The Ring • S01E16 • TPN’s Angel Guide

[@majingojira]

Honestly? I love that ending gag.

[@McBenjiii]

Look here, buddy! I love what you are doing here. This Channel is the best I have found on KZbin and your videos has done me the favor of starting me on a path where I was more interested in philosophy than I have ever been. I've read Sartre and Camus because of you which actually managed to help get me out of a depression a little over a year ago when I was really sick. YOUR channel helped me save myself from an eventual suicide. So from the bottom of my heart and soul: Thank you! Thank you so much for what you are doing here, I would not have made it if it hadn't been for you! And you can take a year (or more) per video, i will still watch every single one with glee. Because I love YOUR content.

[@LochInCD]

This channel and learning about Sartre's and Camus' philosophy also helped me a lot with my depression, so thank you very much Ian

[@McBenjiii]

Echo Truths I know what you mean. The top 10 list of episodes to remind you everything will be better is without a doubt my favorite. I have watch number six on that list so many times I basically memorized the monologue on grief.

[@McBenjiii]

LochInCD I am so happy for you!

[@rachelmcdonald9250]

Giraffen Benji that's deep

[@Acidpunk101]

There is always a reason to go get your rock.

[@hciapetus1251]

When it came to Angel refusing to kill the demons in the ring, I’ve always felt it had to do with; not killing on someone else’s demands, Angel never investigated these demons to see which ones were actually evil, and not taking the lesser evil way out. He took a stand for himself against the people behind such a horrible game, not necessarily against the demons being forced to fight, kill, and die. Part of wished the episode ended with the joke, but followed up with something more hopeful like on the lines of the freed demons making a change in the own lives to stand up against evil or the ones who can’t defend themselves.

[@PassionoftheNerd]

I like that.

[@hciapetus1251]

Passion of the Nerd - thank you! ^_^

[@davideferrari1194]

I think we can assume that they all were of the Not Really Dark kind. Neither entirely good neither entirely evil (like us all), the ones who kill humans only if they have a real reason for doing it, not to eat them or have fun.

[@LucyLynette]

I'm thrilled to know I'm not the only one who enjoys this ep. Yes, it's a pile of tropes and cliches, but underneath all that, it's the series continuing to find its footing in a way that's kinda fun. And the importance of Lilah's introduction can't be overstated.

[@slashandbones13]

I think the idea is that it is FORCED combat that makes him not want to kill.

[@thomasknash]

slashandbones13 the idea that you always have a choice, which pops up often on Buffy & Angel.

[@tothorsi]

exactly. Big miss on TPN's part.

[@NicoleTunis]

had the same thought. He's rebelling against a dictatorship in micro form and is exercising his free will

[@eventualnightcore6221]

slashandbones13 +

[@Xehanort10]

Yeah. Angel will fight and kill demons who are trying to kill him just fine. But the demons in this episode are being forced to fight against their will in order to get their freedom so he doesn't want to kill them.

[@The810kid]

Ah Lilah one of the best original characters on this show

[@slashandbones13]

it has been done to death but I have always enjoyed the "forced gladiator" gimmick.

[@JimmyCortez2]

I wish Lilah got an "intro" just like Wes and Tara did. :(

[@mishmash59]

Jimmy Cortez There's a signed dollar in your wallet that says different.

[@chrysalizubeth88]

Early evidence of Wesley’s awesomeness

[@MsCunningLinguistic]

Ahhh, it's here! Honestly, The Ring is one of my season 1 favourites. Also, this came out after a spectacularly shitty day, so thank you for lifting my spirits, too.

[@bigkahunaburger1092]

After such a deep episode with The Prodigal Son, I felt that The Ring was a fun episode that gives a little bit of fresh air.

[@thomasknash]

I always try to see a bigger theme in Angel episodes, something that represents the macro-arc of the show. While not 100% successful, I think this episode tried to explore the idea of free will, how much of Angel's life is controlled by him versus powerful forces (Wolfram & Hart, Powers That Be, Prophecies & Destiny, his own vampiric nature, etc).

[@drake8050]

Almost at Five by Five!

[@tsstevensts]

And Sanctuary. Oh that is a good one.

[@ECNewman]

Even when you don't love it, or don't think the episode is great, I learn something thru your analysis and thoughts. AND THAT IS WONDERFUL!!

