Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

II. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power . . .

When talking with Gunn about the weirdness and vertigo that is contact with Illyria, Wes reminds us all that, "She still thinks she's the god-king of the universe" (though not quite as bad as a TV star, in that respect). As far as Illyria is concerned, her identity is her reign, her ability to shape the world to her liking and crush all opposition. It's kind of an "I kick butt, therefore I am" proposition, with utter domination of all that is being the only acceptable outcome. Here are a couple of the 'pearls' of Illyrian wisdom to which we were treated:


[to Spike, early on] "To never die, and to conquer all -- that is winning."

[to Wesley, near the end] "You want to take my power, to let me live. But I am my power, and I would rather be a titanic crater than to be like unto you."


But as enjoyable as it was to watch Illyria's frustration with Spike's irreverence and adaptable persistence, or her confusion over her unexpectedly complicated relationship with Wes, most of her 'pronouncements' about power and kingship seemed to be directed at Angel -- who, not unexpectedly, finds her power and arrogance an unacceptable challenge to his authority. (There can be only one?) Where Spike simply pokes at Angel to alleviate boredom or let some of the air out of Angel's (to his eyes) over-inflated ego and knock some of the stuffing out of his stuffed shirt (even before Angel became a puppet and had literal stuffing to knock out) -- but would rather drink holy water than have to do Angel's job -- Illyria actually seems to want to smear Angel like the ooze he is (in her eyes) and take over completely.

No wonder that almost Angel's first words about Illyria in this episode express his suspicions and scorn at the suggestion that she could be more of an asset than a threat:

Wes: ...I afford her some amusement, at the very least. It may be why she's still here.
Angel: She's still here because this place reeks of influence. She had everything, Wes. Everything. You think she's not lookin' to get that back?
Wes: I wouldn't presume to know what she wants. But I understand the resource, the power she represents. If we could just find some way to integrate her, to convince her to --
Angel: To do what? Join the team?

Wes, who's spent the most time with Illyria, can't presume to say what she wants or what motivates her. Yet, strangely, Angel seems to know exactly what she wants, or what she would do if their positions were reversed. He says as much in the torture-chamber basement in the penalty dimension, after Illyria once again expresses outrage that he should dare to tell her off:

Angel: Yes, I dare. And yes, we are looking for a way of controlling you any way we can. I can't have an 'X' factor like you bouncing around, unchecked.
Illyria: BOUNCING AROUND?!
Angel: I know you would do the same thing. I know that for a fact. But this is my kingdom, lady. Not yours.
Illyria: Your kingdom? I am Illyria, god-king of the Primordium, Shaper of things.
Angel: Yeah, well, that was...[time-shift back to the training room]...now.
Illyria: Yes, nothing's what it used to be, is it?
Angel: No.

They almost seem to be bonding at a couple of moments, united by understanding -- at least to some extent -- of what the other is thinking or feeling. As if that weren't scary enough (Angel bonding or somehow connecting with a primordial super-demon shadow-self? What could possibly go wrong with that?), Illyria goes on to give Angel 'lessons' in what it takes to be a real king, to win the war, even using the word "Empty" (shades of Angel's "Soul Purpose" nightmare and "A Hole in the World", anyone?) to describe what he should be:


"That you learn when you become a king. You learn... to destroy everything that's not utterly yours. All that matters is victory. That's how your reign persists.
"You are a slave to an insane construct. You are moral. A true ruler is as moral as a hurricane. Empty, but for the force of his gale. But you... trapped in the web of the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart -- so much power here, and you quibble at its price. If you want to win a war, you must serve no master but your ambition."


A short time later, after Illyria has self-destructed in a continent-changing blast, throwing Angel back in time, Angel tells her that -- like her -- he knows how this ends, he's been through it before, and this time it has to be different:

Angel: I have to stop that. Do you understand? I can't have your death blow away my...
Illyria: Your Kingdom?
Angel: Yeah, sure. Whatever.

Later, as Wes and Angel observe a still seemingly shell-shocked and grief-stricken 'watered-down' version of Illyria, Angel seems to have changed his mind (somewhat) about Illyria's usefulness:

Angel: Wes, I don't like where this is going. I don't like where this has been.
Wes: I'm not in love with this thing, Angel. But, for some reason, I need it right now.
Angel: Yeah, that's just weird.
Wes: I know. ...She could still prove to be problematic for us. Much of what she was is still intact. I doubt she'll ever stop trying to conquer... everything.
Angel: "Serve no master but your ambition"?
Wes: What's that?
Angel: I think you may've been right before, about Illyria being a resource. She just might make the team, yet.

And somewhere in the background of my brain, the theme music from The Twilight Zone begins to play, as Angel proceeds to once more turn Gunn's world upside down and inside out, telling him that they'll be siding with the Fell Brethren, rather than the pregnant and desperate Amanda whom Gunn (knowing all too well that the costs of making those demonic bargains are always much too high) had been so desperately and valiantly trying to protect -- 'cause that's what they're supposed to do: serve their clients.

'Say it ain't so!,' Gunn's eyes seem to plead, and the rest of us begin to hope against hope that somehow, in spite of everything and all appearances to the contrary, Angel hasn't decided to truly serve the demonic interests of W&H.


[CONCLUDED IN NEXT ENTRY]