Spike (James Marsters) sacrificed himself to save the world, seemingly losing his life in the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” series finale, “Chosen.” However, his sacrifice was somewhat cheapened for fans by The WB’s announcement that the other vampire with a soul would be headed to LA for the 5th season of “Angel” — an announcement that took place before “Chosen” had aired. Spike’s path on “Angel” was a fascinating one. Just how much of his hero’s journey thus far had been all about Buffy? Also, his dynamic with Angel added new dimensions to the series, thanks to the relationship these two had shared previously, but also in terms of Spike and Angel’s respective destinies.
Spike had a very complete arc on “Buffy,” so if his time had indeed ended there, that would’ve been fine. That said, “Angel” brought even more depth to Spike, not always showing him in a positive light, but treating him like the flawed character he is. Spike and Angel definitely didn’t bring out the best in one another, with their pettiness always rising to the surface. The reasons for this were fleshed out by allowing more of their relationship to play out via flashbacks. “Destiny” was a particular highlight because of the way it showcased Angel’s pivotal role in shaping Spike, as well as explaining why these two vampires disliked each other so very much.
Spike also caused Angel to question his purpose, his very existence. The Shanshu Prophecy had given Angel a pot of gold at the end of this apocalypse’s rainbow. He would get to one day live as a human after playing his part in the coming battle. But he was no longer the only vampire with a soul. So what if Angel was never the chosen one after all?