[@lagoonastorm8978]

I've been binge watching these guides for the past couple of days starting from series 1 of Buffy then going to angel, love both shows and I can't wait for more buffyverse guides in the future.

[@yovliporat8608]

Since you uploaded the last Angel guide, I've gotten to mid season 3. It was wierd to start watching without watching the guide after every episode.

[@MANJYOMETHUNDER111]

I always felt like the team dynamic really started to cement itself when Gunn joined. Maybe I just love J. August Richards.

[@chuckbatman5]

Briandon Stark Gunn is probably the most underutilized of the main team members, he's a great character but most of his story arcs were garbage

[@The810kid]

Briandon Stark Gunn definitely completed Team Angel as much as I love Fred her arrival ruined the perfect synergy Team Angel had

[@KNadoli]

I dunno, War Zone, That Old Gang of Mine, Supersymmetry AND Shells are all very important in his development. I'd say he's still a VERY huge part of the crew, even if he himself doesn't see it

[@KNadoli]

And you're right, once Gunn entered, everything just clicked

[@KNadoli]

And as sad as Doyle's departure, it's hard to say whether or not he could match the changes Wesley, Gunn and Cordy(for better or worse) faced throughout the show

[@tsukigalleta]

I think Lilah was a substitute character for the lawyer we saw in "Parting gifts" because maybe the actress wasn't available. We never see that character again

[@peacocca190]

tsukigalleta I liked her too. At least more than Lee.

[@littlefox7694]

This is my candy episode too! I never understood why i enjoyed rewatching it so much. Now i think i do. Thanks.

[@terraresa9469]

I wanted to thank you for the psychological and philosophical lessons in your videos. Recently I was doing an internship that went really badly with me getting more and more afraid of my boss and then I watched ‘the prodical’ review and what you said really resonated with me deeply and helped me change the toxic dynamic. „And if we cede our self-worth and dignity to someone who abuses them, it’s on us to realize that that was still our choice. The idea is not to try and take power and self determination back to ourselves, but that it was always ours to begin with.”

[@Yosi-Berman]

I enjoy this episode so much. I kinda like the shift in tone in the middle, I love how cheesy the tropes are. And as you said, this episode the chemistry of the team is really starting to hit the mark.

[@CaptainTimeStories]

Wesley not being played for laughes is a critical first

[@Gabrielpliskin]

Maybe it wasn't so much about killing a demon but about killing an "innocent"?

[@TheSchmuck2]

I like this episode a lot. I appreciate the opportunity it gives Angel for straight-up anti-slavery heroics, arguments for solidarity, etc, and I love the humor. Wes and Cordy are priceless in this episode and really elevate it, and the denouement where they realize, SPOILER ALERT, they just set a bunch of murderous demons loose is a perfect cherry for it. There's some fun Wesley clumsiness in this episode, but he is also amazing in the scene that he's grilling dudes for info on Angel and his fierce loyalty to the vampire with a soul who gave total failure Wesley a chance makes me tear up. And, heck yeah, Lilah. Pretty great intro for her. Interestingly enough, my impression of this episode was relatively poor prior to my recent rewatch, and I came out of it liking it a whole lot more. it's a bit of a formula episode for the 90s tv sci-fi/fantasy hero, but it fits in at this point in the series and it gives us a bit more of Wolfram & Hart which was barely seen so far in the season. I appreciate the class issues too, since the audience for these fights are all 1%ers. For your analysis about #NotAllDemons and etc in regards to this episode, I have to say I think Angel's behavior depends on the situation. He doesn't just kill demons, he kills demons known to be a threat to the innocent. He's not familiar with any of these demons, they're not explicitly evil, and they also don't have much chance to be good. Their moral standing is unknowable. They lack heroism, but that's not a sin. This gladiatorial slavery is set up in a way that removes most of the possibility for existential responsibility. I don't think one can fairly expect a being to sacrifice itself for a stranger, especially when that sacrifice won't amount to anything. So why should any of these demons refuse to fight to the death? And in these conditions, it's understandable they justify themselves with a crude bloodsport ethos. What Angel succeeds in doing is to eliminate the control that removes their agency, which is clearly a good act. of course, it's then that he remembers the likelihood that those demons are soulless murderers, which puts a humorous damper on his heroics. I enjoy the ethical twists here. Oh hey, it's the "how do you like them apples?" guy from Good Will Hunting! Fun times.

