Buffy the Vampire Slayer is one of the most iconic horror series to ever be on television, but many of its brilliant decisions weren’t originally apart of the plan, including the fate of a certain bleach-blonde vampire.
Buffy is a formative television series, not only for the stars of the show and its creator, Joss Whedon, but also in terms of its approach to serialized storytelling on TV. Buffy split up its seasons with “monster of the week” episodes that were more isolated and larger story arcs that dealt with a new “Big Bad” each season. Season 2 of Buffy marks a serious improvement in quality and greater ambition. The season also introduces two of the series’ most popular characters, Spike (James Marsters) and Drusilla (Juliet Landau).
Spike, the punk rock loving vampire, first appears in season 2, Episode 3 “School Hard.” Spike is instantly memorable, not only because of his laid back attitude, but also because he’s killed several slayers in the past. Spike’s tenure on the series was only supposed to be temporary, but due to the audience’s positive reception to the characters and Marsters’ performance, he continued to return and even became a main character on the series. It’s hard to picture Buffy the Vampire Slayer without Spike as a central force, and it’s very possible that the show would have actually suffered if Whedon had stuck to his original plan for the character.
Angelus is the major villain in season 2 of Buffy, but his relationship with Spike and Drusilla leads to some exciting developments. Initially, one of Angelus’ evil acts would have involved the execution of Spike. Spike becomes temporarily crippled in the season, but this was originally supposed to result in his death, which would have slowly culminated in a romance between Angelus and Drusilla, much to Buffy’s chagrin. Marsters’ strong performance led to Spike returning briefly in season 3, before becoming a regular cast member in Season 4.
Buffy’s no stranger to surprise deaths, but showing restraint here greatly improved the future of Buffy. Since Spike was initially developed as a temporary character, they took more risks and pushed him further than they would have if they thought they’d have to deal with their decisions later. Being stuck with these bold character choices helped inform Spike going forward, including the character’s unexpected relationship with Buffy. This romance is a major turning point for the series, not just for Spike, but Buffy as well. Without Spike still alive, Buffy likely wouldn’t have had a reason to be in another relationship with a vampire. This means Riley (Marc Blucas) or some other human might have become a new romantic partner for her instead. This could have worked, but probably would have been considerably less interesting territory for Buffy to reconcile.
Additionally, Spike sacrifices himself for Buffy in the show’s finale. Without him there, the events would have to be radically different; potentially, Angel could have filled this position. On the topic of Angel, Spike’s journey to reclaim his soul also has major repercussions for Angel and the sense of importance that he feels. Spike becomes a major player on Angel’s final season after Buffy’s conclusion, so if he was no longer in the picture it’s safe to say that even the ending of Angel would be considerably different. It’s incredible how one simple decision during season 2 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer could trigger such an important series events for both the series and its spin-off.