Interesting thoughts. I've always thought the reason why people who aren't keen on Spike seem to like him best in season 4 would have something to with why I don't like him much in season 4 and you've put your finger on it here.
Not that the chip wasn't necessary for Spike's journey, but there is definitely an element of floundering about the character in season 4, especially the latter part.
Spike in season 4 isn't my favourite version of the character either, he is treated too much as a comic relief, without anything very consistant as a way of character development, though you can find some elements; his grief and refusal at first to accept his new condition seem quite a realistic reaction to have.
Taken in the greater perspective of his journey, season 4 makes sense on several levels for Spike: turning him into comic relief was an answer to the necessity for the writers to find a way to keep him in the show in spite of him being a vampire. But had he stayed at this point he would have quickly become a boring and useless character.
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Not that the chip wasn't necessary for Spike's journey, but there is definitely an element of floundering about the character in season 4, especially the latter part.
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Taken in the greater perspective of his journey, season 4 makes sense on several levels for Spike: turning him into comic relief was an answer to the necessity for the writers to find a way to keep him in the show in spite of him being a vampire. But had he stayed at this point he would have quickly become a boring and useless character.
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