The Ring - 1ADH16
Written by Howard Gordon - Directed by Nick Marck - First Aired on February 29, 2000
Synopsis -
Creature Feature -
Cool Quotes -
References -
Continuity -
Goofs -
Trivia -
The Morgue -
Cast -
Famous Faces -
Points Of View
Synopsis
The Short: From the WB11 home
page: As Wesley and Cordelia exchange banter, Angel is paid a visit by a
strange man, claiming his brother Jack was kidnapped by demons affiliated
with a bookie. While Cordy and Wesley consult their demon database, Angel
pays a visit to the bookie. The bookie refers him to a place in Beechwood
Canyon. Angel goes to the canyon and gets information from the bookie, then
begins investigating an underground fight club. We later learn the man who
pays a visit to Angel, is the organizer of the fight club, and Wolfram &
Hart is a major sponsor. Angel soon discovers he was set up in a trap. He is
expected to fight other slave demons to the death. The next morning, after
Cordelia and Wesley get suspicious about Angel's whereabouts, Wesley pays a
visit to the bookie and obtains the address of the fight club. That night,
Angel kills a demon, but his heart isn't into the battle. Wesley and
Cordelia spot him in the ring, and Wesley explains the meaning behind the
slave bracelets which Angel and the other demons are wearing. They rush
back to Angel Investigations to find a way to open the bracelets. Meanwhile, Jack pays a
visit to Angel and tells him of his disappointment in his fighting and
Angel threatens to kill him unless the slaves are set free. His brother
decides to kill Jack, rather than agree to Angel's terms. Angel is knocked
out, and later wakes up in the offices of Wolfram & Hart. When he finds
out the associate from Wolfram & Hart has ulterior motives, he returns to the fight
club and learns his next opponent is Trepkos, the toughest demon in the
lot. The next morning, Wesley and Cordelia successfully make a key to
unlock the bracelets. That evening, Angel begins to fight Trepkos. The
battle is brutal. Cordelia and Wesley break into the slave area with the
special key, but it falls into the hands of one of the demons. While Angel
and Trepkos continue to fight, the demons set themselves free. After Angel
has the opportunity to kill Trepkos, but doesn't take it, Trepkos walks
away. The demons burst in and a giant battle ensues. One of the demons
slips a bracelet onto the fight's organizer, Trepkos throws him into the
air, and he promptly disintegrates. The demons are set free.
The Long: We open with Cordelia looking into a new online demon database, although Wesley skeptical of it. They trade quips about their social lives until Angel comes in. A beat up man named Darin MacNamara walks in the office looking to hire Angel for an unusual problem. His brother jack was kidnapped last night, and a severed finger was left in Darin's mailbox. The reason Darin came to Angel Investigations is because the kidnappers were not human.
(Listen to the teaser here.)
Jack explains to the crew how Jack had gambling debts that Darin usually pays off, but this time he didn't bail his brother out, but he didn't know this would happen. Creatures dragged Jack away. They as Darin to write down what he saw. Angel goes to meet with Jack's bookie. He bribes the bookie into telling him who took Jack. This leads Angel to the demons lair. Cordelia does research on the database to find the demons, which it says are Howler demons. Angel finds the Howlers and after a fight is able to learn an address where they sold Jack. Angel arrives at a high cost club and sneaks in a window. Inside he runs into a good looking woman at a bar, then finds there are fights to the death being held between demons, where humans are betting one the results. Angel spies Jack across the crowd. Angel follows Jack only to be jumped by both Jack and Darin, who obviously set him up.
Angel wakes up in a cage with a bracelet on his wrist. Other other demons of various types are also in cages. Jack comes in and explains that if Angel crosses the red line on the floor it will disintegrate him. There is only one way out, after killing 21 opponents in the ring. Angel is defiant. Wesley and Cordelia are concerned with where Angel went, they even call Kate, who doesn't care. Angel is gone, Darin is gone, so Wesley decides to go to the bookie Angel went to. In the holding area for the demons Angel helps one demon and with another who is picking on him. As the brothers announce the night's matchups a demon named Lasovic tries to grab Jack and is killed, so the brothers give Angel his place in the ring. At the sports bar Wesley shows up looking for Angel. After some resistance, he shoots the bookie with a crossbow and tortures the information out of him. That night at the club the demons ready for the fight. Angel tries to get the demons to resist the brothers, but fails. Angel and Baker start
their fight. Cordelia and Wesley pull a con with a pair of club goers to get their tickets. They get inside in time to see Angel's fight. At first Angel only defends himself, but after Bakes draws blood Angel quickly dispatches him.
