Intervention Essay
Well here it is - finally! I've been tweaking it all morning, and it's not going to get anymore finished, so I'll just post now...
I watched ‘Intervention’ the other night and it set about a million thoughts in motion. The amazing thing about Buffy is that you can keep finding things. I’ve read various reviews and analysis of this episode since I last watched it, and I caught so many more things. But instead of leaving me satisfied, it made me think even more - so much so, that I felt compelled to write it all down. I apologise in advance for repeating what other people might have said better, and for stating opinions as facts. Hopefully there are a few original thoughts in among all the other stuff!
Exploring various themes I wander deep into s6 territory, which is why I added the ‘consequences’ bit in the title. Also, this is mainly about S/B and how their relationship changes. Well, on with the show:
Intervention - themes and consequences
The start of the episode establishes the theme: Love. And this theme is mentioned all the way through. Buffy tells Giles and Dawn that she loves them. Dawn is a bit freaked and Buffy says: “Weird love is better than no love.” Cut to Spike, Warren and the BuffyBot - v. obvious point being made. Later when Glory is telling her minions to find The Key, she says: “If you love me... get it for me!” Then there is the spirit-guide telling Buffy: “Love is pain” and “Love will lead you to your gift”. All of these points I will come back to.
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To begin, I’ll use two quotes - one from the beginning, one from the end, that establish how the theme is explored:
Spike, talking to Warren about the Bot: ‘Some say it's better'n the real thing.’
Buffy, talking to Spike about the Bot: ‘That ... thing, it ... it wasn't even real.’
The Bot was built to ‘love’ Spike, to interact in a certain way. What can that tell us about Spike’s view of love? Spike is evil and soulless, can his love be real? Buffy fears that she is losing the ability to love - is that the reality? The Scoobies do not realise that the Bot is not the ‘real’ Buffy - and so on. Love and reality.
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But first we have to go back to the very beginning of the episode, because Buffy has a very interesting conversation with Giles - she’s worried that being the Slayer is making her hard - unable to love. And I have to say, that their interaction in this episode is beautiful. The trust and love they show each other is heartbreaking, when considered in the light of what’s to come. Especially Giles’ line: “All I can say is i-it will get better.” Talk about jinx!
Anyway, from their conversation these lines particularly stood out:
Buffy: And now my mom is gone ... and I loved her more than anything ... and ... I don't know if she knew.
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Buffy: To slay, to kill ... i-it means being hard on the inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to love at all. I already feel like I can hardly say the words.
But this thing started a long time before - it started with Angel. It’s fairly obvious that she shut down a part of herself after he left. She admits as much:
I was never there for Riley, not like I was for Angel.
She never told Riley that she loved him, and I don’t know that she would have even if she did. She learned the hard way that love can hurt you, so she pulls away from it even though she wants it.
She very rarely says ‘I love you’ from then on. And the fact that she only tells Spike when he was dying, is very telling. I think she was putting it off, because it was so hard for her. And then she was suddenly there, and if she didn’t tell him, she’d never be sure that he knew. It would be her mother all over again.
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Now, joining Spike and the BuffyBot for a while, they have some interesting conversations. The most insightful of them being the post-sex one. And here I just have to stop and take a deep breath because: The Hair! The Hair! Could Spike possibly be more gorgeous? Can I have a SpikeBot please, with hair like that? Sigh. *tries to calm down* Ok, back on track.
BuffyBot: You're evil.
Spike: And that excites you?
BuffyBot: It excites me, it terrifies me ... I try so hard to resist you and I can't.
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Spike: (quietly) You know I can't bite to you.
BuffyBot: I think you can. I think you can if I let you, and I want to let you. I want you to bite me and devour me until there's no more.
Spike: (smiles) Like this? (he nibbles at her neck with blunt teeth)
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BuffyBot: Should I start this program over?
Spike: Shh! (frowns) No programs. Don't use that word. Just be Buffy.
And with those three little words he reveals so much!
He wants Buffy, but since he can’t have the real thing, he’ll settle for an illusion. And - because there is an upside to this - the illusion will be what he wants it to be. Not as hard as ‘the other, not so pleasant Buffy’. The Bot can fight well and, thanks to all the ‘special skills’ (going by Warren’s high-pitched squealing laugh as he says those words, me thinks that Spike has a very fertile imagination), she can obviously make Spike a very happy boy!
The other thing is, that loving Buffy is bringing out Spike’s humanity. The Bot asks him to bite her, but he doesn’t. What he wants from her (Buffy as showcased by the Bot) is love and trust, and when he gets them, it brings out the best in him. If he was truly ‘evil’ he would do nasty things to the Bot - humiliate or degrade it - but there is no evidence of this. (As a matter of fact, the first (sexual) thing he does is to go down on ‘her’! His assumed sex-god attributes permanently cemented there and then).
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But onto the next bit. One major plot-point in the episode is the fact that the Scoobies think that Buffy is sleeping with Spike. Now the whole having-sex-with-Spike-thing in s6 is very interesting in the light of this. The Scoobies assume that Buffy has probably gone slightly insane, what with her mom dying and a hell god wanting to kill her sister. And (surprisingly?) - they are actually incredibly nice and open-minded about it! Especially Willow, who is rather insightful:
Willow: I, I'm just trying to figure out why this happened, and I, I think with ... your mom and everything ... everyone was being all sympathetic, and, and making you feel weak. A-and Spike wasn't like that. So, just this one time, you just ... did something kinda ... crazy.
Now this is sort of reversed in the start of s6, when Spike is the only one being sympathetic and letting Buffy be weak. And it shows that Spike understands her very well, and Willow seems to get that. So when Buffy later in the episode finds out what happened, and for a short time has to deal with ‘you slept with Spike, but we’re trying to understand’, it’s not that bad really.
So I think one of the main reasons she keeps it so very quiet in s6, is that if her friends find out, they will stop her from doing it again. In Intervention they are very understanding and gentle, but they want to help her STOP! And s6 Buffy for a long time doesn’t want to stop - at least not yet! Since Spike is her only outlet, she wants to keep him there - just in case. And her friends would never let her be able to do that. But they wouldn’t be able to provide another outlet either, so she sticks with Spike until she finally finds the strength to stop.
