Spike: The Big Softy!
So there was some article somewhere about how Spike went from being a bad-ass to being "soft" or some such nonsense. It's a complaint I've heard before from various fans or media sources. "Oh, Spike was cool until he became a regular. Then his character starting going soft."
Can I take a moment (Or three) to say that that is the most inane complaint in the world? Ever?
Spike is a bad-ass in S2. He's a villain. He's a guest star that they didn't have to worry about developing. Why? Because he was a temporary character. He comes on the show, plays a role, and leaves. However, when he comes back to be a regular in S4, things change. Spike can't play the villain role anymore because he has to be in an episode each week somehow. So they have to give him a chip to neuter the guy.
As necessary plot devices go, that's a pretty good one. And you know what? It also helps with the larger picture of his character arc.
Say it with me, folks: C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R A-R-C
Is any character on the show the same as when they started out? They've been to hell and back in the space of seven years. Of course not! Characters change. That's what makes them real. Whedon characters have amazing character arcs, and Spike's is one of the most wonderful I've ever seen. That's why he's my fav (That and the Cheekbones O' Sexiness but that goes without saying).
Static characters = boring. Spike still being evil and one-note at the end of the series? Dear god, what would be the point of him having been a regular? Part of joining the cast is allowing the character to change and grow. Spike did, moreso than most.
Up until Fool for Love, Spike was a cardboard character. He had little depth to him, and seemed to be making little in the way of developmental progress. However, with one (awesome) episode, he is given a backstory that adds huge depths to his character, while at the same time foreshadowing his character development for the rest of the series. (Have I mentioned how much I love that episode?)
FFL makes the difference between a poorly fleshed-out, one-note character and an actual, honest-to-Whedon character complete with history, goals, and a complex personality.
So people like evil!Spike. Great. But to wish Spike had remained that way throughout the series is completely unrealistic. To bash his incredible development is an insult. You're not watching some cop show that requires static characters to tell its stories. You're watching Buffy, a series full of rich and dynamic characters. For shame, people. For shame.
Huh. I hadn't planned on posting again before Halloween (Cause Halloween? Totally my night. I'm dressing up as Sarah Palin. Yep.). But this needed to be said. And....now it's done.
Can I take a moment (Or three) to say that that is the most inane complaint in the world? Ever?
Spike is a bad-ass in S2. He's a villain. He's a guest star that they didn't have to worry about developing. Why? Because he was a temporary character. He comes on the show, plays a role, and leaves. However, when he comes back to be a regular in S4, things change. Spike can't play the villain role anymore because he has to be in an episode each week somehow. So they have to give him a chip to neuter the guy.
As necessary plot devices go, that's a pretty good one. And you know what? It also helps with the larger picture of his character arc.
Say it with me, folks: C-H-A-R-A-C-T-E-R A-R-C
Is any character on the show the same as when they started out? They've been to hell and back in the space of seven years. Of course not! Characters change. That's what makes them real. Whedon characters have amazing character arcs, and Spike's is one of the most wonderful I've ever seen. That's why he's my fav (That and the Cheekbones O' Sexiness but that goes without saying).
Static characters = boring. Spike still being evil and one-note at the end of the series? Dear god, what would be the point of him having been a regular? Part of joining the cast is allowing the character to change and grow. Spike did, moreso than most.
Up until Fool for Love, Spike was a cardboard character. He had little depth to him, and seemed to be making little in the way of developmental progress. However, with one (awesome) episode, he is given a backstory that adds huge depths to his character, while at the same time foreshadowing his character development for the rest of the series. (Have I mentioned how much I love that episode?)
FFL makes the difference between a poorly fleshed-out, one-note character and an actual, honest-to-Whedon character complete with history, goals, and a complex personality.
So people like evil!Spike. Great. But to wish Spike had remained that way throughout the series is completely unrealistic. To bash his incredible development is an insult. You're not watching some cop show that requires static characters to tell its stories. You're watching Buffy, a series full of rich and dynamic characters. For shame, people. For shame.
Huh. I hadn't planned on posting again before Halloween (Cause Halloween? Totally my night. I'm dressing up as Sarah Palin. Yep.). But this needed to be said. And....now it's done.