Musings on why Spike never called Buffy during AtS 5
I wrote the a little pre-season 9 fanfic on why I thought Spike kept his distance after Chosen and I realized recently that what I wrote wasn't really enough. There is more reason or facets as to why I believe Spike never called or went back to Buffy after he re-corporealized (that even a word?).
First I want to state what I really, honestly think about AtS season 5 Spike. He was written a bit regressed. I was thinking about Spike in BtVS on season 7, and I thought he was still a bad ass and he was still a bit jaded, but ultimately a good guy, a real hero type. But not the boring kind like Superman. He was still a jackass, he was still an idiot. But he was good, kinda like Wolverine. Which is a really good thing. I love Spike to bits in Season 7. And I think Buffy brings out the best in him.
Second I really want to say is that Spike was brought back and was kept away from Buffy (which I think the character wouldn't really do if he had his way) solely because of money, ratings and the network. So the writers made crap excuses to keep him away and thus he stayed on the show. And that is what we as fans have to deal with.
In season 8, from what I heard about, Buffy needed Spike still. I know it's not all about Buffy and Spuffy. Spike needs to grow too, and I think that is what the writers were trying to pull during AtS 5. But they didn't do a good job. In fact it's hard to swallow. Spike should have called Buffy to let her know he was alive for friendship sake. But instead he ended up looking as if he abandoned her and Buffy has issues with abandonment. So really, he hurt her again, not intentionally, but still he stung her. I also know Buffy hurt him too, but still being mature is growing up and being the bigger man/vamp/whatever. That really isn't the issue, my point was that for some reason the writers thought they had to hurt the Spuffy relationship to better Spike.
Spike was around people who disliked him (minus Fred) and around Angel who he hated, all during AtS 5. Doesn't seem right. And Angel said that Spike wouldn't help because as soon as Spike got his body back he would go back to Buffy. I'm pretty sure Angel and group talked about Spike, basically shit talked about Spike being bad even with a soul and that he would ignore those in need for his own personal gain. And think those words got back to Spike somehow. Of course Spike wanted to prove them wrong which is why I think he never called Buffy. He knew if she asked he would be right back at her side and he wanted to show others that he could be good too, a hero and a champion, without it being all about a woman, by being his own man.
And I think the writers wanted to show Spike standing on his own. For his whole unlife and most of his human life Spike has been revolving around love and his special woman (whoever that is at the time). And maybe Spike wanted to do that, be a good guy, on his own, under his own terms without it being attached to pleasing a woman. I get that very much and honestly that sounds like a wonderful idea. But the writers really went to town making Spike seem like too much of jaded good guy. Sure, let Spike be a drinker, a smoker, a jackass, let him make dumb mistakes and be a general pig. That's who he is now. But with his soul, honestly, he is a the original article on good guyness. He doesn't even really need to try, he just is. Spike, to me, will always be a good guy trying to be bad. Angel is the bad guy trying to be good.
I suppose the writers did want Spike to make a dumb mistake in not calling Buffy, to go about his new journey all wrong, setting off on the wrong foot. I don't like Brian Lynch's interpretation on Spike in his Spike comics, because he pegs Spike too much like an uncaring bad guy that does good just because he feels bad or because he wants to. I do agree that Spike does see himself as being lower or not as good as Angel, which I think is another dumb thought from Spike. He isn't lower than Angel. That's another reason Spike stayed I think, he was living in Angel's shadow because he thought he could maybe learn to be better from him. Hey, he learned to be a monster from Angelus, maybe he could learn to be a champion from souled Angel. Stupid, but that's our Spike.
Spike, the smoking, drinking, snarking jackass with a soul is a good man who does better than Angel at being a champion. Well, that's my opinion anyway. Angel deceived and manipulated Buffy all during season 8 and he made some big mistakes on his own show and the early seasons of BtVS. Yeah, I don't like Angel and really try not to bash him, but the general preference for Angel as the good vamp rubs me the wrong way. Sure Angel is interesting and can be a hero, but so much of it relies on his redemption, which I think is a bit selfish on his part. This is going off topic, sorry.
Anyway, Spike stayed away because he wanted to be his own man, to be a hero in his own right, because he wanted Buffy to remember him as such, and because he was sacred about having that "I love you" retracted. Eventually he stayed away and never called because too much time elapsed (you know when you have to do something but forget to do it until it's too late? Same deal). Things happened and he just didn't contact Buffy, he probably always thought, "one day" but those one days usually never come. So of course he has to run into Buffy having sex with Angel in season 8 when she was at her lowest.
Honestly Spike could have been his own man and been there for Buffy. If he did that the whole of season 8 would have been different and probably Spike and Buffy would have grown better as characters. But the writers wanted rantings, money and angst. Not the good angst though, the frustrating, head scratching kind that made season 8 so bad and weird.
I'm hoping in season 9 we get to see the real Spike, the good guy trying to be bad, being the hero he now is and Buffy healing (and getting over Angel for good, god that vamp has done so much damage to her). I want Buffy's story to end and for her to have her peace. I want Spike to find happiness but continue his struggles by righting the wrongs of his past. Bittersweet for spuffy yet good for the characters.
