I thought it was brilliant!

Of course, I haven't seen it yet, living in Australia and all.. but none the less - I'm sure it was awesome.

elroy | October 02, 11:07 CET

I couldn't help thinking: He parts his hair now?

fraying | October 02, 11:52 CET

When Angel picks up the phone at Wolfram & Hart, he hears an automated recording, "You have reached ritual sacrifices. For ghosts, press one or say `Ghosts.'"

Surely the recording said 'goats', not 'ghosts'?

milov | October 02, 12:35 CET

The article about Charisma was also interesting.

chickenbird | October 02, 13:29 CET

Definitely goats.

Caroline | October 02, 15:29 CET

The hair, yes! The hair! Is he going all Shatner on us or something?
What's up with the hair????

melsta | October 02, 16:26 CET

It took me 15 minutes to figure out what was wrong with Gunn...HE HAD HAIR! Speaking of hair, yeah, Angel's hair is a bit scary. Don't like Eve. Wondered why they would spend money on computer animation of Angel leaping rooftops when it looked that bad. Oh, and hey, even though they are in a mega-storied building, I love that they pretty much are on one set for most of the show. They need to fix Lorne's make-up for when he's in bright light...it doesn't look like him. I liked the expansion of the main characters as people, but could have done without the cookie cutter wetworks guy, glad he's dead. Will stop sentence fragments now.

jack knight | October 02, 16:42 CET

They hit the nail on the head regarding Eve...it is like watching a teenager play dress up and "be bad". My 11 year old daughter and I were so excited to watch...and the first thing out of her mouth was..."What happened to Angel's hair?...it looks kinda funky...where is his spikey hair???" I already posted my thoughts on Harmony...love her...but I think she is too fun and too nice in this first episode. I hated the quirky music they played for next weeks episode...I felt like Angel and Spike were going to be like a nitpicking Starsky and Hutch duo routine. However I did laugh at the "ritual sacrifices" telephone bit. Very Joss, VERY VERY FUNNY.

Coll | October 02, 17:07 CET

Ew, everyone was so BORING!

It's L.A. Law with monsters! I was so disappointed. Aside from a few funny moments, there was just nothing. Poor Wes, he could have been a chair in the corner for all he was given to do. It was the Fred show. I MISS CORDELIA!

And the hair. Everyone is talking about Angel's bad hair. No cool spikes, just slicked back and all fat looking.

Hopefully Spike will inject some much-needed juice. Eve is useless, except to new viewers, and Harmony was forced. Oh, and everything is way too bright. I thought I'd like the necro-tempered idea, but it just makes everyone look makeup-y and old.

Keeping optimistic for next week, tho'. Gotta hang in.

Willowy | October 02, 17:44 CET

I haven't seen the episode yet but I do know that Joss originally intended Morena Baccarin from Firefly to play Eve.

Simon | October 02, 17:53 CET

Easy to tell it was written by Joss. Wonderful seamless flow of action with no moments that felt like fillers.
It is hard to judge the first half of the start to the new season because it really only was part of the whole and we will have to wait until next week to make up our minds if Joss has managed to incorporate the old Angel show and a bit BtVS with something new to give us a show worth watching.

Linda | October 02, 18:13 CET

I sort of enjoyed the first episode. It's the second one that did my head in. Ugh.

Caroline | October 02, 18:44 CET

I think it says something that the top criticism I'm hearing so far about "Convinction" concerns Angel's new hairdo.

Come on, people.

delavagus | October 02, 18:50 CET

Prolific? What second ep? Have you seen next week's already?

Willowy | October 02, 19:14 CET

Yes, I have. A work print that's floating around.

Caroline | October 02, 19:29 CET

Wow. The hair. Who cares what the hair looks like. Did anyone notice that the first shot of the show, the one after the first commercial, was all done in one shot? That was impressive! Just one steadicam shot from when we first see Fred to when Angel goes into his office. Just great. Eve... well, I'm going to give her more time. I think she's just one of those characters you have to wamr up to. I thought Harmony was hysterical. When she was getting all choked up after hearing about Cordelia, I was like, "But she wouldn't care, she's a demon.", but no sooner did I finish that thought, did she show she didn't really care. And the last line of the the episode... Just killed me. Out of 5 stars, I give this ****. Very well done, can't wait for next week!

