Family

Episode 5.6

Written by Joss Whedon

Full episode synopsis from Buffyguide (http://www.buffyguide.com/episodes/family.shtml)

Synopsis of Spike’s Scenes:

Spike and Buffy are fighting to the death… but it ends up being a fantasy Spike is having during sex with Harmony. Later, Harmony tells Spike that a Lei-ach demon has been sent to kill Buffy. Spike leaves to watch but then becomes involved saving Buffy from the demon. Then, he steps in and helps prove that Tara is not a demon—with no thanks from the others.

This episode is significant in terms of Spike’s redemption for the following reasons:

This episode is significant for a future Buffy/Spike relationship for the following reasons:

Line by Line Analysis of Script

Transcript by joan the english chick for the Psyche transcripts site:

http://www.psyche.kn-bremen.de/84family.html

Cut to Buffy punching Spike in the face. Then she kicks him. We see they're in his crypt. Spike kicks Buffy in the stomach, then punches her in the face, once, twice, thrice. On the fourth swing Buffy grabs his arm and punches him with her other hand. She lands a roundhouse and then an uppercut. She kicks Spike in the stomach and then does a backflip, kicking him in the jaw.

Spike spins, tries a circle kick but Buffy ducks it. She blocks a punch, then he grabs her by the throat from behind, holding one of her hands. She kicks him in the face over her shoulder, twists out of his grip and throws him. He lands sitting on his armchair and it slides backward until it hits the wall. Buffy leaps up to stand on the two arms of the armchair, punches Spike in the face four times. He pushes her legs apart and she falls onto his lap. Spike grabs her butt and Buffy wraps her legs around his neck as he stands up. Then she flings herself backward, landing with her hands on the floor, and uses her legs to flip Spike over by the neck. She lands on top of him. Spike throws her off and she slides against a wall. Spike stands up. Buffy crouches, panting.

SPIKE: You want me, Slayer, come and get me.

BUFFY: Oh, I'm coming. I'm coming right- (lunges up toward him)

Cut to Spike and Harmony in bed.

HARMONY: -now!

Spike is on top of Harmony, covered by a blanket, both of them naked and panting. Harmony caresses Spike's face.

HARMONY: What are you thinking?

SPIKE: All about you, baby.

HARMONY: Aww. (Pulls Spike's head down to her shoulder) You're my little lamb.

Clearly, Spike equates fighting with sex. It’s no wonder he is both bored and disgusted by Harmony’s pop-psychology attempts at a relationship. [wendy]

And

Cut to interior of Spike's crypt. Spike sits in his armchair holding his mannequin head with the long blonde wig, caressing its cheek. The door opens and he quickly hides the head under his chair as Harmony enters, carrying several shopping bags.

HARMONY: Hi baby!

SPIKE: (bored) Hello, sweetbreads. Have fun?

HARMONY: Uhh, it was so exciting. You wouldn't believe it. I went to April Fool's, and absolutely everything was on sale.

SPIKE: You *paid* for it?

HARMONY: (unpacking bags) Oh, no. I just killed the clerk. Still, a bargain's a bargain. (Spike frowns and shakes his head) Oh, I ran into Carol Beets. You know. She sired Brandon, Brandon from the sewer gang ... and she said, the Lei-Ach demon... (happily) was recruiting his brethren to kill the slayer!

SPIKE: (suddenly paying attention) How's that?

HARMONY: Apparently, he got recruited by some big nether-wig and now he's on a mission. (Spike looks thoughtful) You think they might actually do it? Kill her?

SPIKE: (pondering) God, that would be ... pleasant.

HARMONY: Well, if they do, I think we should do something. (Spike jumps up) Like a gift basket or something. (Spike grabs his jacket) Where are you going?

SPIKE: To get a decent seat. (puts on jacket) If the slayer's gonna die ... I'm gonna watch. (Exits)

I also get a great deal of encouragement re-reading this, it is clear that Mr. Whedon has a great deal of affection for Spike. [caroline]

And

Cut back to Buffy still wrestling with the first demon. The workout room door opens and Spike enters, grinning. Buffy breaks out of the demon's grasp and shoves it backward, off of her. As she stands up, the second demon grabs her around the waist from behind. Spike stops grinning as the first demon gets up. Spike rolls his eyes in exasperation and hurries forward. He tackles the first demon and pulls it aside, landing on the floor on his back with the demon on top of him.

Buffy punches the second demon over her shoulder, then flips it, grabs it and shoves it against the wall. It slumps down and is still.

Shot of the workout room from Buffy's POV: it's empty. She rushes toward the door. Shot of Spike still on the floor with the demon in a stranglehold.

SPIKE: You're welcome!

The demon punches him in the face.

Significant that Spike's first act of saving Buffy's neck goes unseen by her. This time, he is invisible so she can't see, later on, she will refuse to see any good he might do. [caroline]

And

The same shot of the whole Scooby gang spread out in a row. Anya, farthest back, raises her hand.

Spike is in this shot, indicating that Spike, though on the outskirts, is part of the family.

ANYA: E-excuse me. What kind?

BETH: What?

ANYA: What kind of demon is she? There's a lot of different kinds. Some are very, very evil. And some have been considered to be useful members of society. (Smiles proudly. Xander turns to smile back at her.)

BETH: Well, I-I ... what does it matter?

MR. MACLAY: Evil is evil.

The phrase "Evil is Evil" seems to be disputed very strongly here...does this apply to Spike too? [caroline]

Mr. Maclay is not presented as an exemplar of Truth. He is ignorant, and he is a manipulative liar. Whedon would hardly use him as a means of communicating Buffy canon. Whedon is clearly signifying that evil is not always evil. [wendy]

ANYA: Well, let's just narrow it down. (Xander nods)

SPIKE: Ohhh. (looks around) Why don't I make this simple.

Spike walks forward and taps Tara on the shoulder. When she turns, he punches her in the face.

Both Tara and Spike reel backwards in pain. Tara grabs her nose, Spike his head.

SPIKE: Oww!!

WILLOW: (angry) Hey! (suddenly realizing) Hey...

TARA: (both hands over her face) He hit my nose!

WILLOW: And it hurt! Uh, him, I mean.

Tara looks at her in surprise.

BUFFY: (to Mr. Maclay) And that only works on humans. (Willow smiles)

SPIKE: There's no demon in there. That's just a family legend, am I right? (Mr. Maclay looks angry) Just a bit of spin to keep the ladies in line. (smirks) Oh, you're a piece of work. I like you.

TARA: (softly, to Willow) I'm not a demon.

WILLOW: (smiling) You're not a demon.

TARA: He hurt my nose.

WILLOW: Aw.

SPIKE: (still rubbing his forehead) Yeah, you're welcome. (Stalks off)

And does anybody stop to wonder why Spike bothers to help? What is Buffy's response to him putting himself in pain for Tara. "That only works on humans". She very much sees Spike as below her radar, not worth caring about. [caroline]

It seems to me that there's a very clear linkage of Spike and Riley in this one. When the 'family' is in crisis, Spike is there to save Buffy and help out Tara, while Riley is off drowning his sorrows in a demon hangout. Each is doing what the other should be. Yet once the danger is out of the way and it's party time, Spike is out of the picture, and Riley's back in - no one seems to appreciate Spike's help or question Riley's absence. A pretty concise view of Spike's thankless lot this season. [jerry]

 

Signs that Spike cannot be redeemed:

* He seems to want Buffy dead when Harmony tells him of the Lei-ach demon’s plans.

Key Changes from Shooting Script:

See the shooting script at:

http://www.mustreadtv.com/buffyscripts/family1.html

 

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