"If there is no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world." I love this line!

This is one of my favorite quotes from the show. Another is from Lorne. "Anyone can hold a note. I can hold a note until the cows come home. But after a while, that's just noise. It's the notes that come after that make it music."

"If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do." I want this tattooed somewhere on my body.

And that ladies and gentlemen is why Angel is one of my favorite tv shows.

He fought even knowing he may not get a reward/redemption but because he has the power to help others and stand up for those who couldn't

The Kate-Angel relationship was the most realistic relationship on the show. Angelus killed thousands of people , Kate was a police officer and her attitude towards him was very realistic. She lost her anger towards him at the end of season 2. A shame the relationship couldn't have been explored further.

and this "The smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world. "

The Brilliance of this scene is Joss Whedon voices his own true opinion on life and faith through Angel, But at the same time acknowledges the other sides validity through Kate when she says that she believes there is a higher power by pointing out that she never invited Angel into her apartment. Brilliant

there's a reason this show stays in the minds of the fans who went through Angel's journey with him since the Buffy days. this insane show had way more heart, revealed more about the true nature of the world and our place in it then any other i've ever come across. i'm sure we're all pissed at how it ended at the height of its powers in season 5 but...the way it went out? was so damn true to the spirit of the show, that i think a 'neater' ending would just not have had as big an impact, or left us with that spine-tingling sensation as when Angel utters the final line of the entire series: "let's go to work", which to me is a callback to THIS moment where he finally understands his broader mission. goddamn i love this show.

I think from all the Characters in the Buffyverse, Angel understood the best how the World works.

" If nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. Cause that's all there is. What we do." is my favorite quote in the world

I remember watching this scene when I was a child, and it's stayed with me ever since. Now I'm 18, heading to college in the summer with my heart set on being a counsellor- all because of this.

Words to live by.

"if nothing that we do matters, then all that matters is what we do" I think this is one of my favorite quotes of all time! It's simple and yet brilliant, it's complexity is at any level you choose it to be, wraped togeather in a beautiful turn of phrase. I think it has the quality and merit to be put forward in any discussion of existentialism or ethics

"If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do." What a line...!

Great speech and one of the best episodes of the entire series watching Angel snap out of his funk and save the day.

Did anyone come here to actually hear Kate tell Angel, “I never invited you in.” That used to be such a rush in being hopeful to the higher ‘powers that be ‘ in recognition to a vampire with a soul that is seeking redemption for centuries of sin? I’ll stop being Anne Rice lol

It’s too bad Kaye disappeared after this. It would have been great to see her back.

Needless to say, 'Angel' still remains my favorite Joss Whedon show.

Love that that Russian lady on The Daily Show quoted this!

Actually, Tim Minear wrote this, he mentioned recently in a podcast. But it's a good bet that the awesomest lines were written by Joss. Most of them were. :)

"If nothing we do matters than all that matters is what we do." *Mike drop* How to build a better word In one sentence

I really love these lines.

And this is sadly the last we see of Kate. Until the comic book came out that is.

Truer words were never spoken!

I liked these two as friends. I really wish she'd come back at some point.

I miss Angel

These lines are so sweet...aww angel.

To do something - anything! - with no expectations is the true definition of kindness

Kate is so beautiful, her hair her eyes...there so well placed

“If nothing we do matters all that matters is what we do” this quote alone has brought me out of existential dread

This is great, and I'm one of those people who immediately "squee'd" when I saw this on big-time teevee. Buffy/Angel (since they shared a "universe" and "show runner" it is the same thing) is the best and most important series in the last 30 years.

At this point in my life I'm understanding Angel like this. As Liam, his father had a low opinion and expectation from him. He was aching for love and admiration. But he continiously failed. Thus, he drank all his emotions away. As Angelus, he wanted to prove that he was worth something even if it meant to become the most evil vampire ever. Being a demon at its core helps a lot. Then as Angel, he wanted to be recognized for his fight against his sins. Righting his wrongs. Earning redemption for being a past ''weak''man (Liam). But the truth is. He had to forgive himself and love himself for trying to be better as Angel. I wondered if he ever did... His redemption did not need to come from the outside actually. He needed it from the inside more than the outside.

It's things like this that prove that everything really does matter and that there's a greater reason why. "Nothing matters" is such a strong statement and it doesn't allow for any exceptions. And yet, the soul still has to force one in because by nature it can't accept that nothing matters because It just doesn't feel right, or true, to the deepest part of ourselves. "People shouldn't suffer." Why? Bc it MATTERS.

How awesome is it that a Russian woman fighting for gay rights quotes this amazing show. Joss for life.

This is kind of when I fell in love with the show. Before this moment Angel (and the series around him) was darker and broodier. After this, he allowed himself to lighten up and be funny.

Depressingly beautiful

What amazes me, is this simple quote, inspired a Russian woman to stand up against the Anti-Gay laws in her country. Just amazing,

Angel and Kate

Quintessential absurdism philosophy. Brilliant.

