A small fandom rant

[katekat]

WHY, oh WHY do people insist that Spike deliberately fought for his soul? Did anyone actually watch the same TV show I did?

Ok, I know, even the writers put that into Buffy's mouth - the whole "he fought for his redemption" line (or maybe it was Willow's? Someone's? I didn't really pay attention that much to S7, so forgive me if I screw that up).

HOWEVER, I was paying attention when Spike got on his bike and went away, after his horrible attempt to convince Buffy she loved him. I was paying attention to what he said to the demony guy in africa, but in case you'd like a refresher:

His last line from 6.19:
SPIKE: Get nice and comfy, Slayer. I'll be back. And when I do ... things are gonna change.

And his lines from inside the demon cave in 6.22:
SPIKE: So you'll give me what I want. Make me what I was. So Buffy can get what she deserves.

DEMON: Very well.  (Spike watches the demon nervously.)

DEMON: We will return...  (The demon's hand reaches out toward Spike's chest.)

DEMON: ...your soul.

The hand touches his chest and it glows fiery yellow-orange. Spike's eyes glow the same color. He throws back his head and screams.
[ from here ]

What she DESERVES?  How is that "give me a soul so I can be soulmates with her?"  In my world, it's not.  It's a vampire who is angry and jilted, who wants revenge on the woman that made him feel that way.  OH, and wants the chip out.  He says "make me what I was" ... the implication there is get rid of the damn chip, not 'give me a soul'.  And he says it like he's angry and annoyed and ready to tear Buffy's head off along with the rest.  How does that become Spike toddling off going "I'll get a soul to win Buffy over"??   And why is it so important for so many fans that it does?  The vamp's way cooler with out the damn soul, if you asked me.

And fine, so Joss (or, in the realm of the show, the demon that cursed him with it) gave Spike a bright and shiny soul so he could be tortured.  And fine, technically he fought for it.  But it wasn't what he thouht he was fighting for!  Do you, when they hand you the rinky-dink colored eraser prize off the bottom of the shelf at the fairgrounds, the consolation prize when you were aiming for the big stuffed panda bear that's taller than you are and that you'd have to strap to the car on the way home, do you say "I was trying for the consolation prize?"  NO!  You say "I was trying for the panda bear, and all I got was this rinky-dink eraser!"

I'd just like for people to remember that about Spike!  Remember that he was trying to get the damn chip extracted, and all he got was the stupid soul.  Now that should go on a t-shirt:  "All I wanted was my chip removed, and instead I got this stupid soul."  (ok, that one probably only amuses me.)

ETA: elizabuffy points out that I am so not up on my S7 lore, and I missed the parts (or wishfully ignored them) where Spike in his crazy rants and raves admits to deliberately going after his soul. I always said cannon should end in S5.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Hey lady -

Sorry, have to disagree. Here's the transcript from the episode where Buffy figures out he has his soul back, (you know, that awesome scene in the church) and he says that he went looking for his soul.

- Miranda

BUFFY
This is all you get. I'm listening. Tell me what happened.

SPIKE
I tried to find it, of course.

BUFFY
Find what?

SPIKE
The spark. The missing... the piece that fit. That would make me fit. Because you didn't want... (starts to cry) God, I can't... Not with you looking.

Spike stands and walks away to a nearby window. He stands there, mostly in shadow, his body directed away from her. He looks back over his shoulder at her.

SPIKE
I dreamed of killing you.

Keeping an eye on him, Buffy bends down to pick up a large splinter from the broken pews at her feet to use as a stake, if necessary. Spike starts pacing.

SPIKE
I think they were dreams. So weak. Did you make me weak, thinking of you, holding myself, and spilling useless buckets of salt over your... ending? Angel—he should've warned me. He makes a good show of forgetting, but it's here, in me, all the time. (walks around toward her from behind) The spark. I wanted to give you what you deserve, and I got it. They put the spark in me and now all it does is burn.

Buffy's face shows shock, disbelief and, finally, comprehension.

BUFFY
Your soul.

SPIKE
(laughs) Bit worse for lack of use.

Buffy turns to face him.

BUFFY
You got your soul back. How?

SPIKE
It's what you wanted, right? (looking at the ceiling) It's what you wanted, right? (presses his fingers to his temples, looks down, and walks toward the altar). And—and now everybody's in here, talking. Everything I did...everyone I— and him... and it... the other, the thing beneath—beneath you. It's here too. Everybody. They all just tell me go... go... (looks back over his shoulder to Buffy) to hell.

BUFFY
Why? Why would you do that—

SPIKE
Buffy, shame on you. Why does a man do what he mustn't? For her. To be hers. To be the kind of man who would nev— (looks away) to be a kind of man.

Spike walks toward the 6-foot-tall crucifix altarpiece at the front of the chapel. Sounds like he's quoting something.

SPIKE
She shall look on him with forgiveness, and everybody will forgive and love. He will be loved.

[katekat]

Right, you're totally right, and that's what Elizabuffy pulled out for me too. I know I'm wrong...

Although, wishfully speaking, I want to go with Mish's comment (recopied: Of course once Spike had a soul and was crazyinthebasement (which I assume is when he was ranting and raving?!) he'd be trying to solidify a reason or reasons for him to now got soul (*teehee*) because he HAS a soul and he is crazy because of it. And if you've done so much bad stuff as Spike did w/out soul then with soul he's obviously going to become ashamed of these things, even if he doesn't admit it to ANYONE, and he's going to be attempting to figure out backwards why he's in the situation he's in, ie. having a soul. If you've got a soul it's easier to work backwards from this position and justify the soul by saying you wanted it for redemption, not because it was kinda a mistake and you didn't ask the Main Demon Guy sensibly to have the chip removed (stupid Spike!) but instead went for Poetic Effect or some shit like that and asked for what Buffy deserved. Obviously what two people think she deserves is different, and even one person, different at different points (for after Spike was besouled, and all Buffylovedup it is unlikely he wished to tear Buffy's throat out after all). The going crazy in the basement, I would suggest, is both Spike working through his past and attempting to justify it.