Spike's Back. Big Deal

[Black Eye Guy]

I haven't read the issue, but it sounds like it fits in perfectly with how things ended on the show.

IMO: (apply it where you'd like over the following, I don't want to keep writing it)

At the end of Chosen, Spike realized he wasn't dying for Buffy he was dying to save the world, which is why Buffy tries to give him what she thinks he wants, the 'I love you' and he, having now realized he can actually be good for himself, not just to win points with Buffy, so he says 'no you don't '

As for being thanked for saving the world, why would they say thank you. I mean if you get a thank you for saving the world why when Buffy came back from the dead in Season six did they not slip in a "thanks for jumping to your death Buff", and I doubt Xander got a thanks for talking willow down after season 6, and if you got thank yous the last scene of every season would be the gang sitting around thanking each other for all the work they've done.

I don't see why Spike should be singled out for a thanks, it's not like Spikes been robbed of something everyone else got, not to mention people actually died that day, Spike got a another chance.

 

[VisionGirl]

The local Barnes and Nobel gets in about 3 copies of each issue, and they're gone almost immediately. Beyond that, there's nowhere else within 20 miles of here that sells comic books. It's either get them over the internet plan monthly pilgrimages to Stone Mountain.

Wow, I'm impressed your B&N has any issues, I'm pretty sure mine only has the trade paperbacks. Can you ask them to hold you one the day it's released?

I'm not disappointed (ok maybe I am 🙁 but pushing it waaay down and moving on) because this is totally a Joss thing to do. You know the word, we've all been JOSSED!!

LOL, we've been Jossed, oh my, yes we have!

 

[white avenger]

I haven't read the issue, but it sounds like it fits in perfectly with how things ended on the show.

IMO: (apply it where you'd like over the following, I don't want to keep writing it)

At the end of Chosen, Spike realized he wasn't dying for Buffy he was dying to save the world, which is why Buffy tries to give him what she thinks he wants, the 'I love you' and he, having now realized he can actually be good for himself, not just to win points with Buffy, so he says 'no you don't '

As for being thanked for saving the world, why would they say thank you. I mean if you get a thank you for saving the world why when Buffy came back from the dead in Season six did they not slip in a "thanks for jumping to your death Buff", and I doubt Xander got a thanks for talking willow down after season 6, and if you got thank yous the last scene of every season would be the gang sitting around thanking each other for all the work they've done.

I don't see why Spike should be singled out for a thanks, it's not like Spikes been robbed of something everyone else got, not to mention people actually died that day, Spike got a another chance.

Opinions vary...

Carpe Spuffy

 

[Francy79]

I feel totally robbed... it's something that, whatever they do in the future with Spike and Buffy, we will never get back.

We (Spuffy fans... but I guess also non-shippers, to some extent) have been waiting for this for 7 years! Hearing the writers say they didn't have time for a better reunion scene just makes me mad... you had 7 years to plan this out, make time, for God's sake! Who's in control of this stuff, if not them?

Glossing over the issue like this is not due to them not having time, but because it was too complicated, and they didn't want (or know how) to bother with it, also given the season 8 storyline.

So, they took the easy way out, and ignored the problem. The "reunion" they gave Spike/Buffy was the worst possible... it came across as disrespectful to their relationship in season 7, like Buffy didn't a fig about the guy. Everything about them after Chosen must be fanwanked, because we haven't been shown... did she mean it? Has she mourned him? What was her reaction when she found out he was alive, and didn't contact her? Why didn't she contact him, except for the lame excuse of not having time? There's only so much that can be fanwanked.

And really, even if it were true that they didn't have time for a proper reunion, there were still ways to make it work. As someone said, Buffy greeting Spike with a punch on the nose for not bothering to tell her he was back would have been in character for them, and would have shown that Buffy did care enough to be angry with him. Instead, she just came across as indifferent, as if he had just come back from the supermarket after going out to buy the cigarettes. 🙄

Maybe they didn't realize how much this would upset a part of their fandom, or maybe they did, and didn't care (it's not like they particularly care about what the fans think..afterall, it's their story to tell).

