The second season of the television series Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, premiered on September 26, 2000, on The WB and concluded its 22-episode season on May 22, 2001. It maintained its previous timeslot, airing Tuesdays at 9:00 pm ET, following Buffy.
Series creators Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt served as executive producers, while Greenwalt would serve as the series' showrunner as Whedon was running Buffy. Whedon didn't write a script for the season, although he did write the stories to "Judgment" and "Happy Anniversary", directed the fourth episode "Untouched" and even acted in the season's penultimate episode as Lorne's dancing cousin Numfar. Buffy writer/producer Marti Noxon served as consulting producer, with other Buffy writers Jane Espenson, Douglas Petrie and David Fury were asked to write freelance scripts.
Tim Minear (supervising producer, promoted to co-executive producer midseason) and Jim Kouf (consulting producer) were the only writers kept on the staff. Minear ended up writing the most episodes of the season, including important episodes during the Angel/Darla story arc including "Darla", "The Trial", "Reunion", "Reprise" and "Epiphany". "Darla" also counted as Minear's directorial debut. Mere Smith, who was a script coordinator during the first season was promoted to a staff writer, and began writing episodes. Shawn Ryan was hired for the season and also served as a producer.[1]
James A. Contner (also co-producer) directed the highest number of episodes in the second season, directing three episodes. David Greenwalt directed two, including the season finale.
In the 1950s, Angel aids a woman living on the lam in the Hyperion Hotel, an establishment with a long history of death and mayhem. In the present, Angel returns to the Hyperion and tracks the demon he refused to stop 50 years earlier.
Learning that Darla is dying, Angel refuses to turn her into a vampire. Instead, he undertakes a series of mystical ordeals in which he must ultimately sacrifice his own life for hers.
After learning that Cordelia has become the Princess of Pylea, Wesley and Gunn are captured by rebels as Angel tries to save a slave sentenced to execution.
Aided by Fred, Angel struggles with his inner beast the demon dimension brings out in him, while Wesley and Gunn join with rebel forces to overthrow the government. In the last scene, the team return home to the Hyperion to find Willow with news of Buffy's death in "The Gift".
The second season averaged 4.1 million viewers, slightly lower than the fifth season of Buffy.[27]
DVD release
Angel: The Complete Second Season was released on DVD in region 1 on September 2, 2003[28] and in region 2 on April 15, 2002.[29] The DVD includes all 22 episodes on 6 discs presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Special features on the DVD include two commentary tracks—"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been" by writer Tim Minear and "Over the Rainbow" by director Fred Keller. Scripts for "Darla" and "Disharmony" are included. Featurettes include, "Making up the Monsters", which details the make-up design; "Inside the Agency" is a set tour of various sets; "Stunts" details the choreography of the stunts; and "Season 2 Overview" is a summary of the season featuring interviews with cast and crew members. A photo stills gallery is also included.[30]