[@lukeguzik6484]

The Ring was one of the first episodes where i said "oh am i in for a good ride"

[@Hiiiiiiiiieeee]

I just wanted to say how happy I am to see you uploading the Buffy and Angel episode guide again! Thank you so much for all your hard work, your insight is thoroughly appreciated

[@The13thElysium]

YAASSS LILAH IS HERE BITCHES!!! She is the HBIC!!!

[@BoyKagome]

I loved this episode, one of my tops of season 1. Maybe because I never seen those other movies that "did it better". Actually, the movie that came to my mind was Unleashed with Jet Li.

[@vincentkings2393]

Man that gag reveal of where I'd seen Brother Apples before was perfectly calibrated.

[@tsstevensts]

2:18 "Ah there it is." There what is? Angelous coming to the surface?

[@Scarfulhu]

Aw, Thane. Why did you have to remind me of Thane? :(

[@tsstevensts]

Ah, the Drell. Should we start calling Xander Alistair?

[@RevanTheRebel]

tsstevens NO

[@TWELVE-ax7]

I had a double take when he said Drell.

[@ftwillz5703]

ive been watching this and your buffy guide for a couple weeks now but this video made such a good case for why I loved this episode that I immediately pulled up hulu and rewatched. thank you for this series, i havent found much buffyverse content on here where Im so compelled by the narrative voice and interpretation, even when i disagree! (which isnt often lol)

[@marisalucia3629]

Yayyyy! You're back! My life has purpose again.

[@canmonarc9484]

Hey, I started your videos literally last weekend and i have been catching up on all videos you posted so far about the Buffyverse and i am in awe of your ability to put my feelings in words. thanks so much for this! really looking froward to the rest of seasons with you. thank you

[@talynstarburst2l2l2l]

My only problem with this episode is that the one demon decides last minute that he shall not kill Angel for his final count.. but a fun episode and good chemistry with the characters.

[@Tamber37]

Oh my god thank you thank you thank you for the mass effect reference. This leads me to believe you have played said masterpiece trilogy of games and would one day love to see a video on your insightful opinions on them. Another great video. This is also one of my cady episodes from season one. Excited for the next!!!

[@ZackJ100]

I think what you only lightly touched on, but what makes this episode so good, is it is the first time where our Angel Investigations team FEELS like a team. Even without Angel, both Cordy and Wes get a chance to shine. Wes showing he can be capable and honestly a badass while dealing with the bookie, and Cordelia coming up with the idea of pretending to be cops and being damn good at it. And they both figure out how to get the cuff off together. They are both incredible in this episode and it shows just how important they are to Angel. At the end with them all together it really is the first time in this season where this team finally feels like it has come together. Wes doesn't feel like the outsider anymore. He belongs. And when he confronts the bookie he says his "boss" means a great deal to him. He cares about Angel! And that is why he isn't bumbling in that scene. There is no time for him to bumble or second guess himself. He needs to save his friend. Also, how could you leave out the line where Wesley goes "There is something going down in there with the MAN!" It is one of my biggest laughs this season. So good.

[@whedonobsessed]

Ohh the badge gag. Makes me laugh every time. God I love Wesley

[@atngo15]

Thor: Ragnarok made me think back to this episode.

[@MrGeekFreek]

What's the first rule of Demon Fight Club?

[@williamrauschenberg8383]

MrGeekFreek no jokes about human fight club

[@TheCrippledEgg]

It’s probably in some demon language.

[@davidramirez4570]

don't cross the red line.

[@Eightsixseven23224]

Super Skully whatever happened to latin? At least when that made no sense the church approved.

[@SkolneyVikings]

No shirts, no shoes, no scales

[@MrLorenzovanmatterho]

What we also see here is some of Wes' steel, he tortures the goon to help Angel, a hint of season 4 Wes start's here

[@janah6392]

Thane! I thought you were referencing him when you said 'drell' but figured I was just forgetting a term used in the episode, nice to have it confirmed at the end :)

[@UTU49]

Perhaps it would have worked to play the contradiction as a joke. Angel repeatedly refuses to kill a demon opponent. He helps them all escape. Then he has to hunt them down and kill them. The episode could end with: Wesley: "Maybe you should have just killed them all in the ring." Angel: "Damn. You're right."

