THIS DAY IN S'CUBIE HISTORY

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

THIS DAY IN S"CUBIE HISTORY….

As of January 24, 2004, The Soulful Spike Society is officially one year old! This thread has been created to commemorate that historic event. For one month, from January 24th through February 24th, Patti and eg will re-post one ScoopMe message from the corresponding day of 2003 here – a sampling of how some things change, and some things stay the same in our community.

To revisit the beginning of 'us', click the link below. It will take you to a page of relevant posts from the very day of the S³ website creation.

www.soulfulspike.com/Birth.htm

Then beginning January 24th return here each day for a month and enjoy a little S'cubie history! Please feel free to comment on the main 'PART XXX' thread - maybe we can even get the original posters to reminisce a bit!

Happy Anniversary fellow S'cubies!

Vlad and his Merry Minions - Patti and Erin

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

Happy Anniversary S'cubies!

This was posted by Diane one year ago today...

283 Re: Spike's Game Face 1/24/2003 Diane U


I like Spike's "game face". It isn't human--but I find it eerily and dangerously beautiful.

I also very much enjoy watching him switch back and forth.

Spike to game face did go

Fangs in the darkness and eyes a-glow

a shifting, mutating identity dance

much in cohesion with lovely ebulgance.

Diane Ullman (Bloody Awful) Poet in Residence

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

This was posted by Spring one year ago today...

Hair & Humanity 1/25/2003 Spring Summers

HAIR: Yes on the curls and the roots. I hate the white, slicked back hair.

HUMANITY: Oh Piffle. I don’t want him to be human, though Julie sure has a good point about the non-aging thing. But I don’t buy for a minute that some Shansu (?) prophecy we’ve never heard about on BtVS is going to suddenly play a huge part in the destiny of one of the show’s regular characters. Not that it couldn’t happen, but there is no precedent for it, and it would steam me pretty good.

What? Now I HAVE to watch Angel to understand the possibilities on BtVS? It’s one thing to interconnect them and give viewers of both shows something of an advantageous, or fuller angle, it’s another to make a pivotal plot development impossible to ascertain.

As far as what Spike wants – he expresses delight at the thought of being back in the sunlight after he grabs the Gem of Amara, and it seems to mean a lot to him to be "treated like a man. But he's never really made any direct noises about wanting to be human again.

I mostly get the overwhelming feeling Spike wants to die already – “Let Me Rest in Peace”, “Can we rest now, Buffy?”, “I can barely live with what I’ve done . . .”, etc.

The human psyche really isn’t made to live in this challenging world for so very long. And William, a sensitive soul who never fully gave up his humanity, now has his soul restored.

I get the feeling, underneath it all, expressed in that uncharacteristic somberness, is a just-under-the-surface desire for "that final gasp, that look of peace".

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

This was posted by Vlad one year ago today...

42. episode analysis 1/26/2003 Vlad I

Oh Spring!

I just read the analysis, straight thru..one time. Fantastic. I mean it, just marvelous.

From first look, I don't think there will be much for me to do in the way of editing other than the basic html encoding and minor layout adjustments to make it work on the page. I'll go through it to make sure there are no glaring typos or grammatical mistakes. I am sure I may miss some, so after it's posted, I am sure you or any of our fellow S'cubies won't hesitate to point out any typos or grammar errors we may have missed.

*hug* I Just Love It! I am off to get it up on the page so all the rest of the gang can enjoy it too.

I don't know how much time or effort you put into this, but if you can do this with all (or most) of the Spike episodes, I think the S'cubies may actually have to worry about having an internet site that becomes a "Must Visit!" for all Spike and or BTVS fans.

[Techno-bot]

Micha posted this Jan 27th 2003

93. vampification choices 1/27/2003

Yes, yes, I know the word is "sired" but I much prefer vampification. Anyway, I thought I would stir the pot and get some ideas flying about...

It has occured to me a few times, but I have not posted the thought, that vampires seem very selective as to whom they vampify. We have discussed previously that a young vampire (young human turned vampire) would be more likely to turn people of their age set. (i.e. their high-school or university friends) Also, I believe we have been through the logic of young-human-turned-vampires being more prolific than the "older" vampires (the folies of youth, not taking responsibility for one's Childeren.) Regardless, there seems to be a disproportionate amount of late-teen early twenties humans turned vampire. (Can you follow all that?)

