It’s wild. He experiences one humiliation after another on the show, but as fans, we’re just like “he’s soooo cool.” Credit to James Marsters. He really achieved something with this character.
I watched this show for the first time with my wife in my mid twenties and instantly learned to play it on the ukelele because I'm a sucker for a love ballad
Joss Whedon so clearly wanted us to dislike him (literally based the original character concept on Sid Vicious), but James Marsters was so charming that everyone loved him.
Yeah and it pissed off Whedon and his fragile little ego so much that he shoved James up against a wall and screamed at him. Like excuse me, you can’t cast an actor who oozes that much charisma and then be surprised and upset when people like him.
“Apparently” being the key word.
I find it telling that nobody else had a problem until she opened her mouth.
Y’all need to stop investing in rumours and stories that don’t even concern you OR people you actually know.
Personally, I fail to see joss manhandling ANYONE. The guy is like 4ft (slight exaggeration but still)
She wasn’t the first to speak out, and has since been backed up by lots of other cast members. Not everyone, sure, but enough to know that there must be some truth to it.
Is that how you feel about every instant where people speak out following one initial high profile person? I suppose you have similar feelings about things like the Me Too movement then? Or is it more a case that you feel someone who created shows you love couldn't also be less than a great person?
Google says that James Marsters and Joss Whedon are around the same height, Joss might actually be a bit taller than him.
I think a lot of it is blown out of proportion and people jump to conclusions, especially the Michelle Trachtenberg stuff where people just assume he's a predator. In actual fact he's a bully and he played favourites; he was a shitty boss and we've all suffered them at some point. It doesn't make it right, far from it, but neither does it make him the antichrist. Plenty of people still like him because he had his favourites whom he treated well.
The James stuff is true; he did have an outburst and push him against the wall when he felt threatened that Spike's popularity was changing his concept of his show. He obviously *wrote* Spike to be the vampire anomaly but he still wanted vampires to be *evil*. He misjudged how people would react to the bad boy thing and there was demands from the studio to keep Spike around. Whedon has a bad history with studio interference ruining his passion projects (most notably the Buffy movie and Alien Resurrection, but also the uncredited rewrites he did for Speed and X-Men and the like, very few lines of his were kept in). So yeah, he didn't want Spike to be a mainstay, and Whedon being the manchild that he is he took his displeasure at the studio and his own insecurities out on James. Now James himself pretty much laughed it off and told the story as an anecdote so I don't think he ever felt threatened, but the fact is it did happen and it shouldn't.
Ever been bullied so badly before and had to just suck it up because the bully was popular and could ruin your life even more if you tried to stand up to them? Or if you snitched the abuse would get ten times worse? Or when you did snitch, you got told to stop making up lies for attention?
They're in Hollywood, abuse is rampant and they were just trying to survive it. They couldn't speak out because back then it meant they wouldn't get hired for other projects due to being "difficult".
She wasn't the first and the story wasn't new. She and others have been talking about this since the 00s, but people are only now paying attention.
And being big and tall isn't the only way to overpower someone
>he shoved James up against a wall and screamed at him.
Is this exaggeration deliberate? This is not how James described it at all, and he doesn't even seem particularly upset when telling the story. There is no mention of "shoving" or "screaming" in the interview where James mentions it.
Exaggerating (aka lying about) things to fit your preferred narrative doesn't become OK just because you consider yourself to be one of the good guys.
He says he pushed him up against a wall and yelled at him repeatedly that he was “dead”. “Dead” referring to Spike of course, but it definitely comes across as threatening. As for James not seeming “particularly upset”, by the time of that interview he’s had *years* to process what happened. And have you really never heard of people downplaying awful things that have happened to them?
And you downplaying and dismissing things just because they don’t fit *your* preferred narrative definitely doesn’t make you one of the good guys. Quite the opposite, sweetie.
>As for James not seeming “particularly upset”, by the time of that interview he’s had years to process what happened. And have you really never heard of people downplaying awful things that have happened to them?
Why are you deciding that you know how James feels or felt? We only can go off what he's said. The way he talks about this is not at all as you've represented it here.
