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Cause I suddenly had all these deep thoughts and stuff...
Now following debate on Spike being softened by redemptionists, I agree that fic with fluffy puppy Spike isn't a good thing. But focusing only on Spike's darker parts really isn't any more accurate. I'm thinking of the attitude recently that redemptionists deny the true Spike, and only people who love the Big Bad accept the real him.
And yet, even in in his very baddest during season 2, he was never the big bad of the season. Spike was losing his demonic face around Dru. Not to mention the tears in his eyes at Dru/Angelus flirting aww. Season 2 is the example people point to for big bad Spike being the true Spike, but he was being used as a contrast a lot of the time to the more evil Angelus (necklace vs beating heart anyone? *g*) And not saying his motives weren't selfish, but he was shown to be working against Angelus wanting to bring the world into hell. Spike was too in touch with his humanity and decided he likes this world really. That's already a sign that he wasn't "pure demon".
Plus he was loves bitch from the first as well ;) I'd like to stress I was a lot younger then *ahem*, but I used to listen to all these songs like Lovesfool. I'd sing along and think of Spike/Dru. Shut up :p And that was during the time of seasons 2 and 3 Spike.
He has his demon, but there was always a lot of humanity mixed up there. Dru dumped him in season 3 for "going soft" and not being demon enough for the likes of her.
I'm not saying Spike wasn't "evil" and lacking a conscience because he quite blatantly was. I'm just pointing out the leftover William humanity that got him to go on that soul quest was always there and influencing him. Season 2 has Spike doing very bad things, but there was always the need to connect to people, which what set him off on that soul quest to be accepted and loved by Buffy. He just switched from wanting to be bad enough for Dru to wanting to be good enough for Buffy.
That's why FFL is so brilliant, because it wasn't a retcon. Not to mention LMPTM with Spike wanting his mother to join him and Dru/Destiny with Spike wanting to be faithful to Dru and not liking the kink that Angelus introduces to the family.
Spike was by no means a saint, in the past he was a bad guy, but it's doing the character a disservice to not recognise there was more to him than that. As a vampire in Smashed he has to psych himself up into biting that girl. (And JM can "blame" his performance all he likes, it was scripted as ambiguous as the commentary confirms)
FFL fit with the story perfectly and it does all look planned in retrospect, even if it wasn't ;)
Spike did lack a moral compass, but he could love very deeply and that's why he was able to understand he had hurt Buffy and done something wrong after SR. After DT we were shown that Spike cannot grasp why Buffy considered Katrina's death a crime. SR wasn't about Spike realising he had committed a criminal act, rather he went for the soul because he had hurt the woman he loved and couldn't understand what was going on with him.
Seeing as the personalities generally carry over after someone's been vamped, I pretty much view the soul as a conscience and think that's the most consistent way that it's been portrayed.
Now following debate on Spike being softened by redemptionists, I agree that fic with fluffy puppy Spike isn't a good thing. But focusing only on Spike's darker parts really isn't any more accurate. I'm thinking of the attitude recently that redemptionists deny the true Spike, and only people who love the Big Bad accept the real him.
And yet, even in in his very baddest during season 2, he was never the big bad of the season. Spike was losing his demonic face around Dru. Not to mention the tears in his eyes at Dru/Angelus flirting aww. Season 2 is the example people point to for big bad Spike being the true Spike, but he was being used as a contrast a lot of the time to the more evil Angelus (necklace vs beating heart anyone? *g*) And not saying his motives weren't selfish, but he was shown to be working against Angelus wanting to bring the world into hell. Spike was too in touch with his humanity and decided he likes this world really. That's already a sign that he wasn't "pure demon".
Plus he was loves bitch from the first as well ;) I'd like to stress I was a lot younger then *ahem*, but I used to listen to all these songs like Lovesfool. I'd sing along and think of Spike/Dru. Shut up :p And that was during the time of seasons 2 and 3 Spike.
He has his demon, but there was always a lot of humanity mixed up there. Dru dumped him in season 3 for "going soft" and not being demon enough for the likes of her.
I'm not saying Spike wasn't "evil" and lacking a conscience because he quite blatantly was. I'm just pointing out the leftover William humanity that got him to go on that soul quest was always there and influencing him. Season 2 has Spike doing very bad things, but there was always the need to connect to people, which what set him off on that soul quest to be accepted and loved by Buffy. He just switched from wanting to be bad enough for Dru to wanting to be good enough for Buffy.
That's why FFL is so brilliant, because it wasn't a retcon. Not to mention LMPTM with Spike wanting his mother to join him and Dru/Destiny with Spike wanting to be faithful to Dru and not liking the kink that Angelus introduces to the family.
Spike was by no means a saint, in the past he was a bad guy, but it's doing the character a disservice to not recognise there was more to him than that. As a vampire in Smashed he has to psych himself up into biting that girl. (And JM can "blame" his performance all he likes, it was scripted as ambiguous as the commentary confirms)
FFL fit with the story perfectly and it does all look planned in retrospect, even if it wasn't ;)
Spike did lack a moral compass, but he could love very deeply and that's why he was able to understand he had hurt Buffy and done something wrong after SR. After DT we were shown that Spike cannot grasp why Buffy considered Katrina's death a crime. SR wasn't about Spike realising he had committed a criminal act, rather he went for the soul because he had hurt the woman he loved and couldn't understand what was going on with him.
Seeing as the personalities generally carry over after someone's been vamped, I pretty much view the soul as a conscience and think that's the most consistent way that it's been portrayed.