I will never stop being bitter about this! 🙁

 

[Spikefan31]

Francy79 has said everything perfectly 😀

 

[Litheran]

Hi, first time posting here; been lurking for a while for news about Spike's return but felt compelled to register when I saw this discussion. I think it all boils down to the Lucas effect. Joss has spent quite a few years with his attention stretched between Buffy and whatever other project he's had going on.

Like what happened with the new Star Wars trilogy you had this guy who had created this beloved story and then tried to come back to it when maybe his outlook had changed too much for it to be the same story. I look at it this way; if for whatever reason season 8 had made it on the air or if Angel had lasted a season or two more, I don't believe this is the direction Joss would have gone.

The thing about this isn't that we Spuffy fans were crushed by Buffy and Spike's reunion; were use to having our hopes and dreams smashed to pieces by the ministrations of all mighty Whedon and his pen of sorrow. We were given the Slayerverse equivalent of "It's not you it's my damn inability to plan".

"What I imagine when they try to explain the letdown."

Scott Allie: We would have loved to give you Spuffy fans that tearful reunion you've been hoping for since 2003. But really the time constraints just don't allow for that at the moment.

Every Spuffy Fan Ever: So, why not at least give us some indication that they'll be able to touch base with each other later on in season nine even?

Scott Allie: Well storywise there's really no way for us to foreshadow something down the road like that without giving it several pages.

ESFE: *All look poignantly at Scott with a duh look on their faces.*

Scott Allie: Which we really didn't have time for.

ESFE: Well, I guess it's too bad Angel and Bel...I mean Buffy took so long coming down from their Space Shag. Would have been nice if we'd had something even semisweet, for instance.

Spike nervously steps off the ship and right in front of Buffy, he uncharacteristically bows his head and averts his eyes.

SPIKE:
It's good to see you Buffy; I meant to call luv, but...
Buffy:
No you didn't...but thanks for saying it.

Scott Allie: I hadn't though of that.

ESFE: We know Scott; we know.

 

[Chosen Enemy]

I'm tired of those excuses. Clearly SA isn't a spuffy fan (or so I read). I do think they could have done that MUCH MUCH better. How could it be that they didn't have enough pages for even one panel, one sentece? 😡
For their sake, I hope they will put in more Spuffy in season 9, or at least enough Spuffy. I hope it wouldn't be: "Hey, Spike, bye Spike", and then Spike leaves for good (or dies in worst case scenario). They might find an excuse for that too!

 

[Litheran]

To tell you the truth; the real reunion wouldn't be allowed on the racks at a comic book store. You'd have to show I.D. to get into a back room where there's an armed guard making sure no one starts playing with themselves in some kind of barely containable geek-gasm.

I'm currently writing a Spuffy story and am getting ready to put out the latest chapter dealing with the reunion of the golden duo after the collapse of Sunnydale. I think my Inner-Joss is satisfied with my evil little machinations and the way I torture them.

Am I the only guy here to ever serenade a woman by singing the entirety of Rest in Peace.....in a video store with at least three customers picking out movies?

😀

 

[VisionGirl]

Am I the only guy here to ever serenade a woman by singing the entirety of Rest in Peace.....in a video store with at least three customers picking out movies?

Never seen somebody do that, but I would've paid good money for it! 🙂

 

[white avenger]

"What I imagine when they try to explain the letdown."

Scott Allie: We would have loved to give you Spuffy fans that tearful reunion you've been hoping for since 2003. But really the time constraints just don't allow for that at the moment.


Scott Allie: Which we really didn't have time for.

All of this is a total crock. One of, if not THE most romantic, sensual scenes in the entire series (to me, at least) was the night before the final battle when Buffy goes down to the basement. Spike stands, their eyes meet, they move closer toward each other... (Fade to black) They could have done something very similar in Season 8, and it wouldn't have taken more than a couple of frames.