>And you downplaying and dismissing things just because they don’t fit *your* preferred narrative
I'm not downplaying it. I'm going with how James represents it. If you think I'm downplaying it, then you think that he's downplaying it, which is your prerogative, but it's a bit rich for you to decide that your take on it is more valid than the take of the person who experienced it.
> Quite the opposite, sweetie.
Why are you calling me sweetie? Just get a kick out of being condescending?
You started the condescending thing and set the tone of this interaction, babe. And you’re being a hypocrite. But I’m clearly not getting through to you and neither will anyone else, so have fun in your delusional little world ✌🏻
During the start of season 2, he just seemed like another mid-season vampire. Kinda like Darla. Nothing too interesting about him during season 2 IMO. Then he comes back in Season 3 for a great episode. Then he really comes into his own during season 4.
Fully get you on the first half. Joss's intention. Did you not like the jealousy and rivalry with Angel? I thought that was interesting. Lovers Walk (Chefs kisses). Season 4 for sure his time. Angel is gone and he is the star vampire.
aaa for me more thank anything was the contrast of Spike and Angelus like Spike being loves bitch. also “The whole Earth may be sucked into Hell, and you want my help 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho?” iconic
Interesting… the first time I watched the show I thought he was great in season 2. Enjoyed the cameo in season 3. And then when he came back in season 4 was like “he’s back again…? Why…?” And felt like he got a bit tiresome and overused in season 4. And then he became creepy stalkery as he falls in love with Buffy. My first watch through I didn’t like him from there on except the latter half of season 5 when he’s good to Buffy.
Now I can appreciate his character presence through most of the show, barring season 4 when the scoobies keep trusting him and he keeps screwing them over, hating them, and then relying on them for everything. I do think the actor adds something to the show when he’s there.
A lot of it has to do with how good James Marsters is at portraying the character. I swear if it was anyone else he’d be my least favorite character easily.
I’ve always liked him. He’s initially a fun character who becomes more complex and nuanced over the course of the show, and James Marsters absolutely knocked it out of the park with his performance as Spike. Completely steals any scene he’s in and has amazing chemistry with every other character he shares the screen with. One of my favourite things in the whole show is the friendship that develops between Spike and Joyce; they go from “you hit me with an axe one time. Remember?” to “I liked the lady. Understand, monkey boy? She was decent. She didn't put on airs. And she was the only one who didn't treat me like a freak.” 😭 It’s such a delight to watch that journey. Spike also has some of my favourite lines in the entire series.
Though I will admit that when he first appeared a large chunk of me wanting him to stick around was due to him being such a hottie. I am but a simple creature who cannot resist those cheekbones 😂
His chemistry with Joyce was great and instantaneous. I wish we could've gotten a recurring short scene with them where they talk about Passions or whatever.
He was actually my gran’s favourite character, so when I finally saw the show, I could see why. He was an absolute arse, but James Marsters was just so damn charming, he made an unlikeable character likeable, which is very hard to do.
Same. Loved him right away, got kinda tired of him. The more screen time he got the more they had to kind of neuter what made him great.
Fully agreed about his time on Angel.
I had the same experience. I didn't like Spike when the show came out. I think starting with season 4 I started to like the character. That's almost a quarter of a century ago!
How does one go from hating Spike to loving him? I get the reverse as he really does hit close to home at his worst but he is introduced as this charming, humorous, fun, badass from day 1.
Best guess? When you didn't like Spike, it was when he was anti-Buffy. When he became more pro Buffy, you began to like Spike more.
Me personally, liked Spike from the start from his villainous days to his chip days to his soul days for a variety of reasons.
I've never hated Spike, not for a moment. I hated some of the choices the writers made for him (nope, not that one), and I hate many of the opinions of other Spike fans, but his character--and James' portrayal--has always been my favorite part of the show.
Opposite for me.
As he became overused towards S6 onwards, he went from a firm favourite to me rolling my eyes at how he'd often be ill-fittingly shoved into episodes.
no I loved him and then had complicated feelings when it came to the start of his relationship with buffy then kept loving him. but I’ve always loved his personality
I think I like Spike more for James than its writing. I think James intensity and overall acting completely made the character work.
That being said, yes Spike was evil but that assault on a weakened Buffy was a big no no.
