Posted in: CW, TV | Tagged: angel, buffy, buffy the vampire slayer

Buffy Revival Series Has Us Thinking About Angel S05E11: "Damage"

With work underway on Hulu's Buffy the Vampire Slayer revival series pilot, we can't stop thinking about Angel Season 5 Episode 11: "Damage."

We're thinking it was the combination of the excitement surrounding how things are looking with EP Sarah Michelle Gellar, Showrunners Nora Zuckerman and Lila Zuckerman, director Chloé Zhao, and EP Gail Berman's Gellar and Ryan Kiera Armstrong-starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer sequel series for Hulu combined with the recent anniversary of the series finale, S07E22: "Chosen." Whatever the reason, our inner geeks have got us thinking about where things will be for everyone when we make our return to the "Buffyverse." Specifically, we've been wondering how much (if any) of what we learned about Buffy and the "Scooby Gang" post-finale during the fifth and final season of David Boreanaz (Angel) and James Marsters (Spike)-starring spinoff series Angel might get incorporated into canon. One episode definitely comes to mind…

Originally airing on January 28th, 2004, Angel S05E11: "Damage" (directed by Jefferson Kibbee and written by Steven S. DeKnight & Drew Goddard) was not just the midpoint of the spinoff series' final season, but also an episode that offered some interesting intel on what was going down with Buffy and the gang post-series finale. A woman by the name of Dana, who is suspected of being demonically possessed, turns out to be one of the slayers awakened by Willow during the "Buffy" season finale. That results in Giles sending watcher-in-training Andrew (Tom Lenk) out to help deal with the matter – until the reunion turns out to be not so friendly. Before the stand-off goes down, Andrew recaps what happened during "Chosen" and how Giles and some others from Sunnydale have restarted the Watchers Council. In addition, he shares with Spike that the "Scooby Gang" has gone global, with Willow and Kennedy in Brazil, Xander in Africa, Buffy and Dawn in Europe, and everyone else set up in England.

But then things got really awkward after Dana was subdued. With a number of Slayers there to help make his point, Andrew makes it clear that with Dana being a Slayer, she's the Watchers Council's concern… not his. Believing there must be miscommunication going on, Angel tells Andrew that he will clear it up with Buffy. Except, it was Buffy who gave them the orders to make sure they don't leave without Dana. And that's when things get real, with Andrew telling/warning Angel that no one on "Team Buffy" trusts him since he hooked up with Wolfram & Hart, and they don't view him or his team as allies fighting the good fight.

Sarah Michelle Gellar to Buffy Fans: Sequel Series "Will Be For You"

"So….. you might have heard some news this week, but I realize you haven't heard from me: Gellar began her post on Instagram (waiting for you below). "Three years ago, I got a call from my dear friend and mentor, Gail Berman. She told me that she wanted me to sit down with Chloé Zhao to hear her take on a potential "Buffy" revival. I was blown away that Chloé even knew who I was, but, as I've always done, I told Gail that I just didn't see a way for the show to exist again. We'd always been aligned on that, but this time I heard something different in her voice. I eventually agreed to go (mainly just to meet Chloé) and our twenty minute coffee quickly turned into a four hour adventure. We laughed, we cried, but mostly we both talked about how much this show means to us."

Gellar continued, "While I didn't agree to anything at that meeting, I did shock myself by agreeing to continue the conversation. These conversations did, in fact, continue over the next few years and eventually we added the incredible Nora and Lilla Zuckerman to our little tribe until ultimately, one day, we landed on an idea. I have always listened to the fans and heard your desire to revisit 'Buffy' and her world, but it was not something I could do unless I was sure we would get it right. This has been a long process, and it's not over yet. I promise you, we will only make this show if we know we can do it right. And I will tell you that we are on the path there. I feel so lucky to be on this journey with these four unbelievably talented women, all of whom love "Buffy" as much as I do. And as much as you do. Thank you to all the fans who never stopped asking for this. This will be for you."

Gellar is set to serve as executive producer, along with Berman, Fran Kuzui & Kaz Kuzui via Suite B, and Dolly Parton via Sandollar – with 20th Television and Searchlight Television serving as the studios.

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