Why do people like Spike so much?

hazzard said:
see, i think that him falling in love with buffy makes him more interesting, not annoying. because, even though he loved her, he still hated her--he still fought with her and wanted to kill her and just got more and more confused as time went on until he finally sorted it out in season 7. spike is great because of his complexity, because he could love her and hate her (what a thin line, anyway), because it made him way more paradoxical than just simply a badass.
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I have to agree with you there. As much as I love the early "all-evil" Spike, it wouldn't be half as interesting to watch without the knowledge that there is so much more to the character - that a big part of "Spike" is essentially an act.
Also, there is such a thing as character development. If Spike had stayed the way he was is seasons 2-4, what would have been the point of keeping him around for 4 more seasons? Joss et al had to go someplace new with him and they did that by having him fall in love with Buffy. Love it or hate it, it brought his character to a new level. Imo they - for the most part - did it brilliantly. Watching Spike finding - and struggling with - his humanity was definitely one of the highlights of the entire series for me.
 
X
xaphania
[No message]
H
hazzard
same for me
Oh . . . Spike. This is a very interesting thread. I love Spike. I love him all the way through. I loved him in the different seasons for different reasons. This post'll be a little spoilery.
Season two, all it took was giving Dru his jacket and talking about Woodstock being a weird gig. From there it was pretty much a done deal. I mean, he went to Woodstock. That's AWESOME!

Aside from the surface reasons for liking him, such as voice and abs - I am a girl with eyes after all - he was very interesting. He was also very influential on the other characters. The way they treated him spoke volumes about their characters. Buffy's entirely overly black and white view of the world was never more obvious than in her relation to Spike. Also, for me it wasn't like Spike started loving Buffy all of a sudden in season five. Throughout season four there are times he looks at her and I started to wonder. Actually I kinda wondered when he first saw her dancing. Joss said that he realized that Spike was in love with Buffy from watching the show before he started actively putting it into the story.

As far as Spuffy, whether you love it or hate it, Buffy needed someone, anyone, at that point in her life to help her get some things into perspective. He was just there. Season six to me, is all about bringing Buffy as low as she can be brought. So that we could watch her rise up.
I'm not sure how they would have done this without Spike. He's the only character I've ever encountered that'll let a chick beat the crap out of him while saying "Put it all on me"
Maybe that's what it is. He is totally unique to anything to I've seen before. He evolves.

Oh and season five of Angel. Some of the funniest stuff I've ever seen. That one in Rome with the motorbike. oh yeh. That's just amusing.
 
U
Ulrikke
Great post! :)
H
hazzard
[No message]
I like Spike because like Angel, He has a history. We know how he got changed, where he came from, what he was like before he was changed. I always like a character who has a background. Also, Spike isn't like normal vampires. He broke out of the initiative, and though it was hard he learned to deal with his situation. Sure, He tried to have a doctor remove the chip and he wasn't the happiest camper in the world. But at the end of the day, He didn't have the chip removed until he went back into the initiative with Buffy.

Also, I like Spike b/c he has some of the best dialogue in the show. He's just this spunky vampire who's awesome. I love him! <3 =D
 
PhenixRising said:
The writers were at pains to explain that Spike was a different vampire because they new they broke their own canon. Its easy for writers to say that this happens because this character is special but previous episodes have stated that vampires can not love. Since Vampires are former humans they need that human soul to feel human love and with out that soul then love is impossible. However, obsession is possible. And Spike's attitude and desires for Buffy are nothing more than an obsession. I'm amazed he is able to face her after psychologically manipulating her in season 6 but I know a lot of fans thought that that was love.

Vampires show every sign of a someone with anti-social personality disorder. These people are unable to love but they are capable of mimicking this and other human emotions. Some of the most empathic people you meet are actually devoid of any emotion.

The writers can attempt to justify Spike but in the end I think they kept him around because Joss started to listen to the fans and maybe read some Spuffy fan fiction.
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I think they couldn't deny the chemistry between Spike and Buffy. I don't think Spike really loved her until he got a soul. Before that was it only true obsession or was Spike really different? I mean there's been other vamp love but they never got souls.

I think the new thread Top Ten Spike Moments about sums up how Spike is so awesome! What more is there to say....Spike is Spike.
 
He had great chemistry with everyone in the verse, had charisma like no one else on the show and totally stole the show every time. When he came back in s4 he just took over. Look at s5 Angel where Spike was the main man once again. He's interesting and funny character and plays off everyone perfectly. No other character can get near him in terms of amazingness. Ok maybe Lorne, but thats all. 🙂
 
I love Spike's layers.
I personally think he's one of the most interesting characters with a lot of developement throughout the serie.
Sure he starts out as the big bad vampire which he is fantastic at.
Then in season 4 he gets the chip I like the interaction with the Scoobies. It's just hilarious. Espec love the episode where hes planning his wedding with Buffy. Couldn't stop laughing!
Then Dawn came in season 5 and he started feeling for Buffy which is even more hilarious. Buffybot hehehehehe! I love the end bit at that episode where the real Buffy kisses him and thanks him for not telling Glory anything. Whos the big fluffy puppy with bad teeth now? Karma strikes back hihi!
Then season 6 where he became Buffy's rock and finally got his dead heart broken by her.
What I think is most interesting is to learn about his human character William. Turns out that he still had so much love for his mom despite of him bein a vampire and got even more evil after that painful conversation with her.
I think that has been a real important moment in my opinion.
I espec like the big difference between William and Spike.
But this is just how I see it.
Besides I think his acting is phenomanal
 