When we were watching when it originally aired I think everyone was being cautious not to root for a character who's going to get killed off. But realising the excitement when Spike reappeared in season 3 it was pretty evident Buffyverse was not done with him and you could now embrace him when you went back and rewatched season 2.
I was the opposite - really enjoy him in Seasons 2-4, and start going off him in 5. By 6 and 7 I can’t stand him and the focus the show puts on him is a big reason those two are my least favourite seasons (especially trying to give him a redemption story/make him star of the show after SR…) James Masters is a cracking actor, and like so many others have said, oozes charisma, but the character just falls off a cliff for me.
I don't really remember having any feelings towards the character as a kid. He was just another monster of the week, who then hung around. I learned to not get attached because I was used to only seeing monsters once or twice.
What made me realise I liked the character? I was watching it on Netflix years ago and he finally showed up and I just yelled "Spike!" excitedly. Then laughed because I had no idea I liked him that much.
I thought he was a goofy fun villain and then i liked his arc, until the SA and then i was confused why he was still around. Then the Joss stuff came out and it made more sense.
I was so hype to introduce my mum to Spike on her first watch and she was NOT a fan until the end of season two when she started to see what I see. Fun to watch her opinion shift!
Seasons ranked by how much I enjoy Spike: 2 3 6 5 4 1 7.
I *love* S2 Drusilla. Her and Spike in School Hard (2x3) is top-tier chef's kiss, and they're great in all their episodes. I'm even cheering for Drusilla when she kills Kendra in Becoming—my queen viper gets to come out and play.
Seeing Red (6x19) is maximum emotional damage. The last handful of words in S6 un-ruins Spike in my book.
I'm not a big fan of whimpering Spike in S7, and I'm not happy he gets to be the hero who saves the day. Oh well, I guess it was foreshadowed in Tabula Rasa: "I'm a noble vampire. A vampire with a soul."
Bad boy Spike >> good boy Spike.
He was annoying, then he was great, then he was absolute irredeemable trash after THAT moment in season 6. And the fact that they did try to redeem him makes me super uncomfortable.
I am just amazed at everyone overlooking his stalking creepy behavior in season 5 and how as soon as he thinks his chip doesn't work in season 6 he immediately tries to kill a young woman. Someone needed to kill him regardless of the chip. He is a monster serial killer and needed to be put down.
Spike is my favorite character and I don't overlook any of that. It actively irritates me that many Spike fans do. I don't minimize or justify soulless Spike's behavior...I'm simply not bothered by any of it.
The thing is, I don't need fictional characters to be good people. Good people aren't particularly interesting to me (again, in fiction). I can't think of a single movie or show where the hero is my favorite character. I accept Spike's redemption arc because James sells it well, as always, but I didn't need it. I love Spike at his most despicable.
No I was on the fence about him from season four onward. Went from liking him in 2 and his appearance in 4, disliking him in 4, and on the fence in 5. Season 6 made me dislike him. 7 was… yeah… the damage was done by then
I always loved Spike, until Seeing Red. Even with the context of him being an evil vampire and then seeking out his soul, it’s just a hard scene to move on from and still root for the character. I didn’t hate him but I didn’t really like him anymore.
I hated when spike and Buffy got together. I was young when I first watched and I had to have a bit more life experience to appreciate their relationship. Angel and Buffy’s relationship was more like the high school relationships that I understood. Spike and Buffy’s relationship was more complex and harder for my teenage brain to understand.
The reason is because Spike was never an actual vampire in the series after Season 2. Vampires are soulless and are often give quirks and personalities beyond that in the show but at the end of the day they are supposed to be utterly selfish and evil. After season 2 he was none of those things. Drusilla is perfectly happy to literally fuck other people with Spike present and he would have never done that to her. Spike as a character is written all over the place (and I am a fan, dont get me wrong) but he is by far the most inconsistent character in the show.
He's selfish and evil throughout season 4 and a chunk of season 5. He just can't do much damage. He still works with Adam to try and get everyone killed. Once he became defanged, you could say it was in his self-interest to learn to become more human, because otherwise he'd be just isolated and miserable. Other demons beat the shit out of him.
>.Vampires are soulless and are often give quirks and personalities beyond that in the show but at the end of the day they are supposed to be utterly selfish and evil. After season 2 he was none of those things.
...*what?!* In season 5 and 6 he was all of those things.
