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{{Episode
{{angelepisode
 
| season = 1
+
|season = 1
| number = 3
+
|number = 3
| image = Episode3Main.jpg
+
|image = In the Dark Angel Spike 02.jpg
| airdate = October 19, 1999
+
|airdate = October 19, [[1999]]
| writer = [[Douglas Petrie]]
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|writer = [[Douglas Petrie]]
| director = [[Bruce Seth Green]]
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|director = [[Bruce Seth Green]]
  +
|code = 1ADH03
| previous = [[Lonely Hearts]]<br />Buffy the Vampire Slayer<br />[[The Harsh Light of Day]]
 
  +
|series = ''[[Angel (series)|Angel]]''
| next = [[I Fall to Pieces]]<br />Buffy the Vampire Slayer<br />[[Fear, Itself]]
 
  +
|previous = "[[Lonely Heart]]"
| cast = {{CastList
 
  +
|next = "[[I Fall to Pieces]]"
| starring = {{CastGroup|{{CastActor|name=David Boreanaz|character=Angel}}
 
  +
|series2 = ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]''
| {{CastActor|name=Charisma Carpenter|character=Cordelia Chase|billed=Cordelia}}
 
  +
|previous2 = "[[The Harsh Light of Day]]"
| {{CastActor|name=Glenn Quinn|character=Allen Francis Doyle|billed=Doyle}}}}
 
  +
|next2 = "[[Fear, Itself]]"
| gueststarring = {{CastGroup|{{CastActor|name=Seth Green|character=Daniel Osbourne|billed=Oz}}
 
  +
|stars = [[David Boreanaz]] — [[Angel]]<br />[[Charisma Carpenter]] — [[Cordelia Chase|Cordelia]]<br />[[Glenn Quinn]] — [[Allen Francis Doyle|Doyle]]
| {{CastActor|name=James Marsters|character=Spike}}
 
  +
|gueststars = [[Seth Green]] — [[Daniel Osbourne|Oz]]<br />[[James Marsters]] — [[Spike]]<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0922182 Kevin West] — [[Marcus (vampire)|Marcus]]<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0558932 Malia Mathis] — [[Rachel (Los Angeles)|Rachel]]
| {{CastActor|name=Kevin West|imdb=0922182|character=Marcus (vampire)|billed=Marcus}}
 
  +
|costars = [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0946904 Michael Yavnieli] — [[Lenny (In the Dark)|Lenny]]<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002878 Ric Sarabia] — Vendor<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0740951 Tom Rosales] — [[Manny the Pig]]<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0173646 Gil Combs] — [[Bouncer (In the Dark)|Bouncer]]<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0567378 Buck McDancer] — [[Unidentified dealer (In the Dark)|Dealer]]<br />[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0089093 Jenni Blong] — [[Unidentified woman (In the Dark)|Young Woman]]
| {{CastActor|name=Malia Mathis|imdb=0558932|character=Rachel (Los Angeles)|billed=Rachel}}}}
 
| costarring = {{CastGroup|{{CastActor|name=Michael Yavnieli|imdb=0946904|character=Lenny (In the Dark)|billed=Lenny}}
 
| {{CastActor|name=Ric Sarabia|imdb=0002878|billed=Vendor}}
 
| {{CastActor|name=Tom Rosales|imdb=0740951|character=Manny the Pig}}
 
| {{CastActor|name=Gil Combs|imdb=0173646|character=Bouncer (In the Dark)|billed=Bouncer}}
 
| {{CastActor|name=Buck McDancer|imdb=0567378|character=Dealer (In the Dark)|billed=Dealer}}
 
| {{CastActor|name=Jenni Blong|imdb=0089093|character=Young Woman (In the Dark)|billed=Young Woman}}}}}}
 
 
}}
 
}}
   
"'''In The Dark'''" is third episode of the [[List of Angel season one episodes|first season]] of ''[[Angel (series)|Angel]]''. It was originally broadcast on October 19, 1999. It is also the continuation of the ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' episode "[[The Harsh Light of Day]]".
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"'''In the Dark'''" is the third episode of the [[Angel season 1|first season]] of ''[[Angel (series)|Angel]]'' television show, and the third episode in the series. It was written by [[Douglas Petrie]] and directed by [[Bruce Seth Green]]. It originally broadcast on October 19, [[1999]] on [[The WB]].
 
[[Spike]] follows [[Daniel "Oz" Osbourne|Oz]] to L.A. to retrieve the [[Gem of Amara]], which makes a vampire invincible. Oz gives it to [[Angel]], who hides it in the sewers. In the meantime, Spike hires a vampire skilled in torture and abducts Angel. After failing to extract the information, he barters with [[Cordelia Chase]] and [[Allen Francis Doyle|Doyle]]. Cordelia, Doyle and Oz manage to rescue Angel, but not before the torture vampire gets his hands on the ring. In the end, Angel defeats the torture vampire and retrieves the ring. After an afternoon in the sun and watching the sunset, he decides that wearing the ring would distance him from the suffering of the innocent he has sworn to protect, so Angel crushes the jewel.
 
   
 
==Synopsis==
 
==Synopsis==
  +
[[Seth Green|SETH GREEN]] AND [[James Marsters|JAMES MARSTERS]] FROM "[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer|BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER]]" GUEST-STAR — [[Angel]] receives an unexpected visit from [[Daniel Osbourne|Oz]] who delivers a gift from [[Buffy Summers|Buffy]], a [[magic|mystical]] relic that renders the owner unkillable — not by [[stake]]s, not fire, not even sunlight. But Oz is followed by Angel's arch nemesis, [[Spike]], who is determined to fight Angel to the death for this awesome power.
A young woman, [http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Rachel_(Los_Angeles) Rachel], runs down a dark alley, looking frantically over her shoulder for signs of pursuit, but no one is there. Puzzled, she stops and hides, then stands, looking back the way she came. Suddenly, [[Lenny (In the Dark)|a man]] grabs her from behind, threatens her, and slaps her to the ground. Telling her he can't take it anymore, Rachel's strung-out boyfriend Lenny points a gun at her head and starts to pull the trigger. Appearing out of nowhere, [[Angel]] grabs Lenny's gun hand, knocking his arm up and sending the shot high. Angel effortlessly disarms Lenny, then knocks him unconscious with one brutal punch. Standing on the rooftop of a neighboring building, [[Spike]] watches Rachel thank Angel in the alley below and improvises a cheesy narration for their gestures.
 
   
  +
==Summary==
[[File:GemofAmaraOZ.png|thumb|Oz giving the Gem of Amara to Angel.]]Listening to an L.A. radio station, [[Daniel Osbourne|Oz]] parks his van in front of Angel's building. Inside, Cordelia gleefully prints up an invoice for Rachel, their first paying customer. When Oz opens the door and walks in, Cordelia is thrilled to see her old Sunnydale friend. After Angel and Oz's laconic greetings, Oz holds a ring out to Angel. "The [[Gem of Amara]]", he says quietly. [[Allen Francis Doyle|Doyle]] explains that the ring is a priceless talisman which "renders the wearer one hundred percent unkillable, if he's a [[vampire]]" meaning Angel can, among other things, go out into daylight. Oz tells Angel, "Buffy wanted you to have it." Oz said that Buffy was doing good, "just being Buffy", acutely leaving out her disasterous affair with Parker. Angel is disappointed that she sent Oz instead of bringing him the ring herself, and while the others leave to go to (as Doyle puts it) a pub, Angel stays behind to hide the ring under a loose brick in one of the sewer tunnels.
 
 
A young woman, [[Rachel (Los Angeles)|Rachel]], runs down a dark alley, looking frantically over her shoulder for signs of pursuit, but no one is there. Puzzled, she stops and hides, then stands, looking back the way she came. Suddenly, a man, [[Lenny (In the Dark)|Lenny]], grabs her from behind, threatens her, and slaps her to the ground. Telling her he can't take it anymore, Rachel's strung-out boyfriend Lenny points a gun at her head and starts to pull the trigger. Appearing out of nowhere, Angel grabs Lenny's gun hand, knocking his arm up and sending the shot high. Angel effortlessly disarms Lenny, then knocks him unconscious with one brutal punch. Standing on the rooftop of a neighboring building, Spike watches Rachel thank Angel in the alley below and improvises a cheesy narration for their gestures.
   
