Giving Spike a soul removed the most interesting part of his character and took the show all the way back to season one in terms of black/white morality.
(I like reblogging the fandom confessions, even the ones I disagree with, because I love, love, love hearing everyone’s opinions. As long as they’re phrased respectfully and intelligently like this one.)
With that in mind, I half agree, half disagree. Spike is complex, with or without a soul, but his biggest redeeming quality is his love for Buffy (and, I would argue, all the Scoobies) and how far he’s willing to go for her. That -almost- rape scene in “Seeing Red” is what pushes him to the edge and shows, once and for all, that they can never be together and he can never belong anywhere. Not while he’s a soulless monster, because humans will never accept him. And not while he’s got that chip in his head, because he’ll never really be a killer again.
(And that’s sort of the whole Vampire problem in a nutshell. Neither human nor demon, neither good nor evil. Constantly caught somewhere in the middle. Idk, maybe? It sounds good in my head.)
I agree that the coolest part about him was his ability to co-exist and feel love even without his soul….but, as Buffy points out numerous times, it’s not real love. It’s devotion, attraction, and obsession but it is NOT love. *cue near-rape scene*
But this is where I disagree. Whereas Angel has to be cursed with a soul in order to be “good”, Spike chose it. Spike chose a soul. Now, please explain to me how a demonic creature choosing to fight for his soul in order to repent, not only for what he tried to do to Buffy, but also for all the things he’s done in the past is black/white morality.
Spike isn’t just a bad person, he’s a terrible murderer. He delights in the pain he causes, even to the woman he claims to love. But when he sees it taken too far he decides to pick a side. Even though it’s the more difficult choice and something that shouldn’t even be possible. He fights for his own soul. (And then suffers however many months of insane guilt from it, not to mention mental torment from The First.)
I would argue that giving Spike a soul highlighted the most interesting part of his character and tied the last season with the first. I don’t think he’s at all black and white. He’s about 50 shades of grey (I am so, so, so sorry about that pun) and that’s what makes him interesting. (That and the abs…and the hair…and the smile….)
At his worst, he’s gleefully, maliciously destructive. At his best, he is the epitome of the loyal, loving, and self-sacrificing Hero.
Rebuttals are expected. Bring it, fandom. :D
God bless this reply. Perfect.
lovelovelove this reply. there is nothing black/white about an evil soulless thing CHOOSING to be a better man. in a way the act of going to get a soul means more than the soul itself—take, for instance, angel s2 where angel does some truly horrific things while his soul is still firmly in place. does that make him lawful good still? no. his soul is not a saving grace. the reason spike is redeemed in s7 is because of the actions he took while he was still soulless.