I know this went everywhere, sorry but I hope I got my point across. I do think most of the time the writers do a wonderful job, just sometimes they really derail stuff. Spike not calling Buffy was one of them in my humble opinion.
Meow?
First I want to state what I really, honestly think about AtS season 5 Spike. He was written a bit regressed. I was thinking about Spike in BtVS on season 7, and I thought he was still a bad ass and he was still a bit jaded, but ultimately a good guy, a real hero type. But not the boring kind like Superman. He was still a jackass, he was still an idiot. But he was good, kinda like Wolverine. Which is a really good thing. I love Spike to bits in Season 7. And I think Buffy brings out the best in him.
Second I really want to say is that Spike was brought back and was kept away from Buffy (which I think the character wouldn't really do if he had his way) solely because of money, ratings and the network. So the writers made crap excuses to keep him away and thus he stayed on the show. And that is what we as fans have to deal with.
In season 8, from what I heard about, Buffy needed Spike still. I know it's not all about Buffy and Spuffy. Spike needs to grow too, and I think that is what the writers were trying to pull during AtS 5. But they didn't do a good job. In fact it's hard to swallow. Spike should have called Buffy to let her know he was alive for friendship sake. But instead he ended up looking as if he abandoned her and Buffy has issues with abandonment. So really, he hurt her again, not intentionally, but still he stung her. I also know Buffy hurt him too, but still being mature is growing up and being the bigger man/vamp/whatever. That really isn't the issue, my point was that for some reason the writers thought they had to hurt the Spuffy relationship to better Spike.
Spike was around people who disliked him (minus Fred) and around Angel who he hated, all during AtS 5. Doesn't seem right. And Angel said that Spike wouldn't help because as soon as Spike got his body back he would go back to Buffy. I'm pretty sure Angel and group talked about Spike, basically shit talked about Spike being bad even with a soul and that he would ignore those in need for his own personal gain. And think those words got back to Spike somehow. Of course Spike wanted to prove them wrong which is why I think he never called Buffy. He knew if she asked he would be right back at her side and he wanted to show others that he could be good too, a hero and a champion, without it being all about a woman, by being his own man.
And I think the writers wanted to show Spike standing on his own. For his whole unlife and most of his human life Spike has been revolving around love and his special woman (whoever that is at the time). And maybe Spike wanted to do that, be a good guy, on his own, under his own terms without it being attached to pleasing a woman. I get that very much and honestly that sounds like a wonderful idea. But the writers really went to town making Spike seem like too much of jaded good guy. Sure, let Spike be a drinker, a smoker, a jackass, let him make dumb mistakes and be a general pig. That's who he is now. But with his soul, honestly, he is a the original article on good guyness. He doesn't even really need to try, he just is. Spike, to me, will always be a good guy trying to be bad. Angel is the bad guy trying to be good.
I suppose the writers did want Spike to make a dumb mistake in not calling Buffy, to go about his new journey all wrong, setting off on the wrong foot. I don't like Brian Lynch's interpretation on Spike in his Spike comics, because he pegs Spike too much like an uncaring bad guy that does good just because he feels bad or because he wants to. I do agree that Spike does see himself as being lower or not as good as Angel, which I think is another dumb thought from Spike. He isn't lower than Angel. That's another reason Spike stayed I think, he was living in Angel's shadow because he thought he could maybe learn to be better from him. Hey, he learned to be a monster from Angelus, maybe he could learn to be a champion from souled Angel. Stupid, but that's our Spike.
Spike, the smoking, drinking, snarking jackass with a soul is a good man who does better than Angel at being a champion. Well, that's my opinion anyway. Angel deceived and manipulated Buffy all during season 8 and he made some big mistakes on his own show and the early seasons of BtVS. Yeah, I don't like Angel and really try not to bash him, but the general preference for Angel as the good vamp rubs me the wrong way. Sure Angel is interesting and can be a hero, but so much of it relies on his redemption, which I think is a bit selfish on his part. This is going off topic, sorry.
Anyway, Spike stayed away because he wanted to be his own man, to be a hero in his own right, because he wanted Buffy to remember him as such, and because he was sacred about having that "I love you" retracted. Eventually he stayed away and never called because too much time elapsed (you know when you have to do something but forget to do it until it's too late? Same deal). Things happened and he just didn't contact Buffy, he probably always thought, "one day" but those one days usually never come. So of course he has to run into Buffy having sex with Angel in season 8 when she was at her lowest.
Honestly Spike could have been his own man and been there for Buffy. If he did that the whole of season 8 would have been different and probably Spike and Buffy would have grown better as characters. But the writers wanted rantings, money and angst. Not the good angst though, the frustrating, head scratching kind that made season 8 so bad and weird.
I'm hoping in season 9 we get to see the real Spike, the good guy trying to be bad, being the hero he now is and Buffy healing (and getting over Angel for good, god that vamp has done so much damage to her). I want Buffy's story to end and for her to have her peace. I want Spike to find happiness but continue his struggles by righting the wrongs of his past. Bittersweet for spuffy yet good for the characters.
I know this went everywhere, sorry but I hope I got my point across. I do think most of the time the writers do a wonderful job, just sometimes they really derail stuff. Spike not calling Buffy was one of them in my humble opinion.
Meow?