AlterLeo | October 02, 19:36 CET

The article (and people commenting) are apparently wrong when they say the next episode is part of a two-parter and also by Joss. TVTome says (as do many others) it's written by Fury and Edlund and directed by Contner,

aaronsw | October 02, 19:56 CET

Oh, my take? It's Joss does the West Wing.

aaronsw | October 02, 19:57 CET

The handwringing over the moral quaqmire of working at/for W & H got really tiresome really quick. That needs to be played out fast or get pushed far into the background (like until the season finale). I'm hoping Spike's showing up will push things in a more exciting direction.

rhorsman | October 02, 21:10 CET

Eh. Not all that impressed. I have been waiting for this all summer and I have to say I was disappointed. It could be that my expectations were way too high. Everything I would have commented on Jack already pointed out so I simply will stand in the background and nod enthusiastically with an occassional "exactly".

I will say that the character of Eve seems interesting but the actress was horrible. She seemed too young to be a liaison to the senior partners. Maybe I was spoiled by Lilah but when I think of Wolfram & Hart's women I think smart, sexy, mysterious, and dressed in perfectly tailored suits. Eve is just too perky and and she looks like she had to borrow some clothes from "mom" for her first day at work. She has no . . . oomph. That is just my first impression, of course, who knows what she ends up being. I liked the flash transition from the school to the office and you see Eve looking at the blood-covered wall where the wetworks guy saw the last of Angel's mercy. The part just should have gone to a more mature actress, in my opinion.

Oh, and yuck on the lighting! Who cares about Necroglass? These characters just look better in the shadows.

I hope that Spike's arrival will make things more interesting because I was on the brink of boredom last night. And, NO, I am not a crazy "Spike Lover". I like Spike and Angel for different reasons. I just think that the show may need him. I did think it was strange that he was billed second in the credits. I kinda think that since he is new to the cast, he should have been the "and".

BTW, who cares about Angel's hair? We do! You can't go 7 years with a spiky-haired Angel and then think that a change would go over easily! It's just kinda of a shocker and it's hard to get past. Angel is like a superhero of sorts, I mean, what's Batman without the pointed-eared black mask?

Karen | October 02, 21:55 CET

Oh, one more thing. I thought it was ironic that ABC Family ran a repeat of "See Jane Date" during Angel. I miss Cordy too, Willowy.

Karen | October 02, 22:00 CET

Things change people. It's still one of (if not the) best shows on television, we're still getting to spend an hour every week with characters we love (even if some of them are gone), and we get to see a whole new dimension of those characters explored.

To paraphrase Lorne, you can hold a single note forever, it's when the notes change that it becomes music.

ringworm | October 02, 22:05 CET

One more nitpick: Angel sends LORNE to the court? Lorne? The GREEN DEMON? I mean, it's LA, sure, but come on! Without the illusion of normalcy that surrounds the mystical nature of Angel's world, the whole thing falls apart.

fraying | October 02, 22:56 CET

I just watched the work print and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some lovely little touches (especially the Dixie Chicks poster). And Spike's appearance at the end, wow. So glad that the WB kept that a secret.

I seem to be in the minority about Eve, a little bland but give her some time and we'll see how her character develops.

Simon | October 02, 23:51 CET

RE: Karen's comments...

It would've been wrong to give James Marsters the "and" spot, since that's the second-tier spot. It was Tony Head's on Buffy, and when he left, it went to Hannigan. If they'd allowed Marsters to bump Denisof, it would've been unfair -- Denisof has earned that spot.

And I realize that folks are gonna care about Angel's hair, but come on. People seem to be treating it as if it's a substantively important aspect of the show's new direction rather than just a new look for our champ.

