At first blush I was disappointed, too - sometimes it was hard to remember that Spike had earned his soul at all.
But then, after thinking about it some more, I realized that Spike's characterization was completely natural. The two don't trust each other, largely because of their shared history and the shame they both feel for it; neither witnessed the other's growth from soulless killer to ensouled champion and so don't trust each other's claims to it; and to top it off, they are rivals for Buffy's affection. Of course they're going to snark at each other and engage in petty one-upmanship arguments.
Add to this the fact of Angel's takeover of Wolfram & Hart. Spike knew what they are and, with his usual insight, instantly pinpointed Angel's midjudgment in thinking he could change the company from the "belly of the beast. What you don't realize is you and yours are being digested." Angel never took kindly being second-guessed, and given his incentive (Connor) for taking over W&H, he wouldn't enjoy having anyone point out how stupid it was, especially if that someone is Spike.
I think much of Spike's characterization in AtS Season 5 is based in self-protection, particularly when it comes to Angel. That, and he just flat-out enjoys being a royal pain in Angel's arse.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-12-15 09:37 pm (UTC)But then, after thinking about it some more, I realized that Spike's characterization was completely natural. The two don't trust each other, largely because of their shared history and the shame they both feel for it; neither witnessed the other's growth from soulless killer to ensouled champion and so don't trust each other's claims to it; and to top it off, they are rivals for Buffy's affection. Of course they're going to snark at each other and engage in petty one-upmanship arguments.
Add to this the fact of Angel's takeover of Wolfram & Hart. Spike knew what they are and, with his usual insight, instantly pinpointed Angel's midjudgment in thinking he could change the company from the "belly of the beast. What you don't realize is you and yours are being digested." Angel never took kindly being second-guessed, and given his incentive (Connor) for taking over W&H, he wouldn't enjoy having anyone point out how stupid it was, especially if that someone is Spike.
I think much of Spike's characterization in AtS Season 5 is based in self-protection, particularly when it comes to Angel. That, and he just flat-out enjoys being a royal pain in Angel's arse.