I just had a "Restless" epiphany. Normally I leave spec about that episode's meaning to georgevna, 'cause that's kinda her specialty; but this isn't speculation so much as a realization of, "Whoa! Did you see what they did there?" that came with the knowledge that Spike was actually crucified in the shooting script for "Never Leave Me."

From the "Restless" transcript:

(Color: Giles walking across the crypt.)
GILES: I still think Buffy should have killed you.

(B&W: Spike looks annoyed. He strikes a Jesus-on-the-cross pose. Very loud
oohs, cameras flashing.)

All these years I either didn't give Giles's line much importance, or I assumed he represented the Spike-haters in the audience who were proven wrong by Spike's various acts of self-sacrifice and heroism over the last couple of years (and I originally assumed he crucifix pose was all about the Glory torture). But in NLM this played out pretty damn literally. Spike tried to convince Buffy she should kill him. Buffy refused. Immediately after, Spike is taken away and crucified (symbolically, if not literally as in the shooting script), and his blood is used not to save the world but as an instrument of its destruction. Had Buffy listened to Spike and staked him, would the seal have been opened? Was Dream-Giles right? Should she have killed him to prevent the Uber-Vamp from being raised? Well, no, of course not, but there are bound to be some folks out there who think the answer is yes.

I really don't have much of a point, this was just one of those moments of understanding that made me shiver. And then do a happy dance, because if that bit o' "Restless" came to pass in such a literal and profound fashion then I have high hopes for the Spike-as-human/Watcher-in-training bit of Xander's dream.