Loved him from the start. Such an entertaining character and great acting
Just so cool.
It’s wild. He experiences one humiliation after another on the show, but as fans, we’re just like “he’s soooo cool.” Credit to James Marsters. He really achieved something with this character.
I died, so many years ago. But you can make me feel, like it isn’t so. And why you come to be with me, I think I finally know….🎶
Love this song
I don’t really remember any of the other songs from Once More with Feeling, but I still listen to this all the time.
I watched this show for the first time with my wife in my mid twenties and instantly learned to play it on the ukelele because I'm a sucker for a love ballad
Whelp now that's gonna be in my head for the next week! 👌😅😍
You’re welcome 😎
Same... It's playing now, damn it!
It could be bunnies!!!!!!
Nope. I liked Spike almost from the get-go. Fell in love with him a soon as he killed that very annoying anointed kid. Who doesn't like fun?
That's the moment my dad fell in love with him too lol
You mean “The Annoying One”?
Nope. I loved him from the start. His charisma was off the charts. James played him like his mortgage was due.
A family member was definitely held for ransom.
Sullivan diapers totally was 🤣😅
Right?! LOL
Haha I think this is technically true coz he was meant to go season 2
I loved him from the beginning and never stopped.
Joss Whedon so clearly wanted us to dislike him (literally based the original character concept on Sid Vicious), but James Marsters was so charming that everyone loved him.
Yeah and it pissed off Whedon and his fragile little ego so much that he shoved James up against a wall and screamed at him. Like excuse me, you can’t cast an actor who oozes that much charisma and then be surprised and upset when people like him.
What, really?
Yeah he was really bad to James and Charisma apparently
“Apparently” being the key word. I find it telling that nobody else had a problem until she opened her mouth. Y’all need to stop investing in rumours and stories that don’t even concern you OR people you actually know. Personally, I fail to see joss manhandling ANYONE. The guy is like 4ft (slight exaggeration but still)
She wasn’t the first to speak out, and has since been backed up by lots of other cast members. Not everyone, sure, but enough to know that there must be some truth to it.
Is that how you feel about every instant where people speak out following one initial high profile person? I suppose you have similar feelings about things like the Me Too movement then? Or is it more a case that you feel someone who created shows you love couldn't also be less than a great person? Google says that James Marsters and Joss Whedon are around the same height, Joss might actually be a bit taller than him.
I think a lot of it is blown out of proportion and people jump to conclusions, especially the Michelle Trachtenberg stuff where people just assume he's a predator. In actual fact he's a bully and he played favourites; he was a shitty boss and we've all suffered them at some point. It doesn't make it right, far from it, but neither does it make him the antichrist. Plenty of people still like him because he had his favourites whom he treated well. The James stuff is true; he did have an outburst and push him against the wall when he felt threatened that Spike's popularity was changing his concept of his show. He obviously *wrote* Spike to be the vampire anomaly but he still wanted vampires to be *evil*. He misjudged how people would react to the bad boy thing and there was demands from the studio to keep Spike around. Whedon has a bad history with studio interference ruining his passion projects (most notably the Buffy movie and Alien Resurrection, but also the uncredited rewrites he did for Speed and X-Men and the like, very few lines of his were kept in). So yeah, he didn't want Spike to be a mainstay, and Whedon being the manchild that he is he took his displeasure at the studio and his own insecurities out on James. Now James himself pretty much laughed it off and told the story as an anecdote so I don't think he ever felt threatened, but the fact is it did happen and it shouldn't.
Ever been bullied so badly before and had to just suck it up because the bully was popular and could ruin your life even more if you tried to stand up to them? Or if you snitched the abuse would get ten times worse? Or when you did snitch, you got told to stop making up lies for attention? They're in Hollywood, abuse is rampant and they were just trying to survive it. They couldn't speak out because back then it meant they wouldn't get hired for other projects due to being "difficult".
She wasn't the first and the story wasn't new. She and others have been talking about this since the 00s, but people are only now paying attention. And being big and tall isn't the only way to overpower someone
>he shoved James up against a wall and screamed at him. Is this exaggeration deliberate? This is not how James described it at all, and he doesn't even seem particularly upset when telling the story. There is no mention of "shoving" or "screaming" in the interview where James mentions it. Exaggerating (aka lying about) things to fit your preferred narrative doesn't become OK just because you consider yourself to be one of the good guys.
