Spike and Buffy Connections

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

For those of you who aren't on LJ, I wanted to share my post for today and open it up for discussion. This post was inspired by PrincessBuffy's post in the Bangel fan club.
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So, a friend of mine posted a list of B/A "connections" at The Buffy-Boards the other day. Honestly, this list blew me away. Some fan must have worked very hard on this list! It inspired me to think about S/B "connections" in the text of the show.

Upon contemplation of this, I thought of the scene in "School Hard" in the Bronze where Spike sees Buffy for the first time. She's dancing to a song by Nickel. The lyrics are as follows:

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
A moment of weakness.
No, not a moment,
More like three months of weakness.

I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
I'm doing all right.
No, don't feel sorry for me,
Really, I'm all right.

I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

You see, there's this huge chunk of me missing.
It's gone.
And I can' feel it, I can't feel it,
I can't feel.

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
It's the last time,
And maybe tomorrow night, will be the last time...

And I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

The line that really sticks out to me is

I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

This reminds of two instances where Spike is kneeling at Buffy's feet; once in "Fool For Love" and once in "Once More, With Feeling." For me, this directing choice can't go unnoticed. Sure, it could be simply an attempt to aesthetically hi-light how Spike sees Buffy; on a pedestal, above him and worthy of worship.

But the astute analytical part of me thinks there might be more to it, maybe even that the choice of this song being played during their first meeting was deliberate.

Thoughts? Who can ferret out some S/B "connections"?

 

[crazysoulless]

I used to have this song analyzed but I don't remember most of the Spuffy meaning I put into it.

This song is told through the perspective of both Spike and Buffy.

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
A moment of weakness.
No, not a moment,
More like three months of weakness.

Spuffy were having sex for *3 months* in S6.

Buffy described the sexual affair as "a mistake" and that she was "being weak and selfish".

Spike was told by the demon in Grave that the Slayer made him weak and castrated him (symbolically, not Caleb-style). He tells her in Beneath You that she makes him weak.

I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

Spike did end up crashing to his knees for Buffy. He was so in love with her and would've done anything to be with her. In OMWF he literally crashes to his knees in front of her while he sings "you know you've got a willing slave". He spilled his guts to her all the time. He was completely open, telling her how he felt about her despite the fact that she didn't feel it back, constantly putting himself in an emotionally vulnerable position.

Buffy spilled her guts to Spike by telling him she was in Heaven before she told her friends, telling him about the depth of her depression while she put on a smile for her loved ones, finally telling him she loved him in Chosen.

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
I'm doing all right.
No, don't feel sorry for me,
Really, I'm all right.

Spike tried in S6 to pretend that it didn't bother him that she was using him because he would rather take that than to not have her at all.

Buffy wanted to just be able to take comfort in sex with Spike and not think about her psychological/emotional state when she was with him but he would try to analyze her, "you're not drawn to the dark like I thought, you're addicted to the misery".

I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

You see, there's this huge chunk of me missing.
It's gone.
And I can' feel it, I can't feel it,
I can't feel.

Late S5 Buffy felt like she was losing her ability to feel and then in S6 being ripped out of Heaven made her so depressed that she literally couldn't feel strong emotions no matter how much she tried. She sang "why can't I feel?" "this isn't real but I just want to feel". She told Giles in Grave "when I clawed my way out of that grave I feel like I left a part of myself behind." In WML she described her emotions as "the fire" needed for being a great Slayer but by OMWF she sings "I want the fire back".

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
It's the last time,
And maybe tomorrow night, will be the last time...

Buffy kept trying to convince Spike but more importantly herself, that every time they had sex it would be the last time. But she would keep coming back to him or letting him in. She asked Tara but it was more asking herself, "Why can't I stop? Why do I keep letting him in?"

And I'm one step away from crashing to my knees.
One step away from spilling my guts to you.

 

[crazysoulless]

I did a stupid thing last night,
I called you.
I'm doing all right.
No, don't feel sorry for me,
Really, I'm all right.

^ That part also reminds me of Dead Things with Buffy crying and pleading with Tara, "I'm wrong! Please, tell me that I'm wrong! Please don't forgive me! Please don't!" She didn't want Tara's pity or understanding. She wanted to believe that it was okay to be depressed and having sex with Spike (doing a stupid thing every night) because she was "wrong". Tara feeling sorry for her and giving reasons for Buffy's behavior meant that it really was Buffy doing those things and feeling that way. She would rather be that way because she came back "wrong" (and thus kind of not her fault, you can't really hold her accountable for her actions if she was changed from the resurrection, she would be "all right" for that species) than to be that way because of her own personal issues.

 

[crazysoulless]

I really don't mean to post three times in a row. I'll wait until someone else posts something before posting again. It's too bad that we can't edit previous posts!

