...
as Justine Cooper (7 episodes) - Mark LutzMark Lutz (actor)Mark Douglas Lutz is a Canadian actor, who is best known for playing Groosalugg in the television series Angel and for writing and starring in the two-hour movie on the life and death of Victor Davis....
as GroosaluggGroosaluggThe Groosalugg, nicknamed Groo, is a fictional character on the WB network's series Angel. He appeared in seasons 2 and 3, and is portrayed by Mark Lutz.-History:...
(7 episodes) - Julie BenzJulie BenzJulie M. Benz is an American actress, best known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and as Rita Bennett on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television...
as Darla (5 episodes) - John RubinsteinJohn RubinsteinJohn Arthur Rubinstein is an American film, Broadway, and television actor, a composer of film and theatre music, and a director in theatre and television.-Early life:...
as Linwood Murrow (5 episodes) - Vincent KartheiserVincent KartheiserVincent Paul Kartheiser is an American actor known for playing Connor in Angel and Pete Campbell in Mad Men.-Early life:Kartheiser was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Janet Marie and James Ralph Kartheiser...
as Connor (4 episodes) - David DenmanDavid DenmanDavid Denman is an American film and television actor.-Education:After graduating from Fountain Valley High School, Denman attended the summer training congress at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco before receiving his B.F.A. from Juilliard.-Career:He made his film debut with Keanu...
as Skip (3 episodes) - Matthew James as Merl (2 episodes)
Crew
Series creators Joss WhedonJoss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
and David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt
David Greenwalt is an American screenwriter, director and producer.He was the co-executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and co-creator of its spinoff, Angel. He is also co-creator of the short-lived cult television show Profit...
served as executive producers, while Greenwalt would serve as the series' showrunner as Whedon was running Buffy and developing his new series, Firefly
Firefly (TV series)
Firefly is an American space western television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon, under his Mutant Enemy Productions label. Whedon served as executive producer, along with Tim Minear....
. Whedon wrote and directed one episode during the season; "Waiting in the Wings". Greenwalt wrote four of the season's episodes and directed two, the premiere and the finale. Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
was promoted to executive producer midseason and wrote and/or directed six episodes of the season including important, Connor-centric episodes such as "Lullaby", "A New World" and "Benediction". Buffy writer/producer Marti Noxon
Marti Noxon
Martha Mills "Marti" Noxon is an American television and film writer first known for writing and producing Buffy the Vampire Slayer.- Production :...
served as consulting producer for her final season on Angel, as she was also running Buffy since she was promoted to executive producer. No Buffy writers would freelance episodes as Buffy switched networks to UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
.
The only other returning writer was Mere Smith
Mere Smith
Mere Smith is a American television script-writer who wrote a number of episodes of the series Angel. She was also the executive story editor and script coordinator for 66 episodes from 1999 to 2003....
, who was promoted to story editor. New additions included Jeffrey Bell, who wrote and/or co-wrote six episodes during the season, and served as co-producer, then promoted to producer midseason. Scott Murphy was hired as story editor, although he only wrote two episodes in the first half of the season. Buffy script coordinator David H. Goodman was hired to write two freelance episodes.
This was the last season in which both David Greenwalt and Tim Minear served as full-time writer-producers, as Minear left to help develop Whedon's new series, Firefly and Greenwalt left as his contract with Fox was up. They both served as consulting producers for subsequent seasons.
Writer Tim Minear directed the highest amount of episodes in the third season, directing four episodes.
Episodes
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Crossovers with Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The third season of Angel coincided with the sixth seasonBuffy the Vampire Slayer (season 6)
- Crew :Series creator Joss Whedon served as executive producer, but his role was diminished as he took a hiatus to write the musical episode, and later Fox ordered a new pilot from him, Firefly. Whedon only ended up writing and directing one episode, the musical and is the only season where he...
of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With this season, Buffy switched networks from The WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
to UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
, while Angel still remained on The WB. Because they were on competing networks, there were no official crossovers. At the time, WB Entertainment President Jordan Levin stated "There will be no crossovers between Angel and Buffy. I think it's more important, in the long term, that Angel really establishes itself as a world that obviously comes from the same mythology, but operates with its own set of principles, guidelines and characters, and really establishes itself independently from Buffy." Although there's no distinct crossovers where characters appear on the other shows, there are moments where characters are mentioned or moments that happen off screen.
At the end of the episode "Carpe Noctem", Angel (David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
) receives a telephone call in which Willow
Willow Rosenberg
Willow Rosenberg is a fictional character created for the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer . She was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the TV series by Alyson Hannigan...
tells him Buffy
Buffy Summers
Buffy Summers is a fictional character from Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise. She first appeared in the 1992 film Buffy the Vampire Slayer before going on to appear in the television series and subsequent comic book of the same name...
is alive. Buffy then receives a call from Angel at the end of the Buffy episode "Flooded", and immediately leaves to meet with him. Although the phone call scenes happen on screen, neither Willow's side on Angel or Angel's side on Buffy is shown. The scene between Buffy and Angel also happens off screen, but is described by them in the following episodes.
Reception
The third season was nominated for three Saturn AwardSaturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
s – Best Network Television Series, Best Actor on Television (David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz
David Boreanaz is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones....
) and Female Cinescape Genre Face of the Future Award (Amy Acker
Amy Acker
Amy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
). The episode "Waiting in the Wings" was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form.
The Futon Critic named "Billy" the 36th best episode of 2001 and "That Vision Thing" the 14th best episode of 2001.
The third season averaged 4.4 million viewers, slightly lower than the sixth season of Buffy.
DVD release
Angel: The Complete Third Season was released on DVD in region 1 on February 10, 2004 and in region 2 on March 3, 2003. The DVD includes all 22 episodes on 6 discs presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Special features on the DVD include three commentary tracks—"Billy" by writers Tim MinearTim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
and Jeffrey Bell; "Lullaby" by writer/director Tim Minear
Tim Minear
Tim Minear is an American screenwriter and director. He was born in New York, grew up in Whittier, California, and studied film at California State University, Long Beach....
and Mere Smith
Mere Smith
Mere Smith is a American television script-writer who wrote a number of episodes of the series Angel. She was also the executive story editor and script coordinator for 66 episodes from 1999 to 2003....
; and "Waiting in the Wings" by writer/director Joss Whedon
Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon is an American screenwriter, executive producer, director, comic book writer, occasional composer and actor, founder of Mutant Enemy Productions and co-creator of Bellwether Pictures...
. There are two sets of deleted scenes, for "Birthday" with commentary by Tim Minear and Mere Smith and "Waiting in the Wings" with commentary by Joss Whedon. Featurettes include, "Darla: Deliver Us From Evil", a featurette on the character of Darla with interviews with actress Julie Benz
Julie Benz
Julie M. Benz is an American actress, best known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and as Rita Bennett on Dexter, for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television...
; "Page to Screen" which details the process from the script to the completed episode; and "Season 3 Overview" is a summary of the season featuring interviews with cast and crew members. Also included are screen tests for Amy Acker
Amy Acker
Amy Louise Acker is an American actress. She is best known for her roles on the television series Angel as Winifred Burkle and Illyria and on Alias as Kelly Peyton. She is also known for her role as Dr. Claire Saunders/Whiskey on Dollhouse.-Early life:Acker was born and raised in Dallas, where she...
and Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Kartheiser
Vincent Paul Kartheiser is an American actor known for playing Connor in Angel and Pete Campbell in Mad Men.-Early life:Kartheiser was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Janet Marie and James Ralph Kartheiser...
, series outtakes, and photo galleries.