What If Nikki Wood HAD Begged For Her Life?

[thetopher]

So I picked up something in another thread and thought that this would be interesting:

In 'School Hard' Spike told Buffy that the last slayer he killed begged for her life but, as we find out in 'FfL' that isn't true.
Bearing in mind the 'unreliable narrator' factor what if this had been true? What if we, the viewer had seen Nikki begging for her life in that subway car only then to have her neck snapped?

How would it have changed your view of Spike, if at all? How would it have changed your view of that episode, Nikki the slayer, Robin Wood and everything that happened in that later plot?

Discuss.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

And, as we find out in Damages, Nikki via Dana did indeed beg "Please don't. I have to get home to my son; to my Robin." This again, reinforces the unreliable narrator.

 

[Silverspike]

Wouldn't have changed it a bit. Spike was unsouled back then and a Slayer was his 'natural' enemy. If Spike had been souled then that would have been a different matter imo.

 

[The Bronze]

I'm going to be a little bit boring but it wouldn't have changed my view of Spike at all. It's not like we were unaware of what Spike was capable of. He was introduced as second only to Angelus in vampire notoriety and he got his name from unpleasant use of railroad Spikes. I suspect more than one of his victims would have begged for their life at some point.

 

[thetopher]

And, as we find out in Damages, Nikki via Dana did indeed beg "Please don't. I have to get home to my son; to my Robin." This again, reinforces the unreliable narrator.

That's very interesting, I'd forgotten that. But do you think that was just Nikki's last thoughts or that she actually spoke those words to Spike?

I'm also wondering why Spike would lie to Buffy about it if it indeed were true, at this point I think he's trying to impress her with his 'demonness' not come across as nice.
In other words I understand why he lied about his moral self 'what can I say, I've always been bad.' etc. because that makes him seem vulnerable to Buffy too early, but anything else I'm not so sure.


I actually don't think it would've changed my view of unsouled Spike that much- I understand that he'd done horrible, brutal things to and at that point in time didn't feel sorry for what he did. It would've been a more viseral image to see the slayer beg but ultimately it was still a horrible thing.

But souled Spike? Hell yes. After 'LMPTM' I would've found him even more obnoxious than I do already.

 

[Silverspike]

Oh there's a surprise. 😀

 

[The Bronze]

But souled Spike? Hell yes. After 'LMPTM' I would've found him even more obnoxious than I do already.

Are you saying you would think worse of souled Spike if he had made Nikki beg then killed her or that you would think worse of souled Spike for how one of unsouled Spikes victims reacted?

 

[thetopher]

Are you saying you would think worse of souled Spike if he had made Nikki beg then killed her or that you would think worse of souled Spike for how one of unsouled Spikes victims reacted?

I was thinking of his taunting of Robin Wood and the wearing of the coat after he knew who Robin was. If Spike had memories of Nikki begging on behalf of her son (see 'Damage') then yeah, I think I would've thought it was even more out of line than it was.

But in reality I don't think Nikki did beg- I think unsoulled Spike was just trash-talking with Buffy to be intimidating. That seems more likely to me.

 

[The Bronze]

I was thinking of his taunting of Robin Wood and the wearing of the coat after he knew who Robin was. If Spike had memories of Nikki begging on behalf of her son (see 'Damage') then yeah, I think I would've thought it was even more out of line than it was.

Fair enough. I don't think it changes anything for me. There's not going to be a pleasant image of Nikki dying either way. Heat of the moment comments after someone tries to kill you don't affect my opinions much either.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

But in reality I don't think Nikki did beg

But does that not seem rather unlikely that Nikki thought about begging, if what Dana was saying was her inner thoughts, and then Spike says that she was begging.

 

[Blaze]

Wouldn't have changed anything for me.

 

[janas]

If what Dana said is true, this (IMO) makes worse the events in 'LMPTM'
and I underline IMO

 

[thetopher]

Oh there's a surprise.

Seriously, you have to find a hobby other than snarking and being antagonistic towards people who don't adore your beloved. It's getting really tired.

I started this thread because of something that you and @Mr. Pole were discussing and thought it would be interesting to chew over. If you don't agree that's cool, maybe just say that and then leave it alone.

 

[Silverspike]

It was meant in jest, but hey think what you want.