Welcome to Rewatching Angel, the part of the blog where I rewatch the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off: Angel. Each Tuesday evening, you’re invited to join me as I attempt to rediscover what made me love these shows so many years ago.

In the Dark

• There’s a girl running through a dark alley. This always ends well for the girl.
• A guy named Lenny catches up to her. He’s kind of a psycho. And he’s on drugs.
• Angel shows up in time to save her from getting killed. She’s a client.
• Spike is up on a nearby rooftop watching. And mocking Angel from afar. It’s actually kind of funny.
• Spike really loves to hear himself talk. He’s all about the monologuing.
• Oz drives into LA and stops by Angel’s office. He’s there to deliver the Ring of Amarra to our spin-off’s hero.
• Angel doesn’t really feel like putting the ring on. Could be a burden of power thing.
• Instead, he heads down into the sewers and finds a nice little hiding place for the ring.
• The damsel in distress from the start of the episode calls. Lenny was let out on a technicality.
• On his way to see her, Angel gets ambushed by Spike. They fight. It’s like old times.
• Spike gets away and Angel sends Cordelia to stay with Doyle until this whole thing blows over. Spike’s out for blood.
• Doyle calls through his phone book trying to get an idea of where Spike could be staying.
• Angel manages to track down Spike. Finds him in an alley while he’s feeding on some girl. He doesn’t get to kill her, and then runs down a dead end.
• It’s a trap.
• Angel is captured by another vampire working with Spike.
• He’s chained up and ready to be tortured. Spike says his name is Marcus.
• Marcus is a master of torture, willing to take his time. Spike is impatient and just wants the Ring of Amarra.
• Spike thinks that Marcus has no interest in the ring. What vampire wouldn’t have interest?
• Leaving Marcus to do his work, Spike messily searches Angel’s underground apartment.
• Marcus is fascinated that Angel has the ring but doesn’t wear it. If Angel doesn’t want the ring, what is it he wants?
• Spike gets Cordelia and Doyle to look for the ring, claiming he’ll let Angel go if they deliver it by sundown.
• Using his keen half-demon senses, Doyle manages to find the ring.
• They go to Spike and demand proof that Angel’s alive before turning over the ring.
• They have Oz follow in his van. He bursts into the torture warehouse and help save Angel.
• Oh, and Marcus gets his hands on the ring before Spike can get it. Guess he was more interested in the ring than Spike thought.
• Marcus goes for a little stroll in sunny LA.
• Spike starts monologuing again. And his head catches fire because he doesn’t pay attention to where the sunlight is pouring into the room.
• Angel’s in pretty bad shape, but he insists that they turn around and go after Marcus.
• Oz plows into him with the van, Doyle shoots him with a crossbow… none of this does anything thanks to the ring.
• Angel runs out of the van and throws himself and Marcus off the Santa Monica pier.
• Underneath, they fight. Angel impales Marcus on a piece of wood, which does nothing.
• Until Angel removes the ring from his finger and he turns to dust.
• Angel then puts the ring on for the first time. He’s then able to walk out into the sunlight.
• Angel takes time to watch the sunset for the first time in over 200 years.
• He tells Doyle that he’s not going to wear the ring.
• Once the sun sets, Angel removes the ring, then smashes it with a brick. No more gem of Amarra.
• Body count: Vampires – 1