Spike 's scene in Buffy vs Dracula

[spikenbuffy]

Cut to Riley opening a crypt door and walking in. Candles are lit everywhere. He walks in, looking around.

SPIKE: Well, well. (Spike emerges from the shadows holding a crossbow.) ) You can take the boy out of the Initiative, but you can't take the Initiative out of the boy.
RILEY: I'd put that down, unless you're bucking for one hell of a headache.
(Spike hesitates, puts the bow down. ) SPIKE: I can't be too careful. I got quite a few demons after me these days.
RILEY: I'm looking for some information. Might pay a little.
SPIKE: (shrugs) I'll play. (Goes over to a couple of chairs)
RILEY: What can you tell me about Dracula?
SPIKE: Dracula? (scoffs) Poncy bugger owes me eleven pounds, for one thing. (Puts a cigarette in his mouth)
RILEY: You know him?
SPIKE: Know him? We're old rivals. (Lights cigarette) But then he got famous, forgot all about his foes. (Points at Riley) I'll tell you what. That glory hound's done more harm to vampires than any slayer. His story gets out, and suddenly everybody knows how to kill us. (Sits down) You know, the mirror bit?
RILEY: But he's not just a regular vampire. I mean, he has special powers, right?
SPIKE: Nothing but showy gypsy stuff. What's it to you, anyway?
RILEY: He's in town. Making his presence known.
SPIKE: (smiling) Drac's in Sunnydale-way? (Puts feet up on a cassock) I guess the old boy needed closure after all.
RILEY: Actually, he's gunning for Buffy. But I'm out to find him before he gets another shot at her. (Sits)
SPIKE: Tough talk, cowboy. But you're not gonna catch him napping in a crypt. No, the count has to have his luxury estate and his bug-eaters and his special dirt, don't he?
RILEY: So you're saying I should check out mansions, that sort of thing?
SPIKE: No. (stands) I'm saying ... you should go home to your superhoney. Have a nice, safe snog. You're out of your depth on this one, boy. (Turns his back on Riley)
RILEY: You've helped Buffy before, so she has a problem with killing you now that you're helpless. (Spike still turned away)
RILEY: I don't.
(Spike turns to face him, walks up to him. )
SPIKE: I'd like to see you try. Riley stands, gets in Spike's face.
RILEY: Would you? They stare each other down. Finally Spike looks away.
SPIKE: Pfft. Riley walks to the door.

SPIKE: (calls out as Riley is at the door) You're never gonna find him. (Riley leaves.)
(to himself) Not before he gets to her.

What are your thoughts about it? About the way he's saying it?

 

[Priceless]

About the whole scene?

I think Spike is flattered that Riley has come to him for information. He likes to think he's important in other people's eyes. That's why he runs his mouth off about Dracula, because he's showing off. I don't for one minute think Spike and Dracula are 'old rivals', or that he's looking 'for closure', though they've probably crossed paths at one time or another, I don't think Dracula would remember his name, though I could be being harsh here, I'd like to know what others think?

I do think Spike is spot on when he says Riley is out of his depth. Riley thinks he can protect Buffy from Dracula and Spike knows this is just silliness. I think the ending is Spike being completely honest, that Riley is not going to find Dracula before Drac finds Buffy. Dracula is too good for Riley and his Initiative tactics to work on him.

It's a great scene. Riley must be desperate if he's going to Spike for help, framing it as helping Buffy because he knows that'll work on Spike is quite crafty.

 

[emspace]

About the whole scene?

I think Spike is flattered that Riley has come to him for information. He likes to think he's important in other people's eyes. That's why he runs his mouth off about Dracula, because he's showing off. I don't for one minute think Spike and Dracula are 'old rivals', or that he's looking 'for closure', though they've probably crossed paths at one time or another, I don't think Dracula would remember his name, though I could be being harsh here, I'd like to know what others think?

I do think Spike is spot on when he says Riley is out of his depth. Riley thinks he can protect Buffy from Dracula and Spike knows this is just silliness. I think the ending is Spike being completely honest, that Riley is not going to find Dracula before Drac finds Buffy. Dracula is too good for Riley and his Initiative tactics to work on him.

It's a great scene. Riley must be desperate if he's going to Spike for help, framing it as helping Buffy because he knows that'll work on Spike is quite crafty.

I agree. Spike is often boasting and puffing himself up. He makes long speeches to establish his importance and cache.

 

[spikenbuffy]

About the whole scene?

I was thinking more about this moment :

SPIKE: (calls out as Riley is at the door) You're never gonna find him. (Riley leaves.)
(to himself) Not before he gets to her.

There's some pretty interesting analysis about it on this link The Slayer Network Offline Ressources

In this moment, Spike seems concerned about Dracula wanting to get to Buffy. I've always found Spike kind of ambiguous in this moment, the way he talked softly.