Are there unwritten rules concerning who you vampify?

Anne Rice covered the whole question of "Thou shall not vampify children." in Interview with a Vampire. Does this rule also apply in the Buffyverse?

Also, there seem to be few older-human-turned-vampires. Is this due to the fact that vamps prefer their meals "fresher" (i.e. younger)? If this were so, wouldn't we see more child victims? Or are children simply too small to make a satisfying meal?

Also, in another vein, (I love that saying in this context!) we have the children of vampires. We have explored this question as regards to a child born to vampires and yet have ignored the obvious question of: if a person has a child and then is turned into a vampire what happens? This seems like a silly question. Mom or Dad is dead to the kid right? But Angel raises the question, after he became a vampire he returned to kill his family. Is this simply because he was a particularly evil vampire, or do vampires generally kill their families?

I ask this because we all assume that vampires have no families (and the youth of vampires at the time of their death might make this rare) but, especially in the past, a 16 or 20 year old could have a well established family. (Some still do!) So, as such, many of the vampires roaming Sunnydale could well have families and decendents.

For example (and this is a stretch considering what we know of William's stuttering shyness around women) our beloved Spike could have some great-great-grandchild roaming around. Our faithful watcher Giles could well be William's progeny. (Just an example folks to make my point. I am no way claiming that this is the case. Just wanted you to see what I was talking about.) Or, even more likely, Angel could have a great-great-great-great-grandchild to be a relative to young Connor. An important thing to remember should Connor ever require bone-marrow.

Well, I think this is long enough for the moment, but I hope that some of you will have some comments/objections so that we can discuss this further.

Watergal, your faithful conversation starter in Nosf.Eng.

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

One year ago today Nan Dibble was saying...

180. The game thus far 1/28/2003 Nan Dibble

I'll generalize (and withdraw only if new thought hits or if beaten with large clubs) and say that so far, we've gotten lots of developments but very little in the way of fireworks. The sole example that comes to mind is Spike going through the wall after Andrew.There have been excellent individual moments, like Xander's speech last week to Dawn, Spike and Buffy and the rocket launcher, Andrew's "That'll do, pig!" (oddly, said as meaning "That's enough," not in its original Babe sense of commendation--which any geek should know), Buffy at last coming for Spike and their shambling wordlessly out of the cave together, Clem's Beetlejuice moment, Spike on the cross in the church.... But they aren't cumulative. None of them builds or ratchets up the tension of the plot arc as a whole.That plot arc is still ambiguity, mystery, and just plain befuddlement. Who/what is Principal Wood? With whom, Buffy or Faith, does the Slayer lineage actually reside? Is Giles (a) actually alive and/or (b) actually in Sunnydale? Was Joyce a *real* ghost, a hallucination, or a manifestation of the First? What became of Dawn's Scrappies? Groundwork was laid for a whole episode, yet to date nothing has come of it. What is Spike's current relationship to Buffy, much less where is it going? What does the First want with Spike to begin with? How much of what we see can we grasp and believe?Taking this season all by itself, I don't know where we've been, where we are, or where we're headed.With Adam (for instance), the main plot arc was comparatively clear, though the sub-arcs and sudden twists (like "The Yoko Factor" and Spike's chipping) weren't. I know--the First wants to take over the world, turn it into hell, destroy it, etc. But that's the premise of the series as a whole. It's the same, really, as what the Master wanted, and Angelus wanted, and it seems Willow wanted. It's the distinctiveness and unexpectedness (rather than the murkiness) of the individual seasonal arcs--THIS year's Big Bad--that keeps viewer interest high. And I don't yet see that central spine plot getting much clearer or more dynamic than it was at the first.Most of the discussion (well, a lot of it anyway) on the episode board is people trying to figure out what the hell is happening and where it might lead: trying to determine what the plot IS rather than analyzing its details. That's one of the reasons, I think, that Season Six seems to have been generally less popular than other seasons (although I personally liked it a lot): the Big Bad presented was apparently the Geek Trio, and they were too lightweight to convey a real sense of threat. More nuisance than menace. Then, at virtually the last minute, the story arc took an abrupt right turn with Tara's death.Doesn't matter if/whether that development was what the writers were aiming for all along. They left a good chunk of the viewership in the dark trying to figure out what was REALLY happening because what they were seeing on the screen wasn't enough.So far I see this happening this season, too. We're floundering, trying to grasp the shape of the thing, trying to conjecture what it might mean because we haven't been given enough clues about what it does mean. And we steadfastly believe it does mean something and eventually we'll find out what it is. This approach to tale telling works only for the faithful; it's not enough to hook a casual viewer and keep him/her interested and involved with a plain carrot in sight to follow that the reader can grab at but never quite actually catch until the end.I think we need a bigger carrot, folks.Nan

