Buffy The Vampire Slayer: How Spike Had The Best Character Arc On 2000s TV

Season five was originally meant to be the end of Buffy. Joss Whedon took a backseat on the series, and it was renewed for a surprise sixth chapter. Whilst this was good news to many long-time fans, the results were far from what anyone pictured or wanted.

In it, Buffy is resurrected by Willow, and in her trauma she embraces a violent affair with Spike. He still loves her, but their relationship at this stage is little more than sex, both of them using their shared sadness and disillusionment to comfort each other and themselves. There's no real emotional bond, and it soon leads to the most pivotal moment of Spike's development.

Now, Seeing Red is Buffy's most controversial and tough-to-watch episode, and though Tara dying is hard enough to accept, it's what happens between Buffy and Spike that had long divided the show's fanbase.

In short, the episode finds Spike approaching a wounded Buffy to continue their affair. Despite her protests, he forces himself on her before she fights him off. When she removes him, the look on his face is that of a man who knows he's gone too far, but also knows exactly why.

This scene is hard to get through, but it's the most important part of Spike's journey from antagonist to hero. Some might not be able to forgive him (it sure takes Buffy a long time in season seven), but it's hard to argue with the writers' intentions. After the assault, he leaves Sunnydale, and fights for his soul back...

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