Spike v. Angel
Firstly — I promise that my next entry will have no Buffy or Angel references whatsoever. But things have come to light that need mentioning.
My journeys on the internet have led me to the (frankly, shocking) discovery that some people out there think Spike is cooler, and an all-round better person, than Angel. So much so that fan pressure appears to have forced the-buzz.com to remove an ‘anti-Spike’ article. This is frankly absurd, and not just for the free speech issues.
Firstly – Spike looks dumb. He insists on waxing his hair back like a helmet – and then has the nerve to tease Angel about his hair. It’s clear to me which needs the most attention every morning. And his coat just emphasises how thin and weedy he is.
Secondly – despite going insane for a little while, getting a soul has had little discernible effect on Spike. He still dresses the same way, he still worries about his image, and he feels no need to apologise to anyone, or atone. All he’s after is a little bit of slayerey goodness – and that’s the only reason he got the soul in the first place. While Angel didn’t choose to have his soul, once he got it he spent a suitable amount of time repenting, before making the choice to help others unselfishly. While the more skeptical of us may have thought he did it to get Buffy, his willingness to give happiness with her up to continue being a champion for good proves where his real loyalty lies – with the people he has pledged to protect. And he was doing this well before he was told he’d get to be human some day.
And finally – Angel has a convincing character. He has the same flaws many of us do. He is cheap, he is petty, and he enjoys, to an extent, playing the hero in simple, good versus evil situations. But he rises above these in his actions. Spike has just as many petty flaws. It’s too early to tell whether he shall distinguish himself in the same way. But I suspect he won’t reach Angel’s heights. Why? Because he’s a big poo poo head.
Case closed.
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