Angel: In the dark

I just finished watching Angel, episode 3, In the Dark. I really liked it, better than Firefly for some reason.

In this episode, the focus was the ring, much like Lord of the Rings. I’m not a big LOTR fan, so I related it Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Like the Sorcerer’s Stone, the ring gave the wearer protection from any harm. So for Angel, the vampire, he could be in sunlight and staked without dying. This seams like an obvious thing to have and to want, but to Angle and Harry, it isn’t what it seems. Angel from the beginning knew he didn’t want it, this is a large character trait showing, and what makes him the hero of the show. He makes a sacrificial choice to destroy it, like in Harry Potter and LOTR (I believe.)

The mini story running through the episode involved a young woman whom Angel saved in the beginning. She was physically abused by her boyfriend and nearly killed. Angel got her to safety, but only for a short time. We realize that this young woman says she ‘jones’ for her boyfriend, because when they meet up again, everything is good, and she is happy. Every time though, things turn bad. Angel convinces her that she needs to separate from him for good. He explains that the harder it is right now, the happier she’ll be later and more likely she’ll get a real shot at love. This relates to the ring Angel has: Even though it will create happiness right now for a short time, ultimately it will only destroy you.