Joss Whedon's Angel ended in 2004 with the titular character preparing to face down monsters and demons in the streets of Los Angeles. Although fans have often considered that ending to be something of a cliffhanger, Whedon says that isn't the case.
“That ain’t a cliff,” Whedon told Entertainment Weekly during a reunion of the cast and crew for the show's 20th anniversary. “I understand why people would want closure, but for me, that would be like adding a cliff note to the end. What I always wanted to say is, trying to become worthy of the life that you have is a life’s work. The fight is for always.”
“I always hope that people feel the difficulty and possibility of redemption within the show,” he continued. “The price will always be high... do the work, it will always be worth it.”
David Boreanaz, who played Angel on the series, added, “I’m so proud of what we all accomplished. There’s such strength in all of these characters; they struggle and they do find redemption somehow.”
Spinning out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel ran on The WB for five seasons from 1999 to 2004, featuring several characters from the original supernatural series. Created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt, the series was the highest-rated program cancelled by the network in 2004, reportedly due to a request for an early renewal from Whedon. The characters and storylines have since been continued through licensed comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. BOOM! Studios is currently releasing stories of the Buffyverse in a rebooted reality.