 
Listening to an L.A. radio station, Oz parks [[21DW407|his van]] in front of Angel's building. Inside, [[Cordelia Chase|Cordelia]] gleefully prints up an invoice for Rachel, their first paying customer. When Oz opens the door and walks in, Cordelia is thrilled to see her old Sunnydale friend. After Angel and Oz's laconic greetings, Oz holds a ring out to Angel. He recognizes it as the [[Gem of Amara]]. [[Allen Francis Doyle|Doyle]] explains that the ring is a priceless talisman which "renders the wearer one hundred percent unkillable, if he's a [[vampire]]" meaning Angel could, among other things, go out into daylight. Oz tells Angel that Buffy wanted him to have it. He also says that she's doing good, "just being Buffy." As the others leave to go to a pub, Angel stays behind to hide the ring under a loose brick in one of the sewer tunnels.
The next morning at the office, a tearful Rachel phones during Angel's Tai chi practice to say that Lenny has been released on a technicality. Angel promises to be right over. Before he can get into his car, Spike springs an ambush in the parking garage and the two vampires exchange a flurry of words and blows. Angel defeats Spike before Cordelia and Doyle rush in to back their friend up. Spike recognizes and greets a flustered Cordelia, then threatens Angel one last time before taking off. Worried about his friends, Angel tells Cordelia she must stay with Doyle in case Spike decides to make her a target. Angel meets Rachel at her apartment, where he listens with empathy to her story, then tries to encourage her to leave Lenny permanently. Slowly, Rachel responds to Angel's compassion, unaware of the many parallels between her circumstances and his.
 
   
 
The next morning at the [[Angel Investigations offices]], a tearful Rachel phones during Angel's tai chi practice to say that Lenny has been released on a technicality. Angel promises to be right over. Before he can get into his car, Spike springs an ambush in the parking garage and the two vampires exchange a flurry of words and blows. Angel defeats Spike before Cordelia and Doyle rush in to back their friend up. Spike recognizes and greets a flustered Cordelia, then threatens Angel one last time before taking off. Worried about his friends, Angel tells Cordelia she must stay with Doyle in case Spike decides to make her a target. Angel meets Rachel at her apartment, where he listens to her story, then encourages her to leave Lenny permanently.
On a tip from one of Doyle's unsavory contacts, Angel chases and corners Spike in a dead end blocked by a chain link fence. Hands locked behind his head, Spike doesn't even attempt to leap the fence, but turns and surrenders with a strange air of smugness. Suddenly, a white-shirted figure whirling a long chain overhead appears from around the corner. Angel finds himself, abruptly, on his back on the ground, with the end of the heavy chain tightly wound around his neck, completely at the mercy of Spike's smiling henchman.
 
   
 
On a tip from one of Doyle's unsavory contacts, Angel chases and corners Spike in a dead end blocked by a chain link fence. Hands locked behind his head, Spike turns and surrenders himself. Suddenly, a white-shirted figure whirling a long chain overhead appears from around the corner. Angel finds himself, abruptly, on his back on the ground, with the end of the heavy chain tightly wound around his neck, completely at the mercy of Spike's smiling henchman.
[[File:Marcus_angel_spike.JPG|right|thumb|Marcus inspects both Angel's body and spirit]]
 
   
Cordelia and Doyle worry that Angel hasn't checked in. Little do they know, their friend is suspended by long, manacled chains from the ceiling of a large warehouse. Spike introduces him to his captor, [[Marcus (vampire)|Marcus]], a master torturer with a taste for (eating and torturing) children. Accompanied by the strains of Mozart's Symphony #41 (which Spike mistakes for Brahms), the eerily reserved vampire prepares his instruments while Spike recites highlights from Marcus' gruesome curriculum vitae. To begin, Marcus inspects Angel, inside and out, then asks, "What do you want, Angel?" When Angel is defiant, Marcus steps over to the brazier and returns with a red-hot poker which, abruptly, he rams through Angel's bared abdomen. Time passes as Marcus works into a rhythm of hurting Angel, then asking what he wants, then hurting him again, but it is Spike who cracks first. Breaking off a stake, he threatens to dust Angel then and there if he doesn't talk, until Marcus calmly points out that, knowing Spike won't kill him before learning the ring's location, Angel therefore also knows that Spike is bluffing. Disgusted, Spike tosses the stake to the floor. Angel takes advantage of the reprieve to tell Spike he's an idiot for believing that Marcus, a vampire, has no interest in obtaining the Gem of Amara for himself. Unperturbed, Spike dismisses Marcus as a threat, deeming him too single-mindedly obsessed with the art of torture to care about anything else. In the sudden silence of the symphony coming to an end, Spike then taunts Angel about his own obsession with "[[Buffy Summers|Slutty]]" the Vampire Slayer, recounting news of her recent [[Parker Abrams|rebound]] disaster, which causes Angel to look pained.. Marcus begins the Mozart record again and Spike, rolling his eyes, leaves "to get some air." Marcus, who had covertly reacted to Angel's earlier insinuation, plunges another hot poker into his captive. Listening to Angel's strangled screams, Spike smiles and says, "Now that's music." Marcus shoots holes in the building's ceiling so that Angel, agonized by any movement, must stretch and hold himself at the limit of his chains to avoid the pencil-thin beams of sunlight.
+
Cordelia and Doyle worry that Angel hasn't checked in. Meanwhile, he is suspended by long, manacled chains from the ceiling of a large warehouse. Spike introduces him to his captor, [[Marcus (vampire)|Marcus]], a master torturer with a taste for children. With classical musical playing, the reserved vampire prepares his instruments while Spike recites highlights from Marcus' gruesome curriculum vitae. To begin, Marcus inspects Angel, inside and out, then asks what does he want. When Angel is defiant, Marcus steps over to the brazier and returns with a red-hot poker, which he abruptly rams through Angel's bared abdomen. Time passes as Marcus works into a rhythm of hurting Angel, then asking what he wants, then hurting him again.
   
  +
Breaking off a stake, Spike threatens to dust Angel then and there if he doesn't talk, until Marcus points out that, knowing Spike won't kill him before learning the ring's location, Angel therefore also knows that Spike is bluffing. Spike tosses the stake to the floor. Angel takes advantage of the reprieve to tell Spike he's an idiot for believing that Marcus, a vampire, has no interest in obtaining the Gem of Amara for himself. Spike answers dismissing Marcus as a threat, deeming him too single-mindedly obsessed with the art of torture to care about anything else. In the sudden silence of the symphony coming to an end, Spike then taunts Angel about his own obsession with Buffy, recounting news of her recent rebound disaster, which causes Angel to look pained. Marcus begins the record again and Spike, rolling his eyes, leaves "to get some air." Marcus plunges another hot poker into his captive. Listening to Angel's strangled screams, Spike smiles and says, "Now that's music." Marcus shoots holes in the building's ceiling so that Angel, agonized by any movement, must stretch and hold himself at the limit of his chains to avoid the beams of sunlight.
Abandoning his fruitless search of Angel's apartment, Spike is confronted by Cordelia and Doyle, armed and waiting behind the door. Unperturbed, Spike tells them that if they want Angel to live, they must find the ring and turn it over before sundown. Angel, meanwhile, endures the abrupt removal of two pokers and makes Marcus believe he's about to break. He lures his tormentor closer by whispering, truthfully, that what he most wants is forgiveness. Entranced, Marcus draws near enough for Angel to make his move. Holding Spike's discarded stake between his booted feet, Angel brings his legs up high enough to plunge the jagged wooden point into Marcus' heart. Appearing out of nowhere, Spike grabs Angel's feet and disarms him. Enraged, Marcus punches Angel before Spike solicitously moves him out of Angel's reach. Selecting a pair of needle nose pliers, Spike chips in as Marcus resumes his interrupted torture session with a vengeance.
 
