Great episode again!
We took the time to mourn Doyle while progressing the overall plot and characters growth and reintroducing a kind of new character from BTVS. Like Angel, I didn't think anything about Wesley since the last time we saw him so it really was a surprise seeing him. And, in only one episode of ATS, I cared much more about him than during all his time in BTVS season 3. He was such an arrogant prick, sure and full of himself and insufferable.
But here he is vulnerable and his insecurities are revealed in spite of his best efforts to hide them. He became so much more relatable and likable. He is still goofy and not really useful in the field but he has room to improve if given a chance and his knowledge will be a huge help for the team for sure.
Barney was an interesting character and the misdirection with him potentially joining the group only to be revealed as the vilain was unexpected (at least for me). As for the word "empath", he is the one who calls himself that in the first place. The other demon described him more as a "heart reader" (if I recall correctly). I think he clearly has the ability to read the emotions from other people but I wouldn't call him empathetic because nothing proves he can feel those emotions. We only have his word on that matter and he probably lied so others trust him more easily.
I'm not sure there is such a thing as an evil empath. I can't imagine how you can enjoy causing pain and suffering while you feel as the same time the damages you are inflicting to others. Maybe you have to be both a sadist and a masochist. Everything is possible I guess.
You're approaching the middle point in both shows and I remember that I am not a big fan of those episodes which are IMO the weakest in both BTVS s4 and ATS s1 respectively. Maybe you will enjoy them more than me and open my eyes on things I missed. It wouldn't be the first time 😉
In the meantime, take care of yourself