1. Chasing a fat vampire in the graveyard: Giles and Spike share a laugh; punches a vampire and is head-butted; sets a vampire on fire; helps Giles up and puts him down with a cuppa tea remark on his social life; the Buffy-bot will never be exactly like the real Buffy.
2. In the Summers' house, babysitting Dawn: Schools spewing out mindless automatons but Buffy would want her to go; stays to play cards because he doesn't want to leave her alone to possibly get hurt.
3. Spike and the Buffybot: it admires his brains and washboard abs; Spike wants all that programming wiped out; The 'bot wonders why Spike will never look at her in the eye.
4. Babysitting Dawn when the bikers start looting: He keeps her out of the windows; looks in Buffy's weapons chest and, oddly, tries to pick up a cross; tells her they must leave the house because there's no one to rescue them.
5. Outside the Summers' house: Spike watches the demon wrecking a house and smiles in nostalgia; Dawn snaps him out of it; he give Spike a football helmet, knocks a demon off a motorcycle and steals it for him and Dawn.
6. Main street: Spike and Dawn come across the destroyed 'Bot; as Spike looks over the parts, Dawn takes off. "Little Bit! Dawn! Dawn!"
1. Feeling guilt over the BuffyBot's attentions toward him.
2. Realization of how wrong he was earlier.
3. Obvious devotion to protecting Dawn, including giving her a football helmet to protect her head on the motorcycle.
4. In his 'automaton' lines about schools, he stops himself when he realizes he should be encouraging Dawn to do well in school - he's considering what kind of example he sets.
5. His sorrow at the death of the BuffyBot.
6. Not being a pain in the butt about not being included in Scooby meetings, even though he had fought alongside them and helped them.
7. "Come on! I'm never gonna get anything killed with you lot holding me back! Spike blame external forces, such as the Scoobies or the chip, for his inability to kill anymore. But the change has been internal.
"Self correcting" is exactly what he's doing. He's developed or developing his own moral compass. It will probably always be a little twisted, but definite progress has been made. Proof positive of this is that Willow and the SG identified Spike as a possible detractor of their plan to bring back Buffy. They knew how desperately he loved Buffy and they know he doesn't think dying is any big deal. Why would they assume he would object? You would think they'd assume Spike would be the first on board, for a chance to be with Buffy at any cost. They have obviously noticed something about him over the summer that lets them know his love for Buffy is not a twisted thing, but a very respectful love, one that puts Buffy's best interests first. <Kaye>
Transcript by joan the english chick for the Psyche transcripts site:
http://www.psyche.kn-bremen.de/101bargaining.txt
1. Did everyone notice that Spike knew exactly where the cards were? He has obviously been a frequent visitor/babysitter over the summer. I loved the way his voice broke as he said "I'm not leaving you to get hurt." His statement to Dawn "Just deal." had a double meaning. He needs to take his own advice, because he isn't dealing that well. He is on the surface but obviously the guilt is eating him up.
2. Spike and Giles bonding/handclasp. I'm really going to miss their interaction. They could have been good friends if Giles had stayed. I loved hearing Spike and Giles laugh and joke.
3. The easy way Dawn told Spike about her day suggests that this is something they've done before. I also loved the easy way he and Dawn touch each other now. I loved the parental note in his voice when he said "Mind me." I didn't know he had that in him. <Kaye>
Important things first; I adored all the Spike scenes. His bitterness at Buffybot (and himself) at the "washboard abs" line really got to me. Also loved his protectiveness for Dawn without the loss any of his snarkiness. Straight out of fanfic, man, and very redemptionista-esque. <Vonnie>Especially in the beginning of the ep. Giles is leaning against a tombstone and Spike goes over to him, and they are laughing. And who can forget the line about, (paraphrase) "Did you see your life flash before your eyes, Watcher? Cup 'o tea, cup 'o tea, almost got shagged, cup 'o tea"? I didn't hear any dialogue right after that, I was laughing so hard. <Tara>They are so cute together like protective big brother and little sister. I wonder, though, based on the card scene, how long Dawn will be able to live under the burden of Spike's guilt. I thought when I saw that scene that Spike was really handling Buffy's death very badly (in the sense that the wound was still bleeding). I also thought that the scene was interestingly more about Dawn than his promise to Buffy. He kept the emphasis on not letting her be alone to get hurt (not so much on his promise to protect her for Buffy). If anyone questioned that he loves Dawn, they got their evidence last night, I think. <Rowan>
Regarding the "Looks like fun" scene. Now don't get me wrong, not of the good. But think about this for a minute. What I see in that scene is not what he says, but what he *does*. Nothing. He protects Dawn. Gets her to safety. I venture to say it never occurred to him to leave Dawn and go "play". It was a moment of temptation. Which honestly, to have redemption we must have temptation. Otherwise, how would we know if he were good, or just hanging out cause nothing better has come along? Everyday I am besieged with evil thoughts. I want to slash the tires of my landlords, just on principle cause landlords are truly evil. To go to a bar on a Saturday night and pick up a guy and do it in the alley. Whatever. The point is I'm sure I'm not the only one who has these thoughts. Everybody does. Why do we expect Spike, you know the demon, to have pure thoughts? <treasaigh>
I also thought it was very telling that when Spike and Dawn turned up missing, no one not even Xander thought that Spike might have run off, leaving Dawn in the lurch. Definitely trusted on some level. <Laurie>
1. Spike's slamming the table when he gets frustrated with Dawn. A bit scary-violent for a baby-sitter.
2 Wistful smile about the fun of mayhem
See the shooting script at:
>>>SPIKE'S POV: He watches as another couple of Hellions ransack an abandoned house across the way. A chair comes CRASHING though the front window, coming to rest on the lawn.<<<
David Fury's script clearly states that it's an abandoned house and property damage that Spike thinks looks like fun. The woman's scream must have been added in later in production. <alane>
>>>Who are in mid-fight with the large vamp who was hiding behind the crypt. Xander's in a headlock and Anya is trying in vain to stake the vamp. As Spike, Giles, Tara and Buffy arrive, the vamp swats Anya away with a mighty hand and she goes flying.BUFFY I got it!
Xander manages to get free while Buffy engages the vamp. But again we see that Buffy isn't quite on it. She takes a few brutal hits and Spike steps in, knocking the vampire back on his ass. Buffy lunges and finally manages to dust the vampire.<<<
Too bad it wasn't staged that way (unless it was Spike who was the vampire knocked on his ass) I want to see Spike kick some vamp butt, damnit! <Lisa>
1. I noticed that the Shooting Script didn't specify that while Spike was doing his "Cuppa tea" speech he would be helping Giles stand up. That was added. And I thought it was a very nice addition. There would have been a whole different feel if Spike had just been standing back mocking the fallen Watcher.
2. I also noticed that when Spike is talking to Willow about changing the Bot's programming, the Shooting Script mentions that Willow can understand why Spike would want the Bot reprogrammed. Evidently this is supposed to show up in her face, some sort of sympathetic understanding expression. Oddly enough I didn't really see this in AH's acting. I saw more of the harried, grumpy Willow who has too much work to do. <Clairel>