   
 
Abandoning his fruitless search of Angel's apartment, Spike is confronted by Cordelia and Doyle, armed and waiting behind the door. Spike tells them that if they want Angel to live, they must find the ring and turn it over before sundown. Angel, meanwhile, endures the abrupt removal of two pokers and makes Marcus believe he's about to break. He lures his tormentor closer by whispering that what he most wants is forgiveness. Marcus draws near enough for Angel to make his move. Holding Spike's discarded stake between his booted feet, Angel brings his legs up high enough to plunge the jagged wooden point into Marcus' heart. Suddenly reappearing, Spike grabs Angel's feet and disarms him. Marcus punches Angel before Spike moves him out of Angel's reach. Selecting a pair of needle nose pliers, Spike chips in as Marcus resumes his interrupted torture session.
[[File:Ozvan.png|thumb|Oz arriving in his van to aid Angel Investigations.]]Having no more success than Spike had, Cordelia and Doyle conduct their own search for the Gem of Amara in Angel's apartment. When Cordelia complains to Doyle that her list of cliched hiding places has inexplicably failed to yield results, it finally occurs to them both to search the sewers. which are of course huge. Cordelia is dismayed that the two seemingly have a long search ahead of them with little time however Doyle, letting Cordy turn into the next tunnel ahead of him, quickly and surreptitiously uses his demon senses and immediately locates the ring under the brick where Angel hid it, claiming it to be pure good luck. Now all they need is a plan. Before sundown, they meet with Spike at the appointed spot and demand to see Angel before they reveal where they've stashed the ring. Spike reluctantly agrees and takes them to where he and Marcus are holding the now barely-conscious Angel. When Spike gloatingly admits he has no intention of going through with the trade, Doyle pulls the ring out of his pocket and throws it across the warehouse floor. Just as Spike reaches for it, he is forced to duck and roll when Oz smashes his van through the warehouse wall. From the driver's side window, Oz holds Spike and Marcus at bay with twin crossbows until Cordy and Doyle can get Angel into the back of the van. Once they're safely inside, Oz floors it in reverse and the van peels away. Spike then looks for the ring only to find it has disappeared... and so has Marcus. Outside Marcus, having swiped the ring for himself during the distraction (despite Spike's belief that he wouldn't), walks out onto the street and into direct sunlight without injury. Spike angrily smashes apart Marcus's record player, furious that all his hard work has been for naught. He declares that, from now on, he's going to work alone just as a small ray of sunlight sets his hair on fire. After putting the small blaze out, Spike has only one hope left... that Angel and Marcus somehow manage to kill each other.
 
   
  +
Having no more success than Spike had, Cordelia and Doyle conduct their own search for the Gem of Amara in Angel's apartment. When Cordelia complains to Doyle that her list of cliched hiding places has inexplicably failed to yield results, it finally occurs to them both to search the sewers. Cordelia is dismayed that the two seemingly have a long search ahead of them with little time. However, Doyle, letting Cordy turn into the next tunnel ahead of him, quickly and surreptitiously uses his demon senses and immediately locates the ring under the brick where Angel hid it, claiming it to be pure good luck. Now all they need is a plan.
Doyle and Cordelia are trying to tend to Angel's injuries, however Angel just wants to track Marcus down and, knowing his predilection for children, believes the vampire won't have gone far. In fact, a joyous Marcus makes his way along the boardwalk, clearly bemused by modern day beach wear, until he spots a cub scout troop clustered around a vending cart. While Marcus focuses on the children, Oz drives straight down the middle of the boardwalk, using the van's speed and bulk to knock the invincible vampire flying. Cordelia shoots Marcus with a crossbow, however the ring protects him from the arrow. Doyle then tries beating him back but is quickly swatted aside. Angel leaps out of the van, bursting into flame the moment sunlight touches him, and tackles Marcus off the pier, falling with him to the water below. In the shade under the boardwalk, the two vampires fight. Angel impales Marcus on a beam, but the Gem of Amara protects him - until Angel yanks the ring off his finger and Marcus crumbles to dust. Angel slides the ring onto his own hand, then steps out into the sunlight for the first time in more than two hundred years.
 
   
 
Before sundown, they meet with Spike at the appointed spot and demand to see Angel before they reveal where they've stashed the ring. Spike reluctantly agrees and takes them to where he and Marcus are holding the now barely-conscious Angel. When Spike gloatingly admits he has no intention of going through with the trade, Doyle pulls the ring out of his pocket and throws it across the warehouse floor. Just as Spike reaches for it, he is forced to duck and roll when Oz smashes his van through the warehouse wall. From the driver's side window, Oz holds Spike and Marcus at bay with two crossbows until Cordy and Doyle can get Angel into the back of the van. Once they're safely inside, Oz floors it in reverse and the van peels away. Spike then looks for the ring only to find it has disappeared and so has Marcus. Outside, Marcus walks out onto the street and into direct sunlight without injury. Spike angrily smashes apart Marcus's record player. He declares that, from now on, he's going to work alone, just as a small ray of sunlight sets his hair on fire. After putting the small blaze out, Spike only hopes that Angel and Marcus somehow manage to kill each other.
That evening, enraptured, Angel watches the sun set in an ordinary, smoggy, southern California sky. To Doyle's extreme dismay, Angel has decided not to keep the ring. Angel tries to explain his feeling that the Gem of Amara only appears to be the redemption he seeks, and that keeping it would somehow make him forget about the many people forced to live in the darkness needing a champion to defend them from what seeks to hurt them. Doyle is unconvinced, but sees that Angel is determined to do what he believes to be the right thing. When the last sliver of sun disappears, Angel removes the Gem of Amara and, deliberately, smashes it flat with a chunk of brick. After recovering in silence for a moment or two, Doyle remembers that Rachel called to say, "thanks, and that she found a little faith." Angel absorbs this and slowly begins to smile. "I don't know about you," he says to Doyle, "but I had a pretty good day." When Doyle doesn't seem to know how to respond, Angel adds, "You know — except for the bulk of it, where I was nearly tortured to death." Angel continues to joke with his friend as they leave the rooftop and head down the stairs together.
 
   
 
Doyle and Cordelia are trying to tend to Angel's injuries, however he just wants to track Marcus down and, knowing his predilection for children, believes the vampire won't have gone far. In fact, Marcus makes his way along the boardwalk until he spots a cub scout troop clustered around a vending cart. While Marcus focuses on the children, Oz drives straight down the middle of the boardwalk, using the van's speed and bulk to knock the invincible vampire flying. Cordelia shoots Marcus with a crossbow, however the ring protects him. Doyle then tries beating him back but is quickly swatted aside. Angel leaps out of the van, bursting into flame the moment sunlight touches him, and tackles Marcus off the pier, falling with him to the water below. In the shade under the boardwalk, the two vampires fight. Angel impales Marcus on a beam, but the Gem of Amara protects him until Angel yanks the ring off his finger and Marcus crumbles to dust. Angel slides the ring onto his own hand, then steps out into the sunlight.
==Continuity==
 
*This episode is a follow-up to the third episode of ''Buffy's'' fourth season "[[The Harsh Light of Day]]". In that episode, [[Spike]] got his hands on the [[Gem of Amara]], a magic ring that makes vampires indestructible. However, [[Buffy Summers|Buffy]] battled him and managed to defeat him, taking the Gem for herself. Knowing that Angel could do some good with the Gem, [[Daniel Osbourne|Oz]] volunteers to take the Gem to Angel while he plays a gig in L.A. In this episode, Oz arrives at [[Angel Investigations]] office and delivers the Gem to Angel while also helping the gang out in the process. Spike also arrives in L.A. so that he can get the Gem back from Angel. Spike and Oz are the only characters to appear in both episodes.
 
**Note both episodes' titles: "The Harsh Light of Day", followed by "In the Dark".
 
   
 
That evening, Angel watches the sun set. To Doyle's dismay, Angel has decided not to keep the ring. Angel tries to explain his feeling that the Gem of Amara only appears to be the redemption he seeks, and that keeping it would somehow make him forget about the many people forced to live in the darkness, needing a champion to defend them from what seeks to hurt them. Doyle is unconvinced, but sees that Angel is determined to do what he believes to be the right thing. When the last sliver of sun disappears, Angel removes the Gem of Amara and smashes it flat with a chunk of brick. Doyle then remembers that Rachel called to say "thanks, and that she found a little faith." Angel tells him he had "a pretty good day." He adds: "You know — except for the bulk of it, where I was nearly tortured to death." Together, they leave the rooftop and head down the stairs.
*This is Spike's first appearance on ''[[Angel (series)|Angel]]''. Although he is portrayed as the [[Big Bad]] for this episode, he returns as a main character in Season Five as an ensouled Champion. Spike would also go on to appear in flashbacks in ''Angel's'' second season.
 
