Angel (season 4)

The fourth season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on October 6, 2002, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 7, 2003. The season aired in a new timeslot, Sundays at 9:00 pm ET, and then relocated to Wednesdays at 9:00 pm ET, beginning with "Habeas Corpses".

Angel
Season 4
Region 1 Season 4 DVD cover
Starring	David Boreanaz Charisma Carpenter J. August Richards Amy Acker Vincent Kartheiser Andy Hallett Alexis Denisof
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	The WB
Original release	October 6, 2002 (2002-10-06) – May 7, 2003 (2003-05-07)
Season chronology
← Previous Season 3 Next → Season 5
List of episodes

Cast and characters

Main cast

• David Boreanaz as Angel
• Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
• J. August Richards as Charles Gunn
• Amy Acker as Winifred "Fred" Burkle
• Vincent Kartheiser as Connor
• Andy Hallett as Lorne
• Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

Recurring cast

• Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
• Vladimir Kulich as The Beast
• Gina Torres as Jasmine
• Alexa Davalos as Gwen Raiden
• Eliza Dushku as Faith
• Daniel Dae Kim as Gavin Park

Guest cast

• Julie Benz as Darla
• David Denman as Skip
• Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
• Laurel Holloman as Justine Cooper
• John Rubinstein as Linwood Murrow
• Jonathan M. Woodward as Knox

Crew

Series creator Joss Whedon remained as the sole executive producer of the show after David Greenwalt left at the end of season three to produce the ABC series Miracles after his contract with 20th Century Fox was up. He stayed on as a consulting producer for the remainder of the series. At the start of the season, David Simkins was made showrunner and executive producer, but after three months, he left the show due to "creative differences" and is not credited in any episodes. Jeffrey Bell was promoted to co-executive producer and assumed the role of showrunner for the season. Tim Minear also left the series to run Whedon's new series Firefly but, like Greenwalt, stayed on as a consulting producer, and wrote and directed the season finale "Home". Whedon would write and direct only one episode of the season, "Spin the Bottle", because of his commitments to the first season of Firefly and the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Steven S. DeKnight, who had written for Buffy during seasons five and six, moved over to Angel where he stayed for the remainder of the show's run. He wrote or co-wrote six episodes of the season, including the season premiere and also directed his debut episode; "Inside Out". Buffy writer-producer David Fury joined as a consulting producer (taking over Marti Noxon's role) and ended up writing four episodes. Mere Smith was promoted to executive story editor and wrote or co-wrote four episodes. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain joined the show as staff writers and wrote or co-wrote five episodes. Firefly writer Ben Edlund was hired as a producer towards the end of the season, following the cancellation of Firefly.^[1]