(First Frame)

Spike: Hello, pet. Thought you might be needin' a little extra muscle.

Buffy: S..Sp...Spike? You're...

Spike: You know us bad pennies. Always keep turnin' up when you least expect it.


(Second Frame)

Buffy: We...I thought that you were...dead.

Spike: Was. But I got over it. Story for another time, though. Right now...

Buffy: Yeah. All the hoards of hell. Again. But when this is over...

Spike: You'll get the full story, Slayer. My word on it.

Buffy: And I'm gonna hold you to that, mister. And don't you even THINK about getting killed again. This time, we do it right. We sacrifice Riley and Dawn at the first indication of trouble.


(To be continued next issue)


Then carry on from there exactly the way that the next issue is written. (Buffy drying her hair, Spike lounging comfortably on the bed.) We could go for months just debating on what happened in the interim

So I just don't buy the "We really wanted to give the Spuffy shippers more, but there just wasn't time" story. They had the space. They had the time. They CERTAINLY had the combined talent to create a scene that would have worked there. What they didn't have was the inclination to do it, for whatever reason.

 

[racheltng]

Big time Bangel shipper here, and I, too, feel robbed. You don't have to be a Spuffy to want to see a full Buffy/Spike reunion scene. It was a major relationship in the show. It deserves some closure.

 

[Tranquillity]

I was initially quite disappointed in the reunion - we waited how many years, for that???

But...

Then I realised that Joss was actally very clever. He managed to subvert a million and one fan-fics that all tell their version of events and make it original and different - I've read a lot of reunion fics but none that have Buffy snarkily dismiss his sacrifice in Chosen and 'crazy studly'. Plus (and this is the part I like best) you know there is more to the story - these two have stuff to sort and there is much more to be said yet. It's really no surprise that we weren't given a banquet in one sitting - this was just the appetiser 😉

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Yes. Agreed, Tranquility.

I was initially disappointed at first read, but the reaction to the reunion from the fanbase has been surprisingly positive, and caused me to look at it a lot differently.

Joss has not sunk the great ship Spuffy. Not even close. I promise. Even Scott Allie admitted it was am important relationship. There is more to come, and I await it with bated breath.

 

[kadrikaur]

Well, at least we got some Spuffy action. Although it was only in a dream. But I'll take what I can.

 

[Icarium]

Then I realised that Joss was actally very clever. He managed to subvert a million and one fan-fics that all tell their version of events and make it original and different - I've read a lot of reunion fics but none that have Buffy snarkily dismiss his sacrifice in Chosen and 'crazy studly'.

Doing something differently just for the sake of it being different isn't what I would call clever. I mean, if Buffy was to take an axe and cut Spike's head off, I am sure this would have subverted the expectations of everyone. Doesn't mean it would have made much sense, though.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Doing something differently just for the sake of it being different isn't what I would call clever. I mean, if Buffy was to take an axe and cut Spike's head off, I am sure this would have subverted the expectations of everyone. Doesn't mean it would have made much sense, though.

Well, we'll take what we can get, otherwise the depression overwhelms us, lol.

 

[Litheran]

This might cost me some man points but to quote the notebook.


"It wasn't over. It still isn't over."

(Cue make-out session in the rain...or on a bug ship; whatever.)

 

[sosa lola]

Since Spike is getting his own mini-series in S9, it's all right in my book.

I love that Buffy knew, though I'd love an issue or an arc that shows us what happened between S7 and S8: I'd love to see how Buffy knew Spike was back, how she decided to rob a bank and the real story behind Xander ending in Dracula's castle.

 

[white avenger]

This might cost me some man points but to quote the notebook.


"It wasn't over. It still isn't over."

How about:

"Of all of the apocalypses in all the world, he has to walk into MINE."

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vThuwa5RZU[/ame]

 

[SailorSarah]

I was also quite disappointed by the Spuffy interactions, aside from the stuff in Buffy's head of course. I hope this is just the beginning like some of you have said. I will continue to harbor hope. I know Joss likes to be complicated.