"In the Dark"

Plot: As Angel is helping a woman who is being attacked by her stalker boyfriend, we see an old friend is in town watching from above: Spike (who is riotous acting out the conversation he's watching below.)

When Angel gets home, he's paid a visit by another Sunnydale friend. Oz has arrived, sent by Buffy to give him the Ring of Amara. Spike had unearthed the ring in Sunnydale (in a crossover episode of "Buffy" called "The Harsh Light of Day) but Buffy kicked his ass as usual and sent the ring out of town where she thinks it will be safe with Angel.

The Ring of Amara has magic powers. It renders the wearer invincible, meaning vampires can't be staked and are unaffected by daylight. Which is why Spike wants it.

Angel hides the ring, and is later kidnapped by Spike and tortured by Spike's sadistic lackey, Marcus. They make Cordy and Doyle bring them the ring in return for Angel. Marcus double-crosses Spike and takes off in the ring, headed to the beach in the daylight to feed. Angel catches up and kills him. He puts the ring on and spends the remaining hours of daylight standing in the sun. When night falls, he decides to destroy the ring so it never falls into the wrong hands again.

It was awesome to see Spike as his punk-ass old self. He turns into such a whipped puppy by the end of "Buffy," season seven, that I had forgotten he used to be bad. And funny, funny, funny.

Quote: 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. Now I'm just a big, fluffy puppy with bad teeth. 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 working 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 is 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 Angel-mobile, away.