Episodes

See also: List of Angel episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Prod. code	U.S. viewers (millions)
67	1	"Deep Down"	Terrence O'Hara	Steven S. DeKnight	October 6, 2002 (2002-10-06)	4ADH01	4.57^[2]
Angel is trapped on the ocean floor and Cordelia is stuck on a mystical plane. Wesley searches independently for them as well as Fred and Gunn.
68	2	"Ground State"	Michael Grossman	Mere Smith	October 13, 2002 (2002-10-13)	4ADH02	4.21^[3]
Angel, Fred and Gunn break into an auction house to get an object that may locate Cordelia, but a cat burglar named Gwen, who possesses the power to control electricity, targets the same relic.
69	3	"The House Always Wins"	Marita Grabiak	David Fury	October 20, 2002 (2002-10-20)	4ADH03	5.06^[4]
Angel decides to take Gunn and Fred on a road trip to Vegas to visit Lorne, who is being blackmailed to help a manager steal people's destinies.
70	4	"Slouching Toward Bethlehem"	Skip Schoolnik	Jeffrey Bell	October 27, 2002 (2002-10-27)	4ADH04	4.13^[5]
Cordelia returns but has no memory of who she is. Connor saves her from a demon and she decides to stay with him.
71	5	"Supersymmetry"	Bill L. Norton	Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	November 3, 2002 (2002-11-03)	4ADH05	3.64^[6]
Fred's article is published and she's invited to speak at a symposium where a portal opens.
72	6	"Spin the Bottle"	Joss Whedon	Joss Whedon	November 10, 2002 (2002-11-10)	4ADH06	3.63^[7]
Lorne attempts a spell on Cordelia to restore her memory, which results in the gang reverting to their memories as teenagers.
73	7	"Apocalypse, Nowish"	Vern Gillum	Steven S. DeKnight	November 17, 2002 (2002-11-17)	4ADH07	4.25^[5]
Cordelia's apocalyptic nightmares become a reality as a powerful demon emerges in L.A.
74	8	"Habeas Corpses"	Skip Schoolnik	Jeffrey Bell	January 15, 2003 (2003-01-15)	4ADH08	4.01^[8]
Angel learns that Connor is trapped in Wolfram and Hart, which is under attack from the Beast.
75	9	"Long Day's Journey"	Terrence O'Hara	Mere Smith	January 22, 2003 (2003-01-22)	4ADH09	3.46^[9]
The gang learns that the answer to stopping The Beast is "among them", they suspect Connor. Meanwhile, Gwen returns, and the gang learns that the Beast intends to blot out the sun.
76	10	"Awakening"	James A. Contner	David Fury & Steven S. DeKnight	January 29, 2003 (2003-01-29)	4ADH10	3.19^[10]
In an attempt to locate The Beast and restore the sun, Wesley brings in a dark mystic to extract Angel's soul.
77	11	"Soulless"	Sean Astin	Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	February 5, 2003 (2003-02-05)	4ADH11	3.46^[5]
Angelus is interrogated by Wesley and co as they attempt to find out how to kill The Beast.
78	12	"Calvary"	Bill L. Norton	Jeffrey Bell & Steven S. DeKnight & Mere Smith	February 12, 2003 (2003-02-12)	4ADH12	3.69^[11]
The gang discover The Beast is working for a much more powerful Master, who is far closer to home than they realize.
79	13	"Salvage"	Jefferson Kibbee	David Fury	March 5, 2003 (2003-03-05)	4ADH13	3.72^[12]
Wesley releases Faith from prison to help capture Angelus, who is himself going after the Beast.
80	14	"Release"	James A. Contner	Steven S. DeKnight & Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	March 12, 2003 (2003-03-12)	4ADH14	3.91^[13]
Angelus continues his search for the Beast's Master as Faith attempts to find a way to contain Angelus.
81	15	"Orpheus"	Terrence O'Hara	Mere Smith	March 19, 2003 (2003-03-19)	4ADH15	3.60^[14]
Willow is called in to restore Angel's soul. Meanwhile, while in their comas, Angelus and Faith experience flashbacks of Angel's good deeds over the centuries, culminating in a mental showdown between Angel and Angelus.
82	16	"Players"	Michael Grossman	Jeffrey Bell & Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	March 26, 2003 (2003-03-26)	4ADH16	3.45^[15]
Gwen enlists Gunn's help to steal a device to control her abilities while Lorne attempts a ritual to restore his empathic powers.
83	17	"Inside Out"	Steven S. DeKnight	Steven S. DeKnight	April 2, 2003 (2003-04-02)	4ADH17	3.55^[16]
The gang learns of a higher being's plan to give birth to itself through Cordelia, and Connor receives a visit from the spirit of his deceased mother, Darla.
84	18	"Shiny Happy People"	Marita Grabiak	Elizabeth Craft & Sarah Fain	April 9, 2003 (2003-04-09)	4ADH18	3.92^[17]
As Cordelia lies in a coma following her demonic delivery, the rest of the gang becomes acquainted with—and enchanted by—her unexpected offspring, Jasmine.
85	19	"The Magic Bullet"	Jeffrey Bell	Jeffrey Bell	April 16, 2003 (2003-04-16)	4ADH19	4.09^[18]
After discovering the secret to breaking Jasmine's spell over the nation's citizens, Fred must find a way to save the others before she's captured and killed.
86	20	"Sacrifice"	David Straiton	Ben Edlund	April 23, 2003 (2003-04-23)	4ADH20	3.71^[19]
Free from Jasmine's spell, Angel and the gang escape into the sewers for protection, where Wesley discovers an insect-like demon that may hold the key to defeating Jasmine.
87	21	"Peace Out"	Jefferson Kibbee	David Fury	April 30, 2003 (2003-04-30)	4ADH21	4.04^[20]
Connor goes in search of the missing Cordelia, while Angel travels to another dimension in search of Jasmine's true name.
88	22	"Home"	Tim Minear	Tim Minear	May 7, 2003 (2003-05-07)	4ADH22	3.95^[21]
With Jasmine defeated, Angel and the gang are made an offer they can't refuse from Wolfram & Hart, and Connor goes over the edge into madness.