The point is, why should the perspective of "in the greater scheme, in the big picture" matter? In the greater scheme, we are tiny self-aware lumps of organic molecules scurrying around on a wet dustball, hurtling around an ongoing hydrogen bomb explosion in the outer reaches of an unremarkable galaxy in a universe that doesn't give a shit about any of it. Why is that perspective even relevant, let alone important? But we are conscious and self-aware. And as a result we have choices; and we suffer. And when others like us suffer, we can feel it too. And often, we can do things to reduce and alleviate that suffering; sometimes to even bring joy. That moment to moment exercise of consciousness and empathy, that's what really matters. Who gives a crap about "the greater scheme" or "the big picture"? Just be good. Now. That's all that really matters.

all that matters is what we do.

Sad to know this was Kate's last scene, I really wanted to see a romance between them, but sadly there were complications that hindered that possibility. Still it's good to see they parted on good terms.

This leaves out the best part of this scene when she says she didn't invite him in.

Its a shame we never saw her again

Awesome quote by Angel! It's definitely one of my favorite from the show. It's such a shame it's the last episode of Kate. She started to become very interesting...

Sometimes, the things that effect you on the deepest level are those that should've been obvious to you or seemed obvious to everyone else and you just didn't get it until one moment later down the line.

This is beautiful, and very interesting, in that it is basically an ode to humanism, a description of the deepest meaning of humanism-- delivered by a creature who is, technically, not human. [Though he is in the humanist sense, I think.]

This is the philosophy I've always tried to live my life by.

I can't believe I'm just seeing this now. AMAZING video / speech.

This scene really touches the soul. And for good reason! There’s a deep Truth to it that something inside of us recognises and understands, pointing our hearts and minds towards what really makes a difference in our lives and in the lives of others; “all that matters is what we do”. And yet at the same time realising that none of it matters, and in a funny way that isn’t at all nihilistic, it’s almost like life not having an intrinsic meaning actually makes it more worthwhile because we get to DECIDE what that meaning is and discover it for ourselves! Much like a talented artist has a blank canvas with free reign yet we as the artist have been asking why paint at all? What’s the purpose of painting?? And children playing, flowers blossoming, and birds singing will show you that it is the simple joy of painting (finding joy in what you do and who you become). Life itself is it’s own purpose!!

This to me sums up everything. Its the meaning of life. Whenever i feel down this is something i look towards to give inspiration that im not alone that there are other people that get it.

I've always loved this scene and speech. I still remember it after all these years :)

Sure Joss wrote the good stuff, for buffy. But Tim minear, and David Greenwalt really took over the second season with an a gusto. Which goes to show, when tim Minear and david left for the fourth season, it really sucked. One of the worst seasons. So i give credit to Tim. Sure Joss created it. But David and Tim really did well with Angel.

This has always been one of my favorite quotes because it crystallizes true morality. If you're doing the right thing just for an ultimate reward (or to avoid ultimate punishment), your actions are meaningless. If you do it because someone is keeping score then it's just a game. True morality comes from doing the right thing because it's the right thing to do! And that's not a game. That's life.

Love this video and love the comment section even more! People write some really amazing, deep stuff here.

I missed Kate in the later seasons. I wish the show hadn't gone the Cangel route (and then had it blown badly by getting possesed!Cordy sleep with Connor) and instead developed Angel and Kate's friendship into a romance by the fifth season.

I needed this

This has stayed with me, too, but not with the power of "Birthday". You can wish you'd taken a left here, or a right, but you can't know that your life would be better or worse. You have to stick by your choices, stop fretting over the past, & make choices now. 💗

You're welcome. =) I actually had to argue Fair Use so this video could show up on KZfaq. So, I'm glad it's appreciated!

I think this is an interesting contrast to Buffy. In Buffy, the enemies were commanders with grand plans and great ambitions. The Master, Angel, the Mayor, Glory, Willow, and the First Evil were all this way, and to various degrees they wanted control of the Hellmouth, i.e. it was often a conflict over resources. This ended with the destruction of the armies of her final adversary and she and her army could live in peace. I know the comics exist, but those are not featuring here. Angel shows a different side of reality. His was the daily grind of the investigator. His enemies were not the grand generals leading their armies into open warfare, but the slow oozing manipulative evils like thar found in the hearts of men. Wolfram & Hart employ normal human being like Lila and they filter corruption and misery across hundreds of people in thousands of ways. It is a miasmic infiltration with each and every victory being the slow process of filtering out the refuse while becoming mired and entangled with it. Thus it is the never ending war. World War II ended with the death in the death of many of the upper Nazi elite, and so did Buffy's wars in Sunnydale. The war against the criminal and the corrupt is a never ending conflict, and this is epitomized in Angel.

Everything happening in 2020 brought me here.

David is such a great actor in my opinion I wish he could be in more shows because honestly I can't think of any other shows he's in besides buffy and the spinoff angel

Blessed words to live by.

I feel like the moment he took over Wolfram and Hart was when he turned his back on who he was then. He lost so much though from this moment to then.

Whedon was breaking out the existential philosophy in this scene.

