Spike and Buffy in Season Two:
I will never forget the first time I saw School Hard; It was the day I decided I loved this show. I was intreagued by Spike's arrival, it seemed to signal big things - what with the car crashing into the Sunnydale sign and the pan from boot to head-shot. And of course, there's Buffy and Xander and Willow with their 'saying nothing bad is going to happen makes bad things happen' repartee too. Then we meet Spike properly - See him talk himself up in front of Colin 'the annointed one' and gang - He was at woodstock! He doesn't believe vampire crap about being at the crusifixion! - I liked this guy even though he was standard vampire-grade unattractive... until he shook off the vamp brow and did that head turning thing with Drusilla. Wow. I mean Wow. And it only got better. He stalked Buffy as she danced in such a delightfully predatory fashion and have you ever listened to the words of the song that plays as he does?
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...
Stupid Thing by Nickle
I mean, how cool is that?
And they talk. Right form the get go, even in the midst of a fight - Buffy and Spike talk. You can't shut the pair of them up. Finally this quipping and punning Slayer has found one that talks back. I mean - he's just so fun and so much more interesting that a 20 second dusting (or, can I add, a souled vampire who skulks about without saying
anything).
So yeah - I think that School Hard is landmark. It is the beginning of everything. Other important Spike and Buffy eps from season two... What's My Line part 2 - purely for the "
I'd rather be fighting you anyway" line and of course, as other have mentioned - Becoming part 2 is superb. I remember when I first saw it I was completely surprised by the twist of Spike going to Buffy with his "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" plan. But I loved it - it seemed such a Spike thing to do. It shows that Spike was a different from your average vampire way before he ever fell in love with Buffy. I loved how S & B seem to have a natural compatability - they are in sync when fighting, he (almost) faultlessly catches on to the cover story she concocts for Joyce. Shame he leaves her not careing that it looks like Angelus is going to kill her - but hey, he might be different but he's still an evil vampire....
My favourite Buffy and Spike moment from season two would have to be from Becoming (part 2) when they walk back to Buffy's house sizing each other up. It's priceless. I also love it when Spike stands up from his wheelchair at the end of I only have Eyes for You. Very cool.
I remember reading somewhere an interview with Joss that said that Spike and Dru had been 'running around' in his head for about ten years - almost as long as Buffy herself - it must have been so cool for him to see them come to fruition and, for find that Spike had so much more potential that just the red-herring villian.