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But back to the Scoobies: Xander goes to talk to Spike, to stop him from ‘taking advantage’ of Buffy. The following conversation ensues (these being the main parts):
Spike: She's upset about her mum. And if she turns to me for comfort, well, I'm not gonna deny it to her. I'm not a monster.
Xander: Yes. You are a monster. Vampires are monsters. They make monster movies about them.
Spike: (sarcastic) Well, yeah, you got me there.
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Xander: Spike, Buffy has lots of friends, and we love her very much, and we'll do whatever it takes to protect her. Now if that means killing you, then, well, that's just a bonus.
And isn’t it interesting how much more sympathetic Xander is here, compared to Entropy/SR. This is Xander with his life sorted, who wants to look out for his friend who’s obviously gone off the rails. As he says in SR, Buffy’s private life used to be his business - here he doesn’t even hesitate in confronting Spike.
Also, he is sure of who Buffy is. He knows her well, and understands that only something extraordinary would make her behave in this fashion. But by the end of s6, he is confused about everything, and he realises that he doesn’t understand one of his best friends anymore.
Their conversation in SR is very telling - and notice how Buffy (almost) defends her decision to sleep with Spike and brings up how the Scoobies pulled her out of heaven (subjects that are usually not-talked-about):
Xander: I know why Anya ... I understand, I do. (shaking his head) But you...
Xander: (still shaking head) All those times I told Spike to get lost ... that he didn't have a chance with a girl like you. (laughs bitterly)
Buffy: You don't know how hard it's been.
Xander: What, lying to me?
Buffy: (angrily) Being here. After I was brought back.
Xander looks chastised. Buffy sighs, calms down.
Buffy: You have no idea how hard it is just being here.
Xander: You could have told me.
Buffy: You didn't want to know.
Xander: So you went to him instead?
Buffy: Xander, what I do with my personal life is none of your business.
Xander: (softly) It used to be.
Oh, Xander. And the incredible thing is, that he’s been like this from the beginning. This is from Prophecy Girl:
Xander: Um... You know, Buffy, uh, Spring Fling is a... time for students to gather and... Oh, God! (takes a breath) Buffy, I want you to go to the dance with me. You and me, on a date.
She turns him down, very gently.
Xander: Nah. Forget it. (gets up) I'm not him. I mean, I guess a guy's gotta be undead to make time with you.
I think Xander very much sees Buffy as ‘A Hero’ (much like Andrew does) and gets angry (and/or disappointed) when she fails to fit the mould. And then tries to get her back in. She’s ‘His Friend, His Hero’. And the fact that he (and the rest of the Scoobies) think that she’ll pick up again with no problems after they bring her back, is probably due to this. Of course Spike doesn’t let himself be fooled - he has always been able to see though her (from ‘Lovers Walk’): Buffy: I can fool Giles, and I can fool my friends, but I can't fool myself. - Or Spike, for some reason. And I think the closer he gets, the more uncomfortable this becomes. In ‘Smashed’ when he calls out after her: “It's only a matter of time before you realise I'm the only one here for you, pet. You got no one else!”, she knows it is true. And it’s not something she wants to think about, which might explain her sudden hostility.
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On a side note, this episode is Spander extraordinaire. I mean these lines alone:
Xander: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.
Buffy: (firmly) I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm starting to think that you might be.
And later:
Xander: God, I feel ... kind of bad for the guy. Gets all whupped and his best toy gets taken away.
Actually Xander is friendly towards Spike all the way up to ‘Afterlife’. They’re not friends, but reach some sort of mutual understanding. Only as soon as Buffy’s back, it stops. But then Xander never liked Angel either, he obviously has problems with his hero having non-human (boy)friends. It’s no surprise that he’s the one who tried to salvage her relationship with Riley!
As concerns Willow, her main worry upon finding out in s6 that Buffy has been sleeping with Spike is ‘Was I the only one who didn’t know? She’s concerned she was ‘left out’ (I guess those nerd-issues run pretty deep).
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On to the next part. In s5 there is a trio of Spike-centric episodes: ‘Fool For Love’, ‘Crush’ and 'Intervention’. I will briefly look at how they are connected.
First about FFL. We, the audience (and to a lesser degree Buffy), are treated to a tour of Spike’s life, learning about his past and where his great capacity for love comes from. And also we see how his love for Buffy is changing him - and her. Here is a quote from a review by Billie:
That scene at the end had me tingling; Spike was touching Buffy, and she was letting him. Their relationship has changed, big time.
Another reviewer mentioned how interesting it is, that Spike and Riley could be exchanged in the first and the last scene, showing how similar their relationships to Buffy are becoming. (review here)
In ‘Crush’ we have Spike declaring his feelings, and Buffy shutting him down completely - even dis-inviting him (and his face when he realises - meep!). (I will write a separate essay on Crush someday, which is why I’m so brief).
And in ‘Intervention’ of course, Spike manages to prove his love much better than he had ever hoped in ‘Crush’. The point being that Buffy might never have found out!
So we have these 3 episodes - first the viewers are shown the origin of Spike’s love and how it’s changing him, then he tries to communicate it to Buffy, and finally he succeeds. (I hope you don’t mind the sketchy state of the observations).
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Anyway, back on track. Lets get to The Quest. The way this is shot, the music, the dreamlike quality... it’s just gorgeously done!
But then the Spirit Guide appears, and Buffy’s questions are answered in a way she didn’t expect. I’ll quote this whole exchange, because it’s just so darn interesting:
Buffy: I have a few questions ... about being the Slayer. What about ... love? Not just boyfriend love.
First Slayer: You think you're losing your ability to love.
Buffy: I-I didn't say that. (sighs) Yeah.
First Slayer: You're afraid that being the Slayer means losing your humanity.
Buffy: Does it?
First Slayer: You are full of love. You love with all of your soul. It's brighter than the fire ... blinding. That's why you pull away from it.
Buffy: (surprised) I'm full of love? I'm not losing it?
First Slayer: Only if you reject it. Love is pain, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love ... give ... forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift.
Buffy: (pause) What?
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Buffy: I-I'm sorry, I, I'm just a little confused. I'm full of love, which is nice, and ... love will lead me to my gift?
