Rating: 
Summary: Angel soars in a dark second year
Review: Despite having changed course halfway through, Angel's first season was truly spectacular. And with the surprise ending of "To Shanshu in LA", which saw the resurrection of Darla, the promise for Season 2 was quite high. What audiences saw was the beginning of Angel's golden era.Joining the "official" cast this season was J. August Richards, continuing on as Gunn. Unofficially, Andy Hallett would sign on as Lorne, the Host of Caritas, a demon karaoke bar, and Amy Acker would be introduced at season's end as Fred. Throw in the recurring roles by Elizabeth Rohm (Kate), Stephanie Romanov (Lilah), Christian Kane (Lindsey), and Julie Benz (Darla) and a host of great guest stars, and you have a truly impeccable cast. The episodes, which deal with Angel's obsessive quest to save Darla and the subsequent rebuilding of his friendships with Wes, Cordy, and Gunn afterwards, are consistently excellent all throughout the season. Highlights include "Are You Know or Have You Ever Been", Wesley's turn as "Angel" in "Guise Will Be Guise", "Darla", "Reprise", and the four episode Pylea arc. This DVD set is presented in anamorphic widescreen (although a brief establishing shot in "Dead End" is curiously windowboxed) as originally intended, and looks great. The included featurettes are a pleasure to watch (as is the case with previous Buffyverse sets), but the lack of scripts and/or commentaries is quite disturbing. The only other qualm (and this being a bit nitpicky) is the omission of the recaps at the beginning of the episodes, which were quickly becoming visually and musically integrated with the rest of the show. Otherwise, this set is purely can't miss.
Rating:
Summary: Season 2 Has Angel on It's Own
Review: In Season 2 of "Angel", we see the show completely separate from Buffy. There are no visits by the Slayer in this season. However, what we do get, is the return of Darla. Angel killed Darla in Season 1 of Buffy, however Wolfram & Hart decide to bring Darla back in order to control not only her, but Angel as well. We see Darla enter Angel's dreams and those dreams begin to haunt Angel. The majority of the season deals with Darla and her influence on Angel. As a result of her return, he pushes away Cordy, Wesley and Gunn. This season showed more of the dark, brooding side of Angel's character, which is very important to understand. The second part of the season sees the crew get transported to Pylea, where the Host (or Loren) is from. They must go to save Cordy, who was sucked into the world. It was very amusing to see Cordelia as a "Princess." Isn't that what she's always wanted to be? We do get some Buffy-land characters. Harmony comes to visit Cordy, who finds out about Harmony's "secret" from Willow. We get Drusela, who wonderfully played by the talented Juliet Landou, drawing Darla back into vampire land. Also, although she does not say anything, the effect of Willow at the end of the season, when she comes to tell about Buffy (Season 5 ending) is wonderful. Overall, good and essential season. "Angel" pulled away from "Buffy" and became a show unto its own. Looking forward to Season 3.
Rating:
Summary: Bless Angel
Review: Season 2 of Angel takes a couple of steps up from it's freshman season, and takes its viewers on an escapage that is just as fresh, fun, emotional, and scary as Buffy itself. It doesn't hold the same feeling as Buffy does, but it produces itself a new feeling, a feeling for the Angelverse. Season 2 begin to flesh out its characters. Angel, Cordelia, and Wesley's role as Angel Investigations has continued past its last horrific experience, but this time they're in an awesome new setting. With the addition of Gunn and Lorne, the cast now seems to be round and about complete. With Darla's return and the evil that is Wolfram and Hart, there is never a bore. Especially with the inclusion of Drusilla (whose moments of insanity are better than ever). Angel season 2 settles the show for it's future seasons and future storylines, as it is a season of building and pretense.
The DVD presentation is just as equal with the first season. Nothing new here, but all the supplements are just as interesting. Darla's human, Dru returns, Darla's a vamp, Lilah (Stephanie Romanov is delicious) is promoted, Cordelia becomes princess, Lindsay is ran out of town, Fred is introduced, and a heck of a lot more happens in what is Angel season 2.
Rating:
Summary: A very solid follow-up season!!
Review: Following a fantastic first season is always a difficult task for a television series. Angel delivers. The second season is a wild adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This season throws Gunn in as a full time cast member and reincarnates Darla, Angel's sire. It also introduces some wonderful new characters such as Lorne and Fred. This season has some serious twists that keep you guessing all the way to the end of the season. It's great. If you enjoy good character development and wonderful stories this is the season for you. But, beware, the Buffy/Angel addiction can strike at any time and you could find yourself craving this showing nightly.
