12 Small Details You Only Notice Rewatching Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Angel is up there with Frasier as one of TV’s best spin offs, and it works great as a standalone series. The tone is a little darker and the morality less clear, but it maintains the same charm and zip as its parent show. The real genius, however, comes when the two shows are re-watched side by side, and the chronology of the universe unfolds.

For four seasons, the shows co-existed, and there are many great moments in which Buffy shows up in L.A, or Angel in Sunnydale. Through these appearances, Joss Whedon elegantly expands on the tragic tale of Buffy and Angel. Their love story is paramount to the first three seasons of Buffy, but they know they can’t risk being together.

They weave their way in and out of stories, assisting one another in their respective battles against evil, but they can never share the same plane. Many online fans have created the ultimate Buffy/Angel viewing guide, and for those who feel they’ve seen it all, it’ll offer a fresh new perspective.

Angel continues for another post-Buffy season, but the slayer’s presence is felt throughout. Still, the two shows work best as a unit, with all manner of references and Easter eggs you can only pick up when watching in tandem.