About Spike in the early season and Spike in later season (Seasons 1,2,3,4,5,6,7)

[Willow fan]

I'm sure everyone agrees when I say that Spike in season 1 is much less interesting than Spike in seasons 5,6,7 but I would really love it if we can talk about it

 

[Priceless]

Spike wasn't in season 1, he first appeared in Season 2. I'm a massive Spike fan and I like him in all the seasons 😁

 

[AstridDante]

I don’t know if everyone agrees. A lot of people prefer seasons 2/4 Spike with Druscilla and more of a villain. I prefer the anti-hero Soulless Spike of season 5/6 and also to a lesser extent souled Spike, only because his personality was a bit muted in that season (understandably)

 

[Ethan Reigns]

Spike steals the show in every scene he is in. He has no illusions about himself and he is perceptive about everybody else. When Oz left Willow, the scoobies thought that she was doing fine. Spike was the one to say she was hanging by her fingernails. When the natives attack in Pangs and Willow wanted to talk it over, Spike said, "You exterminated his race. What would he possibly want to listen to?" When Buffy was resurrected, she went to Spike because once again, the scoobies were oblivious. Buffy needed a better set of friends.

 

[Nothing13]

Personally, I like Spike only in season 2 like originally planed, since he was conceived as the "ultimate cool":
-School Hard
-Halloween
-Lie to Me
-What's my line Part 1
-What's my line Part 2 (where writers originally intended to kill him off definitely in that episode not get handicapped)
For me, from then on he was used as comic relief because writers changed plans instead of killing him off because of his popularity until they decided to make him a hero

 

[Priceless]

@Spanky So that would mean he is less interesting.

He didn't interest me at all in season 1, so yes you are right, he was less interesting in season 1 than in the other seasons

 

[WillowsFaith]

I think the best spike was S4 actually. He was much more comedic and his awareness of the scoobys problems was great. Also getting the chip made him a more intriguing character. Season 2 Spike was fine as a introduction, and the later seasons he was still great but problematic.

 

[whatdBuffyDo]

I think the best spike was S4 actually. He was much more comedic and his awareness of the scoobys problems was great. Also getting the chip made him a more intriguing character. Season 2 Spike was fine as a introduction, and the later seasons he was still great but problematic.

S4 Spike is my favourite as well, followed by S5 Spike. I didn’t care much about him in S2, S6 and S7, actually. 🤔

 

[Stake fodder]

I love a redemption arc, so I liked Spike best in late S4 through the first half of S7. I liked him a lot in earlier seasons, too, but when he started regressing to his pre-souled behavior in the last part of S7 and AtS S5, I liked him least of all.

He didn't interest me at all in season 1, so yes you are right, he was less interesting in season 1 than in the other seasons

But then there was all the delicious anticipation of his appearing!

 

[thetopher]

Actually S1 Spike might be my favorite. Or maybe S3 (my actual favorite) since he's barely in it; and when he is in it he pushes character arcs forward.

The only times I am really interested in what Spike is up to are S2; where he's a scheming baddie, and S4 when he's a frustrated baddie. Every other season of Buffy there are better things happening.

 

[Kratos]

I really like Spike no matter what season he’s in. S4 Spike is my favourite also.

 

[sarajane]

Spike turned into a caricature after the season five.

 

[Dora]

Ello boys I'm Back.....miss me ?
Spike I thought he was great when he arrived in Season 2 , would have cheated and killed buffy in School hard had it not been for Joyce , was great with Dru ,was good wheel chair bound with Angelus , real problem was he's limited story line after he became a full cast member after season 3 to get him in with the scoobies we had the chip in season 4, later in the season he became likeable with some comedy. Season 5 he became a creep, stalking Buffy , a Buffy sex toy , a knicker nicker , into a kinky SM fantasy . Season 6 saw his Spike character used to as a stick to beat SMG with ,not that it was just was Buffy being degraded Spike was shown Smoking and drinking a lot hardly ever had his shirt on, the AT rape and what was with Marsters having to wear just a sock ? The later part on S7 became the spike show to the detriment of the show
So liked him in seasons 2/4 ,5 disliked him, hated him in S6, should not have got so much airtime in S7

 

[cookieanalogy]

Spike was an interesting character, I think he was at his best in S2-S3 with Dru. He was badass, funny and cool and there was no questionning that. He was a fascinating and mysterious character but they've lost me after that -_-

 

[Faded90]

I liked him in S2, 4 and most of 5. Even 6 while I don’t like him I understand what they were at least trying to portray and it made sense. 7 and S5 of AtS for him I find just a straight up mess where they couldn’t really decide on who he was, what a soul meant - honestly the soul just came across as more of an excuse to whitewash the AR rather than actual development. I actually do like his character more from Dirty Girls to Chosen I felt like they were clicking something into place but mostly I find his character just being forced onto two shows where there’s no longer really a place for him resulting in them overcompensating and giving him a bunch of half baked stories, huge screentime and none of it meant anything really. Even his grand sacrifice is retconned. S7 the trigger plot is one of the worst in the whole show and is nothing more than a chain around Spike and Buffy’s necks s characters. When they do acknowledge it it becomes tedious character strife, when they don’t acknowledge it it just makes them look insanely neglectful. We have him being held hostage by The First but why? What did it even gain from that? Why did it even need Spike? Nothing is really explained. Just a load of half baked stories that take up too much room in place of arcs that could have actually meant something. By the time we get to First Date and we get the reveal of Spike having killed Robin’s Mother I have to audibly groan, like really? Did we really need ANOTHER Spike story? If they’d just tightened his story up it could have actually been good but instead I just end up unfairly resenting his character for taking up so much screentime on pointless stories

 

[burrunjor]

I think the best spike was S4 actually. He was much more comedic and his awareness of the scoobys problems was great. Also getting the chip made him a more intriguing character. Season 2 Spike was fine as a introduction, and the later seasons he was still great but problematic.

Agreed. I've never got the "Joss had to make him fall in love in order to justify keeping him around" bullshit.

He could have easily joined the Scooby's because the Demons were after him because he killed them (which was set up in season 4 when he got attacked in the pub, and even at the start of season 5,) and he could have easily helped them fight against Glory to save the world for the same reasons as in season 2.