[@grkpektis]

I odn't remember liking this episode that much but I do love the trope of the humans being more evil than the monsters

[@BooksMusicMe17]

I think one of the reasons Angel is so conflicted over being forced to kill unknown demons this episode is because of the emotional impact of Doyle's death. It seemed deliberately like Angel was seeing something of Doyle in the smallish underdog demon that reminded him of the...humanity?...of the other fighters. The big evil to me in this episode was the huge amount of human spectators cheering on the deathmatch, none of which (apart from the big bads) got any comeuppance at all.

[@PhoenixLex]

I'm commenting because MASS EFFECT. Also wow another great analysis Ian, thanks

[@nodiggity4283]

Good vid dude. Though one thing I would say might have been overlooked in the video is what they tried to portray with the last line. It's that demons are still demons. They are willing to fight in battle with each other, in a very tribal 'us vs them' mentality but they lack overall morality and loyalty. As someone who has been on sports teams I can tell you there's been times when teammates hated each other, but when it comes to a greater threat everyone wants to see that threat go down (ie the other squad trying to win on your turf). I feel like had the episode done something where the demons turned out reformed would have been kind of contrary to the rules of the established universe we are in. The reason Buffy and Angel kill demons rather than help them is because at their core they are evil. They can sometimes be reasoned with but they are not good.

[@KNadoli]

Not all demons are evil in the Buffyverse, they have souls, technically speaking. That Old Gang of Mine covers this moral dilemma much better than this episode. Remember, the two main benevolent demons we've seen, Clem and Lorne, are the two main demons we see have moral consciences, which means that not all demons are evil, only the ones who disrupt the peace and threaten harm. Also on Angel, we've seen a demon couple in S3, so again, not a lack of soul

[@timf7413]

While both Angel and Buffy have been shown as perfectly willing to kill demons, I think it can at least be argued that it can be demonstrated at this point in both series' that it has been shown neither of them will do so if that demon is not a direct threat to human life. (which may even be at least part of the reason Angel is still alive)

[@catcat3964]

We see it with the demon Faith killed in season 3 of Buffy. The one who had the books of ascension. Buffy says “ah just let him go. What’s he gonna do?” and don’t forget about Clem, the demons at Anya’s wedding, Doyle, Lorne and Oz being a werewolf. I feel like when season 1 of Buffy aired, it was made that all demons were bad except for Angel… and by seasons 3-4 of Buffy and season 1 of Angel that’s when the producers were like “Yeah, we gotta make some demons good to keep this show going.” Because we do see a lot of friendly, scared and half demons… such as the ones that Doyle sacrificed his life for.

[@Christ2010Grad]

It’s been AGES since you have done a review on Angel.

[@WaywardAce420]

Maybe he lets Angelus show in dire situations... that is fascinating, how cool would it be to see Angel and Angelus having conversations...

[@doglover427]

I have so much love for Lilah. And Thane. And this entire video. So much love.

[@BenjiDWJ]

Awesome video as always Ian :) keep up the stellar work as ever!.

[@noeticwolf73]

You have nailed my favorite thing in the world chemistry with others.

[@Antiklimax1989]

still love these. Keep up the good work

[@Blofeld001]

just what I needed after work.

[@yourgirlriver111]

I loved this episode!

[@60degreelobwedge82]

Apples? He'll always be Cyril O'Reilly to me.

[@talynstarburst2l2l2l]

I can’t even place who Apples is.. I kept thinking the O’Reilly brothers myself 🙂

[@lesliesauceman8093]

I really liked this episode so much!

[@98izzark69]

This episode is the best of Season 1 thus far

[@stuffynose5385]

this episode was a great analogy for class conflict

[@TWELVE-ax7]

The only thing missing from this episode is a demon with a Kiwi accent kicking a wall and yelling "Piss off, ghost!" eh. ... eh. ... nobody?

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

I think at this point the gladiator/dog fighting episode is just another item on the standard check list that just about every show has to work its way through. Hell, I can think of 5 Saturday morning cartoons from the 90s that had their own version of this episode. And every single time the lead protagonist refuses to kill the reigning champion at the end of the episode. I particularly liked how they reversed the trope in Thor Ragnarok. The title character faces the reigning champ in act 2. Gets his ass best. Act 3 starts with him waking up on the floor next to the champ's hot tub. Then the rest of acts 3, 4, and 5 are spent talking about feelings and abandoning all the other fighters to fend for themselves.

