Shadow

Episode 5.8

Written by David Fury

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

Synopsis of Spike’s Scenes:

Riley discovers Spike in Buffy’s bedroom, sniffing her clothes. As he is ejecting Spike from the house, Spike taunts him with his fears that he is not "dark" enough for Buffy.

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

No strong signs of Spike’s redemption. David Fury wrote this episode, after all.

He tells Riley about Buffy's sick mother, he doesn't HAVE to do that. [caroline]

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/86shadow.html

Cut to: Spike holding a pink sweater up to his face and inhaling deeply. He lowers the sweater, sighing happily, then takes another sniff as

Riley appears behind him.

RILEY: What are you doing in here?

Spike whirls around and we see he's in Buffy's bedroom. He quickly hides the sweater behind his back.

SPIKE: What, me? I was um ... uh ... what are *you* doing here?

RILEY: Looking for the girl who's gonna rip your arms off when she finds out you were in her bedroom. (Walks forward.)

SPIKE: Oh yeah? Well ... me too.

Riley glances down, makes a move toward Spike's hands. Spike flinches backward and tries to maneuver so Riley can't see what he's holding.

RILEY: (bemused) Were you ... were you just smelling her sweater?

SPIKE: (scoffs) No. (Riley glares at him) Well, yeah, all right, I did. It's a ... predator thing, nothin' wrong with it. Just ... know your enemy's scent, whet the appetite for a hunt. (He sniffs the sweater again) Ah, that's the stuff! Slayer musk, it's bitter and aggravating!

Spike presses the sweater against his face and makes angry growling noises. Riley snatches the sweater away from him, tosses it aside, then grabs Spike by the front of his shirt.

RILEY: Out.

As Riley hustles Spike out, Spike grabs a piece of lacy pink underwear from a drawer.

Riley hurries down the stairs, pulling Spike after him.

SPIKE: Hey, watch it! Easy, you're bruising the leather! (They reach the bottom of the stairs and Riley lets go) Look. I know for a bleeding fact the Slayer wouldn't mind me being here.

RILEY: Right. What's a little sweater-sniffing between sworn enemies.

SPIKE: Your girl in the habit of buying her enemies drinks? 'Cause she spent the better part of last night with me, (smugly) doing just that.

RILEY: 'Cause you guys are such tight pals.

SPIKE: Yeah.

RILEY: That's good. Tell me another.

SPIKE: Okay, how 'bout this one. Twice in recent memory, she's had the lover-wiccas do a deinvite on the house. Keep out specific vamps. Ever ask yourself why she's never taken my name off the guest list?

RILEY: (falters for a moment) Because you're harmless.

SPIKE: Oh yeah, right. (scoffs) Takes one to know, I suppose. Least I still got the attitude. (looking Riley up and down) What do you got, a piercing glance? Face it, white bread. Buffy's got a type, and you're not it. She likes us dangerous, rough, occasionally bumpy in the forehead region. (patronizingly) Not that she doesn't like you ... but sorry Charlie, you're just not dark enough.

Riley scowls, grabs Spike, opens the door and thrusts Spike out into the sunlight.

SPIKE: Hey ... Hey! Hey! Hey!

RILEY: Am I dark enough for you now?

SPIKE: Bloody pull me back in, you sod, I'm starting to sizzle!

RILEY: You don't know anything about Buffy, you never did. I'm the one who knows what she needs.

SPIKE: Oh yeah? That's why you're with her at hospital right now, giving her what she needs.

RILEY: (pulls Spike back inside) What are you talking about?

SPIKE: Don't you know, didn't she tell you?

RILEY: You tell me.

SPIKE: Mum's sickly. Buffy took her to the hospital for a bit of prod 'n probe. Bite-sized one went too. (needling) You know, it's-it's funny her not calling you about that. I've known since last night.

Spike is making himself at home in Buffy's home, although she does not realize it and would probably be horrified. He's clearly trying to portray himself to Riley in this scene as part of the 'inside track' in family matters. Yet, we know that this is not true. While he does have some information about Joyce and Dawn, I sincerely doubt that Buffy told him anything while viewing him as a member of her extended family the way she does the Scoobies. I think that Spike may have interpreted her telling him *anything* in that way, however, and may have felt included in a way Buffy never intended as a result of his own wishful thinking. Poor Spike. He wants to believe he's in the inside circle, and wants Riley to believe it, too. Unfortunately, I don't think it's reality. [jacqueline]

While Buffy was content to use Spike (as usual) when she needed him the night before, she has abandoned him the morning after, and Spike is left hanging around her house needing more. When Riley catches him, Spike is as usual, utterly adept at turning the situation around and making Riley completely forget what he had walked in on. What do you want to bet that Riley never even mentioned finding Spike in Buffy's bedroom, because he was so messed up by Spike's words? [caroline]

I concur, Riley never told Buffy Spike was there, which has some interesting corollaries attached as a result. If Riley HAD told Buffy he'd caught Spike in her bedroom sniffing at her clothes, might she have considered lifting the invitation long before Crush? After all, at this point, she has no idea that Spike has ever been in the house without her permission, but simply lurking outside in the bushes, much less in her room handling her things. I think she might have been upset by that, but who will ever know, since Riley didn't tell her?

I also think that part of the reason Riley didn't tell her was that he wasn't sure how Buffy really felt about Spike. The things Spike said -- that they were out drinking, that she hadn't lifted the invite, that he know about Joyce, to say nothing of all his talk of "she likes *us* dark," as if there is something going on between them, must have put some serious doubts in Riley's mind about the exact nature of Spike and Buffy's relationship. Spike was playing it up as if Buffy welcomed his presence there, which we know isn't true; but Riley has no way of knowing that.

In retrospect, I feel so bad for Spike in this scene, despite the underwear theft. He clearly wants to believe the spin he gives Riley about everything, to believe that Buffy must harbor some secret softness for him on account of his dark side. He's taking the merest crumbs and pretending she's given him a loaf because he's so hungry for her to feel something for him. [jacqueline]

Riley grabs Spike and shoves him outside. Sizzling noises.

SPIKE: (OS) Blanket! Blanket!

Riley kicks the blanket out and slams the door. He leans against the banister looking conflicted.

Signs that Spike cannot be redeemed:

He takes advantage of the fact that Buffy and Dawn have taken Joyce to the hospital in order to go snooping through Buffy's bedroom, sniffing her clothes and stealing her underwear. He lies to Riley about what he was doing there, as well as misrepresents what transpired between he and Buffy the previous evening, making it seem much more friendly and amicable than it really was. He deliberately plays on Riley's insecurities to make it seem like Buffy might be harboring an attraction to Spike for his dark side. He's being his usuall, provocative and emotionally manipulative self in his dealings with Riley, echoing what he did in The Yoko Factor. All in all, quite unredemptive behavior overall. [jacqueline]

Key Changes from Shooting Script:

See the shooting script at:

http://www.mustreadtv.com/buffyscripts/shadow1.html

As he leaves Buffy’s house:

Spike leisurely pulls his blanket on over his head. He also pulls the lacy-something from his pocket and fingers it as he strolls out.

Unnecessary, Mr. Fury, we totally GOT that you wanted to portray him as a lecherous stalker. Thanks anyway. [caroline]

 

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