RE: OT--Spike

[danspector@xxxxxxxxx]

While Spike was well-received, I don't think he was so overwhelmingly
popular that "the fans spared him" or anything like that. I think it's
more that Joss realized that a) James had really nailed the part and b)
keeping Spike around allowed for some tension in the "Angelus at home"
scenes of late Season 2. So I'm cool with that.

(Which isn't to say that Whedon wasn't bowing to fan pressure even
then--the Buffy/Xander possibilities that were building from
"Innocence" through "Killed By Death" got discarded once the B/Aers
started to get upset.)

It's nowadays that Spike annoys me in his continued existence. If the
character hadn't been written into a corner by the end of S5, it IMO had
by the next year. Plus, vociferous as the Spuffers can be, the
Spike-centric show we get nowadays sure isn't delivering the ratings.

So, why's he still here? I've liked Marsters's work for the most part,
but it's not like Hollywood doesn't have plenty of other skilled,
attractive, actors waiting for their chances.

On to the next!

Dan