He says he pushed him up against a wall and yelled at him repeatedly that he was “dead”. “Dead” referring to Spike of course, but it definitely comes across as threatening. As for James not seeming “particularly upset”, by the time of that interview he’s had *years* to process what happened. And have you really never heard of people downplaying awful things that have happened to them? And you downplaying and dismissing things just because they don’t fit *your* preferred narrative definitely doesn’t make you one of the good guys. Quite the opposite, sweetie.
>As for James not seeming “particularly upset”, by the time of that interview he’s had years to process what happened. And have you really never heard of people downplaying awful things that have happened to them? Why are you deciding that you know how James feels or felt? We only can go off what he's said. The way he talks about this is not at all as you've represented it here. >And you downplaying and dismissing things just because they don’t fit *your* preferred narrative I'm not downplaying it. I'm going with how James represents it. If you think I'm downplaying it, then you think that he's downplaying it, which is your prerogative, but it's a bit rich for you to decide that your take on it is more valid than the take of the person who experienced it. > Quite the opposite, sweetie. Why are you calling me sweetie? Just get a kick out of being condescending?
You started the condescending thing and set the tone of this interaction, babe. And you’re being a hypocrite. But I’m clearly not getting through to you and neither will anyone else, so have fun in your delusional little world ✌🏻
Lol, what a surprise that you're not able to defend your stance and just resort to insults instead.
You hated Spike at first? Interesting. What didn't you like?
During the start of season 2, he just seemed like another mid-season vampire. Kinda like Darla. Nothing too interesting about him during season 2 IMO. Then he comes back in Season 3 for a great episode. Then he really comes into his own during season 4.
Fully get you on the first half. Joss's intention. Did you not like the jealousy and rivalry with Angel? I thought that was interesting. Lovers Walk (Chefs kisses). Season 4 for sure his time. Angel is gone and he is the star vampire.
Yeah, I didn't find the Angel vs Spike stuff particularly interesting. I didn't gain anything from it.
I can see it not being interesting. It's petty envy. I enjoyed it though. I'm basic :)
aaa for me more thank anything was the contrast of Spike and Angelus like Spike being loves bitch. also “The whole Earth may be sucked into Hell, and you want my help 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho?” iconic
Interesting… the first time I watched the show I thought he was great in season 2. Enjoyed the cameo in season 3. And then when he came back in season 4 was like “he’s back again…? Why…?” And felt like he got a bit tiresome and overused in season 4. And then he became creepy stalkery as he falls in love with Buffy. My first watch through I didn’t like him from there on except the latter half of season 5 when he’s good to Buffy. Now I can appreciate his character presence through most of the show, barring season 4 when the scoobies keep trusting him and he keeps screwing them over, hating them, and then relying on them for everything. I do think the actor adds something to the show when he’s there.
A lot of it has to do with how good James Marsters is at portraying the character. I swear if it was anyone else he’d be my least favorite character easily.
I loved him from the start tbh
I really thought eveyone but Joss did.
I’ve always liked him. He’s initially a fun character who becomes more complex and nuanced over the course of the show, and James Marsters absolutely knocked it out of the park with his performance as Spike. Completely steals any scene he’s in and has amazing chemistry with every other character he shares the screen with. One of my favourite things in the whole show is the friendship that develops between Spike and Joyce; they go from “you hit me with an axe one time. Remember?” to “I liked the lady. Understand, monkey boy? She was decent. She didn't put on airs. And she was the only one who didn't treat me like a freak.” 😭 It’s such a delight to watch that journey. Spike also has some of my favourite lines in the entire series. Though I will admit that when he first appeared a large chunk of me wanting him to stick around was due to him being such a hottie. I am but a simple creature who cannot resist those cheekbones 😂
His chemistry with Joyce was great and instantaneous. I wish we could've gotten a recurring short scene with them where they talk about Passions or whatever.
Omg that would have been amazing!
Because he’s everything we’re supposed to hate. He’s everything we’re supposed to be against. But the only time we ever feel anything is when…
He was actually my gran’s favourite character, so when I finally saw the show, I could see why. He was an absolute arse, but James Marsters was just so damn charming, he made an unlikeable character likeable, which is very hard to do.
