I think you are overestimating how literally and seriously Ilya intended his reference to be taken.
I don’t think the intended parallel goes beyond this: the devil (allegedly) tries to do evil and ends up doing good in spite of that; a highly critical reviewer feels (to the reviewee) like he’s doing evil but ends up doing good in spite of that.
I really don’t think that Reviewer 2 has anything to do with Lucifer, or with the Catholic view of Lucifer/Satan as self-thwarting.
I think you are overestimating how literally and seriously Ilya intended his reference to be taken.
I don’t think the intended parallel goes beyond this: the devil (allegedly) tries to do evil and ends up doing good in spite of that; a highly critical reviewer feels (to the reviewee) like he’s doing evil but ends up doing good in spite of that.
Ah. But of course the reviewer thinks he’s good, from his point of view within the system.
Oh yes, indeed. (For me that’s actually part of why the parallel Ilya is drawing is funny.)