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

One year ago today, Vlad had this to say about the season...

185. Where we've been/going 1/29/2003

It's now been a week since Potential aired. We discussed a lot on this board and I have read most of the Episode board. It has given me time to reflect much as Nan has. I agree with her for hte most part.

This season seems to be kind of floundering around a bit. Actually, it's not really floundering, but it has well, been kind of slow...maybe a little anticlimatic.

Here we are in what may be the last season of Buffy (at least most likely the last season of it in it's original configuration) and we are facing the BIGGEST bad of them all. The First Evil rather implies something really special and really heavy. Yet, what have we got?

We had Andrew stab Jonathon, Spike got his soul but munched and sired a dozen or so folks and we got the the Ubervamp. We are half way thru the season, folks.

Oh wait.. I forgot the reject worm from Tremors and the Gollum-y critter that ate flesh in episode two. And isnt that jsut the point? I nearly forgot them. They weren't inspiring or exceptional.

We have had new characters introduced like Principal Wood, Kennedy and the rest of the SIT's that have all been interesting, but we haven't had enough of them. We haven't seen enough of them. They kept Spike chained to a wall for 3 friggin' episodes! They took what has really been the most interesting character for the last two seasons, gave him a his soul back and had him either rambling around loony or chained to a friggin' wall! I'm sorry...to me it just seems kind of lazy. They could have had Buffy rescue him the episode after he was abducted, making the time he spent there count jsut as much and had one or two episiodes of her and him reconciling their relationship now post-soul. And when we finally did get him back, they barely used him.

I want to make clear that it's not jsut Spike's lack of use I am a little upset about. It's the lack of Willow also. She had a pretty tramatic time last year and other than some throw away "Am I ready to go back yet, Giles?" scenes for hte first two episodes and the " oubty" episode 3, we really haven't dealt with what the ramifications of her evil was. I am beginning to join the band wanting her to not get off as lightly as she seems to have been.

I keep thinking back to what I have seen this season as I write this and I keep thinking of all the things that can be said concerning each of my points, how this was touched on here and that was touched on there. But you know what...I am still left feeling wanting. Maybe ME finally just bit off more than it can chew. Maybe the whole darn thing is just getting too complex and it is taking all the time alotted to simply wrap up the loose ends.

We have about 10 episodes left to go. I am for one hoping that they manage to be the best 10 episodes of Buffy ever. That's a tall order, but for this show, I actually have hope that they could swing it. The things I most want them to cover are:

1. Spike's relationship with Buffy. Let's get what is going on out in the open! I wnat one episode where they talk about it, and actually get something resolved, be it happy or sad.

2. What happens after SMG leaves...as in some idea where the show (or a spin off) might go.

3. Some closure for Willow (maybe with Kennedy or without, either one). She has to deal with Tara's death and her bout with evil. And then lay it to rest! She is redeemable but she needs to be redeemed. Unless this is where the show is going for a season 8, let's get to it.

4. I would like to see Xander get something. That speech of his to Dawn was so poignant and so long overdue. The last time we had a good look inside Xander's head was The Zeppo, and a light touch at the end of last season. I for one actually liked him and Anya together, but alas, since that isn't going to happen due to real life contracts, then I would like to see him get someone special in his life. It doesnt have to workout forever, but at least a shot.

