Buffy Season 8: Is it just me or am I slow?

[Whedon Fan]

Okay I may just be really slow but I have just realised what is so different about season 8 of Buffy. It's not that it's in comic book form or that sometimes the likeness is slightley off but it's the fact that this is the first season since season two of Buffy that Spike has not been in it. I wonder how he would fit into it with Buffy's life changed so much from jeans and a crossbow to armour and an army. I sort of miss the odd "bugger" or "little bint" whenever he refered to Dawn. He would probably call her "Big Bint" if he saw her now. Any way what are all of your thoughts on this I know he went onto Angel and is now on After The Fall but what do you all think..........

[commandercool]

I like Spike just fine, but I don't miss him. There's enough going on that he isn't really necessary, and he isn't gone, just moved to another book.

[Whedon Fan]

I don't exactly 'miss' him but it's just that this is the first season in a while without him. It might be abit weirder if it was on tv. I know he is on After The Fall and he is good on it....I'm noit sure I am explaining this very well. How do you think he would fit into the group now if he was in it, I know he isn't needed and I would probably write a huge hate mail letter if they use another story where he is being controled by someone/something or pretends go go evil because that story has been dragged out alot for Spike.

[patrick]

I am very, very, very glad that Spike is nowhere near Buffy. Nothing against him, it's just that they are bad for each other.

[Whedon Fan]

Oh yeah I am a Buffy/Angel relationship fan till I die, I never really got the whole Buffy/Spike thing. I think Spike really liked her but Buffy should know that they could never be together. Anyway back on topic of how he would fit into the whole slayer dilema do you think he would have a group of them to train like Andrew and Robin Wood?

[mandikaye]

If he were there, he would be helping train them, just like he did in S7. But Spike's story on Buffy is finished. It kind of went up in flames (yes, pun intended).

[buffysmglover]

Spike is a lot like Smallville's Lana Lang:

1) Bring him into the show for a season.
2) Make it look like he'll NEVER be back when he does leave. (Lana. Season 3, Season Five, Season Six)
3) Have him return soon after.
4) He leaves following brief return.
5) We're all being teased when he comes back in Season Four
6) He gets chip in his head. Hmm. Now what kind of story does that leave him open for...
7) Spike goes around trying to get chip out of head. Not really a big deal as far as big deals on Whedon shows come.
8) Season 6 - hook him up with Buffy. (Lana. Season 7 - hook her up with Clark)
9) Skips town (hmm, will he come back? I wonder...)
10) On account of retrieving his soul, he has a completely different attitude toward things (as Lana goes deeper into her relationship with Lex, she changes a LOT and even has viewers questioning whether or not she's a villain.)a lot

[Enisy]

Season 8 is different mainly because of the medium -- no actors (chemistry, acting, line readings etc), no budget-related limitations (Giant Dawn, Flying Willow, Scottish castles, flashy battles), less juicy characters, no music, etc -- and secondarily because of the lack of vampires as regulars (which includes Spike and Angel), and the highly altered dynamic between the Scoobies.

I'm always up for more Spike/Buffy, but Spike's not a bad fit in Angel, and Buffy has some more maturing to do before she's ready for Spike or Angel (or both, or someone else) to eat her cookies, so I don't much mind his absence so far.

[commandercool]

buffysmglover said:

Spike is a lot like Smallville's Lana Lang:

1) Bring him into the show for a season.
2) Make it look like he'll NEVER be back when he does leave. (Lana. Season 3, Season Five, Season Six)
3) Have him return soon after.
4) He leaves following brief return.
5) We're all being teased when he comes back in Season Four
6) He gets chip in his head. Hmm. Now what kind of story does that leave him open for...
7) Spike goes around trying to get chip out of head. Not really a big deal as far as big deals on Whedon shows come.
8) Season 6 - hook him up with Buffy. (Lana. Season 7 - hook her up with Clark)
9) Skips town (hmm, will he come back? I wonder...)
10) On account of retrieving his soul, he has a completely different attitude toward things (as Lana goes deeper into her relationship with Lex, she changes a LOT and even has viewers questioning whether or not she's a villain.)a lot

I never thought Spike was anywhere NEAR as annoying as Lana. He had some lame moments, but at least he didn't seriously detract from the show at any point.

[buffysmglover]

commandercool said:

buffysmglover said:

Spike is a lot like Smallville's Lana Lang:

1) Bring him into the show for a season.
2) Make it look like he'll NEVER be back when he does leave. (Lana. Season 3, Season Five, Season Six)
3) Have him return soon after.
4) He leaves following brief return.
5) We're all being teased when he comes back in Season Four
6) He gets chip in his head. Hmm. Now what kind of story does that leave him open for...
7) Spike goes around trying to get chip out of head. Not really a big deal as far as big deals on Whedon shows come.
8) Season 6 - hook him up with Buffy. (Lana. Season 7 - hook her up with Clark)
9) Skips town (hmm, will he come back? I wonder...)
10) On account of retrieving his soul, he has a completely different attitude toward things (as Lana goes deeper into her relationship with Lex, she changes a LOT and even has viewers questioning whether or not she's a villain.)a lot

I never thought Spike was anywhere NEAR as annoying as Lana. He had some lame moments, but at least he didn't seriously detract from the show at any point.

He is still an on-off character, though, as is Lana.

[Enisy]

So was Darla, and Lindsey, and Warren, and Amy, but I wouldn't compare all (or really, any) of them to Lana.

[buffysmglover]

enisy said:

So was Darla, and Lindsey, and Warren, and Amy, but I wouldn't compare all (or really, any) of them to Lana.

None of them were main cast characters.

[Enisy]

Harmony was a regular and an on-off character, and I wouldn't compare even her to Lana.

[buffysmglover]

She was in the opening credits?

[Enisy]

Yep, in Season 5 of Angel she was.

[buffysmglover]

Aah. You win

[kershmuckit]

Yes, i miss spike in buffy, but he's not essential. Things have to change for the show to evolve, for it to change and not be repetitive! Am i the only one who felt that anya was a total cordy replacement? because joss missed having that kind of character. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere down the line we find a similar spike character.

[Enisy]

She definitely was. Joss and James even said that Spike had originally been intended as a Cordelia replacement, but they soon found out that Spike didn't work in that role, while Anya worked like a charm.

[buffysmglover]

kershmuckit said:

Yes, i miss spike in buffy, but he's not essential. Things have to change for the show to evolve, for it to change and not be repetitive! Am i the only one who felt that anya was a total cordy replacement? because joss missed having that kind of character. I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere down the line we find a similar spike character.

I won't be surprised if there ISN'T a Spike replacement. Joss doesn't like Spike. He kept him in because the fans love him.

[patxshand]

"Joss doesn't like Spike."

...Huh?

A listen to the commentaries on "Angel: Season Five" would change your opinion 'quick-fast.' Joss does like Spike, quite a bit.