Reception

The fourth season was nominated for five Saturn Awards – Best Network Television Series, Best Actress in a Television Series (Charisma Carpenter), Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series (Alexis Denisof), Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series (Amy Acker), and David Boreanaz won for Best Actor in a Television Series. The season was also nominated for four Satellite Awards – David Boreanaz for Best Actor – Television Series Drama, Andy Hallett for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series Drama, and Amy Acker and Gina Torres both for Best Supporting Actress – Television Series Drama.^[22]

The Futon Critic named "Spin the Bottle" the 33rd best episode of 2002^[23] and "Peace Out" the 25th best episode of 2003.^[24]

The fourth season averaged 3.7 million viewers, slightly lower than the seventh and final season of Buffy.^[25]

DVD release

Angel: The Complete Fourth Season was released on DVD in region 1 on September 7, 2004^[26] and in region 2 on April 1, 2004.^[27] The DVD includes all 22 episodes on 6 discs presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Special features on the DVD include seven commentary tracks—"The House Always Wins" by writer David Fury and actor Andy Hallett; "Spin the Bottle" by writer/director Joss Whedon and actor Alexis Denisof; "Apocalypse, Nowish" by writer Steven S. DeKnight and director Vern Gillum; "Orpheus" by co-executive producer Jeffrey Bell and director Terrence O'Hara; "Inside Out" by writer/director Steven S. DeKnight; "The Magic Bullet" by writer/director Jeffrey Bell; and "Home" by writer/director Tim Minear. Featurettes include, "Angel and the Apocalypse", which details how they depicted the apocalypse on the show; "Unplugged: Season 4 Outtakes", a series of outtakes from the season; "Last Looks: The Hyperion Hotel", a set tour of the Hyperion Hotel; "Fatal Beauty and the Beast", a look at the villains of the season; "Malice in Wonderland: Wolfram & Hart", a look at the law firm and its importance in the show; and "Prophecies: Season 4 Overview", a summary of the season featuring interviews with cast and crew members.^[28]

References

1. "A Brief History of Mutant Enemy". Whedon.info. May 24, 2004. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
2. "National Nielsen Viewership (Sept. 30–Oct. 6)". The Los Angeles Times. October 9, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
3. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 7-13)". The Los Angeles Times. October 16, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
4. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 14-20)". The Los Angeles Times. October 23, 2002. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
5. . Archived from the original on June 4, 2004. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
6. "National Nielsen Viewership (Oct. 28–Nov. 3)". The Los Angeles Times. November 6, 2002. Retrieved May 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
7. "National Nielsen Viewership (Nov. 4-10)". The Los Angeles Times. November 13, 2002. Retrieved May 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
8. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 13–19)". The Los Angeles Times. January 23, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
9. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 20-26)". The Los Angeles Times. January 29, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
10. "National Nielsen Viewership (Jan. 27-Feb. 2)". The Los Angeles Times. February 5, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
11. "National Nielsen Viewership (Feb. 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
12. "Prime-Time TV Rankings (March 3–9)". The Los Angeles Times. March 12, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
13. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 10-16)". The Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
14. "Prime-Time TV Rankings (March 17–23)". The Los Angeles Times. March 28, 2003. Retrieved May 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
15. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 24-30)". The Los Angeles Times. April 2, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
16. "National Nielsen Viewership (March 31-April 6)". The Los Angeles Times. April 9, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
17. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 7-13)". The Los Angeles Times. April 16, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
18. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 14-20)". The Los Angeles Times. April 23, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
19. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 21-27)". The Los Angeles Times. April 30, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
20. "National Nielsen Viewership (April 28-May 4)". The Los Angeles Times. May 7, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
21. "National Nielsen Viewership (May 5-11)". The Los Angeles Times. May 14, 2003. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. 
22. ""Angel" (1999) - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
23. Brian Ford Sullivan (January 7, 2003). "The 50 Best Episodes of 2002 - #40-31". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
24. Brian Ford Sullivan (January 14, 2004). "The 50 Best Episodes of 2003 - #30-21". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
25. "Season Ratings 2002-2003". Nielsen Media Research. June 2003. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
26. "Angel - Season Four (1999)". Amazon.com. September 7, 2004. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
27. "Buffy DVD and VHS". BBC. Retrieved August 9, 2010.
28. . TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.

External links

• Angel at IMDb