And that's the 4 major things I would like to see covered. That leaves at least 6 episodes to deal with the First primarily. I want some great action, maybe some big battles utilizing some of the SIT's. I want to see some SFX. If this is indeed the last season (or at least with SMG) lets have some of the good stuff.

I want to see things that are memorable. Like the magic during the finale when Buffy and the Scoobs morphed together to fight Adam. I want a swirling maelstrom with dragons and demons and whatever flying around like at the end of season 5 before Buffy croaked again.

I want interesting camera angles and to see something new. Think of the scenes so often used in the opening credits; like us looking down on Willow and Tara casting that spell. Let's see some wild sweeping camera angles. I want big powerful visuals as Willow tosses some mega-magic; lights and images emanating from her finger tips. I want to say "WOW!" Come on ME. If this is going to be the end, then reward me. I've been here since the start. I've been faithful. Give me more bang and less sizzle.

Vlad, TA, tp

Edited By Vlad I at 1/29/2003 1:40:00 AM.

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

One year ago today this is what Rob had to say....

268. See a man deserving of respect. 1/30/2003

The Zeppo. FX. Tonight. 6pm. One of the greatest episodes in BTVS history because Xander gets a chance to prove himself....to himself. My only qualm with this wonderful hour is the ending. For Spuffy lovers, this is a fun episode to watch because for once we get to understand how ridiculous some of the constant Buffy/Angel angst was getting by this point. Jeez, you guys, lighten up already. Did they ever spend an evening where they just had a nice time together? If so, when was this? Anyhoo, to those of you who haven't seen it, this episode is the beginning of a long process for Xander....one that felt completed a couple of weeks ago with his heart to heart talk with Dawn.

Rob Sorenson

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

One year ago today Sandy (known then as Lee Parish )
was thinking about this...

346. and so on... 1/31/2003 Lee Parish


Guys, back again. I've been trying to catch up on posts. Alexandra, want you to know I now have the BtVS episodes in a notebook so I can refer back to them. What a job that was!!

Vlad, I am totally impressed with your computer expertise. I taught Computer Lit for awhile to both kids and adults. I got so tired of telling them to, "Read the screen," I burned out. Now, all I want from a computer is for it to work. I'm so old school, I'll still go back to DOS to work on a problem.

Spring, I am just blown away at your analysis of "School Hard" and "Halloween".

I want you guys to know, I teach English (I hesitate to let this out because my grammar and spelling will sometimes slip), and every day I see examples of concepts I'm trying to get across in episodes of BtVS. I would so much rather use Buffy than the current, or any, textbook. I'm seriously reading everything all of you have to say, printing some of it out for futher study and working on a way to maybe come up with, at the very least, a unit using Buffy. Spring, I loved the Gone With the Wind analogy. I'll be sure to list you all in the bibliography. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

You know, Shakespeare wasn't thought to be any great mind in his day. He was considered too "commercial" I guess would be the modern word. Every day I gain new respect for Joss and his writing team, especially Marti Noxon.

In the meantime, I'll be lurking about.

[Patti - S'cubie Cutie]

Rob had this on his mind one year ago today..


368. Different kinds of intelligence 2/1/2003

I don't post this as a response to anyone here, but I occasionally lurk on other boards (though I spend more and more time here due to the quality of the discussion), and I get irritated when any main Scooby is classified as a weak link. I ran across a post recently that classified Willow, Giles and Spike as the brains of the group, with the rest catching up later because they're stupid. I find it fascinating when people make these blanket statements about characters. This person claimed to have watched the show from the beginning, but I have to question that.

Ok, if we're going to classify on schoolwork and book-learning alone then those three definitely qualify (I've always assumed that William was an excellent student).

What about common sense? It's hard to define that sort of thing, but that's where Xander outdistances the others. He has a priceless gift to see into the heart of things and figure out how to fix it. He recognized Willow was in trouble early on last year, for example, but the Scoobs had pulled away from each other again and he was ignored.

In Buffy's case she's actually a pretty good strategist when she's forced into it...frankly Willow, Giles and Spike are not. They can identify the problem, but stopping it is another matter.

