I think the writers took many detours with the mythology of characters such as Angel and Spike because they were more complex than the average vampire. For example, we're supposed to see Angel as the redemptive vampire who is separate from Angelus, the one who genuinely loves Buffy and fights to help the helpless -…

That's true about the misdirections of the 'Big Bad' because it did vary in each season. However, Joss set up Spike's backstory in his very first episode with "he's fought 2 Slayers in the last century and he's killed them both", which says a lot about his importance to the Buffyverse villains. He's also the only…

I was a huge shipper (before the term existed) of Buffy and Xander in the early Buffy years. There was something endearing to me about the idea of the sarcastic, humorous and somewhat geeky guy being in love with a girl who seemed to always miss the signs when they hung out together. I also felt his pain when Angel…

"I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it." He was so true here. He probably knew Buffy and Angel better than they knew themselves. Spike always said what others were thinking. He pinpointed exactly why Angel was inevitably going to leave Buffy.

Spike was pretty much the Big Bad until he was restricted to a wheelchair when Buffy injured him in 'What's My Line?'

Exactly. Too many viewers completely overlook the strong protective behavior Spike displays towards Dawn, whether or not Buffy is around. He even risked getting killed by Glory to protect the secret of Dawn being "the key", without any expectation that Buffy would even thank him for that. The proof of how pure his…

That's completely unfair. Spike took care of Dawn unconditionally when Buffy died. As far as he was concerned, he was NEVER going to see Buffy alive again. Yet he continues to protect Dawn with every inch of his being.

Spike's self-loathing in Season 7 was enough of a reason to sympathize with him after 'Seeing Red'. The gang never let him off the hook afterwards and Spike never pushed his luck with Buffy again - preferring instead to stay on the sidelines and help unconditionally with the upcoming battles.

Did you selectively forget the scene in 'Chosen' when Angel asks Buffy if Spike is her boyfriend, to which she replies "No… But he is in my heart."

What's wrong with that?

The best part of that episode is when Buffy refuses to support Principal Wood in his quest to kill Spike. She points out the pathetic nature of holding past crimes against someone when there's an apocalypse coming and Wood hasn't been around to witness the complete change in Spike's character since he killed Wood's…

Nicholas Brendon's response made complete sense. He shared nearly 7 years of scenes with James Marsters and therefore witnessed Spike's growth as a character first-hand. Spike didn't take things too seriously and was never afraid to speak his mind. Angel was the exact opposite and too self-pitying to bear. Xander had…

You're kidding, right? 'Lies My Parents Told Me' exposed "Principal" Wood as a fraud who is being WILLFULLY manipulated by the First Evil to exact revenge on the version of Spike that no longer exists. Wood is the worst type of character because the whole season he's been a total fake, pretending to be someone he…

I actually took ages to warm up to Anya. She always struck me as a second-rate Cordelia wannabe. Her whole personality and her relationship with Xander seemed like the writers' attempt to re-explore Xander's love-hate romance with another Cordelia-esque character.

Charisma Carpenter has been very clear on the subject that she loathes Angel Season 4 and feels that the destruction of Cordy's character (literally and emotionally) was due to Joss Whedon's resentment over the scheduling conflict with Charisma's pregnancy.

James is saying that Buffy had superhero powers, she had spent several years viciously attacking and beating vampires, so Spike making his move was not about rape so much as it was about his attempt to remind her of how good they were together sexually. He didn't expect her to be so resistant, because Buffy had been…

In retrospect, there's something almost Shakespearean in the way that scene plays out. Spike was caught in the act with Anya, forced to face the consequences of Buffy being hurt by witnessing them, then he appears in her bathroom as a broken figure, consumed by love for her and deeply confused as to what exactly she…

I always felt it was a terrible decision to give the role of executive producer to Marti Noxon. She was script writer for some of the weakest Buffy episodes and always catered to the Buffy and Angel shippers more than anything else. She even admitted that the decision to go "so dark" with Buffy Season 6 was hers. It…

I loved how Spike's role of Randy in 'Tabula Rasa' brought Xander's dream of Giles and Spike on swings together in 'Restless' (Season 4) to fruition.

I disagree with you. Spike's redemption arc of Buffy Season 7 was the only thing other than Willow's redemption arc that was worth watching. You can't seriously ignore how Spike contributed to the work of the Scooby gang AND encouraged Buffy to rediscover her self-worth when her friends abandon her - and he did all…