The Original Plan for Angel in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Would Have Totally Changed the Series

“Becoming,” the two-part finale of Season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains a fan-favorite episode nearly 30 years after its original broadcast. The downbeat conclusion to the second season of the show saw Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) impaling Angel (David Boreanaz) with an enchanted sword and sending him to hell. That sent shockwaves through the show’s dedicated fanbase. How could series creator Joss Whedon and company kill off a character with such an important presence on the show? Perhaps even more shockingly, the character’s demise was initially supposed to be permanent. However, thanks to the WB Network’s interest in casting the character in a spinoff, Buffy brought Angel back in Season 3.

It’s nearly impossible to imagine what the series would have been like without Angel as a mainstay following his (brief) departure at the end of Season 2. We say that for a couple of reasons.

Killing Angel After Season 2 Would Have Changed Buffy Forever

Fans were gutted by the way the program left off at the end of its second season, however, that sorrow turned to joy for many when Angel returned to the series in Season 3, Episode 3. Very little context is given regarding his return, and that might have something to do with the fact that the original plan was for the character to remain dead permanently.

Many fans were delighted by the brooding vampire’s homecoming, but a handful of others note that the decision to bring Angel back undid a very powerful, very poignant exit for the sake of further expanding the intellectual property.

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In retrospect, it’s almost impossible to imagine the series going on without Angel. Although his arc largely segues to the spinoff series Angel after Season 3, the character continues to make appearances on the series for the balance of its seven-season run, remaining an important part of the shared universe throughout the duration.

One element that Angel’s permanent absence would have likely impacted is Cordelia’s (Charisma Carpenter) arc. The character’s role in the third season is reduced to pave the way for her transition to the spinoff. If Angel had remained dead, what would her role have looked like? Would the writers have given her a larger presence on the series, or would she have been written off regardless?

Although we’ll never know what might have been, it’s still interesting to think how the third through seventh seasons of Buffy could have played out without Angel around as a part of the shared televised universe.

Both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Spinoff Series Angel Made a Lasting Mark on Pop Culture

Both shows remain deeply imprinted upon the minds of an entire generation who grew up watching the respective programs, as well as new fans who are discovering them post-cancellation.

Part of what makes the shows resonate after all this time is the emotional investment each elicits from viewers. Though neither series had a particularly sizable budget, the writing and the performances pulled us in. The show’s tendency to kill off key players worked well to keep us on our toes. When there’s a potential that almost any character might get written off at any given time, that leaves fans in a perpetual state of high alert.

All things considered, bringing Angel back in Season 3 remains a pleasant surprise for most. With characters like Joyce, Anya, Wesley, and Tara all dying (permanently), it’s nice to see characters like Angel beating the odds and living to fight another day. If Angel had stayed dead after his tragic demise at the end of Season 2, the series would surely be different for it.

What do you think about the slightly unorthodox decision to bring Angel back from the dead in Season 3? Did it help or hurt your relationship with the show? Make sure to let us know by sounding off in the comments section below.

As fans know, Buffy went off the air in the early ’00s, but the program’s seven-season run is available to stream on Hulu. Following cancellation, the IP continued in comic form for many years. Additionally, several original cast members reunited for the audio drama “Slayers: A Buffyverse Story” in 2023. That nine-episode series won’t be returning for a second season, but don’t fret, Hulu is presently in development on a series reboot that will focus on a new slayer. The best news about that development is that Gellar will feature as a recurring guest star.

No word just yet on when the Hulu series will go into production or make its debut on the platform, but we will keep you updated as we learn more.