22 Years Ago, A Major Buffy Character Changed Overnight Into a Hilarious New Form (It’s Still a Fan Favorite)

It was 22 years ago that a major Buffy the Vampire Slayer character had a transformation that remains one of the most memorable in the franchise’s history. After the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, David Boroneaz left the series to start his own show called Angel. Leaving the small town of Sunnydale behind, Angel moved to Los Angeles and opened his own detective agency, where he helped people with supernatural problems. He also came into conflict with an evil organization known as Wolfram & Hart. In the fifth and final season, Angel had a transformation that has become a popular meme.

On February 18, 2004, the Angel episode “Smile Time” was released, and in this episode, Angel was turned into a puppet.

Angel Turned Its Lead Character Into a Puppet

The fifth season was the final one for Angel, and the WB canceled it before the season was finished. This meant that Whedon had to rush to the conclusion, and there was no time for fluff. Luckily, the cancellation came after Whedon had already finished the 14th episode, “Smile Time,” and fans got a side story that ended up as one of its best. At this point in Angel, he is actually working for Wolfram & Hart, along with Fred, Wesley, and Gunn, and this is a case he was sent on representing the firm. Angel goes to a television studio that is stealing the life forces of children, and, while there, he triggers a spell that turns him into a puppet.

The puppet bore an eerie resemblance to what can only be described as Angel meets Bert from Sesame Street. This leads to some of the most fun that anyone will ever have watching Angel. The reactions of Lorne and Gunn to Angel as a pupput is hilarious, and when Spike sees him and laughs, the two start to fight. Seeing Spike and Puppet Angel brawling is worth the price of admission. The fact that Puppet Angel actually beat Spike was the best punchline to this gag.

There was also a moment where a werewolf that Angel had fallen for, named Nina, changed and attacked him, which forced him to humorously patch himself up. The episode ends with Gunn, Fred, Wesley, and Puppet Angel arriving at the television studio and battling the other living puppets to stop the plan to kill countless children. Seeing the little Puppet Angel walking in with a giant sword over his shoulders, followed by humans, Gunn, Fred, and Wesley, was a sight that tells the entire story. Finally, Puppet Angel battles a puppet named Polo, and as expected, if he could beat Spike, he had the skills to beat another puppet, especially in the moment where he goes “vamp face Puppet Angel.”

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Puppet Angel Became One Of the Buffyverse’s Best Memes

While the “Smile Time” episode of Angel was both hilarious and entertaining, the lasting effect of the episode was the introduction of Puppet Angel. The Jim Henson Company is who ensured that the puppets were done masterfully, including Puppet Angel. It was, at heart, a chance to do an evil Sesame Street episode, and it ended up impressing critics. The episode earned a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. The episode was even referenced in the IDW comic, Angel: After the Fall, where the puppet form returned.

This also led to what might be the best meme that ever came out of the Buffyverse. Whether it is a shot of Puppet Angel looking on with a scowl on his face or a beaten-up Angel, with claw marks across the puppet’s face, there are countless memes that popped up surrounding the transformed vampire. A lot happened in this episode, from Gunn making a deal he would come to regret to Fred and Wesley finally making a love connection, but the visuals of Puppet Angel are what everyone remembers.

The episode itself also had a lot of fun moments with the puppet, helping make it the funniest Angel episode of the show’s entire run. Lorne called Puppet Angel his “Little Prince” and even asked for Geppetto, a sly Pinocchio joke. There was also a comic book miniseries based on the episode using the same name, “Smile Time.” This even allowed marketing options, with plush toys based on Puppet Angel, as well as Battle-Damaged Angel Puppet, Vampire Angel Puppet, Spike Puppet Plush, and Life-Sized Angel Puppet. A lot of movies and TV shows attempted puppet storylines, but Angel showed how to do it right.

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