“I don't give a piss about atonement or destiny.” Spike, Just Rewards
I’m gonna write a lot because I think this is really interesting and it’s been a long time since I’ve put it in words so it might be rusty but I’m going to try for it. Go through the ‘motions with me:
I started watching Buffy at age 8 when “Reptile Boy” originally aired. I was in over my head with such a grown up show but I knew that I fell in love with the character. The character was really invested in Angel and thus was I, this forbidden romance. I rooted for them; two people who couldn’t be more right together yet contradict one another at the same time. It killed me when he left because I didn’t know what the show was going to do - Angel was such a huge part of the story! This is 2 fleshed out years of watching, waiting between hiatuses to see what was going to happen next.
So because of the changes season 4 was a growing pain for me as much as it was for the show. But it was still “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Sure, Spike was now in the mix but the main character was still the main character. Buffy moved on to Riley whom I like then Spike fell in love with Buffy. This guy was going from bad-ass, to joke, to pathetic, to love-sick puppy. But why did I care if he was in love with Buffy? Why was this going to be a storyline? To me it wasn’t needed to further Buffy but it furthered Spike, a guy who I had no idea why he was even in the show anymore. There was nothing else that character could do as a regular but fall in love with one of them; it was so obvious that I can’t believe it happened. By this point I was already of the opinion that he made a better villain than a chippy head so I slightly ignored him a little bit. It wasn’t so easy as time went on because the show was shifting focus onto him. (On rewatches, it’s less noticeable to me because I accept the show as it is now but at the original airings it hit me in the face every episode: “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was becoming “Spike the Vampire.”) I was still watching for those special moments where Buffy would reunite with Angel because, as far as I was concerned, they were going to end up together. If they could be together, they would be (I stand by that no matter what.).
I can understand this now, and somewhat appreciate it, but when Buffy started having sex with Spike it was such an abomination to me. What the hell! She’s sleeping with the guy she hasn’t been able to stand for years! The anti-Angel. (In the show’s dynamic, the only person she really could turn to was Spike but for me the character was hijacking the show.) It was disgusting and even Buffy herself refers to it as such. So now the character started from bad-ass, to joke, to pathetic, to love-sick puppy and by this point he’s the stud that all the fan girls are creaming over. I felt like I was being forced to care about this character we were never meant to care about until he was thrust into the main credits. But guess what: I still didn’t care!
In season 7 I wanted to throttle the characters for even saying his name, and they said it often. I hated watching him be tortured without a shirt by The First because I felt they were really playing to all the girls who thought Spike was hot or sympathetic and this was a way to pull on the heartstrings. Again, I felt there was too much focus on him. But blondie-bear sells, clearly, cause he crossed over to Angel (dare I even get into that? Yeah, I will.) The only time I ever felt slightly impressed by him - aside from taking such good care of Dawn - was by what he said to Buffy in “Touched.” So yes, throughout the original run of the show I hated him. But by now he had graduated from stud to hero cause he wore a magic necklace.
AND THEN! “Angel.” Spike had no place on that show as it was, which I guess is why it had to change so drastically for season 5. Again, too much focus on him. Second billing in the credits? Ugh. I really hated that season and not only for this reason.
I don’t like Spike because I feel he took over my show. I feel he changed where the direction of the show all the time and I feel that the writer’s fed into the obsession of the girls who thought he was hot. The character has an interesting journey but I agree with Icarium (I think we all think this at points, too, even Spike fans): why didn’t they just stake him? Haha. Yes, he was harmless post-chip and yes, Buffy was gonna kill him once they thought it was removed, blah blah. I get it, but really, kill the nuisance. Or screw him, whichever comes first.
Spike and Angel comparisons are always going to happened because A) they’re old menace buddies, B) soulled duo, C) both boinked Buffy, D) both totally different hair. I like Angel more because I find him more compelling and more admirable than Spike. I posted that quote at the start of my post because I think it’s often forgotten. *Spike is more selfish than he’s given credit for.* His soul was for Buffy, not atonement. Him wanting Shanshu was about being with Buffy, not redemption for any sins. That’s not something I wanna to cheer for.
That being said, his fan base turns me off bigtime. “Spike’s a hero!” “Bangel was filler for Spuffy!” “ ‘Angel's lame. His hair grows straight up, and he's bloody stupid!’ LOL” “Spike’s just better.” “Spike’s hotter THUS better.” “Spike doesn‘t deserve Buffy.” “Angel was just a phase.” This doesn’t necessarily represent anyone on this board but this is the blinded-by-skinny-abs talk I’ve encountered. So yes, that plays into it too.
But I accept Spike. If I didn’t, I’d hate my TV show and I don’t want to hate it. I watched to understand why Buffy slept with him, why he was around, why he wasn’t staked because when these all first aired I couldn’t grasp any of this to save my life. My hatred for him has dissipated even, or maybe it numbed over. I still don’t like “Crush,” or “Lies My Parents Told Me” and “Why We Fight” is an abomination to everything ever done by Whedon but I can take his character in doses.
An interesting comparison to you 90’s kids out there: remember Might Morphin’ Power Rangers? Remember how rad the first 5 were? Remember them after the Green Ranger showed up? Yeah, neither does most of the world. They still only talk about Tommy - Jason who? EFF OFF. That is an example of how I feel about what Spike did to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." 🙂 Thank you’s.
