Spike's Journey (inc AtS S5 spoilers)

[PokerKitten]

Well, we Spike lovers always believed it, but now it seems to have been proven beyond reasonable doubt... Spike has always been different. Not your average vampire.

"Lies My Parent Told Me" showed us the newly vamped Spike/William the Bloody revelling in his new-found power, confidence and sexuality... whilst at the same time being devoted to Dru and still loving his dear old mum. And still capable of being emotionally hurt by her.... and for that hurt to linger for over a century. My word, what a complex fellow!!

And now, with the finale spoilers still ringing in our ears - if Spike is to die, saving the world but apparently of his own free will, and not even believing Buffy loves him.... well, he is so much more worthy of gifts from TPTB than Brood Boy (hell, I think he is anyway! Even without the self sacrifice), will Joss and Mutant Enemy be brave enough to make the switch and have Spike be the souled vamp who becomes human - shanshu *bless you...*

I could talk forever about the way Spike's character has been developing from S2 onwards (with a bit of a hiccup in S6! ), and what could possibly happen if the end of season spoilers are correct, and also if James really will be in "Angel" if they have another season..... don't make me talk to myself. It's kinda... deranged.... ;D

[JIG]

i don't want spike to die, i do not like the ending at all, i know i am gonna need a big box of tissues

[ancientgirl]

I love Spike. I always have. I loved him when he was bad and I love him as he is good. It is obvious from the first time we see him that he is unique in his ability to love deeply. It is no wonder to me that he fell in love with Buffy without a soul. This to me is proof positive that he is so much better than Angel. I am a bit taken aback with the spoilers for the finale, but I have to believe that Joss is going to do what is best for the show and his characters. I also have to believe that since Joss has always been a big supporter of Spuffy that we will get a Spuffy ending.

[PokerKitten]

I think he has always been more complex than Angel, as a character, whether the writers realised what they were doing or not. Which could lead to some difficulties if James does appear on Ats as they might want to play that down on a show where Angel is the big deal.

Anyway, it seems to me that William, as ineffectual and weak as he may have seemed, must have had great resources within because whilst being a vampire liberated him in many respects, he retained for more of his own human identity than any of the leading character vamps we have grown to know (Harmony was still harmony, only more so, I guess, but she was fairly one dimensional). Lately there has been a tendency on BtVS to humanise some more than others of the weekly vamps, witness CWDP. But Spike has consistantly been portrayed in a more complex fashion.

[PokerKitten]

As an interesting aside, someone at BAPS received an email from The Furious One, after she contacted him expressing her concerns about the webmistress of his site who had posted the following on the Bronze Beta:

Allyson says:
(Tue Apr 1 06:34:17 2003)

I'd like to start the, Please, for the Love of All That is Good, Don't Put James Marsters on Angel Campaign.
Oh, I smell a Variety ad. 4 color, even.

He answered her - which is good of him - but said he did not

"in any way, dislike the character of Spike. How
you've come to that conclusion reading my comments on the Buffy/Spike relationship is beyond me. Nobody loves Spike and James more than I do. It is because of my regard for the characters of Spike and Buffy that I
possess strong philosophical opinions about the direction we take them....... As for me, as I said, I love James and would work with him again in a heartbeat." (edited for length but not content).

Okay, this is the guy that called Spike "the dirty animal
that tried to rape Buffy" and refered to us Spike fans as "serial killer lovers". That doesn't seem to fit with his pro Spike reply above. And I have always found his comment re Spike fans as insulting in the extreme. Spike has always been written as complex, compelling and yes, largely sympathetic (aided and abetted by James' great acting)... at least until mid S6. A creature fighting his demon nature to be better than, more than the sum of his parts. Jesus Christ, they had him go out and get himself a soul to become a better man.... someone who wouldn't hurt the girl again after what they made him do in "Seeing Red"..... Are we supposed to just ignore all the clues and traits they gave him over a number of seasons just because in a season losing its way they had a lame ass idea which would be the prompt for him to get the soul? Grrr.

And now they are reportedly wanting him on "Angel", where the Furious One now spends most of his days.... so, be nice to Spike time and distance yourself from the statements of the webmistress of your (unofficial) site.... nice one....

[PokerKitten]

This is the quote we used on the BAPS proclamation given to James the other week. It seemed to sum up Spike and his journey, and has been born out in the finale, as we suspected it would:

"They say best men are moulded out of faults,
And, for the most, become much more the better
For being a little bad." (Measure for Measure, Act 5, Scene 1)

[PokerKitten]

Well, Spike's journey just hit a bump in the road... lol! What do we make of GhostSpike?! Or not quite a ghost Spike, as Spikey seems to think he isn't exactly one of those traditional sorts. Well, when was he ever a traditional anything?!

It seems he has been dragged out of his after"life", and we don't know what that was yet, against his will and he isn't altogether thrilled but is making the best of it with snark and jibes at good ol' grandpop. He has soul, and he "does the right thing". So is his role npw destined to be the guardian of the straight and narrow with no particular joy or fulfillment or love for himself? Seems kinda harsh for a creature who was so alive even though he was undead...

[JIG]

ghostspike!! i am not pleased....lets hope something else happens instead