Rating:
Summary: ANGEL puts it all together for a stellar season
Review: Warning: Season Five spoilers do appear below. Season One of ANGEL found the show trying to establish itself, its moods, its major characters, its bad guys, and its story arcs. For a first season, it was not at all a bad show; it was, in fact, quite good. But it didn't truly match the high standards set by BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. In Season Two, however, Angel Investigations truly came into its own. It moved from a spin off finding its own rhythm, to a truly superb show in its own right. Season Two is somewhat unusual in that it actually features two major plot lines. First, there is the stunning revelation that Wolfram and Hart has managed to resurrect, in fully human form, Angel's old love and sire Darla. Her return, use, and abuse by Wolfram and Hart constitutes most of the season's episodes. She is not the only character we first met in Buffy to guest on the second season: Harmony, one of the original Cordettes, comes to LA to visit Cordy. The visit generates perhaps the funniest scene in the entire series, when Harmony, who unbeknownst to Cordelia is now a vampire, is barely able to resist feeding off her in her sleep. When Cordelia wakes up just in time, she wrongly thinks that Harmony was now gay. The ensuing conversation of errors is hysterical. As we approach Season Five, it has been disclosed that Harmony will be back in LA in Season Five, somehow or other working as Angel's secretary as he takes over as director of Wolfram and Hart. With Cordelia no longer a part of the show (in my opinion, the dumbest decision in the history of the show; Joss Whedon claims in interviews there is nothing more to do with her character on the show, but I think that is palpable hogwash), Harmony has the potential of bring a bit of whimsy to the show. The Darla story line is a dark one, with tragic circumstances thwarting Angel's attempts to lead Darla to the path of righteousness, and seems to succeed, even when Darla learns that she is doomed to die as a mortal. His involvement with Darla leads to Angel breaking off his involvement with Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn. Much of the interpersonal dynamics of the entire season revolve around Angel's alienation from his friends, and his gradual restoration of their friendship. The other major plot line of the second season involves first Cordelia and then the others traveling to the dimension of Pylea. Now, I liked these episodes myself, but there is little question that for a huge number of fans, these are among the least popular episodes in the history of the Buffyverse. For the series as a whole, the most important thing to come out of this arc is the rescue of Fred, a brilliant physics student who had been accidentally trapped there. Despite Cordy, the show had until them had an overwhelmingly male feel to it. In season three, as Fred becomes an integral part of Angel Investigations, she brings a crucial element to the show's chemistry. Two other major developments take place in Season Two. First, the introduction of the character of The Host aka Lorne, a demon from another dimension (actually, Pylea, we later learn) who can read anyone's aura when they sing. Hence, he is the owner of a karaoke bar. Lorne would later be elevated from supporting character to a permanent character. The other major change, and one crucial to the ambiance of the series, was Angel Investigation's moving into an abandoned hotel. I liked this setting so much that I am going to miss it tremendously as we move into Season Five. All in all, Season Two represents a major achievement by a team that seems to be incapable of producing a less than remarkable product. And, of course, the set is essential for any lover of things Buffy/Angel.
Rating:
Summary: Season 2: The Dark Ride of a Champion
Review: With the second season, "Angel" began to lose the episodic nature that effected the first season. Story arc's began to take over the show, letting all the charaters grow. The fundemental reason this show got better -and what genre shows like Voyager and Enterprise have forgotten - is by letting the characters grow from each situtaion to the next, makes the show more enjoyable and believeable. The Temporal Reset Button that currently exists in the Star Trek universe will be it's undoing. But this season, "Angel" also seemed to grow away from "Buffy" -despite the crossover episode "Darla"/"Fool For Love." Still, the whole Darla arc was well done and one can't say enough about the final arc of the season, and the wacky journey to The Host's universe. The Host, or Lorne, was one of the best characters introduced, and I have to admit, even to this day, I'm not a big Fred fan. But, Amy Acker does a good job. But its Andy Hallett's obvious joy of playing Lorne that makes him enjoyable to watch. And it's one of the funniest seasons, also. I've always thought this series balanced the horror and the humor better than Buffy. Still, the second season set up so much that would come in season three and four -which is perhaps the series most creative year. Note: Interesting blooper (?) in the episode "Are Youn Now or Have You Ever Been?". During one of those flashes between scenes, if you "step" through an early one, you can see two production people preparing the 50's style room for filming. There is a man at the out, working on the outside frame, and a women in a white shirt (her back to the camera) standing.