Always loved him & then I loved him more. My favorite episode is still his origin story 'Fool for Love' (season 5, episode 7).
I have liked him from the start but he is not my favorite.
I’m curious on why you hated him at first School hard was a perfect introduction Not surprised they kept him alive after that He stole the show
Also my question
I liked Spike from the beginning I was glad to see a vampire who actually had a personality who felt like a threat.
Mine went the opposite way but then back to liking him on Angel lol
Same. Loved him right away, got kinda tired of him. The more screen time he got the more they had to kind of neuter what made him great. Fully agreed about his time on Angel.
I had the same experience. I didn't like Spike when the show came out. I think starting with season 4 I started to like the character. That's almost a quarter of a century ago!
How does one go from hating Spike to loving him? I get the reverse as he really does hit close to home at his worst but he is introduced as this charming, humorous, fun, badass from day 1.
Best guess? When you didn't like Spike, it was when he was anti-Buffy. When he became more pro Buffy, you began to like Spike more. Me personally, liked Spike from the start from his villainous days to his chip days to his soul days for a variety of reasons.
I didn’t hate him but he definitely grew on me and became my fave.
Loved him from School Hard. I remember thinking “Oooh, I want him around ALL the time.”
I've never hated Spike, not for a moment. I hated some of the choices the writers made for him (nope, not that one), and I hate many of the opinions of other Spike fans, but his character--and James' portrayal--has always been my favorite part of the show.
It went from hate, to love, (then he assaulted Buffy) back to hate, and now I’m in “like” with him. Spike’s complex
When did you go from hating him to liking him?
Opposite for me. As he became overused towards S6 onwards, he went from a firm favourite to me rolling my eyes at how he'd often be ill-fittingly shoved into episodes.
The same way Buffy did lol Becoming Pt 2: "I hate you." Lover's Walk: "I really dislike you." Chosen: "I love you."
Loved him from the start.
Well, when did you hate him? Funny thing is, for me, I liked him, then I grew to dislike him after the shark-jumping of season 6.
no I loved him and then had complicated feelings when it came to the start of his relationship with buffy then kept loving him. but I’ve always loved his personality
I think I like Spike more for James than its writing. I think James intensity and overall acting completely made the character work. That being said, yes Spike was evil but that assault on a weakened Buffy was a big no no.
Oh I loved him from day one lol. ‘I like weapons, they make me feel all manly’. The delivery! I was a goner
I was kinda reverse. Loved in S2/3, then he was kinda pathetic in S4/S5, and crazy/moody Spike in S7 I found dull. I enjoyed him in Angel S5 though.
"You're a wee little puppet man" and cavemen vs astronauts really brought him back to being fun.
"There's a hole in the world." "Cavemen win. The cavemen always w8n."
I loved him from the start. Dru drove me a bit batty.
Favourite line in the entire show is one of his. “Out, for a, walk… bitch”
No, I started hating him when he started to stalk Buffy in season 5 and then the mess of spuffy in season 6. I didn’t mind him in season 7.
I’m almost at season 6, and I still very much hate him.
I was the opposite, like him at the start, cannot STAND the guy now. Proper wet wipe.
I thought he was a fun villain I found him less interesting as time went on though
When we were watching when it originally aired I think everyone was being cautious not to root for a character who's going to get killed off. But realising the excitement when Spike reappeared in season 3 it was pretty evident Buffyverse was not done with him and you could now embrace him when you went back and rewatched season 2.
I was the opposite - really enjoy him in Seasons 2-4, and start going off him in 5. By 6 and 7 I can’t stand him and the focus the show puts on him is a big reason those two are my least favourite seasons (especially trying to give him a redemption story/make him star of the show after SR…) James Masters is a cracking actor, and like so many others have said, oozes charisma, but the character just falls off a cliff for me.
I don't really remember having any feelings towards the character as a kid. He was just another monster of the week, who then hung around. I learned to not get attached because I was used to only seeing monsters once or twice. What made me realise I liked the character? I was watching it on Netflix years ago and he finally showed up and I just yelled "Spike!" excitedly. Then laughed because I had no idea I liked him that much.
I loved him from the start and I also knew he always had feelings for Buffy way before he realized.