First Slayer: Yes.
Buffy: I'm getting a gift? Or, or do you mean that, that I have a gift to give to someone else?
First Slayer: Death is your gift.
Buffy: Death ...
First Slayer: Is your gift.
Buffy: Okay, no. Death is not a gift. My mother just died. I know this. If I have to kill demons because it makes the world a better place, then I kill demons, but it's not a gift to anybody.
Now there are a lot of love-pain-fire images knocking about in the Buffy-verse. I’ll quote a few more:
What’s My Line Pt.2:
Kendra: Emotions are weakness, Buffy. You shouldn't entertain dem.
Buffy: Kendra, my emotions give me power. They're total assets!
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Buffy: ... You're good, but power alone isn't enough. A good fighter needs to know how to improvise, to go with the flow. Uh-uh, seriously, don't get me wrong, y-you really do have potential.
Kendra: Potential? I could wipe de floor wit you right now!
Buffy: That would be anger you're feeling.
Kendra: What?
Buffy: You feel it, right? How the anger gives you fire? A Slayer needs that.
Something Blue:
Buffy: I don't know. I really like being around him [Riley], you know? And I think he cares about me.. but.. I just.. feel like something's missing.
Willow: He's not making you miserable?
Buffy: Exactly. Riley seems so solid. Like he wouldn't cause me heartache.
Willow: Get out. Get out while there's still time.
Buffy: I know.. I have to get away from that bad boy thing. There's no good there. Seeing Angel in LA.. even for five minutes.. hello to the pain.
Willow: The pain is not a friend.
Buffy: But I can't help thinking - isn't that where the fire comes from? Can a nice, safe relationship be that intense? I know it's nuts, but.. part of me believes that real love and passion have to go hand in hand with pain and fighting.
Buffy stakes a vamp without breaking stride.
Buffy: I wonder where I get that from.
And, this is from Seeing Red:
Buffy: I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love.
Spike: Trust is for old marrieds, Buffy. Great love is wild ... and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes.
Buffy: Until there's nothing left. Love like that doesn't last.
Spike: I know you feel like I do. You don't have to hide it anymore.
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Now, about the ‘death is your gift’ something struck me this time. It was these lines:
Buffy: I'm getting a gift? Or, or do you mean that, that I have a gift to give to someone else?
First Slayer: Death is your gift.
And of course it’s both! (Clever show - who could have foreseen that at the end of s5?) It’s her gift to Dawn (and the world) and Spike’s gift to her (and the world)! I’m sorry if I’m being obvious, but for some reason I had never thought about ‘Chosen’ in the light of this before. It just made me happy.
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Buffy is afraid that all the killing is making her numb, because she knows that emotions are her strength. She needs the fire to be who she is (“I want the fire back”) and I think this is what Spike responds so strongly to, since he is also almost completely emotions-driven.
He tells her in ‘Fool For Love’ that it’s her ties to the world - the people she loves - that keep her there. And she never doubts his words. Because Spike - self-proclaimed ‘Love’s Bitch’ - knows love and - somehow - knows her too.
And if she’s losing her ability to love - her connection to the world - does that doom her to an early grave? The average life span of a Slayer is not very long! These are obviously questions she has thought hard about before she talks to Giles.
She gets answers from the First Slayer, but not the clear-cut ones she was hoping for. Love is pain and the Slayer forges strength from pain. If ever a few words could be said to sum up the show, these would be they! Is there a single relationship on BtVS or Angel that does not lead to pain?
BUT - what would the shows be without the love? Why are people so fiercely fighting over whether Buffy loved Angel or Spike the best? Love is one of the greatest motivators - for good (Spike willing to die for Buffy) and bad (Willow going off the deep end after Tara’s murder).
But there is another side to love - this is from the Angel episode ‘Sacrifice':
Wesley: And how does your kind define "love"?
Demon: Same as all bodies. Same as everywheres. Love is sacrifice.
This is also Glory’s definition. She expects her minions to do anything she asks - because they love her. Because they worship her. She does not understand that someone (like Spike) might not. When he taunts her, she is for a moment as lost as Illyria (You do not worship me at all, do you?, ‘Underneath’).
But Illyria is more adaptable than Glory - Illyria learns that there is more to love than sacrifice or worship. Glory never does. She fails to understand Spike’s motivation. She tries to break him and fails miserably. Whereas he with a few words manages to unsettle her enough for her to kick him across the room, enabling him to escape. And, to use his own words, although he is sarcastic, it is a good plan! He uses his talents to get her to do all the work!
Lastly - as he slowly pries the lift doors open he says something very strange for a vampire: “Oh, God.” I’m not sure about the significance of this, so I’ll leave it up in the air.
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Now, let’s get on to how all the love/pain/fire ties in with the reality-theme. At the end of ‘Intervention’ we get that wonderful line:
“What you did.. that was real. I won’t forget it”
This is the point where Buffy acknowledges that Spike’s feelings are real, and from then on she trusts him. From ‘The Gift’:
Buffy: I'm counting on you ... to protect her.
She trusts him with the most important thing in her life. And this at a point when she trusts no-one but herself. But she knows and understands that Spike’s love ties him to her, and she uses that.
But I think there is more to it - I think that at this point Spike’s love gives her hope. She’s worried that being the Slayer makes her unable to love, but here is Spike, an evil vampire who is capable of loving her - who’s ready to die for her. And if he’s able to love, surely she is too.
Now this gets horribly reversed in s6. I think that however wonderful the two of them are together in the beginning, it could only have taken a turn for the worse after OMWF. Spike’s song brought about an abrupt change, but this might have happened anyway (although more gradually) even if Sweet had never been summoned.
Because the love that buoyed Buffy up at the end of s5, becomes an affront. How can Spike love so much, when she can’t feel anything? Their songs are almost exact opposites - Buffy feels dead inside, Spike feel alive. So of course she comes to him to ‘get the fire back’, since she knows that he is consumed by it (‘the torch I bear is scorching me’). But - and the_royal_anna has said this much better - she can’t win. She tries to deny his feelings, but goes to him to recapture her own. So she goes back and forth and attempts to deny his feelings over and over again, deny the reality she acknowledged in ‘Intervention’:
Smashed:
Spike: A man can change.