 
*This is Oz's first and only appearance on ''Angel''.
 
   
 
==Continuity==
  +
*This episode is a follow-up to ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'''s "[[The Harsh Light of Day]]", when Spike's quest for the Gem of Amara begins and Oz volunteers to take the Gem to Angel.
  +
*This is Spike's first appearance on ''Angel''; he go on to appear in flashbacks in ''Angel's'' second season, then returns as a main character in season 5 as an ensouled champion.
 
*This is the first time that Angel and Spike are shown fighting. Although Angel overpowers Spike quite easily, their fight in "[[Destiny]]" has Spike winning in a more vicious battle.
 
*This is the first time that Angel and Spike are shown fighting. Although Angel overpowers Spike quite easily, their fight in "[[Destiny]]" has Spike winning in a more vicious battle.
 
*Spike referring to Angel as "a big fluffy puppy with bad teeth" is similar to Buffy's comment in "The Harsh Light of Day", where she tells Parker that the bite Angel gave her was given to her by an "angry puppy". Vampire Willow also refers to his alternative counterpart as "Puppy" in "[[The Wish]]".
 
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*Angel practicing tai chi, as he had done in "[[Band Candy]]" and "[[Revelations]]" as part of his rehabilitation from returning from [[Acathla's dimension]].
*Spike referring to Angel as "a big fluffy puppy with bad teeth" is similar to [[Buffy Summers|Buffy]]'s comment in "The Harsh Light of Day", where she tells Parker that the bite Angel gave her was given to her by an "angry puppy". Interestingly, Vampire Willow also refers to Angel as "Puppy" in "[[The Wish]]".
 
 
*Angel practicing Tai chi (with the accompanying score) is poignantly evocative of his long, painful rehabilitation after being returned to Sunnydale in "[[Faith, Hope & Trick]]". Bringing him pig's blood in "[[Band Candy]]" Buffy for the first time sees Angel, still in significant pain but clearly on the mend, practicing the forms with utter concentration. In "[[Revelations]]", they have regular "training" sessions together, during which they are both keenly aware that Angel's physical health has vastly improved. In this episode, Angel is clearly trying to work through his anguish at losing the Slayer, made freshly acute by the arrival of (only) Oz. The expectation that Angel's kata is being interrupted by a phone call from Buffy is reinforced by the initial silence on the line, reminiscent of the silent call he made to her near the end of the series pilot, "[[City of]]", which she answered unaware in "[[The Freshman]]."
 
 
 
*Cordelia tries to give Doyle some idea of what they're up against with Spike, and her catalog of evilness includes the "whole deal with this arm in a box." This is a reference to Spike and [[Drusilla]] releasing the demon [[Judge]] during events in "[[Surprise]]" and "[[Innocence]]".
 
*Cordelia tries to give Doyle some idea of what they're up against with Spike, and her catalog of evilness includes the "whole deal with this arm in a box." This is a reference to Spike and [[Drusilla]] releasing the demon [[Judge]] during events in "[[Surprise]]" and "[[Innocence]]".
  +
*Spike recognizes Cordelia the moment he sees her; they were in a few battles together, such as the ones in "[[School Hard]]", "[[Halloween]]", and "[[What's My Line? Part Two]]".
 
*It has been at least a week since "[[Lonely Heart]]", as Doyle mentions being in Cordelia's apartment "last week".
 
*Spike mocks Angel for having a soul, being in love with a Slayer, and for being captured and tortured. Ironically, all of these things will also happen to Spike: in "[[Out of My Mind]]", he realizes he has fallen in love with Buffy; in "[[Intervention]]", he is captured, "chained to the ceiling," and tortured by [[Glorificus|Glory]]; and in "[[Grave]]" he gets a soul.
 
*Arguably this episode would be the third instance of Angel walking openly during the daytime, if taking into account the events from "[[Amends]]", when the sunlight was blocked by snowfall, and "[[Graduation Day, Part Two]]", as the [[Graduation Day battle]] occurred during an eclipse.
   
  +
==Appearances==
*In this episode, Spike recognizes Cordelia the moment he sees her, although the two never socialized on screen while in [[Sunnydale]]. However, they were in a few battles together, such as the ones in "[[School Hard]]," "[[Halloween (episode)|Halloween]]," and "[[What's My Line, Part Two|What's My Line, Part II]]." Also, it is likely that Angelus spoke of the [[Scooby Gang]] to Spike and Drusilla. They may have met off-screen as well.
 
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===Individuals===
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*[[Parker Abrams]] {{Om}}
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*[[Angel]]
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*[[Cordelia Chase]]
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*[[Allen Francis Doyle]]
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*[[Kirzy]] {{Om}}
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*[[Lenny (In the Dark)|Lenny]]
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*[[Manny the Pig]]
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*[[Marcus (vampire)|Marcus]]
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*[[Daniel Osbourne]]
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*[[Rachel (Los Angeles)|Rachel]]
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*[[Spike]]
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*[[Buffy Summers]] {{Om}}
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*[[Bouncer (In the Dark)]]
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*[[Unidentified dealer (In the Dark)]]
  +
*[[Unidentified woman (In the Dark)]]
 
===Organizations and titles===
  +
*[[Angel Investigations]]
  +
*[[Slayer]] {{Om}}
 
===Species===
  +
*[[Half-demon]]
  +
**[[Brachen demon]]
  +
*[[Human]]
  +
**[[Werewolf]]
  +
*[[Vampire]]
  +
===Locations===
  +
*[[Los Angeles]]
  +
**[[Angel Investigations offices]]
  +
**[[Apartment 4B]] {{Om}}
  +
**[[Orbit Room]]
  +
*[[Sunnydale]] {{Om}}
  +
**[[Bronze]] {{Om}}
  +
===Weapons and objects===
  +
*[[21DW407]]
  +
*[[Gem of Amara]]
  +
*[[NKO714]]
  +
*[[Stake]]
   
  +
==Death count==
*It has been at least a week since "[[Lonely Hearts]]" with Doyle mentioning being in Cordelia's apartment "last week".
 
 
*Marcus, staked by Angel on a wooden pillar.
   
 
==Behind the scenes==
*Doyle mentions on the phone "Spike... like railroad." to "Frankie Tripod." This could be an allusion to how Spike got his name, by torturing his victims with railroad spikes.
 
  +
[[File:"In the Dark" promo|thumb|200px]]
   
*Spike mocks Angel for having a soul, being in love with a slayer (Buffy) and for being captured and tortured. Ironically all of these things will happen to Spike, in "[[Out of My Mind]]" Spike realizes he has fallen in love with Buffy, in "[[Intervention]]" Spike is captured "chained to the ceiling" and tortured by Glory, and in "[[Grave]]" he gets a soul.
 
*Angel walks into the sunlight for the first time since his siring; technically it would be his second time walking during the daytime, if the Buffy episode "[http://buffy.wikia.com/wiki/Amends Amends]" is taken into account(sunlight blocked by snowfall).
 
*Arguably this episode would be the third instance of Angel walking openly during the daytime, if taking into account the Buffy episode "[[Graduation Day, Part Two]]" where Angel took part in the [[Graduation Day Battle]] which occurred during an eclipse.
 
 
==Body Count==
 
* [[Marcus (vampire)|Marcus]], impaled by [[Angel]] on a wooden pillar and dusted.
 
 
== Behind the Scenes ==
 
* This marks the first time a ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' character crosses over into ''Angel''.
 
* This is the only episode of ''Angel'' in which four ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' main characters appear: Angel, Cordelia, Oz, and Spike.
 
 
===Production===
 
===Production===
 
*This marks the first time a ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' character crosses over into ''Angel''.
*Responding to the statement that [[Angel]]'s decision to destroy the ring is reminiscent of Rose throwing the priceless diamond into the ocean at the end of ''Titanic'', producer [[Tim Minear]] says the difference is that "she throws it in the water as if that means something about Jack [but] it was the other guy's diamond, and I have no idea why she's throwing it in the water." However, "it makes perfect sense for [Angel] to destroy the ring. Can he be trusted? That is the point of the series," Minear says. "If he has the power to be invincible, what would happen if he spent eternity as Angelus? Angel knows that he can't be trusted - think about [[Janna of the Kalderash|Jenny Calendar]]. In that light, the ending makes perfect sense to me."
 
