J. D. suavely removes Thelma's wedding ring before their intimate encounter in her motel room and drops it in his drink. Louise pawns her jewelry—including her recently acquired engagement ring from Jimmy—for some old dude rancher's hat. Rings are getting tossed all over the place in this movie, and what does it all mean?

Well, as we know, wedding rings are symbols of commitment and belonging. In ancient Roman times, rings were placed on women's fingers so that men could claim them as their property, kind of like calling shotgun on the front seat in the car, or hiding your favorite chocolate bar in the grocery store so that no one will take it if the apocalypse hits. (Wait, not everyone does that?) Jimmy gave Louise a ring because he didn't want to lose her, for example.

Well, these women want to be lost, and who can blame them? They've chucked their rings and chose freedom instead.