In Becoming #2 Angelus lunges a sword toward Buffy's head and she catches the blade between her palms. In Spiral a Knight lunges a sword at Buffy's head and Spike catches the blade between his palms.

In The Dark Age Buffy mocked Giles' DeSoto car. In A New Man Spike mocked Giles' DeSoto car.

In The Real Me Buffy refers to Giles' new red sporty convertible car as "trying to recapture his youth". In Tabula Rasa Spike says he's sure Giles has a "midlife crisis" car that is "red, shiny, shaped like a penis".

In Pangs Buffy and Spike were the only two shot with arrows.

In Some Assembly Required Buffy falls into an open grave. In Out Of My Mind Spike falls into an open grave.

In Afterlife Spike says "lots of times, many different ways, every night I save you." He ends up doing that for real most of S6. Mainly but not limited to having sex lots of times in many different positions.

They both had a red mark on their cheek in School Hard.

In late S6 Spike traveled to Africa to "seek out a legend". In S7's Get It Done Buffy traveled to Africa and learned the true mythology/legend behind the Slayer.

Spike once sat in his crypt watching Dawson's Creek and said "Come on Pacey, can't you see she doesn't love you?" In Chosen Buffy says to Angel, "Are you going to go all Dawson on me every time I have a boyfriend" and tells Spike (who was mirroring Pacey) that she loves him.

Buffy's boyfriend right before Angel was named Pike and he rode a motorcycle. Probably why she was so flirty in SH with Spike.

Spike's mom's name was Anne. Buffy's middle name is Anne. Angel's human name "Liam" is Irish for the English name "William".

In Out Of My Mind Spike says that Buffy is haunting him and that she has "fancy shampoo commercial hair". In S7 the FE haunts Spike in Buffy's guise even commenting on her "pert and bouncy hairdo".

In Halloween Buffy said, "Hi honey, I'm home". In End of Days Spike said "Honey, your home."

In Beauty & the Beasts Mr. Plack tells Buffy that if she can't get back to herself and stays lost in love it will become her Master and she'll be its Dog. In Lover's Walk Spike says he is "love's bitch" Bitch is another word for dog.

In Spike's dream in OOMM he says "I love you" and Buffy says "I want you". That sums up their relationship in S6.

In Helpless Buffy says "I like a guy that can remember the lyrics". Sounds like she's talking about Spike. He sang along to songs in LW & Crush and seems to know his music (and has a great singing voice).

In The I in Team Professor Walsh sent Riley out to capture/kill Spike so she could try to kill Buffy behind his back.

In Beneath You Buffy tells Spike she thought he might have been one of the spirits (in the basement in Lessons). In AtS S5 he spends a third of the season as a spirit/ghost.

In Surprise Buffy crashes Drusilla's rebirth party and her own birthday bash. In Older & Far Away Spike crashes Buffy's birthday party.

In Becoming #2 Buffy said "I hate you" to Spike and at the end of the ep left Sunnydale on a bus. Five years later in Chosen she says "I love you" to Spike and left Sunnydale at the end of the ep on a bus.

In Harsh Light of Day Buffy steals a magickal jewelry (Gem of Amara) from Spike. In Chosen she gives him a magickal amulet. He fibbed in HLOD that if she took it off of him they would both burn and she did it anyways. In Chosen she wanted to stay with him even if it meant burning.

In The Initiative Spike says "got to go see a girl", heads to Buffy's dorm room but sees Willow there instead of Buffy. The same thing happens to Riley who was the "love interest" prior to Spike.

 

[dan k]

Amazing how many connections there are. I especially like the "Honey i'am home" reference. Top work Crazysouless :smile3:

 

[Tranquillity]

In late S6 Spike traveled to Africa to "seek out a legend". In S7's Get It Done Buffy traveled to Africa and learned the true mythology/legend behind the Slayer.

I really like that one - very cool 🙂

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Wow, what a great list, crazysoulless! I had never even thought of most of those...

In case I haven't said it enough times already; god, I love this show and I love this 'ship.

Here's one I just thought of:

When Buffy sacrifices herself in "The Gift", she jumps into a ball of light. in "Chosen", Spike dies engulfed in a stream of light.

In Spike's dream in OOMM he says "I love you" and Buffy says "I want you". That sums up their relationship in S6.

In Becoming #2 Buffy said "I hate you" to Spike and at the end of the ep left Sunnydale on a bus. Five years later in Chosen she says "I love you" to Spike and left Sunnydale at the end of the ep on a bus.

I especially like these ones.

 

[Kelsey]

This is interesting! I'll have to think more and get back to it. Something sticking out to me that I haven't seen mentioned is this lyric:

You see, there's this huge chunk of me missing.
It's gone.
And I can' feel it, I can't feel it,
I can't feel.