Airam
Airam
[No message]
Like Buffy, I see him change, maybe I saw more than Buffy. This beautiful and complicated vampire is always stumbling on the way to something "effulgent" without a hope that he will ever reach it and has the courage to spectacularly fail as many times as it takes. He will get up and continue, it's in human nature to do so and that's why we like him, because he never gives up.
 
Let's see:

* He's hot
* He has a wicked accent
* He's hilarious
* He's badass
* He's a vampire with a heart

How can you not like him?
 
I loved early seasons Spike but by season 6 I was done with him. He still had his moments but I don't know, he just really grated on me to the point of me wanting to throw my shoe at the TV whenever he appeared. I also hated Buffy and Spike together so that also probably has something to do with my general dislike of him.
 
MinwaraYana
MinwaraYana
After I read this, I shoulda befriend with you. :)
I must say that I agree with you. I love big bad Spike. I love how he is funny, but mean. But Buffy's pet, it's just not good look for him. I liked him more when he tried to kill her.
 
shiatsu said:
* He has a wicked accent
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Lol, I HATED his accent. And Drusilla's. They were such bad British accents!

I also only really 'liked' Spike up until season 4. He lost his comic value and just lost something for me from season 5 onwards. I just stopped caring for his character.

Season 2 Spike was awesome though! 🙂
 
He has unique hair. I like the most in season 4. He's funny and he's not tall. The way he worn his boots over his pants. That made him look cute. He's like mini-Spikey for me. But in season 6, he's not bad-ass anymore. And he's too skinny and I really can't stand his purple shirt in Smashed. 😛 I like him again in Ats season 5. 🙂
 
Spike....

*sighs*

Where do I even begin? Spike is not only favorite Buffyverse character but one of my favorite characters ever. I have a sort of unhealthy infatuation with him, I admit it. I could go on for ages and ages about how much I love him and why (check what what I posted in my thread "Favorite Character and Why"), but I'm going to simply agree with what palabravampires and white avenger said, because they said it better then I ever could.

I was in love with Spike from the second he swaggered onto my screen in "School Hard" until the last frame in "Not Fade Away." I'm still hoping against hope that he'll show up in season 8.

I will always love Spuffy always and forever. Buffy and Spike. The best couple in all of television.

I don't believe the quality of his character was comprised in any way by falling in love with Buffy and fighting for his soul. Quite honestly, I thought it strengthened his character a great deal.
 
Wishing Oceans
Wishing Oceans
[No message]
I forgot to mention another reason why people like Spike so much.

He is one of those actors, that I think, just sparkle on screen. He owned Spike. He really made the character his own. James' passion for the character is somewhat contagious. His on-screen chemistry with Sarah practically radiates heat from the screen 😉

People also like the many variations his character explored on both the shows; Big Bad of the week, both formidable and inept villain, comic relief bit, antihero, and eventually, Champion.

Also, Spike is part of Spuffy - one of the most beloved 'ships in the Buffyverse. They're a fan favorite and for good reason. We see something not only authentic and meaningful in them - but something beautiful. The complexity, subtlety, and passion of Spuffy is every fan girl's dream. They just BEG for meta, fan ficiton, fan art, endless and passionately argued discussion....there was so much left unsaid, so many things that could be interpreted differently...
 
Well when it comes to spike, I like him because I like his attitude about everything, his outlooks on life, and how he always, ALWAYS has a smart-ass comment prepared for just about anything. Not only that but he has also lived a fascinating life, in my opinion. He also kind of reminds me a bit of myself in some ways I guess.

Also Marsters really makes Spike his own character wise. I don't think I could have picked anyone else better to play him.
 
I was drawn to Spike by his youtube fans (vidders ?) they never stop to amaze me and I got in deep with metas and fanfiction (I start lurking on boards to see different opinions 'cause, honestly, worshiping gets a little boring after a while)
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d696v2Ahng"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d696v2Ahng[/ame]
 
E
Emzzie
cute vid :D
M
Megalita
Amazing video, oh my god!
Spike is a cool character but i prefer him as badass...really he is hilarious in second season with all these comments!!!and in "Lovers Walk" of third season he expresses his opinion on Buffy and Angel so well i wanted to hug him!!!(well i wanted to hug Angel more but it's ok!)
I am not Spuffy fan because I do believe that not only Spike is not suitable for Buffy but Also Buffy is not suitable for Spike...i mean when i see them together in videos in youtube...i just feel"this is...wrong" but when i saw Spike and Dru together...i could really see sparks,passion!i just think they suit each other!that's just my opinion though!I can't wait to see all 7 seasons of Buffy!
 
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