Unfinished.
Creature Feature
We see Cordelia has access to a database of demons, possibly an on-line resource.
The first demons we see are a pair of Howler demons. They are white skinned slimy humanoids with no hair and clawed hands. They have a sulfuric smell and make an eerie high pitched howl when they fight.
The next two demons we see are Tom Cribb and his opponent in the ring. Tom has green skin, no hair and strange amphibian-like features. He has a long sticky tongue and exceptional strength. His opponent is a
red skinned demon with horns.
The next demon we see is Val Trepkos, who is a large strong demon with a bone-like crest on his head. The announcer says he comes from the barren wastelands of Trevyok, and describes him as the menace of Venice, the titan of terror and the avatar of agaony.
Angel's cell mate is Lasovic, a large muscular horned demon who doesn't speak much.
Yet another fighter demon is named Mellish, who seems to be almost human, except for a row of small horns and some wrinkles on his face.
Angel's first opponent is Baker, another human-like demon with a small pair of horns on his forehead and wrinkles on his face. There are about two dozen assorted demons, most of which seem to be humanoids with odd faces or skin color. The names on the match-up suggest one is named Grador and another is Siru. Darin mentions a demon named Kafka.
The bracelets used by the Macnamara brothers are similar to the restraint devices used in the 1987 film The Running Man, killing anyone wearing one who goes out of a certain area.
Of course the real monsters of the show are the Macnamara brothers and the Wolfram & Hart lawyer Lilah Morgan. The brothers enslave demons for their fights, and make money from admission and betting on the fights. Lilah is a gambler who tried to purchase Angel from the brothers, so he will work for the benefit of Wolfram & Hart.
Cool Quotes
- Cordelia: ''Sir, madam, I'm detective Andrews and this is
detective Yelsew. Show them your badge and write down their license plate
number four three niner, Peter, Charley, Edward.''
Matthew: ''What are you doing? Why are you writing
down...''
Cordelia: ''Sir, if you could just calm down and give us your
name?''
Matthew: ''My name is Matthew Winslow, as in Winslow Multimedia? And
I happen to be a personal friend of your boss, Chief Tyler?''
Cordelia: ''We'll give him your best. Could I see your tickets
please?''
Matthew: ''You'll be hearing from my lawyer tonight.''
Cordelia: ''Are you aware that you've purchased tickets to an
unlicensed sporting event?''
Wesley: ''Answer the detective.''
Matthew: ''Well, if it's illegal, what are all these people doing
here?''
Cordelia: ''We're trying to do you a favor, Mr. Winslow.''
Wesley: ''Something is going down tonight. Something with the
man.''
Matthew: ''A raid?''
Cordelia: ''We're not at liberty to say.''
Matthew: ''...but we could just, go on home?''
Cordelia: ''I think that would be a wise thing to do,
sir.''
And they say Cordelia can't act! Listen to the quote here.
References
- Cordelia: ''Oh, I know. Every night it's Jeopardy, followed
by Wheel of Fortune and a cup of hot cocoa. Look out girls, this
one can't be tamed!''
Jeopardy is quiz show where
the answers are revealed and the contestants must guess the questions. The
answers appear on a grid, in various trivia categories, graded by
difficulty. Hosted by Alex
Trebek. They have an official web site at http://www.jeopardy.com/.
Wheel Of Fortune is a
television game show, where contestants guess letters in mystery
words and phrases. They win prizes based on results of spinning a
wheel and guessing correctly to solve the mystery. Hosted by Pat Sajak and with Vanna White as the
letter turner. Also referenced by Cordelia in Angel #1.
- Ernie: ''There is a place, in Beechwood Canyon. Well, not
exactly in Beechwood Canyon, under it actually.''