Buffy: You're not a man. You're a thing (...) An evil, disgusting, thing.
And notice how she puts him in the same category as the Bot. ‘Things’ don’t have feelings!
(It is not until s7, that they get back to where they were in 'Intervention'. This is from 'Beneath You':
Spike: ... All I can say is: Buffy, I've changed.
Buffy: I believe you.)
But going back to s6:
Dead Things:
Buffy: You don't ... have a soul! There is nothing good or clean in you. You are dead inside! You can't feel anything real!
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Spike: You always hurt ... the one you love, pet.
Here of course she’s talking about herself. And although she seems to realise this when he answers her, she doesn’t act upon it then.
But then we get ‘As You Were’:
Buffy: Tell me you love me.
Spike: I love you. You know I do.
Buffy: Tell me you want me.
Spike: I always want you. In point of fact-
Buffy: Shut up.
This exchange particularly ties in with Intervention. Spike wanted the illusion of reality when he commissioned the Bot. He stopped it from reminding him that it wasn’t real (Don’t use that word [program]).
But Buffy at this point wants the illusion of a Bot. When she needs his love, she uses it shamelessly. But she is playing with fire. The BuffyBot (and Warren’s girlfriendBot) was very single minded in it’s ‘love’ - and potentially very dangerous. And Spike’s feelings are real - however much she tries, she can’t turn them off.
But I think what makes the break-up real, and this has been said a thousand times, is the fact that Buffy stops pretending. And although I think Spike is hurt, on some level he is probably happy that she has found some strength again:
Buffy: I can't love you. I'm just ... being weak, and selfish...
Spike: Really not complaining here.
Buffy: ...and it's killing me.
Spike frowns.
Buffy: I have to be strong about this.
He continues staring at her.
Buffy: I'm sorry ... William.
And - most importantly - she’s not treating him like ‘a thing’ anymore - she acknowledges him as a person. Just look at how sweet they are in ‘Hell's Bells’.
But...it’s not that easy. Here’s ‘Normal Again’:
Spike: You all right?
Buffy: You need to leave me alone. You're not part of my life.
Spike: Fine, then.
She tries so hard to push him away, but unlike Angel and Riley he wont go, which might explain why she says the following - she’s trying to shut him down like she did in ‘Crush’:
Entropy:
Spike: ...I've tried to make it clear to you, but you won't see it. (pauses) Something happened to me. The way I feel ... about you ... it's different. And no matter how hard you try to convince yourself it isn't, it's real.
Buffy: I think it is.
Beat. He looks at her.
Buffy: For you.
I think this is the moment that finally pushes him over the edge. After that he goes looking for a numbing spell, sleeps with Anya, does not defend himself against Xander and tries a last confrontation with Buffy, intending to apologise, before everything goes so terribly, terribly wrong!
And I’m sure that the reason for the AR is that she finally admits to some feelings for him. Because he is very much Spike from ‘Crush’ here:
Spike: No, it's not that easy. We have something, Buffy. It's not pretty, but it's real, and there's nothing either one of us can do about it... Like it or not, I'm in your life, you can't just shut me out.
She could then, but she can’t now. She’s let him in again and again. And when she finally admits to some feelings - throwing him that crumb he was begging for in ‘Crush’ (after denying feeling anything at all for so long), he desperately wants to connect - to make it more. And since sex is the only way she’s let him connect with her, that is what he goes for - with near fatal consequences. That is the best explanation I’ve seen and it rings true.
But that’s not what I want to focus on. When he says: ‘I know you feel like I do’ it is not about her feelings for him, since even at that point he’s not delusional enough to think that she loves him the same way he loves her. What he means is ‘I know that you have the same concept of what love is, as I do.’ And she does (see quote from Something Blue)! What he can’t see is why she can’t/won’t let herself give in. Because - as Faith-in-Buffy’s-body put it: “It would be wrong!”.
She can’t let herself, because he doesn’t have a soul, so when he comes back with a soul, I think she’s completely thrown for a while. She pulls back very sharply post-’Beneath You’, which I think is what what she usually does (f.ex. Smashed), but after that she slowly lets him in... ( I love s7, but will not go there today).
I’m not sure whether or not Spike is redeemable without a soul, but the fact that he doesn’t have a moral compass is the main problem. It’s not: ‘He’s evil!!!’ - it’s: ‘He can’t be trusted to make the right decisions on his own.’ He often does, but at other times (like siring his mother) he gets it horribly wrong. And in s6 the person he looks to for guidance - Buffy - is in no state to show him the right way. And it is only when he hurts her - when his own feelings of guilt show him that he did wrong - that he takes action:
Seeing Red:
Spike: Why do I feel this way?
Clem: Love's a funny thing.
Spike: Is that what this is?
He then goes on to blame the chip, but as someone clever pointed out, it is actually guilt he’s feeling. And I think that this is what he instinctively understands in ‘Intervention’: “I couldn't live, her bein' in that much pain.” That is, “I couldn’t live with the guilt of knowing that I’d caused her that much pain”. And when he does cause her pain - the last thing he ever wanted to - he takes drastic action.
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And as for the ending... I have no idea how it is possible, but Spike is undeniably beautiful, even though he is so badly beaten that he can barely move.
But - the most incredible moment comes, when Buffy realises what Spike did for her. She suddenly sees the man and not the monster. And I think the kiss is a spontaneous reaction to that. It is the exact opposite of Cecily’s: “But I do see you William, that’s the problem. You’re nothing. You’re beneath me.” Buffy sees him - and she sees ‘The wisest and bravest knight in all the land’. She has an - epiphany? And I don’t think anyone else ever sees him that way - at least not until after ‘Chosen’.
This is the moment she lets him in, the moment she gives him that crumb he was begging for in ‘Crush’. And these words must still be in her head: “Love is pain, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love ... give ... forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift.” Buffy understands a part of it then - and consequently she does not reject Spike’s love. Instead she affirms it, using these words: “What you did... that was real.” - and a kiss.
That kiss is the start of Spuffy.
