Charlie's Angels (TV Series) Let Our Angel Live (1981) User Reviews

Satisfactory enough final episode of the classic TV series but could have been better....

[jamiecostelo58 · 6/10 · 2 February 2007]

After nearly five years and 113 episodes Charlie's Angels finally came to an end in the summer of 1981 with this satisfactory episode in which Kelly's life hangs in the balance...

The main highlight of 'Let Our Angel Live' are the clips from past episodes, where long-time fans would in no doubt remember, although how on earth Kris could discuss the very first 'flashback' when Cheryl Ladd hadn't even joined the show yet is a minor discrepancy from the producers! This particular story was from the very first series when Farrah Fawcett was still cast!

Viewers should see Charlie make a brief appearance toward the end of the episode, but do the Angels finally get to see him at long last? 'Let Our Angel Live' certainly contains some suspense, but it may have worked better if former Angels Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Shelley Hack had reprised their roles one last time to know whether their friend and ex-colleague Kelly would pull through or not. Overall though this was a satisfactory enough conclusion to a now legendary TV series.

A rather weak way to finish the long-running series

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 15 November 2013]

"Let Our Angel Live" is not really the ideal way to celebrate five years of "Charlie's Angels". The main story, about Kelly getting shot and being hospitalized with a 50%-50% chance to make it is both depressing and predictable, and neither Tanya Roberts nor David Doyle are quite up to the challenge of carrying heavily dramatic scenes. The clips of previous episodes running throughout (yes, this is largely a clip show) hardly show any trademark Angel moments from the long history of the series. To be fair, though, they do include what I consider to be possibly the finest acting moment of Jaclyn Smith in the entire series: her restaurant scene with Simon Oakland in "Angel's Child". I also agree with a previous comment that they should have gotten, if not all, then at least one of the actresses who played the other Angels to make a special appearance in this series finale. ** out of 4.

Satisfactory, if not satisfying, end to an iconic series

[bronty · 6/10 · 6 September 2022]

This, folks, is it: the end of the run for this series, which, several years prior, had been a the very top of the ratings but at this point had reached the bottom rungs: it was placed in #59 out of 65 shows airing, and, in fact, by the time this aired, the show had been cancelled months before; this episode, and the several before it, were 'burned off' in the summer, long after its audience has largely deserted it, and while it definitely has the feel, the flavor, of a 'final episode', it's also not altogether satisfying. As other reviewers have stated, NONE of the former Angels make an appearance here, and neither does anyone in Kelly Garret's family, and the sad fact is that the producers, and ABC, had already given up on the show and weren't going to put anymore money towards what was clearly a sinking ship, hence the clip-show style and lack of extra characters. That said, yes, it WOULD be awfully nice to have found a way to bring back Kate Jackson or Farrah Fawcett, even just to have their characters call in with concern for their former colleague. The clip-show aspect DOES provide an opportunity for Jaclyn Smith to display some pretty decent acting chops, and Cheryl Ladd does well, too; David Doyle and Tanya Roberts DO try their best with the dramatics, with varying degrees of success. What the clip-show aspect DOESN'T help with is the pace: it's glacial here, and while a tone of dread is reached for - will Kelly live or die? - the clips are too few to really provide a trip down memory lane (the producers are obviously VERY CAREFUL to have ZERO clips of former stars Farraw Fawett, Kate Jackson, or Shelley Hack, whose characters aren't even MENTIONED, let alone shown). Altogether, because by this point the folks behind the camera had clearly given up, and the network had lost complete interest, there's a distinct feeling of cheapness about this final episode. It may NOT have actually been intended to wrap up the series but it certainly comes across that way (one gets the feeling the actors already either suspected or knew the end was nigh) and it's VERY clear, to even a casual viewer, the verve, the energy, of this show, was missing in this episode. So, while it comes to a satisfactory conclusion (we even get to see the ever-elusive Charlie Townsend, despite his face largely covered by a surgical mask), it's just not a very satisfying ending, I'm sorry to say.

the series ends with a clip show!

[riku-28160 · 2/10 · 25 March 2020]

What a way to end the series, a clip show. The writers would not even be bothered to write a whole episode. That just about sums up the attitude to the final series and it's sad that the series ends with this really weak episode.

A desultory send-off.

[retep_bk · 4/10 · 8 August 2020]

Another "do you remember when?" episode, basically. A sad way for the series to close, though each of Bos, Kris, and Julie gets to emote a little. Even so, a limp, lazy finale. Out with a whimper, rather than a bang.

Melodrama

[LaverneandShirleysucks · 1/10 · 7 April 2021]

Kelly is shot in the head in the most badly acted way possible. She screams and grabs her head in such overly dramatic fashion, and in slow motion that it comes off funny. In reality, when you're shot in the head you go down in a millisecond with no time to grab your head with both hands and wail dramatically. Afterwards, Bosley and the angels weep in the hospital waiting room while going down memory lane.

Most curious, Kelly seems to have no immediate family to rush to her side after this life threatening incident. No parents, siblings or friends are seen. Either the show didn't have the budget to hire some extras to play them, or Kelly was only likable to her co workers.

It's a terrible way to end the series---especially since Sabrina and Jill are nowhere to be found either while Kelly lays dying. I guess they didn't like her too much either.

Angels Deserve Better

[snarkhunter-18644 · 4/10 · 23 March 2024]

As most have noted, this is a weak finish to an iconic series. It's a clip show (bad), but at least most of the clips center on Jaclyn Smith's Kelly Garret, which I like to think was a way of paying tribute to the only Angel to make it through all five seasons (good). Clips aside, the show has the listless, let's-get-it-over-with feeling that most of season five's episodes have. (Poor Tanya Roberts is given even less to do than usual; she's definitely the Angel who never had a chance.)

By the way, for those complaining that no family members came to stand vigil over Kelly's dramatic surgery, it was revealed in a previous season (four, I think) that Kelly grew up in an orphanage. Get your Angel history straight, people!

The show certainly deserved a better send-off, but I do think the emotion displayed by the characters was genuine - after all, now they all had to go out and look for a job!

Final with reluctance and without energy

[drfernandogil · 1/10 · 18 February 2024]

The end of the series is really very petty, the producers evidently did not want to spend more money or energy on a series that concluded and they filled the hour with flashback behind an episode without any plot. It seems that none of the angels have a boyfriend or family, no one approaches Kelly during her hospitalization. Charlie also does not appear, who is supposed to be seen behind a doctor's assistant's mask and hat. Bosley's performance seeing Kelly get shot is pathetic. Horrendously filmed. If Bosley had that power of fury, why didn't he use it sooner? The series was crying out for an end and the producers decided not to spend any resources on a better ending.- Very poor.-

the 110th and last episode of the 1970s series

[gorytus-20672 · 3/10 · 18 June 2023]

June 2023

Having just gone through every episode of Charlies Angels, i have reviewed the series has a whole and jsut 2 or 3 of the individual episodes, good or bad.

This one is a stinker so i am reviewing it. Several reviews already for this one and i think everyone is agreed it was a poor way to end it all.

Its basically like the end of series 3, another flashback episode reusing footage from previous episodes to fill in some time.

Its not as bad as the other episode which was basically a full flashback episode but its still bad enough.

What a shame. I felt that the arrival of Tanya Roberts for series 5 had lifted the series back up after series 4 was below par. I also think the 3 angels in series 5 made for the strongest combination.

On the whole the series rated a 7 out of 10 but this episode only a 3.