Angel

An Angelic Farewell: Don’t know about you, but I’m still in shock that Angel is really ending. The very last episode—why, dear God, why?—is this Wednesday. (Which makes me realize you Bachelor fans will be taping that finale in order to witness the end of the best damn universe ever created on the small screen. Right?)

According to Amy Acker (Fred), the finale will "tear you up inside." She said, "I think you’ll experience every emotion. It leaves this whole new door open, and it’s not tying up all the strings, you know?"

As you may have heard, that open door could (fingers crossed) lead to a few Angel or Buffy movies of the week next season. "We have talked about it," creator Joss Whedon said. "So far, that’s still just talk...But I think there’s definitely room for some of the characters, and I won’t tell which ones. Because there is some attrition. This is not a clean getaway. It’s an ugly fight."

Amy, J. August Richards (Gunn) and James Marsters (Spike) have all said they’d jump at the chance to do an Angel movie. "I would love the opportunity to reprise the character," Richards told me. "Even though his, um, fate is a little, um, unclear." (Eek.)

David Boreanaz (Angel), on the other hand, might not be so willing to rejoin the Frog net: "The only thing I’d be interested in is if the bar was set at a higher standard...I wouldn’t be interested in doing anything for the WB or, you know, a movie of the week or something. I just don’t think that would be right. It would have to be a film or that’s probably it."

Still, David (who might head to London this summer to star onstage in When Harry Met Sally) said he’s beyond grateful for all the fan support. "We’ve got the best fans in the world. These guys are die-hard and have always been there for us. The Save Angel campaign didn’t surprise me at all, because when I found out [the show was canceled], I said, ’The fans are going to go nuts.’ "

And nuts we did go. For the record, we aren’t the only ones supremely disappointed. "I hate the decision," Whedon says of the cancellation. "You know, it shows that a relationship that really was extraordinary, mutually important, can be defeated by the simplest of numbers. And that is, in fact, the reality of show business, but one doesn’t like to be reminded of that."

And here’s the part that gets me weepy: This cast is tight-knit and truly special. When asked what they’ll miss most about being on Angel, every single cast member gave the exact same response: "The people." And I have to agree.