Past-Spike is a buffoon in this episode - you are right (actually, in season 5 present-Spike can be a buffoon too - one of the major hurdles to come to terms with this season, particularly early on, isnt it?) I was always pretty 'meh' about this episode until I started my close viewing and started looking beyond the surface story. And I admit, I love this ep mostly for the ending. I'm shallow - show my boy as superior to Angel, even for a minute and I'll buy anything ;) I can accept Spike-the-slightly-dense and Spike-the-stupidly-arrogant in the past because that's clearly not what he is in the present and I think this is what the writers are trying to show us.
I watched season five before I watched any other season of Angel and I remember, on first viewing thinking 'why are they making Spike so stupid???' With repeated viewings i've realised that with Angel, all the other characters service him and his story almost completely - they get very little "life" outside of that purpose. Spike is no different really - his purpose in the story is always to explore some aspect of Angel - unfortunately, this often neccesitates overt dickheadedness; it's usually tempered with Angel being equally juvenile though.
I watched season five before I watched any other season of Angel and I remember, on first viewing thinking 'why are they making Spike so stupid???' With repeated viewings i've realised that with Angel, all the other characters service him and his story almost completely - they get very little "life" outside of that purpose. Spike is no different really - his purpose in the story is always to explore some aspect of Angel - unfortunately, this often neccesitates overt dickheadedness; it's usually tempered with Angel being equally juvenile though.
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