And as for the "why did they send Lorne" nitpick: Who else were they gonna send? They can't trust anyone who wasn't already busy doing stuff. Lorne is still the gopher, it seems, since running the entertainment division is hardly crucial.

delavagus | October 03, 00:42 CET

I see, I didn't know that the "and" spot was the second-tier spot! Excuse my naïveté, I apologize. You're exactly right, delavagus, I don't think James Marsters should be billed above any of the existing cast.

Also, I don't think anyone thinks that the whole hair thing is of any importance as to the show's new direction... it's just weird. The trenchcoat and hair was kinda his trademark is all.

I do think change is good but it does take getting used to.

Karen | October 03, 01:14 CET

Hmm why exactly was Alyson Hannigan in the "and" spot anyways? She had the major storyline of season 6, she was the second highest paid actor on Buffy after SMG.

samara1 | October 03, 01:58 CET

I, for one, enjoyed the show. The brightness was a nice change, but hopefully it won't be the only thing we see. Angel's all about the dark and broody, so they won't completely get rid of the sewers and shadows.

We noticed the change in Angel's hair, but that was it. A notice. Come on, he had to change his hair to fit the lawyer image, right? At least he's not changing hairstyles as often as Anya. ;)

I have no problem with Eve or Harmony. I thought for sure I wouldn't like Eve, but there's something about how calm she remains, no matter what she has to say. Of course, that just screams evil, but who didn't expect that eventually? And Harmony always makes with the funnies, so she's good to have around. Especially considering the very last scene.

Was it just me, or did the wetworks guys (at least at the beginning) seem at all similar to the Initiative?

Oh, and we actually cheered when the opening credits ran, because Dennis is still in them. And I agree that it seems odd to have James' name so high on the list.

Greyflowers | October 03, 04:39 CET

I thought it was great. Fast, fluid and sharp. And damn funny. And complaints about his hair?? Or that the rooms are too light?? I didn't think Buffy and Angel fans were the types to make big deals out of secondary details like that.

As for Angel being all about dark & broody....well I think we've alreay had 4 seasons' worth of that. Nothing wrong with a change of pace. Joss has always been about growth and change.

And this is the first ep of them dealing with having to run W&H and already people complain it's getting old?? Wow....

I thought Harmony was great. Great comic relief. And as for it being 'the Fred show', I didn't get that at all. But then people always feel the character they don't like gets too much air time don't they?

Eve...too early to tell. And she's obviously deliberately too young. She's probably really a centuries old demon or something. So far I neither like nor dislike her. Time will have to tell.

For me things were off to a great start.

EdDantes | October 03, 04:56 CET

delavagus -- I meant, it's a courtroom. In the middle of a trial. No one's gonna notice the dude with the green face? He was wearing gloves and a hat, but his face is still green. It would have been nice to them to at least acknowledge that the "normals" might have a problem with this. A strange look from someone in the courtroom or something. How did he even get in the building?

This isn't just nitpicking -- half the fun of the show for me is this secret parallel world of demons and magic. But that fun is ruined when it's out in the open. If green-skinned demons can just walk the street without anyone batting the eye, what's the point?

fraying | October 03, 05:54 CET

I meant, it's a courtroom. In the middle of a trial. No one's gonna notice the dude with the green face?

Didn't one of the W&H guys mention the DA's shaman? If the DA has a shaman, it's fair to assume that the L.A. court system knows about demons and magic.

Which is... kinda boring actually. I also prefer the demon world to remain clandestine.

Vamp_Insurance | October 03, 08:49 CET

So any idea what scuttled Morena, Simon? 'Cause that would've been interesting.

melsta | October 03, 15:48 CET

EdDantes, what other fans do you know that would actually care about hair and lighting? Its the small things and details that are important to us. We know what to expect in the way of quality with Joss, and IMO, we didn't get it at all. Looking forward to this all summer, I was. Hugely disappointed. Especially loathed the fact that Wes was given nothing to do.

And Karen, I agree with just about everything you said!

Willowy | October 03, 18:22 CET