I watched ‘Intervention’ the other night and it set about a million thoughts in motion. The amazing thing about Buffy is that you can keep finding things. I’ve read various reviews and analysis of this episode since I last watched it, and I caught so many more things. But instead of leaving me satisfied, it made me think even more - so much so, that I felt compelled to write it all down. I apologise in advance for repeating what other people might have said better, and for stating opinions as facts. Hopefully there are a few original thoughts in among all the other stuff!
Exploring various themes I wander deep into s6 territory, which is why I added the ‘consequences’ bit in the title. Also, this is mainly about S/B and how their relationship changes. Well, on with the show:
Intervention - themes and consequences
The start of the episode establishes the theme: Love. And this theme is mentioned all the way through. Buffy tells Giles and Dawn that she loves them. Dawn is a bit freaked and Buffy says: “Weird love is better than no love.” Cut to Spike, Warren and the BuffyBot - v. obvious point being made. Later when Glory is telling her minions to find The Key, she says: “If you love me... get it for me!” Then there is the spirit-guide telling Buffy: “Love is pain” and “Love will lead you to your gift”. All of these points I will come back to.
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To begin, I’ll use two quotes - one from the beginning, one from the end, that establish how the theme is explored:
Spike, talking to Warren about the Bot: ‘Some say it's better'n the real thing.’
Buffy, talking to Spike about the Bot: ‘That ... thing, it ... it wasn't even real.’
The Bot was built to ‘love’ Spike, to interact in a certain way. What can that tell us about Spike’s view of love? Spike is evil and soulless, can his love be real? Buffy fears that she is losing the ability to love - is that the reality? The Scoobies do not realise that the Bot is not the ‘real’ Buffy - and so on. Love and reality.
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But first we have to go back to the very beginning of the episode, because Buffy has a very interesting conversation with Giles - she’s worried that being the Slayer is making her hard - unable to love. And I have to say, that their interaction in this episode is beautiful. The trust and love they show each other is heartbreaking, when considered in the light of what’s to come. Especially Giles’ line: “All I can say is i-it will get better.” Talk about jinx!
Anyway, from their conversation these lines particularly stood out:
Buffy: And now my mom is gone ... and I loved her more than anything ... and ... I don't know if she knew.
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Buffy: To slay, to kill ... i-it means being hard on the inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to love at all. I already feel like I can hardly say the words.
But this thing started a long time before - it started with Angel. It’s fairly obvious that she shut down a part of herself after he left. She admits as much:
I was never there for Riley, not like I was for Angel.
She never told Riley that she loved him, and I don’t know that she would have even if she did. She learned the hard way that love can hurt you, so she pulls away from it even though she wants it.
She very rarely says ‘I love you’ from then on. And the fact that she only tells Spike when he was dying, is very telling. I think she was putting it off, because it was so hard for her. And then she was suddenly there, and if she didn’t tell him, she’d never be sure that he knew. It would be her mother all over again.
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Now, joining Spike and the BuffyBot for a while, they have some interesting conversations. The most insightful of them being the post-sex one. And here I just have to stop and take a deep breath because: The Hair! The Hair! Could Spike possibly be more gorgeous? Can I have a SpikeBot please, with hair like that? Sigh. *tries to calm down* Ok, back on track.
BuffyBot: You're evil.
Spike: And that excites you?
BuffyBot: It excites me, it terrifies me ... I try so hard to resist you and I can't.
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Spike: (quietly) You know I can't bite to you.
BuffyBot: I think you can. I think you can if I let you, and I want to let you. I want you to bite me and devour me until there's no more.
Spike: (smiles) Like this? (he nibbles at her neck with blunt teeth)
-
BuffyBot: Should I start this program over?
Spike: Shh! (frowns) No programs. Don't use that word. Just be Buffy.
And with those three little words he reveals so much!
He wants Buffy, but since he can’t have the real thing, he’ll settle for an illusion. And - because there is an upside to this - the illusion will be what he wants it to be. Not as hard as ‘the other, not so pleasant Buffy’. The Bot can fight well and, thanks to all the ‘special skills’ (going by Warren’s high-pitched squealing laugh as he says those words, me thinks that Spike has a very fertile imagination), she can obviously make Spike a very happy boy!
The other thing is, that loving Buffy is bringing out Spike’s humanity. The Bot asks him to bite her, but he doesn’t. What he wants from her (Buffy as showcased by the Bot) is love and trust, and when he gets them, it brings out the best in him. If he was truly ‘evil’ he would do nasty things to the Bot - humiliate or degrade it - but there is no evidence of this. (As a matter of fact, the first (sexual) thing he does is to go down on ‘her’! His assumed sex-god attributes permanently cemented there and then).
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But onto the next bit. One major plot-point in the episode is the fact that the Scoobies think that Buffy is sleeping with Spike. Now the whole having-sex-with-Spike-thing in s6 is very interesting in the light of this. The Scoobies assume that Buffy has probably gone slightly insane, what with her mom dying and a hell god wanting to kill her sister. And (surprisingly?) - they are actually incredibly nice and open-minded about it! Especially Willow, who is rather insightful:
Willow: I, I'm just trying to figure out why this happened, and I, I think with ... your mom and everything ... everyone was being all sympathetic, and, and making you feel weak. A-and Spike wasn't like that. So, just this one time, you just ... did something kinda ... crazy.
Now this is sort of reversed in the start of s6, when Spike is the only one being sympathetic and letting Buffy be weak. And it shows that Spike understands her very well, and Willow seems to get that. So when Buffy later in the episode finds out what happened, and for a short time has to deal with ‘you slept with Spike, but we’re trying to understand’, it’s not that bad really.
So I think one of the main reasons she keeps it so very quiet in s6, is that if her friends find out, they will stop her from doing it again. In Intervention they are very understanding and gentle, but they want to help her STOP! And s6 Buffy for a long time doesn’t want to stop - at least not yet! Since Spike is her only outlet, she wants to keep him there - just in case. And her friends would never let her be able to do that. But they wouldn’t be able to provide another outlet either, so she sticks with Spike until she finally finds the strength to stop.
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But back to the Scoobies: Xander goes to talk to Spike, to stop him from ‘taking advantage’ of Buffy. The following conversation ensues (these being the main parts):
Spike: She's upset about her mum. And if she turns to me for comfort, well, I'm not gonna deny it to her. I'm not a monster.
