Okay. Trying again ...

Miscellaneous Buffy ramblings (spoilers through "Conversations with Dead People") ...

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I loved this episode. Did I mention that already? There was so, so much to love, and it left us with so, so much to think about. But even so, my one-track mind can't stop thinking about Spike. What the hell is up with him? Did he really kill Holden and that anonymous smoker girl? What does this mean?

After reading the boards and obsessing over this for two days, here's the list of possibilities as near as I can figure (these aren't all my theories, by the way, but I can't remember who posited what; feel free to claim credit in the comments section):

1. He's evil. He gave it a good try, but the soul, redemption, whatever just didn't take and he's given up and embraced his vamp nature. This is the most upsetting possibility. Fortunately, it's also the least plausible. It would be weak story-telling, not to mention a total retread of S2 Angel. It's just not believable that he'd go from being nearly catatonic with guilt and all about helping Buffy to callously and enthusiastically killing people again, just like that. Even if he lost his soul, this behavior doesn't mesh with who he's been the last two seasons. Also? It doesn't explain why the chip isn't affecting him.

2. He's got a split personality. William couldn't handle it and withdrew, leaving the demon in charge. This is actually quite a bit more plausible to me, though it still doesn't explain why the same demon who felt so awful about attacking Buffy that he sought out his soul has gone back to his Big Bad ways. Of course, if you factor in the recent insanity and the possibility that the demon is pissed off for what he put himself through only to become a drooling, raving, stinky mess, it becomes even more believable. However, this still doesn't explain the chip.

3. He's possessed or being otherwise controlled/manipulated by the First Evil or whatever. I think this is the most likely option, and certainly the one with the most evidence to back it up. We've seen that this thing has an investment in keeping Spike out of the picture. It has visited him twice that we've seen, and he's mentioned other times. The first time that we saw, it took on the guises of various villains from seasons past and Buffy, and took the tactic of telling him that he's useless and worthless. This came after it failed to keep Buffy from even finding out he was there. The second time it posed as Buffy, telling him that she's there to help him with what he's going through yet not actually doing anything to help him -- keeping him complacent in the basement. It was interrupted by the other, not so pleasant Buffy who demanded that he take action and get himself out of the basement. Buffy keeps thwarting its covert attacks on Spike, so it's entirely plausible that it's now using a more overt tactic to keep him from fighting on the side of good, one that involves turning Buffy against him.

It's also possible that this was its plan all along. In "Beneath You," Spike told Buffy that since he got the soul, "And and now, everybody's IN here. TALKING. Everything I did, everyone I - and Him. And It - the other, the thing - beneath, beneath you. It's here too" (emphasis mine, and thanks be to georgevna for transcribing this scene). At first I thought that "It" was the demon incarnation of Spike, whom Buffy said was beneath her in "Fool for Love." But now I think it's a different breakdown. "I" is Spike, "Him" is William (though these could be reversed), and "It" is our friend From Beneath You It Devours, also known as the Mighty Morphin' Big Bad, and possibly as the First Evil, and most recently as Cassie. From here on we'll call it FBYID for short, since that's what they're doing in the forum. Anyway, maybe FBYID has left a part of itself in Spike's mind, either lying dormant and waiting for an opportunity to take over or systematically driving him to kill all this time. This fits with the title of next week's ep, "Sleeper." It also explains the non-chip-zapping in that either Spike's not in control of his own actions and therefore the chip's not picking up any intent, or maybe FBYID just shorted it out when it took him over.

4. He's still in the basement and the Spike we saw in the last two eps is an imposter. I'm kind of in love with and horrified by this theory all at the same time. But I seem to be growing ever more attached to it. It's just as plausible as number 3, and has just as much evidence to back it up. We've seen that FBYID is capable not only of appearing as anyone it wants, but also of becoming corporeal when it does so. Also, its initial goal seemed to be keeping Spike from ever leaving the basement. What if, when Buffy became insistent upon his leaving, FBYID stashed him away and took his place to fool her? This also fits the title -- "Sleeper" could refer to the real Spike, catatonic or even comatose in the basement, unbeknownst to any of the people who could help him. And it definitely explains the lack of chip-zapping. Plus, it's just so MEAN that I wouldn't put it past Mutant Enemy to go this route.

So I guess that last one is my pet theory, though really, I have no clue. I wouldn't be too surprised if it turns out to be something else entirely that none of us have thought of, that will have us declaring ME either incredibly brilliant or incredibly lame (but hopefully the former). It sure is fun to speculate, though. And it's keeping me from running out to get spoiled.