 
*This is the only episode of ''Angel'' in which four ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' main characters appear: Angel, Cordelia, Oz, and Spike.
*David Boreanaz actually was in a fair amount of pain during the torture sequences, as he had been in a car accident just before the episode was filmed. The accident did not severely injure him, but he is known to have sued the driver who caused the accident for the problems his injuries caused during his work.
 
 
*Responding to the statement that Angel's decision to destroy the ring is reminiscent of Rose throwing the priceless diamond into the ocean at the end of ''Titanic'', producer [[Tim Minear]] says the difference is that "she throws it in the water as if that means something about Jack [but] it was the other guy's diamond, and I have no idea why she's throwing it in the water." However, "it makes perfect sense for [Angel] to destroy the ring. Can he be trusted? That is the point of the series," Minear says. "If he has the power to be invincible, what would happen if he spent eternity as Angelus? Angel knows that he can't be trusted think about [[Jennifer Calendar|Jenny Calendar]]. In that light, the ending makes perfect sense to me."
 
*David Boreanaz actually was in a fair amount of pain during the torture sequences, as he had been in a car accident just before the episode was filmed. The accident did not severely injure him, but he is known to have sued the driver who caused the accident for the problems his injuries caused during his work.{{Cite}}
   
===Deleted Scenes===
+
===Deleted scenes===
* A scene in which Marcus kills a sunglasses vendor was deleted, though in his next scene, Marcus still appears wearing sunglasses. Nevertheless, the actor portraying the vendor was still credited.
+
*A scene in which Marcus kills a sunglasses vendor was deleted, though in his next scene, Marcus still appears wearing sunglasses. Nevertheless, the actor portraying the vendor was still credited.
   
=== Pop Culture References ===
+
===Pop culture references===
*'''[[Wikipedia:Batmobile|Batmobile]]:''' [[Spike]]'s line, "quickly! To the Angelmobile! Away!" is an homage to Batman, in style as well as content.
+
*Spike's line "Quickly! To the Angelmobile! Away!" is a parody to [[wikipedia:Batman|Batman]] and his [[Wikipedia:Batmobile|Batmobile]].
 
*Cordelia tells Doyle that the only way she'll go on a cruise with him is in an alternate universe where he turns into the actor [[Wikipedia:Matthew McConaughey|Matthew McConaughey]].
 
*While drunk, Doyle apparently quoted ''[[Wikipedia:Angela's Ashes|Angela's Ashes]]'' (1996) and began to weep. The book is a memoir by Irish author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland.
  +
*Cordelia lists the characters [[wikipedia:Bamm-Bamm Rubble|Bamm-Bamm]], [[wikipedia:Betty Rubble|Betty]] and [[wikipedia:Barney Rubble|Barney Rubble]] from the cartoon series ''[[wikipedia:The Flintstones|The Flintstones]]'' (1960).
 
*Spike calls Angel a "[[wikipedia:Black and white hat symbolism in film|white hat]]," a reference to classic westerns in which the heroes would often wear white hats while the villains usually wore black hats. The term is also used in the episode "[[The Wish]]" when a vampire hunter group is known as the [[White Hats]].
 
*Confronting Spike as he tosses Angel's apartment in search of the Gem of Amara, Cordelia refers to a 1994 incident in which the actor [[Wikipedia:Johnny Depp|Johnny Depp]] was arrested in connection with some serious damage to an NYC hotel suite.
 
*While torturing Angel, Marcus quotes the play ''[[Wikipedia:Hamlet|Hamlet]] ''(1600), act 2 scene 2: "There is nothing either bad or good but thinking makes it so."
  +
*Spike says "Lucy, I'm home!" in parody of the sitcom ''[[wikipedia:I Love Lucy|I Love Lucy]]'' (1951–1957).
  +
*Oz's van has a sticker of the band [[Wikipedia:Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds|Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds]].
  +
*A theater marquee displays the 1999 film titles ''[[wikipedia:Deep Blue Sea (1999 film)|Deep Blue Sea]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:The Sixth Sense|The Sixth Sense]]''.
   
  +
===Goofs, bloopers & continuity errors===
*'''[[Wikipedia:Matthew McConaughey|Matthew McConaughey]]:''' Cordelia tells Doyle that the only way she'll go on a cruise with him is in an alternate universe where he turns into the handsome actor (of Irish descent)—six years before McConaughey is selected as People magazine's 2005 "Sexiest Man Alive."
 
 
*When Oz turns the van around to head to the pier the van makes the 180° bootleg turn in the foreground, but then the shot suddenly jumps to showing the van across the street with the camera in the same position.
 
*When Angel is running on the pier, it's visible that he is covered in pyro jelly with the ignition in his hand.
 
*About 27:50 minutes in, the scene with Marcus and Angel, the position of Marcus and Angel change. One second Marcus is behind Angel and the next he is in front. Angel never turns around and the table and Marcus change back and forth. Then right before he pulls the first poker out, you can see a crew members hand behind Angels left shoulder.
   
  +
===Music===
*'''[[Wikipedia:Angela's Ashes|Angela's Ashes]]:''' While drunk, Doyle apparently quoted Angela's Ashes and began to weep. The book is a memoir by Irish author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland. It was published in 1996 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography.
 
 
*Extreme music library "Smoker's revenge"
 
*[[Wikipedia:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] "Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 "Jupiter": Menuetto. Allegretto"
 
*[[Christophe Beck]] and [[Robert J. Kral]] original score
   
  +
===International titles===
*'''[[Wikipedia:The Flintstones|Bam-Bam, Betty and Barney Rubble]]:''' These three characters are from the Hanna-Barbara cartoon series The Flintstones, and not, as Cordelia points out, the central characters in Angela's Ashes.
 
  +
*'''Czech:''' "V temnotě" (In the Dark)
  +
*'''Finnish:''' "Pimeässä" (In the Dark)
 
*'''French: "'''La Pierre d'Amara" (The Gem of Amara)
 
*'''German: "'''Der Ring von Amara" (The Ring of Amara)
  +
*'''Hungarian:''' "Sotetbenzzv" (In the Dark)
  +
*'''Italian:''' "L'anello di Amarra" (The Ring of Amara)
  +
*'''Portuguese (Brazil):''' "Na Escuridão" (In the Darkness)
  +
*'''Russian:''' "Во тьме" (In the Dark)
  +
*'''Spanish (Latin America and Spain):''' "En la Oscuridad" (In the Darkness)
   
  +
===Adaptations===
*'''White Hats:''' When Spike meets a dead end while Angel chases him, Spike calls him a "White Hat". This is a reference to classic westerns in which the heroes would often wear white hats while the villains usually wore black hats. The term is also referenced in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode "[[The Wish]]" where the vampires of an alternate Sunnydale refer to Rupert Giles' group of fighters as "white hats."
 
  +
*The episode script was included in the ''[[Scriptbook, Volume 2]]''.
   
  +
==Gallery==
*'''[[Wikipedia:Woody Allen|Woody Allen]]''': In complaining about Marcus's endless playing of the Menuet from [[Wikipedia:Symphony No. 41 (Mozart)|Mozart's Symphony #41 (K.551)]], Spike says, "Personally, I prefer his older, funnier symphonies myself." This is likely a riff on a [https://www.google.com/search?q=%22earlier+funny+movies%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb criticism that has frequently been lobbed] at prolific director Woody Allen since the 1970s; Allen himself poked fun at this criticism in his movie ''[[Wikipedia:Stardust Memories|Stardust Memories]]'', in which he plays a director whose audience hounds him to make "another funny picture".
 
  +
===Promotional stills===
 
  +
<gallery widths="120" spacing="small" orientation="portrait">
*'''[[Wikipedia:Johnny Depp|Johnny Depp]]:''' Confronting Spike as he tosses Angel's apartment in search of the Gem of Amara, Cordelia refers to a 1994 incident in which the famous actor was arrested in (alleged) connection with some serious damage to an NYC hotel suite.
 