Great speech that can pretty much be applied to everything we do in our lives. I also love Gunn's speech about predestination and whether we should fight or just give up: "Look, Monochrome can yap all he wants about No-Name's cosmic plan, but here's a little something I picked up rubbing mojos these past few years - the final score can't be rigged. I don't care how many players you grease that last shot always comes up a question mark. But here's the thing. You never know when you're taking it. It could be when you're duking it out with the Legion of Doom or crossing the street, deciding where to have a brunch. So you just treat it all like it was up to you - the world on the balance. Because you never know when it is."

Too bad Kate never showed again after that scene. I liked her

We have to try there is so much pain in the world and hate too just help one person in your life at least

if this is in real life, nothing he can do to fix what angelus did

It's a Tim Minear episode, though!

Ladies, Gentlemen, Non-Binaries, and +, we are presented here with the problem of nihilism - and it is demolished with understated elegance in approximately one minute. Now, let's go to work.

Joss Whedon's depth and eloquence truly blow my mind.

Why did Kate leave just as her and Angel were becoming friends again?😥 Plus, wouldn't have minded if they got together at some point, I liked them better than Cangel.

And this translates into our world #believethat #100

Another clip on the same theme kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fbWRia2my7bVhYk.html If my epitaph reads 'An Idiot to Tried His Best to Be Kind' - that wouldn't be a bad thing

but, to only just simply do little things (because that's supposedly what's really, truly matters), isn't that in itself kinda depressing? isn't that in the end also proven to be just meaningless, in the bigger, grand scheme of everything?

Unless I'm misunderstanding this is sadomasochism. One is taking pleasure in the hopelessness of oneself and those around you. Those small acts of kindness is a reaffirmation of the hopelessness everyone is in. Is this analogy correct?: Everyone is on a giant ship that is going nowhere and has no ultimate purpose. However, people on that ship can still experience happiness, joy and sadness. And that as a human being living on that ship, one should find great joy in doing small acts of kindness because that one act of kindness is worth so much in a hopeless meaningless condition. That is, the ship has no end purpose and is not going anywhere. In this situation that act of finding happiness is a suffering in itself. That is, it reinforces the conditions in which the act is taking place in. What I mean to say is to find a happiness in an ultimately sorrowful situation is actually to find happiness in sorrow. Do I have this right?

I completely forgot Kate was a character. What the heck happened to her in the show?

Angel and Kate should have smashed at least once before Elizabeth Rohm left the show to go do Law and Order. And don't tell me that they couldn't because he would have turned into psycho vamp. Umm no I don't think he would because in order for him to turn into psycho vamp Angelist he would have to be completely in love with Kate like he was with Buffy and I don't think he was in love with her like that. There was definitely a connection with them but it wasn't a I'm in love with you one but more of a I wanna have a possible one night stand and let's go our separate ways in the morning kinda if connection.

There are four horrible people in the world that don't like this

Existentialism in a nutshell.

so one person is worthless lol

Homeless people are wasting time begging for money when they could be volunteering in the community or creating businesses instead. Let’s change that with the Universal Basic Income. Or by abolishing money. Let’s give everyone over the age of 13 a guaranteed minimum income of $1,500ish USD/month! Guyygd

This is absolutely nonsense, particularly since Angel has been to Hell and Buffy has been to Heaven. He knows there's reward and punishment.

This is what being an a atheist feels like. There is no purpose, and that gives us purpose.

As someone with a philosophy degree, Angel's 'epiphany' was SO disappointing! I was expecting some kind of universal logic here, but instead I got one of the THREE main and equally valid positions on nihilist existentialism that have been been (and will continue to be) debated for centuries. This didn't settle ANYTHING. If nothing we do matters, then all that matters is what we do - works for intellectual individuals who care more about 'meaning' than practical pupose. Which is very few people. If nothing matters, do whatever works in the moment (which is generally something that would be considered 'wrong' if anything DID matter) - is the pragmatic side of the equation. Which is far more popular in the real world than Angel's view. If nothing we do matters, we might as well all be dead - this is the position of Sartre and those who actually want to find the purpose of existence itself, not the acts that make it up. All three positions have different arguments going for them - and that's leaving out all the philosophical positions that claim existence DOES have some kind of meaning or purpose! Angel simply cannot claim here that he's found the answer for everyone as to why they should do the right thing. He's simply picked the position that most appeals to him. He's gained greater self-awareness on what motivates HIM, but that's NOT an epiphany. I myself do not accept that philosophical standpoint, but prefer the one of Sartre (only fortunately I also acknowledge that what we do DOES matter in the end. So what we should do if it didn't matter becomes moot). This is not in any way a CONCLUSIVE answer to 'why we should do the right thing.' There are more rebuttals and counter-arguments to Angel's position - and any of the others - than you can shake a stick at. Philosophy is the one field that will never be exhausted, because the questions will never be fully answered.

It's kind of sad how people think this is (for lack of a better word atm) deep.

This clip is the most succinct articulation of postmodern moral philosophy. Nietzsche would be proud, compassion reinvneted.

Good video good scene 👍