Well, that's exactly Buffy S6, isn't it? And this line:

And maybe tomorrow night, will be the last time....

It sounds more hopeless than hopeful, which also characterizes Buffy's relationship with Spike in S6. She wanted to stop every single time, but she couldn't. There would be another time after tomorrow night, no matter what she did.

 

[Tranquillity]

Do you think that the song choice in School Hard was just a lucky coincidence, chosen because of existing ideas for the characters or utilised in hindsight? I'm going with lucky coincidence but who knows...it sure worked well though.

 

[crazysoulless]

I like that they fell into open graves seperately and then fell in one together.

I think that the writers often find a song that fits what the current story arc is about but after some time it turns out it has a lot more meaning. It's the way that everything about Spike became more meaningful each season. He started off as a baddie that was supposed to be offed after an episode or three but became one of the top five most important characters in the verse.

I never thought of that ball or stream of light connection. It reminds me of the Michelle Branch "Goodbye to You" song with the line "to a place where I am blinded by the light".

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Do you think that the song choice in School Hard was just a lucky coincidence, chosen because of existing ideas for the characters or utilised in hindsight? I'm going with lucky coincidence but who knows...it sure worked well though.

Also, I remember reading somewhere that joss would plan his plots years in advance. Like, for instance, Sarah knew in Season 2 that she was going to jump at the end of Season 5. Perhaps Joss had planned all along for Spike and Buffy to get together.

It was probably just a coincidence, though.

---------- Post added at 08:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:41 PM ----------

I never thought of that ball or stream of light connection. It reminds me of the Michelle Branch "Goodbye to You" song with the line "to a place where I am blinded by the light".

Yeah, totally. I always thought that song was so perfect in context for their first not-under-an-influence kiss.

The lyrics just scream Spuffy;

I still get lost in your eyes
And it seems that I can't live a day without you
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away
To a place where I am blinded by the light
But it's not right

This reminds me so much of how Buffy used Spike like a drug, and as an 'escape' from her adult responsibilities. When she was with him, the outside would didn't exist. She couldn't get enough of him, but of course, she thought it wasn't right because he didn't have a soul - it was "wrong" - and her guilt overpowered her lust for him in the end.

And it hurts to want everything and nothing at the same time
I want what's yours and I want what's mine
I want you
But I'm not giving in this time

Buffy wanted everything of Spike, yet nothing at the same time. She wanted him in whatever way she pleased whenever she wanted, but not in public. And wasn't allowed to say he loved her. He wanted all of her, but nothing of her in a way; he said if he couldn't have all of her he wanted none of her.

This song also reminds me of how, for Buffy, it was always the "last time." But as Spike said in 'As You Were', she knew what he was, yet she came to him all the same. When you're addicted to something, you always say that that one time is going to be "last time" - yet it never is. Spike was Buffy's drug.

Also, speaking of light, it's interesting that there was this whole emphasis in Season 6 of Spike dragging Buffy into the "darkness" with him ("You belong in the shadows with me", "You're a creature of the darkness, like me"), and yet in the end, Spike was the one who allowed her to find her light again. He made her feel, and helped her live and love again. in 'Touched" he gave her the strength to keep fighting her war, or the dark forces ("She alone will stand against the forces of darkness...)

I always think of Spuffy as having both light and dark aspects. What is so extraordinary about their relationship is how they were able to make something so ugly (using each other for sex, abuse) into something so beautiful in the end (real, true, authentic love). There's lots of imagery to back up this theory, too; Buffy jumps into the portal of light energy and Spike retreats into his darkness in grief, when Buffy breaks up with Spike in "As You Were", she walks out of his dark crypt into the light, when they sleep together for the first time in "Smashed" its dark and when she wakes up its light out, and in "Chosen" down in the Hellmouth its dark but there is light coming from him - a light that saves them all. Spike is the source of Buffy's inner light.

 

[crazysoulless]

I am really glad that Joss argued to keep the scene in OMWF of Buffy's hand near the fire almost looking like it is engulfed in flames. On the commentary he says that someone else wanted a different take of that scene but he wanted it with her hand. It ties in so beautifully with Chosen especially considering what Buffy was singing.

I agree that Spuffy did have light and dark and Spike really did try to pull her into the darkness while also being what brought her back into the light.

I liked that in Restless (Xander's dream) and Tabula Rasa Spike is "like a son" to Giles since Buffy is the one that has always been like a daughter to Giles for most fans.

In Restless (in Giles' dream) Giles says "I still think Buffy should have killed you" to Spike even though everyone but Buffy thought that she shouldn't kill him. But in S7 it is Buffy that is defending Spike saying what a great ally he is and all of that while the rest of them are uneasy and Giles plots to kill him.