[@blankgeneration9540]

I loved this episode. While it didn’t add anything to the programmes story, it’s one of the most enjoyable!

[@davewolf6256]

The next two episodes are some of my favorites in the series. So, get to it!

[@VocalFox]

The whole humans being as bad as- or in some cases worse than- demons thing here gives me strong vibes of the human crime organization “The Black Black Club” from Yu Yu Hakusho that tortured demons for their own sick pleasure and turned Sensui, Earth’s protector at the time, against humanity when he witnessed it.

[@lucadeeley8377]

I really loved tbis episode.

[@Claramata]

Me when you said “the drell”: “oh shit mass effect?” Then the end slate “oh... shit... mass effect *cries quietly*”

[@xanderrey1879]

The style and look of this always reminded me of Lion Heart with Van Damne. Same story as all those movies but the sunken pit and style of the audience is 100% Lion Heart.

[@jaynajuly2140]

Angel ends up changing his mind in the series finale, where he.... ...murders the hapless Drogyn in order to advance the war against Wolfram & Hart

[@jonathancurran5366]

The only thing I really remember from this one was Cyril from Oz playing another character who wound up being screwed over by his older brother.

[@BlueBoxRevan]

The ending was the writers poking fun at themselves

[@ShadowKaiserin]

Unexpected Mass Effect, a game with "Whedon-like" writing. I see you, Ian.

[@hnek]

drell, eh? I thought that sounded familiar...

[@thepunkmuppet]

I found the killing of the demon really impactful actually! A couple episodes ago, Angel said explicitly that he felt that Doyle’s death was his fault. So having to kill a demon, humanised to Angel by their shared experience, right after the death of his close demon friend?? It hits really hard for me, the blood on his hands literalising his feelings over Doyle’s sacrifice. I think it would have been made better if there was an actual line about it to make the themes more clear, but if we could hear angel’s thoughts then that is what the episode is about.

[@jordanwilliams8994]

I would say that the problem here isn't him being forced to kill demons, but really him being forced to do ANYTHING, especially kill, now that he has started his path of self determination as a hero, not someone going through the motions to please others.

[@GMinthehouse]

2:30 I was waiting for it

[@williamwall3403]

"Demon Seers." That one hurt.

[@RevanTheRebel]

I thought I was hearing things when you called the green demon "the Drell." Glad I was wrong. Hi Thane! ✌🏻

[@JhadeSagrav]

😅 i am learning that all my little favorites are.... "bad" episodes. I like this one, and i will rewatch "Beer Bad" as many times as the series finale.

[@PassionoftheNerd]

How dare I call anyone's little favorites bad. And I don't believe in guilty pleasures. The term I tried to coin once was 'Candy Episode.' And both Beer Bad and Doublemeat Palace are candy episodes for me.

[@boo5860]

OMG THE MASS EFFECT REFERENCE

[@JasonLives666]

Fun episode, but I agree entirely.

[@josesarango3408]

I like this episode

[@TK-iu8nj]

Relations with chemistry. Ohh yeah.

[@shishiodun]

"... something with the man"... yeah definitely candy episode

[@KNadoli]

Ok episode, but i think That Old Gang of Mind pulls off the grey area much better than this

[@andrepaul3483]

This episode reminds me of Justice League s1's 'War World'. But this is somehow better than that one lol

[@sparklefairykitten]

8:20 compare that with season 5...

[@weirdXone]

*Pachycephalosaurus head

[@DrZaius3141]

Considering the history of both shows, this was all about choice. Killing demons for justice is one thing, it's a choice. Killing them because you're forced to, is quite another.

[@mindyp51a]

I ADORE Lilah!!! And I ADORE Lilah's arc!!!! (Won't say anything more because don't want to be spoiler-y.) And you threw in LIndsey!!! Never really got GLADIATOR. On the other hand--SPARTACUS! An amazing movie with so many underlying themes! And by hiring Dalton Trumbo and refusing to hide his name, Kirk Douglas helped to end the Hollywood blacklist. Recommend TRUMBO for understanding the last sentence. The episode itself is not a favorite, but agree with you about building the team. Btw, STAR TREK: VOYAGER did a "wrestling to the death" episode which featured Seven-of-Nine in the, uh, Angel role. Nowhere near as good.

[@ceridwenaeradwr8105]

THAAAAANE

[@wakcackle3555]

Haven't heard of Demonbank Services?

