BoM/TWS Message Forum

I agree with Prussian. Sydney's not irredeemably evil but she's not good. She's a temptress, plain and simple; she wants power and she doesn't care what she needs to do to get it. That there is the start of evil. Maybe she has an "excuse" but there's several ways to deal with it that don't include literally getting power to kill someone. And yes, maybe she's a teenager, but that doesn't mean she hasn't thought about it and intends to follow on it. She has to her advantage her looks and her excuse for her start to evil, but she's not coming in from a place of curiosity, whether personal (Blackwell) or professional (Hyde-White), and both are bad people. Heck - I'd even say Sydney's more evil than Blackwell, and Blackwell keeps another human being from being free for his own purposes (that is, he has done evil actions, rather than thought about doing so).

The only reason she's not irredeemably evil is because she's playing a dangerous gamble. Her interest in magic is downright obsessive, and anyone who teaches her how to do so will garner her attention. From a different place, Will might just redeem her - but he needs to be more mature and experienced - something he rarely is in those occasions where he deals with her.

One thing that I've noticed is that, with the recent revelation of Aidan Seabury and what he can do, I see an interesting parallel. Sure, one is an old man (maybe TOO old) while the other is a teenage woman, and one already has an established Brotherhood while the other is looking to do so, but both act as seducers. Aidan and his enchanted (?) blood makes him appear as a vampire, using that seductive power to make people do what he wants. Sydney, at least in Will's case, doesn't have to - Sydney is charismatic enough to pull it off.

And considering her perverse sexual inclinations, I feel that, as Sydney evolves, she'll become the equivalent of a succubus - placing her charm on the other members of the Brotherhood, using the masks to adopt the identities of other people, engaging in sexual acts to drain them of power... And of course, succubus are fiendish and therefore evil. (And she doesn't mind turning into guys, which means she also fits the idea of being an incubus!) I argue this might be her eventual development without further proof, but she fits the signs - and considering how the BoMverse doesn't completely fit established cryptid lore and we haven't seen a succubus yet, this might not just be the first example, but also the ultimate goal of the Brotherhood - make its members gain power but effectively become what people think about when talking about demons, just like Baphomet is a constructed fiend.

But make no mistake - Sydney is not irredeemably evil, but she's still evil. Going to the lengths of hating someone and even harboring revenge thoughts isn't inherently evil but it certainly leads to it - and she's at the point of being willing to act upon them. She's still at arm's length to deal with those thoughts with a counselor, which is why she's not irredeemable, but she's not looking for help either. If someone realizes this and chooses to help her, she might yet be saved, but once she has a taste of power, she's probably not coming back. (And once she reunites all members and starts her next step, she's definitely not coming back.)