  +
In the Dark Cordelia 01.jpg
 
  +
In the Dark Cordelia Oz.jpg
*'''''[[Wikipedia:Hamlet|Hamlet]]''''': In the third sequence showing Angel's torture, Marcus quotes Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2: "There is nothing either bad or good but thinking makes it so."
 
  +
In the Dark Angel Cordelia Oz.jpg
 
  +
In the Dark Oz Angel.jpg
*'''[[Wikipedia:Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds|Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds]]:''': When lying in Oz's van a sticker of the band can be seen behind Angel.
 
  +
In the Dark Spike 01.jpg
 
  +
In the Dark Spike 02.jpg
=== Goofs, Bloopers & Continuity Errors ===
 
  +
In the Dark Spike 03.jpg
*When Oz turns the van around to head to the pier the van makes the 180° bootleg turn in the foreground, but then the shot suddenly jumps to showing the van across the street with the camera in the same position.
 
  +
In the Dark Angel Spike 01.jpg
*When Angel is running on the pier, you can see that it is a stunt double. He is covered in pyro jelly and the ignition is visible in his hand.
 
  +
In the Dark Angel Spike 02.jpg
*About 27:50 minutes in, the scene with Marcus and Angel, the position of Marcus and Angel change. One second Marcus is behind Angel and the next he is in front. Angel never turns around and the table and Marcus change back and forth. Then right before he pulls the first poker out, you can see a crew members hand behind Angels left shoulder.
 
  +
In the Dark Angel.jpg
*Both Oz and Spike did not recognize Doyle as a [[half-demon]], even though Angel smelled in [[City of]] it immediately. Oz has probably never met a half-demon before, and comes from Sunnydale, where there are few, good demons, so he should have been rather suspicious. And later, Spike dismissed Doyle as harmless, though he needed to know that half-demons are much stronger than humans.
 
  +
</gallery>
===International titles===
 
  +
===Advertisement===
*'''German: '''Der Ring von Amara ''(The Ring of Amara) ''
 
  +
<gallery widths="200" spacing="small" captionalign="center">
*'''French: '''La Pierre d'Amara ''(The Gem of Amara) ''
 
  +
The Harsh Light of Day promo.jpg|"All New WB Crossover Event! Tonight, good and evil fight for the key to eternal life. The battle begins at sunset… and continues into daylight."
 
  +
</gallery>
===Music===
 
*Extreme music library - "Smoker's revenge"
 
*[[Wikipedia:Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] - "Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 "Jupiter": Menuetto. Allegretto"
 
*[[Christophe Beck]] and [[Robert J. Kral]]- original score
 
   
 
==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
 
{{QuoteBlock
 
{{QuoteBlock
|Spike| [as Rachel] How can I thank you, you mysterious black-clad hunk of a night thing?
+
|Spike|[as Rachel] "How can I thank you, you mysterious black-clad hunk of a night thing?"
|Spike| [as Angel] No need, little lady, your tears of gratitude are enough for me. You see, I was once a badass vampire, but love and a pesky curse defanged me. And now, I'm just a big, fluffy puppy with bad teeth.
+
|Spike|[as Angel] "No need, little lady, your tears of gratitude are enough for me. You see, I was once a badass vampire, but love and a pesky curse defanged me. And now, I'm just a big, fluffy puppy with bad teeth." [Rachel's about to touch Angel's hair] "No, not the hair. Never the hair."
  +
|Spike|[as Rachel] "But there must be some way I can show my appreciation?"
[Rachel's about to touch Angel's hair]
 
  +
|Spike|[as Angel] "No, helping those in need's my job, and workin' up a load of sexual tension and prancing away like a magnificent poof is truly thanks enough."
|Spike| No, not the hair. Never the hair.
 
|Spike| [as Rachel] But there must be some way I can show my appreciation?
+
|Spike|[as Rachel] "I understand. I have a nephew who's gay, so..."
|Spike| [as Angel] No, helping those in need's my job, and workin' up a load of sexual tension and prancing away like a magnificent poof is truly thanks enough.
+
|Spike|[as Angel] "Say no more. Evil's still afoot. And I'm almost out of that nancy-boy hair-gel I like so much. Quickly, to the Angelmobile, away."
|Spike| [as Rachel] I understand. I have a nephew who's gay, so...
 
[gasps]
 
|Spike| [as Angel] Say no more. Evil's still afoot. And I'm almost out of that nancy-boy hair-gel I like so much. Quickly, to the Angel-mobile, away.
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{QuoteBlock
 
{{QuoteBlock
|Oz|"So, I heard the rumors, but you guys can fill me in on the real deal here. So you guys are... like detectives?"
+
|Oz|"So, I heard the rumors, but you guys can fill me in on the real deal here. So you guys are... like detectives?"
 
|Cordelia|"No, I'm an actress!"
 
|Cordelia|"No, I'm an actress!"
 
|Doyle|"And quite a captivating one at that."
 
|Doyle|"And quite a captivating one at that."
Line 150: Line 193:
 
|Angel|"Staying long?"
 
|Angel|"Staying long?"
 
|Oz|"Few days."
 
|Oz|"Few days."
|Doyle|''[to Cordelia behind their backs]'' "They always like this?"
+
|Doyle|"They always like this?"
 
|Oz|"No, we're usually laconic."
 
|Oz|"No, we're usually laconic."
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{QuoteBlock
 
{{QuoteBlock
 
|Marcus|"What do you want, Angel? I think I know, but I'd like to hear it from you. The truth. I'll know if you're lying."
 
|Marcus|"What do you want, Angel? I think I know, but I'd like to hear it from you. The truth. I'll know if you're lying."
|Angel|''[scared, nearly broken]'' "I want ... forgiveness."
+
|Angel|"I want... forgiveness."
|Marcus|"Yes. That's the truth. And you want to earn it. You're not the type who takes the easy way out. Which is why I like you so much. In the end, you won't feel guilt, or remorse, or anything but pure darkness. In the end the ring, the past ... none of it will mean anything anymore. You'll be free. I promise."
+
|Marcus|"Yes. That's the truth. And you want to earn it. You're not the type who takes the easy way out. Which is why I like you so much. In the end, you won't feel guilt, or remorse, or anything but pure darkness. In the end the ring, the past... none of it will mean anything anymore. You'll be free. I promise."
|Angel|"And I promise ... to kill you." ''[almost stakes Marcus but is stopped by Spike]''
+
|Angel|"And I promise... to kill you."
 
}}
 
}}
 
{{QuoteBlock
 
{{QuoteBlock
|Cordelia| I couldn't get comfortable here if the floor was lined with mink. I mean, how can you live like this?
+
|Cordelia|"I couldn't get comfortable here if the floor was lined with mink. I mean, how can you live like this?"
|Doyle| Well, I didn't until last week. Then I saw what you did with your place. I just had to call my decorator.
+
|Doyle|"Well, I didn't until last week. Then I saw what you did with your place. I just had to call my decorator."
|Cordelia| No way! My apartment is nowhere near this yucky! It smells like bong-water in here.
+
|Cordelia|"No way! My apartment is nowhere near this yucky! It smells like bong-water in here."
 
}}
 
}}
  +
[[Category:Crossover episodes]]
 
  +
[[de:Der Ring von Amara]]
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[[nl:In the Dark]]
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[[Category:Angel episodes]]
 
[[Category:Angel Season 1]]
 
[[Category:Angel Season 1]]
 
[[Category:Crossover episodes]]

Revision as of 20:19, 17 March 2020

"In the Dark" is the third episode of the first season of Angel television show, and the third episode in the series. It was written by Douglas Petrie and directed by Bruce Seth Green. It originally broadcast on October 19, 1999 on The WB.

Synopsis

SETH GREEN AND JAMES MARSTERS FROM "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER" GUEST-STAR — Angel receives an unexpected visit from Oz who delivers a gift from Buffy, a mystical relic that renders the owner unkillable — not by stakes, not fire, not even sunlight. But Oz is followed by Angel's arch nemesis, Spike, who is determined to fight Angel to the death for this awesome power.

