Birthday Present

I can forgive an alternate reality that was merely papered over the existing world. (I'll call it the Wallpaperverse.)

I can forgive moving Cordelia's birthday.

I can forgive Angel's snoring.

I can forgive such unlikelihoods as a patient's secret stash of her own medical records, which her non-physician friends can read and understand.

I can forgive the sudden near-corporeality of a Phantom Dennis wearing a birthday hat.

I can forgive the unexplained reopening of the Hyperion in the Wallpaperverse.

I can forgive Angel's inadequately explained inability to cope with visions in the Wallpaperverse.

I can forgive all this, because the "Birthday" episode of "Angel" is really a birthday present, not for Cordelia, but for the fans. We've waited two years for it.

Finally, Cordelia smiles at the memory of Doyle, and wonders aloud whether he loved her.

Finally, we are shown at least one version of Angel who mourned Doyle for more than one episode. (In the absence of Cordelia, it is implied that the Angel/Doyle relationship had progressed much further in the Wallpaperverse.)

In many small ways - the opening credits of "Cordy!" and the minor (and dead) character of Tammy, and even such tiny things as a passing mention of Ojai - the show obliquely acknowledged the contributions of the fans in "Birthday."

Thank you, Mere Smith and the rest of the "Angel" team. It took two years and another alternate universe, but finally somebody noticed that we still miss Doyle.

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Today was the official U.S. release date of the first season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on DVD. Most major retailers have the DVD set in stock, or you can order it online from Amazon.com, among others.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...

Of course, fans in the U.K. and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and other parts of the world already have DVDs of the first three seasons of "Buffy" and the first season of "Angel." The "Angel" first-season DVD also includes a treat for Doyle fans: Jane Espenson's commentary on the episode "Rm w/a Vu," which includes several interesting bits about Glenn Quinn and Doyle (but nothing to contradict the official line on the subject).

How can fans in the U.S. and Canada enjoy these treasures?

Codefree DVD players have become more readily available, and most new computers now include a DVD drive. For those who own more than one computer with a DVD drive, such as a desktop plus a laptop/notebook, there is the option of setting one system to Region 1 (U.S. and Canada) and another system to Region 2 (U.K., Ireland, Middle East) or Region 4 (Australia and New Zealand). Even if you own just one computer, if you have both a standalone DVD player and a computer with a DVD drive, you could do the same thing, so that you have one player for Region 1 DVDs and another for Region 2 DVDs. Check your own DVD player or drive to see whether the region can be changed.

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