Rating: 
Summary: The worst of Angel, but still better than most TV around
Review: Reviewing Angel's second season is very hard indeed. As a big fan of everything Joss Whedon's done (particularly Buffy, but also the late, lamented Firefly), it's all too easy to give this boxset 5 stars. However, to be honest this is the one season of either Buffy or Angel that didn't really gel for me. After a much more episodic structure in its first season, Angel moves into its second season with a few carefully constructed plot arcs involving the return of Angel's sire Darla, as well as the gloriously insane Drusilla. Unfortunately this doesn't work nearly as well as it does on its sister show here, and its much more a case of individual episodes shining rather than how any one story arc is dealt with as a whole. In particular, the story involving Angel losing his faith in humanity and himself could have been so much more resonant than it is here and, although comparisons with Buffy seem unfair, her breakdown in series 6 was a lot better than Angel's here. In addition, after Darla is 'vamped' again, her character becomes little more than a conventional villain, which is an insult to the history her and Angel have. Yet to be fair, their history is treated with a remarkable amount of detail and respect in the earlier episodes. By far the most infuriating aspect of this season though is the long-awaited return of fan favourite Drusilla. Gone are the Victorian outfits and poetic language and in come pink polo necks and often silly turns of phrase. These come off as somebody writing Drusilla who doesn't know her character very well, which is a shame considering just how good she was in season 2 of Buffy. For me though, the most aggravating part of the season was its end, where the gang travel to Lorne's homeland of Pylea to rescue lost librarian (and future cast member) Fred. Though there are a few laughs to be had here - notable Angel's response to the sunlight that doesn't burn, and Joss Whedon's cameo as a dancing demon - it's just too hokey for the most part. Don't get me wrong though, I didn't hate the series, all I'm saying is that it had its faults. There were some great points to it, and if the story arcs didn't work together quite as well as they might have done you are at least safe in the knowledge that they were essential to the later series and retrospectively were crucial to the overall story. In particular, the character development of Wesley and Cordelia here proved big stepping stones for what they'd have to face in series 3. There was also the addition of a few new faces, namely Fred and karaoke bar owner Lorne. Whilst both were yet to find their feet on the show, it was nice to see them branching out with an ensemble cast. A few stand-alone episodes are also good, in particularly Darla (companion piece to Buffy's Fool For Love), which tells a good dose of backstory on everyone's favourite vamp-turned-human. Drawing a strong performance from Julie Benz, it stands as one of the best Angel episodes even now. Other instant classics include the opener Heartthrob, 20's pastiche Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been?, Wesley stand-out Guise Will Be Guise and social commentary The Thin Dead Line. It's these that lift the series above nearly everything else on TV. Unfortunately, that's not always enough to feed a fan with already high expectations of a series that delivered last time around and, after this shaky second season, really delivered some of the best entertainment around in its next 3 seasons. To sum up, Angel is a fantastic, classic piece of programming, of which season 2 isn't a very good example. To complete anyone's collection it's a must, but for any first time viewers, any of the other series of the show are a better introduction to why this is so critically acclaimed. The extras are also much better than those on most TV boxsets, and the commentaries and documentaries are genuinely insightful. All in all, better than most you'll find out there, but compared to what Joss Whedon can normally pull off, it doesn't quite cut it.
Rating:
Summary: Season 2 Has Angel on It's Own
Review: In Season 2 of "Angel", we see the show completely separate from Buffy. There are no visits by the Slayer in this season. However, what we do get, is the return of Darla. Angel killed Darla in Season 1 of Buffy, however Wolfram & Hart decide to bring Darla back in order to control not only her, but Angel as well. We see Darla enter Angel's dreams and those dreams begin to haunt Angel. The majority of the season deals with Darla and her influence on Angel. As a result of her return, he pushes away Cordy, Wesley and Gunn. This season showed more of the dark, brooding side of Angel's character, which is very important to understand. The second part of the season sees the crew get transported to Pylea, where the Host (or Loren) is from. They must go to save Cordy, who was sucked into the world. It was very amusing to see Cordelia as a "Princess." Isn't that what she's always wanted to be? We do get some Buffy-land characters. Harmony comes to visit Cordy, who finds out about Harmony's "secret" from Willow. We get Drusela, who wonderfully played by the talented Juliet Landou, drawing Darla back into vampire land. Also, although she does not say anything, the effect of Willow at the end of the season, when she comes to tell about Buffy (Season 5 ending) is wonderful. Overall, good and essential season. "Angel" pulled away from "Buffy" and became a show unto its own. Looking forward to Season 3.
Rating:
Summary: Angel soars in a dark second year
Review: Despite having changed course halfway through, Angel's first season was truly spectacular. And with the surprise ending of "To Shanshu in LA", which saw the resurrection of Darla, the promise for Season 2 was quite high. What audiences saw was the beginning of Angel's golden era. Joining the "official" cast this season was J. August Richards, continuing on as Gunn. Unofficially, Andy Hallett would sign on as Lorne, the Host of Caritas, a demon karaoke bar, and Amy Acker would be introduced at season's end as Fred. Throw in the recurring roles by Elizabeth Rohm (Kate), Stephanie Romanov (Lilah), Christian Kane (Lindsey), and Julie Benz (Darla) and a host of great guest stars, and you have a truly impeccable cast. The episodes, which deal with Angel's obsessive quest to save Darla and the subsequent rebuilding of his friendships with Wes, Cordy, and Gunn afterwards, are consistently excellent all throughout the season. Highlights include "Are You Know or Have You Ever Been", Wesley's turn as "Angel" in "Guise Will Be Guise", "Darla", "Reprise", and the four episode Pylea arc. This DVD set is presented in anamorphic widescreen (although a brief establishing shot in "Dead End" is curiously windowboxed) as originally intended, and looks great. The included featurettes are a pleasure to watch (as is the case with previous Buffyverse sets), but the lack of scripts and/or commentaries is quite disturbing. The only other qualm (and this being a bit nitpicky) is the omission of the recaps at the beginning of the episodes, which were quickly becoming visually and musically integrated with the rest of the show. Otherwise, this set is purely can't miss.
Rating: 
Summary: its fantastic
Review: Season 2 really showed that angel was more than just a spin off. It was a season that showed that this show would never ever be forgotten.
A must have season. Not as good as season one. But this season really is on top of its game, with brilliant storylines.
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