spike from season 4 onward

[major_buffy_fan]

I just had a thought about spike from season 4 onward does anyone think he was just a replacment for Angel because he comes back and ends up with a chip in his head so in the end he can't hurt humans but only demons thus comes onto buffys side i belive they did it this way so in effect he may be a replacment for angel yet he is funnier than angel in my opinion anyone else agree on all this i just see it as a thought not actully true

[Enisy]

Joss Whedon: Everything we've done has been done before. The trick is to do it differently and have it mean something new. If you think Spike is going to be like Angel, you don't know me.

[vampmogs]

In later seasons Spike basically became Angel #2 IMO, at least in one way or another. Spike falls for a slayer, Spike gets a soul, Spike wants the Shanshu, Spike gets targeted by The First.. all stuff we've seen before. The show even made fun of itself;

Faith: What he's like Angel?
Spike: I'm nothing like Angel
?..
Spike: Angel's as dull as a table lamp and we have very different colouring

However, I don't believe he was ever brought onto the show to be a replacement for Angel, in fact he was originally conceived to be a replacement for Cordy.

[major_buffy_fan]

spike

makes sense it was just something i thought of i don't actully agree to it

[selenspuffy]

Joss Whedon: Everything we've done has been done before. The trick is to do it differently and have it mean something new. If you think Spike is going to be like Angel, you don't know me.

He's nothing like Angel, like they are two completely different vamps
Ive never thought of Spike as a replacement, especially if the deal is about Angel,
Angel was the shy guy, but Spike was more like outgoing and he's fun, Im not telling that Spike was the better guy but theyre so different..

[major_buffy_fan]

I know they had 2 very diffrent personalitys which was cool but i prefer spike he way funnier angel is too brooding lol

[KingofCretins]

All of Spike's protests feel like the writers are winking at the audience, acknowledging the undeniable parallels.

[NxD_Slayerette]

i definitely see similaritys but i think spike is nothing like him in some ways, and IMO spike was more of a fun-loving enerjectic character, well i felt he was in 4 onwards although he got more serious in 6 and 7, and i just thought angel was too grumpy.... lol...spike even went smiling! i love the end scene of spike in chosen, when hes grinning... angel was just not that...

[vampmogs]

If you watch Ats you'll see that Angel does grin plenty, in particular in seasons such as season 3. He is a goof character with very goofy and funny moments, he isn't broody all the time.

Besides, Angel is going to be more broody than Spike, Spike had no soul for almost all the years he was on Btvs and didn't feel remorse or the weight of any of his crimes, Angel did. There is a big difference in how Spike acts in s7, he is a lot quiter and more broody as well.

[NileQT87]

hey, angel smiled a ton in early season 2 btvs. he even started cracking a few jokes in season 3 btvs (which grew more on ats, but it did start in btvs). the jealous dork side was always there (remember him going to willow's room to look up dirt on billy fordham? remember how he was jealous of xander being able to spend his days with buffy? remember how he got mad when buffy went to the frat party?).

none of that came out of the blue in ats. and he smiled plenty even on btvs. but he wasn't all about laughs. he was a serious character that pretty much kept the depth and plot moving along. spike became that later on (and you'll notice he starts being used less as a joke).

and so you don't get me pointing out this behavior with angel--spike was also guilty of the same jealousy issues with riley (smoking outside buffy's window while she has sex with riley--and the chat riley has with spike after staking him with the faux stake), the pretty boy in "older and far away", robin wood in "first date" and *especially* angel. again, spike took part of angel's role in that regard as well. and of course, it goes all the way back to drusilla.

as for spike... yes, he did eventually replace angel's role on the show, despite being meant to replace cordy (anya replaced cordy, instead). spike became the main plot catalyst--which was angel's old role on the show and subsequent role on his own show. riley was originally intended to replace angel as a plot catalyst, but spike was a longer-lasting one than riley.