Xander: Yes. You are a monster. Vampires are monsters. They make monster movies about them.
Spike: (sarcastic) Well, yeah, you got me there.
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Xander: Spike, Buffy has lots of friends, and we love her very much, and we'll do whatever it takes to protect her. Now if that means killing you, then, well, that's just a bonus.
And isn’t it interesting how much more sympathetic Xander is here, compared to Entropy/SR. This is Xander with his life sorted, who wants to look out for his friend who’s obviously gone off the rails. As he says in SR, Buffy’s private life used to be his business - here he doesn’t even hesitate in confronting Spike.
Also, he is sure of who Buffy is. He knows her well, and understands that only something extraordinary would make her behave in this fashion. But by the end of s6, he is confused about everything, and he realises that he doesn’t understand one of his best friends anymore.
Their conversation in SR is very telling - and notice how Buffy (almost) defends her decision to sleep with Spike and brings up how the Scoobies pulled her out of heaven (subjects that are usually not-talked-about):
Xander: I know why Anya ... I understand, I do. (shaking his head) But you...
Xander: (still shaking head) All those times I told Spike to get lost ... that he didn't have a chance with a girl like you. (laughs bitterly)
Buffy: You don't know how hard it's been.
Xander: What, lying to me?
Buffy: (angrily) Being here. After I was brought back.
Xander looks chastised. Buffy sighs, calms down.
Buffy: You have no idea how hard it is just being here.
Xander: You could have told me.
Buffy: You didn't want to know.
Xander: So you went to him instead?
Buffy: Xander, what I do with my personal life is none of your business.
Xander: (softly) It used to be.
Oh, Xander. And the incredible thing is, that he’s been like this from the beginning. This is from Prophecy Girl:
Xander: Um... You know, Buffy, uh, Spring Fling is a... time for students to gather and... Oh, God! (takes a breath) Buffy, I want you to go to the dance with me. You and me, on a date.
She turns him down, very gently.
Xander: Nah. Forget it. (gets up) I'm not him. I mean, I guess a guy's gotta be undead to make time with you.
I think Xander very much sees Buffy as ‘A Hero’ (much like Andrew does) and gets angry (and/or disappointed) when she fails to fit the mould. And then tries to get her back in. She’s ‘His Friend, His Hero’. And the fact that he (and the rest of the Scoobies) think that she’ll pick up again with no problems after they bring her back, is probably due to this. Of course Spike doesn’t let himself be fooled - he has always been able to see though her (from ‘Lovers Walk’): Buffy: I can fool Giles, and I can fool my friends, but I can't fool myself. - Or Spike, for some reason. And I think the closer he gets, the more uncomfortable this becomes. In ‘Smashed’ when he calls out after her: “It's only a matter of time before you realise I'm the only one here for you, pet. You got no one else!”, she knows it is true. And it’s not something she wants to think about, which might explain her sudden hostility.
-
On a side note, this episode is Spander extraordinaire. I mean these lines alone:
Xander: No one is judging you. It's understandable. Spike is strong and mysterious and sort of compact but well-muscled.
Buffy: (firmly) I am not having sex with Spike! But I'm starting to think that you might be.
And later:
Xander: God, I feel ... kind of bad for the guy. Gets all whupped and his best toy gets taken away.
Actually Xander is friendly towards Spike all the way up to ‘Afterlife’. They’re not friends, but reach some sort of mutual understanding. Only as soon as Buffy’s back, it stops. But then Xander never liked Angel either, he obviously has problems with his hero having non-human (boy)friends. It’s no surprise that he’s the one who tried to salvage her relationship with Riley!
As concerns Willow, her main worry upon finding out in s6 that Buffy has been sleeping with Spike is ‘Was I the only one who didn’t know? She’s concerned she was ‘left out’ (I guess those nerd-issues run pretty deep).
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On to the next part. In s5 there is a trio of Spike-centric episodes: ‘Fool For Love’, ‘Crush’ and 'Intervention’. I will briefly look at how they are connected.
First about FFL. We, the audience (and to a lesser degree Buffy), are treated to a tour of Spike’s life, learning about his past and where his great capacity for love comes from. And also we see how his love for Buffy is changing him - and her. Here is a quote from a review by Billie:
That scene at the end had me tingling; Spike was touching Buffy, and she was letting him. Their relationship has changed, big time.
Another reviewer mentioned how interesting it is, that Spike and Riley could be exchanged in the first and the last scene, showing how similar their relationships to Buffy are becoming. (review here)
In ‘Crush’ we have Spike declaring his feelings, and Buffy shutting him down completely - even dis-inviting him (and his face when he realises - meep!). (I will write a separate essay on Crush someday, which is why I’m so brief).
And in ‘Intervention’ of course, Spike manages to prove his love much better than he had ever hoped in ‘Crush’. The point being that Buffy might never have found out!
So we have these 3 episodes - first the viewers are shown the origin of Spike’s love and how it’s changing him, then he tries to communicate it to Buffy, and finally he succeeds. (I hope you don’t mind the sketchy state of the observations).
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Anyway, back on track. Lets get to The Quest. The way this is shot, the music, the dreamlike quality... it’s just gorgeously done!
But then the Spirit Guide appears, and Buffy’s questions are answered in a way she didn’t expect. I’ll quote this whole exchange, because it’s just so darn interesting:
Buffy: I have a few questions ... about being the Slayer. What about ... love? Not just boyfriend love.
First Slayer: You think you're losing your ability to love.
Buffy: I-I didn't say that. (sighs) Yeah.
First Slayer: You're afraid that being the Slayer means losing your humanity.
Buffy: Does it?
First Slayer: You are full of love. You love with all of your soul. It's brighter than the fire ... blinding. That's why you pull away from it.
Buffy: (surprised) I'm full of love? I'm not losing it?
First Slayer: Only if you reject it. Love is pain, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love ... give ... forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift.
Buffy: (pause) What?
-
Buffy: I-I'm sorry, I, I'm just a little confused. I'm full of love, which is nice, and ... love will lead me to my gift?
First Slayer: Yes.
