Spike's true intentions?

badangel

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What impresses me most about this show is its use of subtext (meaning implying things and feelings rather than bluntly stating them )

Do you think Spike's primary motive for going to Buffy "to put her ex in the ground" was to develop a rapport with BUffy rather than just for Dru?

In season 7 he says "whats a man got to do to be hers" refferring to his motive for getting his soul back-but in actuality in season 6's ending it was so he could get the chip out. in other words, it is implied that spike lied.

any other subtexts in buffy anyone can bring up? there are plenty-xanders jealousy, buffy's feelings for spike in 6 (the lighter) and how she is afraid to admit it even to herself. i love to watch implied feelings rather than bluntly stated ones (show me dont just tell me)

impressive writing on the show-again any other subtexts and particularly why did spike go to buffy really at the end of season 2?
 
I highly doubt he was consciously trying to develop a rapport with Buffy; his motives were pretty much what he told her they were (primarily Drusilla, secondarily preserving his Happy Meals with Legs world). However, we know from Fool for Love and Joss's interviews that the falling-in-love process was in play even then, so subconsciously, he could very well have been craving some more of her company. 😉
 
white avenger
white avenger
Plus, Joss also said that the soul was what Spike went for all along. The getting rid of the chip thing was just a distraction.
What impresses me most about this show is its use of subtext (meaning implying things and feelings rather than bluntly stating them )

Do you think Spike's primary motive for going to Buffy "to put her ex in the ground" was to develop a rapport with BUffy rather than just for Dru?

In season 7 he says "whats a man got to do to be hers" refferring to his motive for getting his soul back-but in actuality in season 6's ending it was so he could get the chip out. in other words, it is implied that spike lied.

any other subtexts in buffy anyone can bring up? there are plenty-xanders jealousy, buffy's feelings for spike in 6 (the lighter) and how she is afraid to admit it even to herself. i love to watch implied feelings rather than bluntly stated ones (show me dont just tell me)

impressive writing on the show-again any other subtexts and particularly why did spike go to buffy really at the end of season 2?

At this point, I don't think Spike was aware of his feelings for Buffy. JM said that he played Spike as falling in love with Buffy the first time he saw her in th Bronze in "School Hard", but he doesn't realize it until "Out Of My Mind". So his motives would have been truly for Dru (and of course, his revenge on Angelus). He knew Buffy was strong, a good fighter and ally, and trustworthy, and she also wanted Angelus dead - so why not? Spike goes with his gut. He doesn't think about things. I think in "Crush", yes, that was his primary modivation (rapport). He knew that vamp nest had been there a while and had nothing to do with the train murders 🙂

Actually, Joss said that Spike's intention was to get his soul when he left for Africa ("Give her what she deserves"). The "getting his chip out and kill her thing" was just to confuse the fans 🙂 In "Beneath Me", after he's returned with his soul, we can see this:

Spike: I wanted to give you what you deserve. And I got it. They put the spark in me and now, all it does is burn.
Buffy: Your soul.


So, yeah. We're sopposed to think Spike lied - so we'd be surprised 🙂

The show is a plethera of sub-text. One of the things that makes it so great. In general regarding Spuffy, there is an underlying theme of her not recognizing her feelings for Spike (In my opinion). There is so much sexual tension all through season 5 between them.
 
At this point, I don't think Spike was aware of his feelings for Buffy. JM said that he played Spike as falling in love with Buffy the first time he saw her in th Bronze in "School Hard", but he doesn't realize it until "Out Of My Mind". So his motives would have been truly for Dru (and of course, his revenge on Angelus). He knew Buffy was strong, a good fighter and ally, and trustworthy, and she also wanted Angelus dead - so why not? Spike goes with his gut. He doesn't think about things. I think in "Crush", yes, that was his primary modivation (rapport). He knew that vamp nest had been there a while and had nothing to do with the train murders 🙂

Actually, Joss said that Spike's intention was to get his soul when he left for Africa ("Give her what she deserves"). The "getting his chip out and kill her thing" was just to confuse the fans 🙂 In "Beneath Me", after he's returned with his soul, we can see this:

Spike: I wanted to give you what you deserve. And I got it. They put the spark in me and now, all it does is burn.
Buffy: Your soul.