Beachwood Canyon is in the Hollywood hills. Goes from Franklin Avenue south
to the top of the Hollywood Hills.
(Thanks to Marsia from the Watcher's Diary for helping with this.)
- Cordelia: ''This is why I don't gamble. You make a small wager
one day and a bigger one the next, and before you know it Beetlejuice the
albino comes a knocking!''
Beetlejuice is a 1988 film
starring Michael
Keaton. Plot: After Barbara and Adam Maitland were killed in a car
crash, they find themselves trapped as ghosts in their beautiful New
England farmhouse. Their peace is disrupted when a yuppie family, the
Deetzs, buy their house. The Maitlands are too nice and harmless as ghosts
and all their efforts to scare the Deetzs away are unsuccessful. They
eventually turn to another ghost 'Beetlejuice' for help.
An albino is any animal with no pigment for color, resulting in white skin
and hair and pink eyes.
Jack: ''How about Captain America here?''
Captain America is a superhero from Marvel Comics. A frail man who was
given a super soldier serum during World War II, he is the peak human athlete. He wears the colors of the United States flag, and carries an indestructible shield. I wrote a conversion of Captain America for Champions 4th edition role playing game at http://mathew.fcpages.com/cscaptainamerica.html.
Ernie: ''What are you, Robin Hood?''
The Robin Hood of modern folk-mythology is a creature built up, generation
by generation, to meet the needs and desires of his audience. The earliest
Robin Hood was a yeoman, not a wronged nobleman, who haunted Barnsdale
Forest, not Sherwood; he didn't become a Saxon or mere Englishman fighting
the Norman oppressor until Sir Walter Scott dressed him up for his walk-on
in Ivanhoe.
Tom: ''Idiot! He thinks he can get out of this
by pulling a Gandhi!''
Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948), also known by the title ''Mahatma,''
was an Indian activist and spiritual leader. His creed of satyagraha,
or passive resistance to injustice (the Indian word means ''truth
force''), was adopted later by Martin Luther King, Jr. among others. His
tireless and peaceful efforts on behalf of the underprivileged led to the
independence of India in 1947 after centuries of unjust British rule.
Also referenced by Buffy in Anne.
(Thanks to the BuffyGuide for this entry.)
Cordelia: ''Couldn't they have just done Westside
Story?''
Westside Story is a play that
is a musical adaption of Romeo and Juliet, set in New York city. It was made
into a film in 1961.
Darin: ''Who do you think you are? Moses?''
Moses is a Hebrew lawgiver. The prototype of the prophets, in the
13th cent. B.C. he led his people out of bondage in Egypt to the edge of
Canaan. According to the Bible (EXODUS; LEVITICUS; NUMBERS; DEUTERONOMY),
he lived in constant touch with God, who promulgated the Law (often called
Mosaic law) through Moses' mouth. Moses never entered the Promised Land but
only saw it from Mt. Pisgah before he died. Authorship of the first five
books of the Bible-the Pentateuch or TORAH-has traditionally been ascribed
to him; hence they are called the Books of Moses.
Cordelia: ''You'd think people get enough gratuitous violence
watching Jerry Springer.''
Jerry Springer is the host of a self-titled daytime talk show, with a
reputation for violent guests and outrageous topics. Their official web site
is at http://www.universalstudios.com/tv/jerryspringer/.
Cordelia: ''From Keanu, my Palomino, before the I.R.S. took him
away.''
A Palomino is a type of horse distinguished by its cream, yellow, or gold
coat and white or silver mane and tail. The color does not breed true.
Horses of proper color, of proper saddle-horse type, and from at least one
registered parent of several light breeds can be registered as Palominos.
This color is popular for pleasure and parade classes.
The I.R.S. is the Internal Revenue Service, who are the agency under the
Department of The Treasury in charge of collecting income taxes in the
United States. The Internal Revenue Service has a web site at http://www.irs.gov/. Also referenced by
Cordelia in City Of.
Continuity
- Wesley: ''Do they have the Vigories of Oden Tal?''
She - Angel Investigations became involved with
Jheira and her fight with the male Vigories of Oden Tal.
- Cordelia: ''Cop-lady hasn't talked to him?''
