If Lilah really died because of Angelus.

[MarieVampSlayer]

Hi all!

I was wondering if you guys liked Lilah's death in S4? Not that she died but how she died.

I was thinking that it would have been interesting if she really had been killed by Angelus. Would Angel fell guilt for her death even thought he kinda hated her? Would Wesley be angry at Angel or would he understand that it was not his direct fault? Would it change the EvilCordy plot at all?

What do you think?

 

[white avenger]

It sometimes seems like Angel's on a total guilt trip, as if everything that goes wrong with anyone that he comes into contact with is somehow his fault. Maybe that's the real part of the Gypsies' curse, the constant, often illogical, guilt trip. (Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but not much of one)

Maybe Angelus didn't directly kill Lilah, but Angel would undoubtedly see her death as something that he was ultimately responsible for.

 

[thrasherpix]

Not sure of Angel, but he appeared perfectly willingly to kill Lilah even as Angel (even to gain info as he thought he would to get Evil Red Riding Hood to talk), pretty much thought he had when he locked a bunch up with the vampires, and he killed other members saying she'd be next (like over Cordy's hellish vision experiences). He'd probably feel guilt because that's his theme, but less than he usually did.

At least on a mental level Wesley would understand. And I think he sort of hated himself for his feelings for Lilah. At a gut level...well it's by Joss Whedon, so no. No one does. Doesn't mean he'd do more than sulk, though.

It wouldn't change the Evil Cordy plot for me at all. As for others...I take it that the main objection is Cangel and/or Cordy banging Connor, or just the straight up character assassination (especially given the "office politics" or whatever the Hollywood equivalent is that affected the story involving Cordelia over CC's pregnancy and such), so I don't think it would make a difference for others either. And let's not forget Cordy and Connor murdered a virgin together and it's rarely mentioned, though I understand that's trivial to sex between Cordy and Connor. 😛 Just saying if that murder is more of a footnote then so should killing Lilah, even if we did get to know her a lot more with her gaining something of a Spike-like fan following (the villain that has earned death several times over but virtually no one wants the character to leave the show).

 

[thetopher]

If Angelus had actually killed Lilah then yes, Angel would've been partially culpable, since he made the choice voluntarily had his soul extracted. It was a risk that they (all of A.I) were all party to, but Lilah wasn't.
It's the same way Dark Willow is partly culpable for what Willow did- she made a choice to 'get off the wagon' magic-wise with the intent of killing people, and there was spectacular collateral damage as a result. You make the choice, you take the consequences.

So yeah, Angel would've certainly felt guilty over it- because of a mistake in judgement relating to what's at stakes/Jasdelia's manipulation- and I would've liked him all the more for it. It's a reaction that speaks to his inherent humanity; at the end of the day good people feel guilt for causing pain and suffering.