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In what order should Buffy and Angel be watched?



I had the luxury of watching Buffy and Angel when they were on television, when it was impossible for me to mess up the viewing order. Now that I'm introducing it to some friends (and we're coming up on the beginning of Angel) I have no idea when I should watch what episodes, to ensure everything makes sense.


Does anyone know (or have a reference to) a good viewing order for watching Buffy and Angel at the same time?



Answer



Angel series 1 began alongside Buffy series 4, and to watch "as aired" you should alternate from that point, starting with Buffy. However, there isn't so much crossover that you need to; in general if you want to watch in 'spurts' then one DVD of 3-4 episodes at a time will work fine; even 6-7 in later series.


There are a couple of crossover points to watch out for, though. As Buffy aired first, all crossover episodes should be watched Buffy, then Angel. A complete list:


(Bx.y is Buffy, series x, episode y. Ax.y is Angel.)


Buffy series 1


A lot of this series can be skipped if you're in a hurry, as the writing was still finding it's feet; Buffy didn't become a consistently must-watch series until around series 2, episode 3. That said, it had moments of wit and brilliance right from the start.



  • Don't miss B1.7 Angel or B1.12 Prophecy Girl, as both are strong episodes with material that will matter later.



Buffy series 2-3


The finale of Buffy series 3 contains the setup and motivations for the Angel spinoff.


Buffy series 4 / Angel series 1




  • Technically there's a 5-second crossover in B4.1 The Freshman and A1.1 City of, but it's a character beat; no plots will be spoiled if you don't watch them together.




  • B4.3 Harsh Light of Day is immediately followed by A1.3 In the Dark in the timeline, and characters move from one to the other. You must watch the Buffy episode first, but it won't ruin anything if you finish B4.4 before watching the Angel.





  • B4.8 Pangs and A1.8 I Will Remember You are a crossover story. Catch up to the end of episode 7 in both series before you start.




  • B4.15 This Year's Girl & 16 Who Are You are a two-parter. This doesn't synchronise precisely with Angel, but MUST be watched before A1.18 Five By Five & 19 Sanctuary, which are a follow-on story. B4.20 The Yoko Factor then follows from the end of Sanctuary, so it's probably best to just watch in one-episode alternation from 17-20.




Buffy series 5 / Angel series 2


We've done the hard part; much less crossover from now on. As of this point the 'previously on Buffy' segments started giving away huge spoilers for the episode by their choice of 'previously' clip. If possible, start skipping them.





  • B5.7 Fool for Love and A2.7 Darla form a triptych. While not technically a crossover, and both episodes will make sense on their own, the emotional impact of taking them together is huge, as the Angel episode forces you to re-evaluate things you just saw in the Buffy episode. I strongly recommend watching these two as aired, together in a single session.




  • A2.9 Trial should be watched before B5.14 Crush to avoid a minor spoiler.




  • B5.17 Forever is a crossover. It won't spoil any plots if the series are out of sync at this point, but Angel's character will seem wrong if you haven't finished A2.16 Epiphany yet.





  • B5.22 The Gift is not a crossover, but it is an exception to my advice earlier - the 'previously on' is actually an important part of the theme and presentation of this episode, and should NOT be skipped.




Buffy series 6 / Angel series 3


The shows were now showing on different networks, so no direct crossovers happened. There's an implied one offstage around episode 3 of each series, but order doesn't matter.


Buffy series 7 / Angel series 4


Last series of Buffy. Not much direct crossover, but some implied timing of events. As the big finale approaches they start to sync up again, but the timeline does not match up if you watch identical episode numbers as it did earlier.





  • A4.15 Orpheus is a crossover, and happens immediately before B7.18 Dirty Girls. The timeline is most consistent if you watch as far as B7.17 Lies My Parents Told Me before watching Orpheus, but there won't be any confusion if you don't.




  • The series end is an exception to the usual timing; the Angel finale A4.22 Home happens in the timeline just before the Buffy finale B7.21 End of Days and B7.22 Chosen, in which Angel appears.




It won't actually spoil or confuse any plots if you watch as-aired; you'll just see Angel turn up in Buffy with a McGuffin you haven't yet seen him acquire. That said, for tone alone I strongly recommend watching the Angel finale before the Buffy one, as the Buffy finale brings a close emotionally to the entire series.


Angel series 5


Now on its own.




  • A5.11 Damage and A5.20 The Girl in Question have some offstage post-Buffy continuity for those who wanted to know.


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