Wesley: ''No, and she seemed like she didn't much care
either.''
The Prodigal - Cop lady is probably Detective Kate
Lockley, last seen when her father was killed by demons and Angel helped her
kill his killers.
- Angel: ''You're a fight fan, and a lawyer. Let me guess.
Wolfram & Hart?''
Parting Gifts The lawyers of Wolfram & Hart were
last seen when one tried to purchase Cordelia's eyes at an auction.
Sense And Sensitivity - Wolfram & Hart lawyer
Lee Mercer hired Allen Lloyd to disrupt the L.A.P.D. to help one of his
clients escape, but Angel assisted in stopping him.
I Fall To Pieces - Wolfram & Hart were the
lawyers for Doctor Ronald Meltzer, who was stalking Angel's client.
City Of - Wolfram & Hart lawyer Lindsey McDonard
represented the vampire Russell Winters, who Angel fought.
- Cordelia: ''From Keanu, my palomino, before the I.R.S. took him
away.''
The Prom -
Cordelia first revealed to Xander Harris that her parents were broke due
to the I.R.S. taking everything they had.
Goofs
- During Angel's second fight, the gunshot wound on Angel's right upper chest changes sides several times, seemingly because they flipped the film over.
Trivia
The Morgue
- Anonymous demon: In the ring, throat slit by Tom Cribb.
- Lasovic: In the holding area, disintegrated by his bracelet when
he attempts to escape.
- Baker: In the ring, stabbed by Angel.
- Mellish: In the ring, neck broken by Val Trepkos.
- Jack Macnamara: In the holding area, shot by Darin Macnamara.
- Guard: In the ring, neck snapped by a demon.
- Darin Macnamara: In the ring, disintegrated when Tom Cribb puts a
bracelet on him and Val Trepkos throws him out of the ring.
Cast
Starring:
David Boreanaz as Angel
Charisma Carpenter as Cordelia Chase
Alexis Denisof as Wesley Wyndham-Pryce
Guest Starring:
Markus Redmond as Tom Cribb
Douglas Roberts as Darin Macnamara
Scott William Winters as Jack Macnamara
Stephanie Romanov as Lilah Morgan
Co-Starring:
Anthony Guidera as Ernie Nellims
Chris Flanders as Matthew Winslow
Marc Rose as Mellish
David Kallaway as the Doorman
Juan A. Riojas as Val Trepkos
Michael Philip as the Announcer
Mark Ginther as Lasovic
Famous Faces
Markus Redmond, who
played Tom Cribb, also played the demon Griff in the episode Rm w/a Vu.
Stephanie Romanov, who played Lilah Morgan, has appeared in an Old Spice commercial. She also has a very good fan web site at http://mysticmyst.net/sromanov/.
Anthony Guidera,
who played Ernie Nellims, played the part of a Cardassian in the Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine episode The Circle 2.02.
Chris Flanders, who
played Matthew Winslow, played the part of Chef Moore in the Charmed episode
Something Wicca This Way Comes 1.01.
Michael Philip, who
played the announcer, played the part of Stefan in the Charmed episode I've
Got You Under My Skin 1.02.
Mark Ginther, who played
Lasovic, also played the drug runner demon in The
Prodigal.
Points Of View
Mathew:
I have to say I liked this episode. Angel gets beat up, Wesley gets
insulted a lot and Cordelia isn't a bimbo this week. The only parts
I had a hard time accepting were how Angel grabbed Jack over the red line
(it should have been harder) and how Cordelia grabbed a bond off camera,
I would have liked to have seen how she did it. The demons were mostly
cookie-cutter wrinkle faced Trek-aliens, except for Tom Cribb, who was
original. It would have been nice to see the demons have actual powers
they used in the ring. Maybe I'm too much a Mortal Kombat fan for my
own good, but I would have liked to have seen fire breathing, spike
shooting, etc., but I guess those kind of demons would have been harder
to keep as slaves, so it's realistic they didn't have those. A boat
load of references this week, which kept me very busy.
Page by Webmaster Mathew - May, 2003
Special thanks to The
Complete Buffy Episode Guide for inspiration and technical help, as well
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