Summary
- The Buffy revival must address Angel’s unresolved cliffhanger to provide closure for fans.
- Fans speculate about what happened after the chaotic final battle, creating anticipation for the revival.
- The revival could directly reference Angel’s fate or indirectly explore the battle’s consequences to integrate both series.
The return of Buffy the Vampire Slayer to television is an exciting development for longtime fans. However, while the revival promises to bring back the world of the Slayer, one lingering question from the franchise remains unanswered. Angel, the spinoff series following Buffy‘s former vampire love interest, ended on a massive cliffhanger that left the fate of several key characters uncertain. Given that the Buffy revival exists within this shared universe, it needs to address what happened in the wake of Angel’s chaotic final battle.
The conclusion of Angel saw its main characters—Angel, Spike, Gunn, and Illyria—facing an overwhelming onslaught of demons, suggesting that they were about to meet their doom. However, the revival’s existence implies that the world survived this apocalyptic battle. So what exactly happened? The new series has a chance to finally answer this lingering mystery and explain how things played out after the series faded to black.
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Angel’s Cliffhanger Needs Resolution
The Angel series finale, “Not Fade Away,” left fans with one of television’s most debated unresolved endings. After taking down the Circle of the Black Thorn, Angel and his team found themselves facing the wrath of the Senior Partners—powerful entities that controlled the underworld of Los Angeles. In the final moments, an army of demons, dragons, and other horrors descended upon them. The screen cut to black just as Angel uttered the line, “Let’s go to work,” leaving their fate unknown.
Since then, fans have speculated about what happened next. Some of this was explored in Angel: After the Fall, a canonical comic series that followed the immediate aftermath of the battle, revealing that Wolfram & Hart sent Los Angeles to Hell. However, TV continuity hasn’t confirmed or denied the comics as canon. This means that for the revival to work, it has to either acknowledge those events or create a new explanation for what happened. If Angel and Spike are still around in the revival timeline, then how did they survive? And if the world remained intact, how was the threat neutralized?
If Angel and Spike are still around in the revival timeline, then how did they survive? And if the world remained intact, how was the threat neutralized?
Given that Spike had already returned from the dead once before—after Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s series finale—it’s possible the show could write off his survival in a similar manner. However, Angel, Gunn, and Illyria were in a far more precarious situation. Gunn was already mortally wounded before the battle even began, and Illyria, though powerful, was not invincible. If any of them appear in the revival, the show needs to explain how they made it out alive.
How the Revival Can Address It
There are several ways the Buffy revival could resolve Angel’s cliffhanger. The most straightforward approach would be to feature Angel or Spike and directly reference what happened after “Not Fade Away.” Even a simple line about how they made it out of the battle and what consequences followed could be enough to satisfy longtime fans.
The revival could also explore the fallout from that battle in a more indirect way. For example, if Los Angeles still bears supernatural scars from what happened, or if the characters are still dealing with the consequences years later, it would provide a natural way to integrate Angel’s finale into the new story.
Why It Matters for the Buffyverse
The Buffyverse is a rare example of a TV franchise that maintained a consistent and interconnected universe across multiple shows. That’s why Angel’s ending still stands out as a loose thread that needs tying up. If the revival ignores it entirely, it risks alienating fans who have followed both series and expect continuity.
Moreover, Buffy’s world has always been one where actions have consequences. The revival needs to show that whatever happened in Angel’s finale had lasting repercussions. Even if the show takes place years later, there should be some acknowledgment of how that battle shaped the supernatural world moving forward.
Bringing back David Boreanaz as Angel or James Marsters as Spike would be an excellent way to address this while giving fans closure. Even if they only appear in a cameo, having them confirm what happened would be a respectful nod to Angel’s ending. If the show wants to go even further, it could explore how that final battle changed Angel’s mission. Did he walk away from the fight? Did he strike some kind of deal? Is he still fighting the good fight in the shadows? These are all compelling directions the revival could take. Are he and/or Spike now human?
By addressing Angel’s cliffhanger, the revival has a chance to bring closure to one of the franchise’s biggest mysteries. Whether it’s through a direct follow-up, a passing reference, or a deeper exploration of the consequences, resolving this unanswered question would help strengthen the Buffyverse and show that the revival truly respects its roots. As the Buffy revival takes shape, one thing is clear: it can’t ignore what came before. And when it comes to the fate of Angel and his team, fans deserve an answer.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer
- Release Date
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1997 – 2003
- Network
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The WB
- Showrunner
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Joss Whedon
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Sarah Michelle Gellar
Buffy Summers
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Nicholas Brendon
Alexander Harris
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Alyson Hannigan
Willow Rosenberg
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Anthony Stewart Head
Rupert Giles
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