Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

A lot of interesting points here. My internet connection keeps timing out, so I'll be brief.

Your hope vs loyalty discussion resonates deeply with me. The first time I watched the Wesley/Illyria scene, my thoughts were along the same lines as yours (but not as eloquent). Deep inside Wes had given up, but his feeling towards Angel (and the mission) kept him going. And then there's also his feelings for Fred pulling him in another direction.

I really like that last paragraph about Lorne. It has all sorts of implications and at the risk of sounding cheesy, it gives me hope.