The reference goes entirely over Asch's head, but he gets the intention, at least.

For his part...

"I guess some of them don't have any experience with how being exceptional can make you a target instead of a king," he says. Which probably explains plenty about why he's cagey about his weirdness, really. "At least it's a cage with legroom."

And privacy in his own head. He'll take a physical panopticon over a mental one, thanks.