This post is getting too long, and I'm sorry, but a perfect example is the defeat of the Mayor. Willow and Giles figured out the date of the Ascension, but his destruction was all Buffy and Xander. She came up with the plan and Xander implemented it. Xander got the explosives, he set them up with help from Giles, and he led the troops in the climactic battle scene with the vamps while Buffy roped the Mayor in. Those aren't the actions of stupid people.

Rob Sorenson

[Queen E]

Vlad made this little announcement one year ago today...

377. Truth by Robert Sorenson 2/2/2003
(This is an historic post.)

Check out Fanfictional! on the S3 webpage (www.geocities.com/scubiefan/) 'cause our dear own Robert S. has posted his first piece of fanfic for the S'cubies there.

I hate saying I told you so (Actually, no I don't *shrugs*) but he is a talented writer. Yep, yep. Knew it all along. Won't you people ever listen to me?

*L* Seriously, go take a peek. I like how Rob has pulled in themes and questions that we have all been pndering should certain folk actually meet up. We want more Rob, you hear

Vlad, TA, tp

Edited By Vlad I at 2/2/2003 9:27:00 AM.

[Queen E]

Vlad (getting a lot of attention this week) discusses new developments on the site...

396. Alexandra/Pictures 2/3/2003 Vlad I

I am glad you have discovered other uses for the information. *smile*

As far as pictures on the web site: Yes! In fact, there are already pictures on the web site. In the VHISN section, there is a screen capture I made of Spike demonstrating hte British Bird and there is the Weetabix logo at the bottom of the main page. All of the buttons (ie. the Fangfest Festival, Fanfictional, Weetabix, etc.) are in actuality pictures that I created and utilized as the "link" to a different HTML page.

I am not adverse to putting up pictures of Spike and the BtVS cast and the like. I would also like to take this time to solicit original art from our fellow S'cubies. Remember folks, this is your site. You are creating it.

Also, I would like to put up a few sound clips and maybe even a few video clips if possible for folks to enjoy. The audio stuff is being worked on by a S'cubie and the video is a possibilty that I am playing with myself. We'll see what happens.

Spring Summers made a comment about seeing if we could get linked to other sites. Personally, I don't spend much time on other boards or Spike or BtVS sites. In the links area I created one for the Bloody Awful Poet site, and one to the Tabula Rasa site. Submit other sites to link to and I will post them. As far as links to the S3 site; have at it! Makes me no nevermind. You are one and all S'cubie missionaries. Go forth and spread the word.

A final note about pictures on the web site. I will post most anything (aside from raunch) for the S'cubies. However, should anything be copyrighted and I get a complaint, that material would be removed without argument by me.

Also, should a piece of material (and this goes to written also) be objectional by it's content to someone (or to geocities), I would review it, discuss it, and possibly remove it depending on the nature of the objection. I just want these things said beforehand so there isn't an argument later.

Vlad, TA, tp

[Queen E]

Our illustrious founder discusses the beginnings of what morphed into our saucy signature lines...


41 Sayings on Email Signatures 2/4/2003

In many email systems you may design a "signature" for yourself that automatically posts at the end of your email. Most people put their names, addresses, title, email addresses, and phone numbers. Some people add an interesting quote at the end.

I would like to pick the Scubie brains for quotes from the series that would make good signature lines. The only one that leaps to my mind is, "I'm paralyzed with not caring very much." But that would (unfortunately) be inappropriate for a work signature quote. Help?


Alexandra K

[Queen E]

Deborah expresses some concerns about the direction of Season 7...

72 Owe, Owe, Owe 2/5/2003 deborah cohen

This is going to be brief and to the point because I'm at work (of course) and I want to read the new ScoopMe review and check out the Episode board, etc... This will be a busy day on the boards.

- I never got the impression that Spike's collapse in the living room was meant to be at all funny. It just seemed that the others couldn't attend to him until the first crisis was resolved; that of determining whether "Warren" was TFE. But it seemed to me that they were well aware he was there, he didn't collapse unnoticed.