[@house9120]

Just became a supporter on patreon!

[@PassionoftheNerd]

I am grateful. Thank you.

[@rayruckus4446]

Yeah I wish the Ring had a more definitive follow-up.

[@danielberenblum7506]

the demon database. LOL

[@neurosophy]

I absolutely love PtN and the insights are a joy, but I think the analysis missed a few on this one and I wanted to take some time to explain why. Because it kept bugging me. I happen to think that "The Ring" shows some of the central themes and conflicts of the series in microcosm, namely the efforts of mankind to remain human in the face of vastly powerful systems which can never be vanquished. Representing an early foray into this thematic domain, it's a cue to the viewers for the eye they should cast toward some of the events to unfold. I kept specifics in the following out, but there are allusions to spoilers, best to skip if you’re a purist and you’re not past this episode. Here’s my viewpoint-motivated recap of the episode. Team Angel are approached by an individual in need of help: the bad guys have kidnapped his brother. Angel is lured into the place he himself will be kidnapped and held captive through a needlessly complicated series of errands. Led from quest to quest in his zeal for action, he thinks himself the hero and is being played for a fool. (Hmm.) The damsels in distress turn out to be the actual bad guys, operating a murderous, exploitative underground fighting ring which entertains the well-heeled and supernaturally-versed and keeps the two brothers flush in cash and the petty power to dominate. The real damsels are a collection of demons held against their will, told to kill 21 opponents to the earn their freedom or die trying. This remote, improbable prospect of a freedom bought in blood is held out to give them a glimmer of hope and keep them going. (Ahhmm.) Angel refuses to play their game, but loses his noble posture when thrust in the ring, killing his opponent to save his own life. His attempts to rally the demon gang to revolt against the oppressors prove futile. His escape-by-kidnapping plan is thwarted when one brother unblinkingly kills the other to save the operation. (The master-slave dynamic degrades both alike-they even call the demons “slaves”***-and we’re shown the psychic consequences of choosing to pursue power in within a brutal system.) Angel’s attempts to get the better of guys in charge fail, again and again. But falling in the favored sights of a lawyer from W&H--Lilah, whose own arc is very much tied to the theme of acquiescing to power--Angel is parachuted out of the ring and offered a chance to simply walk away and go home, provided he leaves the ring to operate in peace. (Ahem.) He willingly returns to captivity, and is set to fight against the formidable Val Trepkos, for whom Angel represents the 21st kill and his release from captivity. Before they fight, Angel asks Trepkos if "this how you want to pay for your freedom? With 21 bodies? You’ll always be their slave-even if they take that [cuff] off your wrist.” Angel doesn’t say “don’t kill me, I’m a hero, I save a lot of lives” or “don’t kill me, I have a soul” or make any kind of appeal for his own life. Nor does he say “killing is wrong” or appeal to any higher morality. He just presents this as a philosophical question about freedom to Trepkos. And having just freely chosen to become a slave again, he has the standing to call out the stakes. Yes, “you’ll always be their slave” is mighty cliche. But Angel’s choice of entreaty is a powerful signal of the moral center of the episode. Angel fights Trepkos but will not deliver a killing blow when he gets the chance. When the tables turn and Trepkos has the ability to kill him, Angel stands vulnerable and simply looks into his eyes, as if to make clear what it means to take a life. Beats pass, there is a moment of connection and humanity between demon and vampire, and Trepkos too lays down his weapon. They’re both about to be killed for the insolence of not killing each other, but the demons, witnessing these acts of mercy and having been freed in part by Team Angel heroics, overrun the ring, kill the bad guys, and go free. But as the demons whoop off into the night, Team Angel is left to question whether they’ve done the right thing. ------ Now let’s imagine this story with human victims. Angel finds, not some dozens of demons, but human beings, living in cages, eating gruel, being forced to fight to the death. Is there even a question whether Angel would refuse to kill a human in this context? What would actually represent his temptation in this scenario-killing his human opponent, or letting himself be killed like a martyr? Would the devil’s bargain Angel is offered given him any pause at all if it were an underground lair of imprisoned humans he’d be abandoning? It’s difficult for me to imagine. Even the moment that passes between Angel and Trepkos is more remarkable, and clearer in meaning, that it would have been if Angel was reaching out to a human. Having demons be the victims makes the choice to do 'the right thing' more difficult (and the drama really inheres in the choice), but also shifts our gaze away from the individuals, who don’t draw much sympathy, and toward the larger picture and the nature of Angel’s predicament. Angel