Summary

A young woman, Rachel, runs down a dark alley, looking frantically over her shoulder for signs of pursuit, but no one is there. Puzzled, she stops and hides, then stands, looking back the way she came. Suddenly, a man, Lenny, grabs her from behind, threatens her, and slaps her to the ground. Telling her he can't take it anymore, Rachel's strung-out boyfriend Lenny points a gun at her head and starts to pull the trigger. Appearing out of nowhere, Angel grabs Lenny's gun hand, knocking his arm up and sending the shot high. Angel effortlessly disarms Lenny, then knocks him unconscious with one brutal punch. Standing on the rooftop of a neighboring building, Spike watches Rachel thank Angel in the alley below and improvises a cheesy narration for their gestures.

Listening to an L.A. radio station, Oz parks his van in front of Angel's building. Inside, Cordelia gleefully prints up an invoice for Rachel, their first paying customer. When Oz opens the door and walks in, Cordelia is thrilled to see her old Sunnydale friend. After Angel and Oz's laconic greetings, Oz holds a ring out to Angel. He recognizes it as the Gem of Amara. Doyle explains that the ring is a priceless talisman which "renders the wearer one hundred percent unkillable, if he's a vampire" meaning Angel could, among other things, go out into daylight. Oz tells Angel that Buffy wanted him to have it. He also says that she's doing good, "just being Buffy." As the others leave to go to a pub, Angel stays behind to hide the ring under a loose brick in one of the sewer tunnels.

The next morning at the Angel Investigations offices, a tearful Rachel phones during Angel's tai chi practice to say that Lenny has been released on a technicality. Angel promises to be right over. Before he can get into his car, Spike springs an ambush in the parking garage and the two vampires exchange a flurry of words and blows. Angel defeats Spike before Cordelia and Doyle rush in to back their friend up. Spike recognizes and greets a flustered Cordelia, then threatens Angel one last time before taking off. Worried about his friends, Angel tells Cordelia she must stay with Doyle in case Spike decides to make her a target. Angel meets Rachel at her apartment, where he listens to her story, then encourages her to leave Lenny permanently.

On a tip from one of Doyle's unsavory contacts, Angel chases and corners Spike in a dead end blocked by a chain link fence. Hands locked behind his head, Spike turns and surrenders himself. Suddenly, a white-shirted figure whirling a long chain overhead appears from around the corner. Angel finds himself, abruptly, on his back on the ground, with the end of the heavy chain tightly wound around his neck, completely at the mercy of Spike's smiling henchman.

Cordelia and Doyle worry that Angel hasn't checked in. Meanwhile, he is suspended by long, manacled chains from the ceiling of a large warehouse. Spike introduces him to his captor, Marcus, a master torturer with a taste for children. With classical musical playing, the reserved vampire prepares his instruments while Spike recites highlights from Marcus' gruesome curriculum vitae. To begin, Marcus inspects Angel, inside and out, then asks what does he want. When Angel is defiant, Marcus steps over to the brazier and returns with a red-hot poker, which he abruptly rams through Angel's bared abdomen. Time passes as Marcus works into a rhythm of hurting Angel, then asking what he wants, then hurting him again.

Breaking off a stake, Spike threatens to dust Angel then and there if he doesn't talk, until Marcus points out that, knowing Spike won't kill him before learning the ring's location, Angel therefore also knows that Spike is bluffing. Spike tosses the stake to the floor. Angel takes advantage of the reprieve to tell Spike he's an idiot for believing that Marcus, a vampire, has no interest in obtaining the Gem of Amara for himself. Spike answers dismissing Marcus as a threat, deeming him too single-mindedly obsessed with the art of torture to care about anything else. In the sudden silence of the symphony coming to an end, Spike then taunts Angel about his own obsession with Buffy, recounting news of her recent rebound disaster, which causes Angel to look pained. Marcus begins the record again and Spike, rolling his eyes, leaves "to get some air." Marcus plunges another hot poker into his captive. Listening to Angel's strangled screams, Spike smiles and says, "Now that's music." Marcus shoots holes in the building's ceiling so that Angel, agonized by any movement, must stretch and hold himself at the limit of his chains to avoid the beams of sunlight.

Abandoning his fruitless search of Angel's apartment, Spike is confronted by Cordelia and Doyle, armed and waiting behind the door. Spike tells them that if they want Angel to live, they must find the ring and turn it over before sundown. Angel, meanwhile, endures the abrupt removal of two pokers and makes Marcus believe he's about to break. He lures his tormentor closer by whispering that what he most wants is forgiveness. Marcus draws near enough for Angel to make his move. Holding Spike's discarded stake between his booted feet, Angel brings his legs up high enough to plunge the jagged wooden point into Marcus' heart. Suddenly reappearing, Spike grabs Angel's feet and disarms him. Marcus punches Angel before Spike moves him out of Angel's reach. Selecting a pair of needle nose pliers, Spike chips in as Marcus resumes his interrupted torture session.

Having no more success than Spike had, Cordelia and Doyle conduct their own search for the Gem of Amara in Angel's apartment. When Cordelia complains to Doyle that her list of cliched hiding places has inexplicably failed to yield results, it finally occurs to them both to search the sewers. Cordelia is dismayed that the two seemingly have a long search ahead of them with little time. However, Doyle, letting Cordy turn into the next tunnel ahead of him, quickly and surreptitiously uses his demon senses and immediately locates the ring under the brick where Angel hid it, claiming it to be pure good luck. Now all they need is a plan.

Before sundown, they meet with Spike at the appointed spot and demand to see Angel before they reveal where they've stashed the ring. Spike reluctantly agrees and takes them to where he and Marcus are holding the now barely-conscious Angel. When Spike gloatingly admits he has no intention of going through with the trade, Doyle pulls the ring out of his pocket and throws it across the warehouse floor. Just as Spike reaches for it, he is forced to duck and roll when Oz smashes his van through the warehouse wall. From the driver's side window, Oz holds Spike and Marcus at bay with two crossbows until Cordy and Doyle can get Angel into the back of the van. Once they're safely inside, Oz floors it in reverse and the van peels away. Spike then looks for the ring only to find it has disappeared — and so has Marcus. Outside, Marcus walks out onto the street and into direct sunlight without injury. Spike angrily smashes apart Marcus's record player. He declares that, from now on, he's going to work alone, just as a small ray of sunlight sets his hair on fire. After putting the small blaze out, Spike only hopes that Angel and Marcus somehow manage to kill each other.

Doyle and Cordelia are trying to tend to Angel's injuries, however he just wants to track Marcus down and, knowing his predilection for children, believes the vampire won't have gone far. In fact, Marcus makes his way along the boardwalk until he spots a cub scout troop clustered around a vending cart. While Marcus focuses on the children, Oz drives straight down the middle of the boardwalk, using the van's speed and bulk to knock the invincible vampire flying. Cordelia shoots Marcus with a crossbow, however the ring protects him. Doyle then tries beating him back but is quickly swatted aside. Angel leaps out of the van, bursting into flame the moment sunlight touches him, and tackles Marcus off the pier, falling with him to the water below. In the shade under the boardwalk, the two vampires fight. Angel impales Marcus on a beam, but the Gem of Amara protects him — until Angel yanks the ring off his finger and Marcus crumbles to dust. Angel slides the ring onto his own hand, then steps out into the sunlight.

That evening, Angel watches the sun set. To Doyle's dismay, Angel has decided not to keep the ring. Angel tries to explain his feeling that the Gem of Amara only appears to be the redemption he seeks, and that keeping it would somehow make him forget about the many people forced to live in the darkness, needing a champion to defend them from what seeks to hurt them. Doyle is unconvinced, but sees that Angel is determined to do what he believes to be the right thing. When the last sliver of sun disappears, Angel removes the Gem of Amara and smashes it flat with a chunk of brick. Doyle then remembers that Rachel called to say "thanks, and that she found a little faith." Angel tells him he had "a pretty good day." He adds: "You know — except for the bulk of it, where I was nearly tortured to death." Together, they leave the rooftop and head down the stairs.

