When did the friendship begin?

[nightshade]

At which point do you feel Buffy and Spike became friends? Did you see friendship between them in season 4 or just from season 5 onwards?

I certainly see an element of friendship towards the end of season 4, especially by The Yoko Factor. It's been a while since I've watched it but Buffy (and the others) seem disappointed that Spike went to Adam.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

It depends on how you want to define the term friendship. I think it started in S2 when Buffy and Spike played in the band together. It wasn't anything substantial and overt like the subsequent seasons, but it's there.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Never? 😛 I mean, they were punching buddies from the start.

 

[HelloIAmHawt]

Agreed @Spanky. I think the team-up in S2 to defeat Angelus was the beginning of an uneasy alliance between the two, at the very least (OK, well he tries to kill her in S4, but that's just because it's his thing, not something personal to the lady herself). At the very least, I think the team-up made her start to realize that he was a person rather than just a demon to kill, and other than Angel, that is not something that she learns until later on (Clem is the only other demon I really recall her getting chummy with, whereas in Angel we get this cool noir world wherein demons being viewed as "people" is kind of the norm).

 

[nightshade]

It depends on how you want to define the term friendship. I think it started in S2 when Buffy and Spike played in the band together. It wasn't anything substantial and overt like the subsequent seasons, but it's there.

I view that as more an alliance, with the potential for friendship. I agree with @HelloIAmHawt that it made Buffy see that Spike wasn't just another vampire all demon and not human. I think her experience with Ford earlier in the season helped prepare her for being open to talking with Spike.

 

[Klaus Kartoffel]

@WillowFromBuffy kind of nailed it.

S02-03: Enemies
S04-05: Antagonistic punching buddies with unresolved sexual tension.
S06: Antagonistic punching buddies with resolved sexual tension.
S07: Straight-forward lovestory

Never friends.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I view that as more an alliance, with the potential for friendship.

That's what I mean, it set the stage for the friendship. Buffy did rely on Spike and that stuck with her.

 

[PaulParmar1]

I would say Buffy began to tolerate Spike more in Season 4 but their friendship imo began quickly into Season 5. By the time of Riley's departure I'd say they were deffo friends or at least starting to be friends.

 

[Fool for Buffy]

There was respect in late season 5, but I wouldn't quite call it a friendship. They toyed with a friendship early season 6, but their kiss ruined that. Early to mid season 7 I would say Buffy really just felt for him, but it still wasn't exactly a friendship. By Showtime I see love. So basically, never.

 

[white avenger]

When does any friendship begin? Ultimately, it begins the moment the people in question first meet, building from acquaintance, to acceptance, to tolerance, to trust, and, finally, to friendship. Buffy and Spike laid the first foundation for their friendship in an alley outside the Bronze in "School Hard."

Okay, maybe I don't totally believe that either, but it sure sounds good.

The exact moment that Spike and Buffy became friends might be rather obscure, but by the time that Buffy told Giles that, next to her, Spike was the only one who would stand any kind of chance of defending Dawn from Glory, I fully believe that the friendship was beginning to come into its own.

 

[Klaus Kartoffel]

@WillowFromBuffy

Thanks, but please don't involve me in reducing Spuffy to sex 🙂

I didn't do involving and reducing. Please don't argue with strawmans. Thanks for the rep. 😉

 

[Taake]

I would probably say around season 5, the Scoobies in general quickly got used to having Spike around in season 4, and there were elements of friendliness (like bringing him along in the episode "Doomed") and were trusting him to some degree (as seen by his influence in the Yoko Factor) - but I think that more genuine trust with Buffy began to build around season 5. He stopped being just Spike vampire with chip in his brain, and became more of a person... I doubt season 4 Buffy would've trusted Spike with Dawn, whereas season 5 Buffy did.

 

[MarieVampSlayer]

For me it's the end of seson5 when she agrees to let him in her house again. Friendship needs trust and this is the first time she begins to trust him enough to consider him her friend.
 

 

[PaulParmar1]

For me it's the end of seson5 when she agrees to let him in her house again. Friendship needs trust and this is the first time she begins to trust him enough to consider him her friend.
 

I agree with this! Spuffy built the foundation for a friendship imo in Late season 5 but Spuffy is not friends for long I'd say!
With all of Buffy's boyfriends, it's often romantic or love rather then friendship for a while

 

[debbicles]

Definitely for me it's the end of Season 5. Before then she just needed an extra body to help in the fight against Glory. So she trusted him which laid the foundations for everything else.