(This essay was written in response to a list post suggesting that Spike's ability to love consequentially leads to an ability to be redeemed.) 

Redemptionist?  Color me confused here, but how is love equal to redemption?  Of course Spike can love.  He spent 100+ years with a chick nuttier than a fruitcake and never once staked her.  He was devoted, charming, and downright romantic on occasion.  Of course he loved her.  However, he also ran around killing innocent people at the same time. 

Whatever he feels for Buffy, and I stand by the opinion that it is obsession, and not "love" (witness the stalking, the chocolate speech ending in beheading a maniquin, and the *robot*  for godssake), he is not being "redeemed" by it.  He is simply changing his behaviors.  James Marsters himself said Spike is very good at being whatever a woman wants him to be. I.e. "Drusilla wanted a monster, he was a monster, Buffy wants someone with 'honor', he is attempting to  behave 'honorably'".  My toddler son knew how to behave so as not to get swatted on the ass too, this hardly is proof of high moral character. 

Spike is acting in a way he has been forced to; he was neutered and can no longer follow his  instincts to kill humans.  He still enjoys killing in general. A LOT. The man has UST with every demon he thwaps and stakes.  Again, being prevented from doing an evil behavior does not make one GOOD. 

Do i think he *can* be redeemed?  Hell, i dunno, Joss makes shit up as he goes along.  If he says it suddenly doesn't require a soul to be a card carrying good guy, then I guess it no longer does.  I'm by no means convinced Joss has said or proven this yet. 

More importantly, do I think he *should* be redeemed?  Hell. No.  And I'll tell you why.  We already have one of those.  You may remember him... broody fluffy puppy with bad teeth, has his own show.. and while everyone knows what an Angelho I am, good god, one mopey vampire is ENOUGH. 

Spike has never expressed one ounce of remorse for anything he has done, and even if he were to sudddenly sprout angel wings tomorrow, I would find it diffiicult to believe that he is capable of genuinely feeling sorry for anyone but himself.  Yea, he protects Buffy, and by extension, her crew.  But it is for entirely selfish reasons, not the least of which is he has nothing and no one else in the world. 

It doesn't make him a white hat.  I don't even want him to be one.  He's evil and he's sexy, and its a fantasy, and its OK to like him anyway.  He doesnt have to be a good guy for him to be lustworthy.  Embrace the darkness, ya'll. 

In the words of Buffy herself, "I like my evil like I like my men. EVIL."

Also see Jess' essays on Love and Redemption at Fists & Fangs.

Agree or Disagree