 

[Priceless]

I've just watched the scene again, and I feel quite sorry for Spike when Riley's threatening him, because he can't fight back. But I agree with you, it's really hard to tell his feelings with 'before he gets to her'. i like to think he cares about Buffy and is worried about her, but I'm not entirely sure he does.

This is what the shooting script says about parts of the scene

RILEY
What can you tell me about Dracula?

Spike reacts to the name, fully contemptuous and more than a bit jealous. He lights a cigarette, sighs.
.
.
.
SPIKE
(steps up)
I'd like to see you try.

RILEY
(steps up, is much taller)
Would you?

A beat and Spike backs off. Riley exits silently, Spike staring daggers.

SPIKE
(calls after)
You're never gonna find him!
(softer)
Not before he gets to her…


It doesn't tell us much, but Spike could be quietly gloating that Riley won't be able to help or save Buffy, as he's angry at Riley for threatening him?

 

[TriBel]

There's some pretty interesting analysis about it on this link The Slayer Network Offline Ressources

In this moment, Spike seems concerned about Dracula wanting to get to Buffy. I've always found Spike kind of ambiguous in this moment, the way he talked softly.

IIRC, there is a tone of resignation - he accepts the inevitability of Drac "getting to her first" but I'm not sure what he means by "getting" (fighting and f*****g) being very much one and the same for Spike at this stage). As with much of what Spike says/does - it's heavily over-coded. Yeah...there's dislike for Riley but also envy (as there is for/of Dracula). There's the Spike who would WANT Drac to best Buffy (irrespective of whether he likes Drac or not, they're on the same team. It's a bit like hating Kane when he plays for Spurs but wanting him to score when he plays for England). What we're seeing here is a Spike who's unconsciously two-faced (Janus faced - looking to the past when he "was someone" - stuck in the present where he isn't - with hopes for the future when he will be someone again (either Buffy's enemy or her lover). On reflection it kinda feeds in to what he says in SR about being no-one; and what he says to Lloyd "make me what I was". In terms of sentiments expressed, feelings revealed, it's both/and - not either/or.

I've copied the analysis below:

Not sure how this was delivered. Is it hinting that Spike hopes Drac gets to Buffy first ... or that he fears it? [pljoy]

He says it softly, without malice, and there seems to be worry and dread in his voice and mannerisms. It's not 100% worry; there's some ambivalence there, but he's not liking the situation. There are hints in the delivery of this line that he actually *cares*. [davendeanna]

I didn't get a sense that Spike exactly seemed concerned that Dracula would get to Buffy. He just accepted it as something that was inevitable -- really, his resignation is similar to Angel's in "Prophesy Girl" when he finds out that Buffy is slated to die at the hands of the Master because of Prophesy. [alanesue]

If Spike were the Spike of old, he ought to be saying this with relish -- hoping that Buffy would be demolished by Dracula -- but instead I perceive a somber, rueful tone in his voice. At the same time, there is a tension in the jaw and neck muscles that makes me think Spike is really bothered by the idea of Dracula getting to Buffy. [clairel]

Almost seems to root for Drac at the end. But then, given Riley's actions toward him, who wouldn't root for the count? [pjloy]

 

[M]

I personally think the way Marsters delivers that line shows the beginning of Spike's concern for Buffy. It's delivered softly, as another person said, ruefully, as though he hates that Dracula's power over Buffy is going to be inevitable. Then, there is a little pinch between Spike's eyes, as though he's questioning why this is even worrying him.

At this stage, I think Spike is falling for Buffy more and more, but it's eating away at him slowly, to the point he doesn't quite understand it yet, and he is quite possibly fighting the impulses, ignoring the warning signs, and getting confused when any of this happens. Spike starts off pretending he doesn't care, quietly gets concerned for Buffy, gets confused about why that feeling crept up on him, and likely, in an off camera moment, probably tried to brush away all thoughts of the conversation. I'll bet, though, that while watching television or drinking blood, his thoughts wandered a few times.

Remember, too, that by this point, Marsters had already been told what was in store for Spike and Buffy. As this was the first episode of the season, he would have already been tasked with starting to build the tension that would culminate, in this season, with Spike realizing his love for her, which was only a few episodes down the road. So, they had a lot of building/catching up to do to make that story happen. No easy task!

It would have been nice to have touched base with Spike again at the end of this episode, just to see how hearing of Buffy's success and/or complications would have affected him. Then again, if we had lingered too long on Spike, we might have gotten more than a hint that his affections for Buffy were growing, and the big reveal wouldn't have been so funny or surprising. As we have it now, I think there is enough played here for some first-time viewers to stand up and pay attention to the little beat given, without really giving anything away. It's the kind of stuff that when the affections of a character are finally revealed, we can say, "I knew it! That's what he meant by that line!"