Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 10 Best Spike Episodes
3. Beneath You (Season 7, Episode 2)
At the end of season six, following his assault of Buffy, Spike goes on a journey to reclaim his soul. Buffy finds him in the season seven premiere, seemingly out of his mind, but it's not until Beneath You that the Slayer learns the truth about the vampire's soul.
At first, Spike helps Buffy with a typical monster of the week escapade, only for him to steadily grow more and more unstable as the episode goes on.
Running off to a church in his madness, Buffy confronts Spike and asks him to tell her what's going on.
In a moment of mild clarity, Spike gives a speech about much his soul is hurting him, how he tried to "cut it out" because he couldn't deal with it, and that he wants to be a good man for Buffy. He ends the speech by leaning on a cross, letting himself burn, and begs to rest.
It's a deeply moving scene, and one which prompts Buffy to realise he may finally be a good man now that he doesn't have to just rely on the Initiative's chip.