Season 3 has a great beginning and a great end, but an unfortunate middle.

Huh. I thought some of the middle patch was the best of S3, specifically the run from "Loyalty" -- burger loa! -- to "Forgiving," but then, the whole Wes-going-dark arc was the only reason I didn't give up the show in disgust at that point, so I may be biased. The last few episodes of S3 had Gunn selling his soul for a freakin' truck, glowy!Cordy, and of course, the Crapture (tm Matt, I think), which I don't consider a high point of the show.

I need to rewatch Angel. Haven't seen most of it since it originally aired.

I thought some of the middle patch was the best of S3, specifically the run from "Loyalty" -- burger loa! -- to "Forgiving," but then, the whole Wes-going-dark arc was the only reason I didn't give up the show in disgust at that point, so I may be biased.

Oh, I'm counting that. The middle for me is the bridge between the Darla arc and the Wesley arc, which includes all the Baby Connor stuff, mostly. And the stuff I like at the end is the Grown Connor stuff with Holtz.

The middle for me is the bridge between the Darla arc and the Wesley arc, which includes all the Baby Connor stuff, mostly.

Ahh, got you. You meant the part that included "Dad" and "Provider" (ick). Yeap, that section was a veritable festival of the suck.

It's sort of shocking how low it dips before coming back up to slash Wesley's throat and smother him with a pillow and all.

I hated Connor. from the moment he was born and Angel became so dorky i could barely stomach him to when he grew up and became a whiny bitch who didn't look like he could take SMG in a fight much less anyone else.

Heh. I loved Connor even before I found out it was an Unpopular Opinion. My pre-fandom days. He had me at "Hi, Dad."

Aims, re-watching Angel is good times. That was one of the first things I did when I began posting here, coincidentally. And I was cross-posting in Minearverse and there was a whole B'cracy thing and everything.

I think every second Vinnie Karthesier spent on my TV as Connor I was yelling "CUT YOUR HAIR!!!"

I think every second Vinnie Karthesier spent on my TV as Connor I was yelling "CUT YOUR HAIR!!!"

gets up from next to Tiggy, sits next to Sue

I hated Connor. from the moment he was born and Angel became so dorky i could barely stomach him to when he grew up and became a whiny bitch who didn't look like he could take SMG in a fight much less anyone else.

This is me (though I did like the unpsychotic version of him in Season 5). Combine that, unmaterialistic platitude-spouting Saint Cordelia, and pancake kisses and about the only things left for me to like were the animosity between Angel & Wesley and Holtz' interesting crew of villains that were trying to kill all the regular characters.

Seriously, if not for the fact that Tim and three other friends/friendly acquaintances of mine worked on the show behind the scenes, I would have dropped it like a hot potato well before "Provider." Though it was Joss that pulled me back into the fold by writing and directing a fairly good episode just as my tolerance reached the breaking point.