saving the demons, in whose suffering we are not much invested, makes clear that something greater than harm is at stake. Angel nobly fighting to save someone happens nearly every episode. But the show isn’t about the people Angel saves or the righteousness of saving people. It’s about, among other things, fighting to stay human in an inhuman world, and this episode draws the lines of that fight very sharply for the viewer, and presages some of the battles to come. As other’s have pointed out, the important choice Angel is making in the episode isn’t whether or not to kill a demon. It’s whether or not to submit to the rules he’s being told to live by, and it goes deeper than whether or not he’s being “forced” to do something or choosing it freely. Angel isn’t just making a choice between doing what he’s told or not, he’s finding a possibility where it doesn’t plainly seem to be, by rejecting the very rules of the game, which have excluded the possibility of being humane and by extension, being human. The fact that the episode is called "The Ring” is also a hint about what the episode is trying to accomplish. The other ring we’ve encountered on AtS so far is the gem of Amara, which Angel destroyed in part because he believed it to be too powerful. Rings are often used to represent power (“kiss the ring”) or clandestine criminal enterprise. They are also symbols of eternality, and of contracts and promises. The shape of a ring should also remind some viewers of a certain late-series antagonist. Drawing attention to “The Ring” is drawing attention to the powers operating to keep things the way they are. AtS treats extensively with the idea of fighting opaque and inhumane systems of power without fleshing out the specifics too much-it’s not “government” or “capitalism” or any one thing-which I think is a wise choice. The world is full of struggles of this kind and the experience is broadly shared. An existentialist might take the whole operation of the universe as such a system. This aspect of the show isn’t about these powers themselves (their machinations are presented as largely unknowable) but how we respond to them as individuals. If this episode really does telegraph some of the central themes and conflicts of the show, what should we make of the rejection of the reward at the end of the labors, and of “powers that be” generally? If we take this episode seriously, we should be suspicious of the powers in which Team Angel have more or less blindly placed their trust. We should be suspicious of anything that represents a reward at the end of the quest that is bought by doing the bidding of the “higher powers”. We should sometimes train our eyes away from the seeming hero and villain of each interaction and toward the conditions that create it, and ask cui bono from all this anyway? I’ve come to look at this episode as the inverse the "false solution” episodes Buffy has each season, in which she makes a mistake related to her season arc in the minor plot so she can learn and get it right in the finale. Here, I think Angel gets it right in the minor plot, so that we have a model for how he gets it wrong in the major plot arcs. Without spoiling, Angel falls off “the path” time and again, but also has moments where he questions, rediscovers, and reinvents the nature of the path, and the show often turns on these psychological movements. An episode like “The Ring” provides a crystalline example of “living as though the world were what it should be, to show it what it can be,” and moreover, an instance in which defying the towers of power by striving to be human actually toppled them. In fairness, Angel had help, although it came from his human friends and ties to the world. I think this was done partly so that we understand how future choices our characters make deviate from this model. (***note about “slave” language-we do get some hints and gestures towards the real-world analogues of a W&H/SP operation in this episode, with the use of the word “slave” and the fact that some of the speaking roles for the captive demons are played by black actors and I think intentionally black-coded. And of course, there’s all the money coursing in the background, fuel for the engine. In the context of the plot, I think the captive demons are meant to evoke a powerless underclass without rights or dignity, without being directly identified with a historical group of people. I don’t think this was very successful; you have to adopt and shed the posture throughout the episode for it to work, or else it trends into grossness. But at least they went for evoking the idea instead of smashing it dead with a hammer a la the nazi demons.)

[@JJ-kl7eq]

Reminds me of Arena. A B-movie low budget Gladiator sci-fi rip-off lovable piece of guilty pleasure trash.

[@chrismel9142]

Oh, that blond dude is the snobby jerk from the bar in Good Will Hunting. Now I know why I instantly dislike the guy.

[@latoyatv2030]

Angel 🫶🫶💙💙✨✨

[@rachelmiller7525]

I loved Lilah for Westley she was edgy and criminal and sexy. Fred was to child like I don't get his attraction to her but to each his own. Lilah was a match for anyone, I'm surprised that she didn't hook up with Lindsey, but then those two hated each other... but it would have made a good match.