Buffy: I'm getting a gift? Or, or do you mean that, that I have a gift to give to someone else?
First Slayer: Death is your gift.
Buffy: Death ...
First Slayer: Is your gift.
Buffy: Okay, no. Death is not a gift. My mother just died. I know this. If I have to kill demons because it makes the world a better place, then I kill demons, but it's not a gift to anybody.
Now there are a lot of love-pain-fire images knocking about in the Buffy-verse. I’ll quote a few more:
What’s My Line Pt.2:
Kendra: Emotions are weakness, Buffy. You shouldn't entertain dem.
Buffy: Kendra, my emotions give me power. They're total assets!
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Buffy: ... You're good, but power alone isn't enough. A good fighter needs to know how to improvise, to go with the flow. Uh-uh, seriously, don't get me wrong, y-you really do have potential.
Kendra: Potential? I could wipe de floor wit you right now!
Buffy: That would be anger you're feeling.
Kendra: What?
Buffy: You feel it, right? How the anger gives you fire? A Slayer needs that.
Something Blue:
Buffy: I don't know. I really like being around him [Riley], you know? And I think he cares about me.. but.. I just.. feel like something's missing.
Willow: He's not making you miserable?
Buffy: Exactly. Riley seems so solid. Like he wouldn't cause me heartache.
Willow: Get out. Get out while there's still time.
Buffy: I know.. I have to get away from that bad boy thing. There's no good there. Seeing Angel in LA.. even for five minutes.. hello to the pain.
Willow: The pain is not a friend.
Buffy: But I can't help thinking - isn't that where the fire comes from? Can a nice, safe relationship be that intense? I know it's nuts, but.. part of me believes that real love and passion have to go hand in hand with pain and fighting.
Buffy stakes a vamp without breaking stride.
Buffy: I wonder where I get that from.
And, this is from Seeing Red:
Buffy: I have feelings for you. I do. But it's not love. I could never trust you enough for it to be love.
Spike: Trust is for old marrieds, Buffy. Great love is wild ... and passionate and dangerous. It burns and consumes.
Buffy: Until there's nothing left. Love like that doesn't last.
Spike: I know you feel like I do. You don't have to hide it anymore.
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Now, about the ‘death is your gift’ something struck me this time. It was these lines:
Buffy: I'm getting a gift? Or, or do you mean that, that I have a gift to give to someone else?
First Slayer: Death is your gift.
And of course it’s both! (Clever show - who could have foreseen that at the end of s5?) It’s her gift to Dawn (and the world) and Spike’s gift to her (and the world)! I’m sorry if I’m being obvious, but for some reason I had never thought about ‘Chosen’ in the light of this before. It just made me happy.
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Buffy is afraid that all the killing is making her numb, because she knows that emotions are her strength. She needs the fire to be who she is (“I want the fire back”) and I think this is what Spike responds so strongly to, since he is also almost completely emotions-driven.
He tells her in ‘Fool For Love’ that it’s her ties to the world - the people she loves - that keep her there. And she never doubts his words. Because Spike - self-proclaimed ‘Love’s Bitch’ - knows love and - somehow - knows her too.
And if she’s losing her ability to love - her connection to the world - does that doom her to an early grave? The average life span of a Slayer is not very long! These are obviously questions she has thought hard about before she talks to Giles.
She gets answers from the First Slayer, but not the clear-cut ones she was hoping for. Love is pain and the Slayer forges strength from pain. If ever a few words could be said to sum up the show, these would be they! Is there a single relationship on BtVS or Angel that does not lead to pain?
BUT - what would the shows be without the love? Why are people so fiercely fighting over whether Buffy loved Angel or Spike the best? Love is one of the greatest motivators - for good (Spike willing to die for Buffy) and bad (Willow going off the deep end after Tara’s murder).
But there is another side to love - this is from the Angel episode ‘Sacrifice':
Wesley: And how does your kind define "love"?
Demon: Same as all bodies. Same as everywheres. Love is sacrifice.
This is also Glory’s definition. She expects her minions to do anything she asks - because they love her. Because they worship her. She does not understand that someone (like Spike) might not. When he taunts her, she is for a moment as lost as Illyria (You do not worship me at all, do you?, ‘Underneath’).
But Illyria is more adaptable than Glory - Illyria learns that there is more to love than sacrifice or worship. Glory never does. She fails to understand Spike’s motivation. She tries to break him and fails miserably. Whereas he with a few words manages to unsettle her enough for her to kick him across the room, enabling him to escape. And, to use his own words, although he is sarcastic, it is a good plan! He uses his talents to get her to do all the work!
Lastly - as he slowly pries the lift doors open he says something very strange for a vampire: “Oh, God.” I’m not sure about the significance of this, so I’ll leave it up in the air.
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Now, let’s get on to how all the love/pain/fire ties in with the reality-theme. At the end of ‘Intervention’ we get that wonderful line:
“What you did.. that was real. I won’t forget it”
This is the point where Buffy acknowledges that Spike’s feelings are real, and from then on she trusts him. From ‘The Gift’:
Buffy: I'm counting on you ... to protect her.
She trusts him with the most important thing in her life. And this at a point when she trusts no-one but herself. But she knows and understands that Spike’s love ties him to her, and she uses that.
But I think there is more to it - I think that at this point Spike’s love gives her hope. She’s worried that being the Slayer makes her unable to love, but here is Spike, an evil vampire who is capable of loving her - who’s ready to die for her. And if he’s able to love, surely she is too.
Now this gets horribly reversed in s6. I think that however wonderful the two of them are together in the beginning, it could only have taken a turn for the worse after OMWF. Spike’s song brought about an abrupt change, but this might have happened anyway (although more gradually) even if Sweet had never been summoned.
Because the love that buoyed Buffy up at the end of s5, becomes an affront. How can Spike love so much, when she can’t feel anything? Their songs are almost exact opposites - Buffy feels dead inside, Spike feel alive. So of course she comes to him to ‘get the fire back’, since she knows that he is consumed by it (‘the torch I bear is scorching me’). But - and the_royal_anna has said this much better - she can’t win. She tries to deny his feelings, but goes to him to recapture her own. So she goes back and forth and attempts to deny his feelings over and over again, deny the reality she acknowledged in ‘Intervention’:
Smashed:
Spike: A man can change.