So, yeah. We're sopposed to think Spike lied - so we'd be surprised 🙂

The show is a plethera of sub-text. One of the things that makes it so great. In general regarding Spuffy, there is an underlying theme of her not recognizing her feelings for Spike (In my opinion). There is so much sexual tension all through season 5 between them.

lol in "crush" i thought it was effing HILARIOUS when Buffy says "is this a date?" its subtle humor, but all the more funny cause its subtle-sometimes the funniest things on the show are subtle

i do think spike wanted dru and angelus dead, but i think he could have done in angelus while he was sleeping, having the benefit of him thinking he was stuck in a wheelchair.

i think there are two ways of looking at fiction- a)as if it actually occurred completely disregarding the author's intentions and b) looking and analyzing what the author intended

if we go with the former, i do believe that spike's primary motive was developing rapport with buffy-(remember, in season 5 i believe theres a flashback where dru says she knew he wanted the slayer she felt it or something)

i think he wanted her - why else couldnt he have dusted angel sleeping?

what a show
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i do think spike didnt go to africa knowing he would get his soul back-look at his surprise when he's told at the end of season 6...
 
i do think spike didnt go to africa knowing he would get his soul back-look at his surprise when he's told at the end of season 6...

Heh, I realllllllly don't think that's surprise. More like unimaginable pain and agony. 😉 And Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, David Fury, James Marsters, Spike and The First all said Spike's intention was to get his soul back, so I don't really see it as debatable...
 
I think Spike's true motives at the end of season 2 were as he stated them to be: save Dru, save the world, and maybe put Angelus in the ground just for kicks. Did he kinda like Buffy? Yeah. Sure. There's a connection there, even if it is mostly a worthy adversary sort of respect. Spike likes a good fight and Buffy gives him one. Plus, she's kinda hot. He gets off on that sort of thing. That doesn't mean that he'd rank hanging out with Buffy above saving Dru, though. At the end, as he's carrying Dru out, he does *pause* and say "God, he's gonna kill her." There's a little bit of regret there. He seems to care. But then he shrugs and gets the heck out of Dodge.

So while I do think that Spike and Buffy have some serious chemistry from day 1 and maybe even something of a grudging respect for one another, I don't think Spike's conscious motives at the end of season 2 had anything to do with that. Spuffy was just an inkling. It wasn't enough to make either of them go out of their respective ways to help or even care about the other. If Spike hadn't made the alliance, he and Dru would have been fighting Buffy, too -- and I wouldn't hold my breath for season 2's Spike not to relish the chance to put another slayer notch on his belt, especially if it meant he got to rub Angelus' face in it. He'd remember Buffy fondly as a fun challenge, maybe even keep a souvenir like he did when he killed Nikki Wood, but he wouldn't go out of his way just for the privilege of being near her.
 
Personally I think he was jelous of Angelus, I mean, Vampires LIKE hell, Drusilla wasn't IN any danger. Buffy was going to die, the world was going to end, etc. and hey, he might get hungry
 
What impresses me most about this show is its use of subtext (meaning implying things and feelings rather than bluntly stating them )

I'm so glad you came along and elucidated us on the meaning of subtext. I think I can speak for us all when I say I certainly had no idea what a subtext was, let alone what magical plot enrichment it provided for fans, for people to fill in the blanks, make the text their own, to provide ambiguity for us to debate intentions, season arcs and meta texts. Are there any other pearls of wisdom you would like to provide us with ? 😉
 
Skanky Vamp
Skanky Vamp
i'm sorry.. i gotta
B
Blondie Bear
Okay, at this point, you are abusing sarcasm.
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Joan the Vampire Slayer
Hey there... lol
I'm so glad you came along and elucidated us on the meaning of subtext. I think I can speak for us all when I say I certainly had no idea what a subtext was, let alone what magical plot enrichment it provided for fans, for people to fill in the blanks, make the text their own, to provide ambiguity for us to debate intentions, season arcs and meta texts. Are there any other pearls of wisdom you would like to provide us with ? 😉

thanks-i watch the show a lot and will bring them up-there are plently and trying to discern ulterior rather than blatant motive makes for excellent discussion. ill be back with more in the not so distant future.
 
Skanky Vamp
Skanky Vamp
and there is alot of FORESHADOWING too.. you combine the subtext with foreshadowing and oooh.. just too much excitement.
Poor Spike... Doesn't everyone agree with me when I say that Spike has some serious physicological problems???

He can be really sweet... but only to get his way...

In my opinion through out Buff and Angel his soul purpose (lol refernce to the episode LOL!!) was to annoy Angel... AND HE SUCCEDED!!! WAHOO!!
 
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