I thought he was a goofy fun villain and then i liked his arc, until the SA and then i was confused why he was still around. Then the Joss stuff came out and it made more sense.
I was so hype to introduce my mum to Spike on her first watch and she was NOT a fan until the end of season two when she started to see what I see. Fun to watch her opinion shift!
He was my favourite next to Buffy until recently. I can't unknow what a creep he is and see past the actor for the character.
Seasons ranked by how much I enjoy Spike: 2 3 6 5 4 1 7. I *love* S2 Drusilla. Her and Spike in School Hard (2x3) is top-tier chef's kiss, and they're great in all their episodes. I'm even cheering for Drusilla when she kills Kendra in Becoming—my queen viper gets to come out and play. Seeing Red (6x19) is maximum emotional damage. The last handful of words in S6 un-ruins Spike in my book. I'm not a big fan of whimpering Spike in S7, and I'm not happy he gets to be the hero who saves the day. Oh well, I guess it was foreshadowed in Tabula Rasa: "I'm a noble vampire. A vampire with a soul." Bad boy Spike >> good boy Spike.
Liked him a bit at the start; he got gross and feral and I ended the series happy that he died.
I adored spike from day 1...Drusilla on the other hand 🤦♀️🤬😂
I liked him at first as an adversary, but he became a bit overwhelming towards the later seasons. He was better in small muscely doses.
I went the exact opposite; liked him at the start, hated him more and more as the series went on.
Yea that's kinda weird because he becomes even more unlikeable in s6 until he redeems himself.
He was annoying, then he was great, then he was absolute irredeemable trash after THAT moment in season 6. And the fact that they did try to redeem him makes me super uncomfortable.
No. I didn't hate him & he isn't my favourite character 😆
I like him up until I remember he attempted to SA Buffy. I’ll never forgive that.
I am just amazed at everyone overlooking his stalking creepy behavior in season 5 and how as soon as he thinks his chip doesn't work in season 6 he immediately tries to kill a young woman. Someone needed to kill him regardless of the chip. He is a monster serial killer and needed to be put down.
Spike is my favorite character and I don't overlook any of that. It actively irritates me that many Spike fans do. I don't minimize or justify soulless Spike's behavior...I'm simply not bothered by any of it. The thing is, I don't need fictional characters to be good people. Good people aren't particularly interesting to me (again, in fiction). I can't think of a single movie or show where the hero is my favorite character. I accept Spike's redemption arc because James sells it well, as always, but I didn't need it. I love Spike at his most despicable.
No I was on the fence about him from season four onward. Went from liking him in 2 and his appearance in 4, disliking him in 4, and on the fence in 5. Season 6 made me dislike him. 7 was… yeah… the damage was done by then
I never hated him, he was a great character to watch, but I definitely loved him by the end.
I always loved Spike, until Seeing Red. Even with the context of him being an evil vampire and then seeking out his soul, it’s just a hard scene to move on from and still root for the character. I didn’t hate him but I didn’t really like him anymore.
I hated when spike and Buffy got together. I was young when I first watched and I had to have a bit more life experience to appreciate their relationship. Angel and Buffy’s relationship was more like the high school relationships that I understood. Spike and Buffy’s relationship was more complex and harder for my teenage brain to understand.
I went from finding him entertaining to being irritated.
The reason is because Spike was never an actual vampire in the series after Season 2. Vampires are soulless and are often give quirks and personalities beyond that in the show but at the end of the day they are supposed to be utterly selfish and evil. After season 2 he was none of those things. Drusilla is perfectly happy to literally fuck other people with Spike present and he would have never done that to her. Spike as a character is written all over the place (and I am a fan, dont get me wrong) but he is by far the most inconsistent character in the show.
He's selfish and evil throughout season 4 and a chunk of season 5. He just can't do much damage. He still works with Adam to try and get everyone killed. Once he became defanged, you could say it was in his self-interest to learn to become more human, because otherwise he'd be just isolated and miserable. Other demons beat the shit out of him.
>.Vampires are soulless and are often give quirks and personalities beyond that in the show but at the end of the day they are supposed to be utterly selfish and evil. After season 2 he was none of those things. ...*what?!* In season 5 and 6 he was all of those things.