Continuity

  • This episode is a follow-up to Buffy the Vampire Slayer's "The Harsh Light of Day", when Spike's quest for the Gem of Amara begins and Oz volunteers to take the Gem to Angel.
  • This is Spike's first appearance on Angel; he go on to appear in flashbacks in Angel's second season, then returns as a main character in season 5 as an ensouled champion.
  • This is the first time that Angel and Spike are shown fighting. Although Angel overpowers Spike quite easily, their fight in "Destiny" has Spike winning in a more vicious battle.
  • Spike referring to Angel as "a big fluffy puppy with bad teeth" is similar to Buffy's comment in "The Harsh Light of Day", where she tells Parker that the bite Angel gave her was given to her by an "angry puppy". Vampire Willow also refers to his alternative counterpart as "Puppy" in "The Wish".
  • Angel practicing tai chi, as he had done in "Band Candy" and "Revelations" as part of his rehabilitation from returning from Acathla's dimension.
  • Cordelia tries to give Doyle some idea of what they're up against with Spike, and her catalog of evilness includes the "whole deal with this arm in a box." This is a reference to Spike and Drusilla releasing the demon Judge during events in "Surprise" and "Innocence".
  • Spike recognizes Cordelia the moment he sees her; they were in a few battles together, such as the ones in "School Hard", "Halloween", and "What's My Line? Part Two".
  • It has been at least a week since "Lonely Heart", as Doyle mentions being in Cordelia's apartment "last week".
  • Spike mocks Angel for having a soul, being in love with a Slayer, and for being captured and tortured. Ironically, all of these things will also happen to Spike: in "Out of My Mind", he realizes he has fallen in love with Buffy; in "Intervention", he is captured, "chained to the ceiling," and tortured by Glory; and in "Grave" he gets a soul.
  • Arguably this episode would be the third instance of Angel walking openly during the daytime, if taking into account the events from "Amends", when the sunlight was blocked by snowfall, and "Graduation Day, Part Two", as the Graduation Day battle occurred during an eclipse.

Appearances

Individuals

Organizations and titles

Species

Locations

Weapons and objects

Death count

  • Marcus, staked by Angel on a wooden pillar.

Behind the scenes

The_Harsh_Light_of_Day_promo

The Harsh Light of Day promo

Production

  • This marks the first time a Buffy the Vampire Slayer character crosses over into Angel.
  • This is the only episode of Angel in which four Buffy the Vampire Slayer main characters appear: Angel, Cordelia, Oz, and Spike.
  • Responding to the statement that Angel's decision to destroy the ring is reminiscent of Rose throwing the priceless diamond into the ocean at the end of Titanic, producer Tim Minear says the difference is that "she throws it in the water as if that means something about Jack [but] it was the other guy's diamond, and I have no idea why she's throwing it in the water." However, "it makes perfect sense for [Angel] to destroy the ring. Can he be trusted? That is the point of the series," Minear says. "If he has the power to be invincible, what would happen if he spent eternity as Angelus? Angel knows that he can't be trusted — think about Jenny Calendar. In that light, the ending makes perfect sense to me."
  • David Boreanaz actually was in a fair amount of pain during the torture sequences, as he had been in a car accident just before the episode was filmed. The accident did not severely injure him, but he is known to have sued the driver who caused the accident for the problems his injuries caused during his work.[citation needed]

Deleted scenes

  • A scene in which Marcus kills a sunglasses vendor was deleted, though in his next scene, Marcus still appears wearing sunglasses. Nevertheless, the actor portraying the vendor was still credited.

Pop culture references

  • Spike's line "Quickly! To the Angelmobile! Away!" is a parody to Batman and his Batmobile.
  • Cordelia tells Doyle that the only way she'll go on a cruise with him is in an alternate universe where he turns into the actor Matthew McConaughey.
  • While drunk, Doyle apparently quoted Angela's Ashes (1996) and began to weep. The book is a memoir by Irish author Frank McCourt, and tells the story of his childhood in Brooklyn and Ireland.
  • Cordelia lists the characters Bamm-Bamm, Betty and Barney Rubble from the cartoon series The Flintstones (1960).
  • Spike calls Angel a "white hat," a reference to classic westerns in which the heroes would often wear white hats while the villains usually wore black hats. The term is also used in the episode "The Wish" when a vampire hunter group is known as the White Hats.
  • Confronting Spike as he tosses Angel's apartment in search of the Gem of Amara, Cordelia refers to a 1994 incident in which the actor Johnny Depp was arrested in connection with some serious damage to an NYC hotel suite.
  • While torturing Angel, Marcus quotes the play Hamlet (1600), act 2 scene 2: "There is nothing either bad or good but thinking makes it so."
  • Spike says "Lucy, I'm home!" in parody of the sitcom I Love Lucy (1951–1957).
  • Oz's van has a sticker of the band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.
  • A theater marquee displays the 1999 film titles Deep Blue Sea and The Sixth Sense.

Goofs, bloopers & continuity errors

  • When Oz turns the van around to head to the pier the van makes the 180° bootleg turn in the foreground, but then the shot suddenly jumps to showing the van across the street with the camera in the same position.
  • When Angel is running on the pier, it's visible that he is covered in pyro jelly with the ignition in his hand.
  • About 27:50 minutes in, the scene with Marcus and Angel, the position of Marcus and Angel change. One second Marcus is behind Angel and the next he is in front. Angel never turns around and the table and Marcus change back and forth. Then right before he pulls the first poker out, you can see a crew members hand behind Angels left shoulder.

Music

  • Extreme music library — "Smoker's revenge"
  • Mozart — "Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551 "Jupiter": Menuetto. Allegretto"
  • Christophe Beck and Robert J. Kral — original score

International titles

  • Czech: "V temnotě" (In the Dark)
  • Finnish: "Pimeässä" (In the Dark)
  • French: "La Pierre d'Amara" (The Gem of Amara)
  • German: "Der Ring von Amara" (The Ring of Amara)
  • Hungarian: "Sotetbenzzv" (In the Dark)
  • Italian: "L'anello di Amarra" (The Ring of Amara)
  • Portuguese (Brazil): "Na Escuridão" (In the Darkness)
  • Russian: "Во тьме" (In the Dark)
  • Spanish (Latin America and Spain): "En la Oscuridad" (In the Darkness)

Adaptations

Gallery

Promotional stills

Quotes

Spike: [as Rachel] "How can I thank you, you mysterious black-clad hunk of a night thing?"
Spike: [as Angel] "No need, little lady, your tears of gratitude are enough for me. You see, I was once a badass vampire, but love and a pesky curse defanged me. And now, I'm just a big, fluffy puppy with bad teeth." [Rachel's about to touch Angel's hair] "No, not the hair. Never the hair."
Spike: [as Rachel] "But there must be some way I can show my appreciation?"
Spike: [as Angel] "No, helping those in need's my job, and workin' up a load of sexual tension and prancing away like a magnificent poof is truly thanks enough."
Spike: [as Rachel] "I understand. I have a nephew who's gay, so..."
Spike: [as Angel] "Say no more. Evil's still afoot. And I'm almost out of that nancy-boy hair-gel I like so much. Quickly, to the Angelmobile, away."
Oz: "So, I heard the rumors, but you guys can fill me in on the real deal here. So you guys are... like detectives?"
Cordelia: "No, I'm an actress!"
Doyle: "And quite a captivating one at that."
Cordelia: "And between my many gigs, I sometimes choose to help Angel."
Doyle: "He's the detective."
Oz: "Does he have a hat and a gun?"
Cordy: "Just fangs."
Oz: "Well, that works."
Angel: "Oz!"
Oz: "Angel."
Angel: "Nice surprise."
Oz: "Thanks."
Angel: "Staying long?"
Oz: "Few days."
Doyle: "They always like this?"
Oz: "No, we're usually laconic."
Marcus: "What do you want, Angel? I think I know, but I'd like to hear it from you. The truth. I'll know if you're lying."
Angel: "I want... forgiveness."
Marcus: "Yes. That's the truth. And you want to earn it. You're not the type who takes the easy way out. Which is why I like you so much. In the end, you won't feel guilt, or remorse, or anything but pure darkness. In the end the ring, the past... none of it will mean anything anymore. You'll be free. I promise."
Angel: "And I promise... to kill you."
Cordelia: "I couldn't get comfortable here if the floor was lined with mink. I mean, how can you live like this?"
Doyle: "Well, I didn't until last week. Then I saw what you did with your place. I just had to call my decorator."
Cordelia: "No way! My apartment is nowhere near this yucky! It smells like bong-water in here."