- It bothered me that for all Buffy's concern for his pain and predicament she kept her physical distance. There were moments when it seemed perfectly natural that she would have reached out and taken his hand or maybe caressed his face for comfort and reassurance but she kept her hands conspicuously to herself. One of the nicest things about "Potential" was the natural way Buffy automatically moved to examine Spike's chest in the graveyard when she saw he was in pain. Someone described it as the familiar way one person touches another who is 'physically available'. And with their history that's just what they should be to one another. I was disappointed that she inexplicably reverted to a hands-off stance. It didn't jive with how far they've come and with the circumstances.

- When that monster was dragging Spike away in the Initiative HQ I was shouting at the TV "NO, NOT AGAIN! etc..." I was momentarily afraid he was going to be a prisoner of TFE again and I couldn't believe they (ME) would stoop to that. I was very relieved when Buffy dispatched it and then again when the soldier boys turned out to be there for their benefit.

- Buffy's Choice. A no brainer. I'm a little disappointed that they left that decision as a cliffhanger. I mean, how thick to they (ME) think we are? Hasn't Spike more than proved that he's reformed? Hasn't he demonstrated that he's earned the restoration of his free will? Haven't we already established that Buffy believes in him? And Buffy already understands that the chip is no barrier to TFE controlling Spike when it chooses so that's not a consideration. Then the clincher- Spike has a soul. If an ensouled Angel, who was utterly EVIL sans soul, could be trusted with the Gem of Amarra then how could an ensouled Spike, who had progressed so far towards redemption before even gaining his soul not be found worthy of free will? And finally as someone else mentioned, if Buffy were to chose to have the chip repaired rather than removed then not only would she would be choosing to leave him with a ticking time bomb in his head but his redemption would be aborted. Spike's redemption cannot be complete until the chip is gone. The suspense of the decision is contrived. If ME leaves it in than that would constitute a betrayal of character on MASSIVE scale.

- Buffy's date with Wood next week? Ewe, I say, ewe. Buffy is his subordinate. I am sure that the school board must have rules against relationships between one who directly reports to another. This development reminds me of "Friends" where Rachel is currently seeing other men even though when we all know that she and Ross belong together and it's a safe bet that they'll reconcile by the end of the season. At least, that's what I'm hoping (not about Rachael and Ross - I could give a flying ##** about them anymore) but that ME is just playing us and wants to milk all the mileage they can out of the sexual tension between Spike and Buffy and the frustration of a good part of their audience who long to see them together (they are so MEAN!).

Giles. Is that all? Again, how thick do they thing we are? It's just preposterous to imagine that no one would have tried to touch Giles or noticed that he hadn't touched anything before Robson's call. Had they not sat down to a meal at any time since his arrival? I can't believe that they let this go so long only to finally resolve all doubts by a simple touch or two or ten. As people have mentioned in the past since the Scoobies know that TFE cannot take corporeal form the easiest way to ensure it is not among them is by mutual physical contact; a logical precaution they should have been taking all along but inexplicably never have.
Last night's episode was interesting and I'm thrilled that they're dealing with the chip now but I did feel as if my (our) intelligence was being insulted on more than one level.

deborah

[Queen E]

Spring gets all poetical about the ebulgent one:

131 Re: Let Me Count the Ways 2/6/2003


Vlad - yes - use the "<" then the ">", with a "BR" in between. Alexandra, I have been inspired by your post, and by Dr Seuss’ Green Eggs & Ham:
Do you like
Our Spike with curls?
Yes we like him
We are girls
Yes we like
Our Spike with curls
Do you like him
Beefy or slight?
Yes we like him
Beefy or slight
We would like him
Day or night
We would like
Our Spike with curls
We would like him
We are girls
Would you like him
Head to toes?
Would you like him
Without clothes?
Yes we like him
Head to toes
Yes we like him
Without clothes
Yes we like him
Beefy or slight
Yes we like him
Day or night
Yes we like our Spike with curls
Yes we like him, we are girls.
Would you kiss him
In a crypt?
Would you kiss him
While unzipped?
Yes in a crypt
Yes while unzipped
Yes head to toes
Yes without clothes
We would kiss him beefy or slight
We would kiss him day or night
We would like our Spike with curls
We would like him, we are girls.

Edited By Spring Summers at 2/6/2003 11:15:00 PM.