Wesley Wyndam-Pryce

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce is a fictional character played by Alexis Denisof on the television shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. The character first appeared in Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a replacement Watcher for Faith and Buffy, following the discharge of Rupert Giles by the Watchers' Council for disobeying Council orders, and becoming too attached to his charge.

On Buffy

Wesley is introduced as a clean-cut, somewhat pompous and bossy watcher who is immediately disliked by the Slayers under his watch. New to the watcher profession, he is inexperienced and handles himself poorly in combat; prior to his assignment to Buffy and Faith, his only encounter with vampires had been brief and controlled. Giles, his predecessor and fellow Englishman, does not take him seriously, and tends to support Buffy's predilection for ignoring Wesley's counsel as watcher.

Wes develops an inappropriate crush on Cordelia Chase, a high school student and the ex-girlfriend of Xander Harris, eventually culminating in a dance at the high school prom, followed by a sloppy, mother-of-all awkward kisses.

Faith gradually descends into criminal activity, and Buffy quits working for the Watchers' Council entirely when they would not help her save Angel; Wesley is fired from the Council. He stays to help fight the pivotal battle on high school graduation day, when the Sunnydale mayor ascends into a powerful demonic form. The last appearance of Wesley in the series shows him being carried away on a stretcher.

On Angel

In the first-season episode Parting Gifts of the Buffy spin-off series Angel, Wesley appears in the somewhat comical role of "rogue demon hunter," a self-applied title that only serves to make him seem more ridiculous. Memorably, after introducing himself to Cordelia with this title, he is faced with her question 'What's a rogue demon?'

Over the course of the series, Wesley grows from being Angel's comic-relief sidekick to a mature and capable man, the brains and later the leader of Angel Investigations. Though not the best hand-to-hand combatant, Wesley has exceptional aim with thrown weapons and firearms.

Wes gradually begins to show signs of emotional complexity and a troubled past. In the episode I've Got You Under My Skin, viewers are given hints that Wesley may have been abused as a child, and that his various insecurities may be in part a result of his father's unrealistic expectations of him.

His path on Angel is filled with tragedies and difficult choices. Just as he was beginning to have romantic feelings for Winifred "Fred" Burkle, he was supernaturally influenced to attempt to kill her, ending what may have been his only opportunity for love.

After the birth of Connor, Angel's son, Wesley becomes convinced of the truth of a prophecy that Angel would kill Connor. With the intention of saving Connor, Wes kidnaps him, betraying all of his companions. In doing so, Wes himself is betrayed, his throat is cut and the baby taken from him. When he finally recovers, Angel tries to kill him. The prophecy turns out to be false, meaning his betrayal had been for naught. Wesley resigns from Angel Investigations and strikes out on his own, becoming the "rogue demon hunter" he once styled himself.

Wesley continues his descent into self-loathing when he begins to sleep with Lilah Morgan, a mortal enemy. He eventually returns to Angel Investigations during the Jasmine crisis, deeply changed from his foppish early appearances on Buffy. He is further traumatized when his father appears on the show, reprimanding him and scrutinizing his every move. When his father threatens to kill Winifred, Wesley shoots and kills him without an instant's hesitation, only to find that what he thought was his father was a robot, designed to infiltrate them for some nefarious purpose.

In the fifth season, Wesley loses the last person he truly cares about when Fred dies and is possessed by the spirit of Illyria, a powerful and ancient demon. When Angel proposes to attack the Circle of the Black Thorn, Wesley agrees to challenge a sorcerer named Cyvus Vail. Vail overpowers and stabs him, leaving Illyria to comfort the dying Wesley with Fred's form.

External links

• Deconstructing Wesley (http://darkisrising.net/wes/)