Buffy: You're not a man. You're a thing (...) An evil, disgusting, thing.
And notice how she puts him in the same category as the Bot. ‘Things’ don’t have feelings!
(It is not until s7, that they get back to where they were in 'Intervention'. This is from 'Beneath You':
Spike: ... All I can say is: Buffy, I've changed.
Buffy: I believe you.)
But going back to s6:
Dead Things:
Buffy: You don't ... have a soul! There is nothing good or clean in you. You are dead inside! You can't feel anything real!
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Spike: You always hurt ... the one you love, pet.
Here of course she’s talking about herself. And although she seems to realise this when he answers her, she doesn’t act upon it then.
But then we get ‘As You Were’:
Buffy: Tell me you love me.
Spike: I love you. You know I do.
Buffy: Tell me you want me.
Spike: I always want you. In point of fact-
Buffy: Shut up.
This exchange particularly ties in with Intervention. Spike wanted the illusion of reality when he commissioned the Bot. He stopped it from reminding him that it wasn’t real (Don’t use that word [program]).
But Buffy at this point wants the illusion of a Bot. When she needs his love, she uses it shamelessly. But she is playing with fire. The BuffyBot (and Warren’s girlfriendBot) was very single minded in it’s ‘love’ - and potentially very dangerous. And Spike’s feelings are real - however much she tries, she can’t turn them off.
But I think what makes the break-up real, and this has been said a thousand times, is the fact that Buffy stops pretending. And although I think Spike is hurt, on some level he is probably happy that she has found some strength again:
Buffy: I can't love you. I'm just ... being weak, and selfish...
Spike: Really not complaining here.
Buffy: ...and it's killing me.
Spike frowns.
Buffy: I have to be strong about this.
He continues staring at her.
Buffy: I'm sorry ... William.
And - most importantly - she’s not treating him like ‘a thing’ anymore - she acknowledges him as a person. Just look at how sweet they are in ‘Hell's Bells’.
But...it’s not that easy. Here’s ‘Normal Again’:
Spike: You all right?
Buffy: You need to leave me alone. You're not part of my life.
Spike: Fine, then.
She tries so hard to push him away, but unlike Angel and Riley he wont go, which might explain why she says the following - she’s trying to shut him down like she did in ‘Crush’:
Entropy:
Spike: ...I've tried to make it clear to you, but you won't see it. (pauses) Something happened to me. The way I feel ... about you ... it's different. And no matter how hard you try to convince yourself it isn't, it's real.
Buffy: I think it is.
Beat. He looks at her.
Buffy: For you.
I think this is the moment that finally pushes him over the edge. After that he goes looking for a numbing spell, sleeps with Anya, does not defend himself against Xander and tries a last confrontation with Buffy, intending to apologise, before everything goes so terribly, terribly wrong!
And I’m sure that the reason for the AR is that she finally admits to some feelings for him. Because he is very much Spike from ‘Crush’ here:
Spike: No, it's not that easy. We have something, Buffy. It's not pretty, but it's real, and there's nothing either one of us can do about it... Like it or not, I'm in your life, you can't just shut me out.
She could then, but she can’t now. She’s let him in again and again. And when she finally admits to some feelings - throwing him that crumb he was begging for in ‘Crush’ (after denying feeling anything at all for so long), he desperately wants to connect - to make it more. And since sex is the only way she’s let him connect with her, that is what he goes for - with near fatal consequences. That is the best explanation I’ve seen and it rings true.
But that’s not what I want to focus on. When he says: ‘I know you feel like I do’ it is not about her feelings for him, since even at that point he’s not delusional enough to think that she loves him the same way he loves her. What he means is ‘I know that you have the same concept of what love is, as I do.’ And she does (see quote from Something Blue)! What he can’t see is why she can’t/won’t let herself give in. Because - as Faith-in-Buffy’s-body put it: “It would be wrong!”.
She can’t let herself, because he doesn’t have a soul, so when he comes back with a soul, I think she’s completely thrown for a while. She pulls back very sharply post-’Beneath You’, which I think is what what she usually does (f.ex. Smashed), but after that she slowly lets him in... ( I love s7, but will not go there today).
I’m not sure whether or not Spike is redeemable without a soul, but the fact that he doesn’t have a moral compass is the main problem. It’s not: ‘He’s evil!!!’ - it’s: ‘He can’t be trusted to make the right decisions on his own.’ He often does, but at other times (like siring his mother) he gets it horribly wrong. And in s6 the person he looks to for guidance - Buffy - is in no state to show him the right way. And it is only when he hurts her - when his own feelings of guilt show him that he did wrong - that he takes action:
Seeing Red:
Spike: Why do I feel this way?
Clem: Love's a funny thing.
Spike: Is that what this is?
He then goes on to blame the chip, but as someone clever pointed out, it is actually guilt he’s feeling. And I think that this is what he instinctively understands in ‘Intervention’: “I couldn't live, her bein' in that much pain.” That is, “I couldn’t live with the guilt of knowing that I’d caused her that much pain”. And when he does cause her pain - the last thing he ever wanted to - he takes drastic action.
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And as for the ending... I have no idea how it is possible, but Spike is undeniably beautiful, even though he is so badly beaten that he can barely move.
But - the most incredible moment comes, when Buffy realises what Spike did for her. She suddenly sees the man and not the monster. And I think the kiss is a spontaneous reaction to that. It is the exact opposite of Cecily’s: “But I do see you William, that’s the problem. You’re nothing. You’re beneath me.” Buffy sees him - and she sees ‘The wisest and bravest knight in all the land’. She has an - epiphany? And I don’t think anyone else ever sees him that way - at least not until after ‘Chosen’.
This is the moment she lets him in, the moment she gives him that crumb he was begging for in ‘Crush’. And these words must still be in her head: “Love is pain, and the Slayer forges strength from pain. Love ... give ... forgive. Risk the pain. It is your nature. Love will bring you to your gift.” Buffy understands a part of it then - and consequently she does not reject Spike’s love. Instead she affirms it, using these words: “What you did... that was real.” - and a kiss.
That kiss is the start of Spuffy.