We got this really neat soul theory after our discussion of ‘Entropy’ and ‘Double or Nothing’ from @spikesjojo, who gave us permission to share it here on the tumblr as well.
The soul questions intrigued me, so this is what I have put together, using canon events and lines.
The soul is your moral compass - it is what you use to make decisions about what is right and what is wrong. And it is the core of your identity - literally who you are. When Angel told Buffy about the curse, he told her that the gypsies had returned his soul (not given him a soul).
When we see Angelus getting resouled, we see Liam. He doesn’t know where he is but he knows who he is and what he has done.
When Giles first tells the scoobs about vampires, he tells them that the person is dead when they become a vampire - in other words when the soul is removed and the demon takes over.
In Buffy, the moral compass - the soul is also the actual person - is the core of that being, The choice you make - what you do - defines who you are. The Buffyverse is all about choices and consequences - they define the core personality. Buffy has a strong moral compass - even if she screws up she is trying to do good. Warren has a corrupted moral compass - reflected by the choices he makes.
So [re: Double or Nothing] Gunn would no longer be Gunn - his core personality, his morals, his ethics, his battle against evil - it would all be gone. He might well be worse than Warren.
Angel told Buffy in Amends that he had always been a weak man - Liam was weak. Liam was never evil, but self control was not a virtue of his. He wanted to kill himself because the First convinced him that he (Liam) couldn’t be trusted to control himself (Angelus - the demon). If the soul wasn’t actually the core personality, then having been a weak man would have nothing to do with his doubts .
Now - Spike. As a man, he was love’s bitch. As a vampire he was evil - but he was still a Romantic poet - the rescuing knight to the beautiful princess. He and Drusilla shared intense affection - in some ways they truly showed love for each other. But the lack of a moral compass means they killed people while feeling this way.
Spike with a chip adapted - and learned new ways to interact with people. He began to see some people as more than happy meals with legs. He fell in love with Buffy, cares about her deeply, can be empathetic at times. But he has no moral compass - he doesn’t know how to make choices that help her. This is a key part of what love is to humans - it’s how we show love. There is no big picture for him - just what he feels, and what he thinks Buffy wants. William was a good man - Spike can love, but it isn’t the love of a good man.
As a lot of you may know, the subject of souls (and love) comes up quite a bit on the podcast, (and despite the unofficial motto of “don’t question the science” we don’t really let anything go) and this was a delightful read. I doubt we as a fandom will ever come to a clear consensus on either of these subjects, but I’ll never tire of discussing them.
If you want to send your own feedback, head over to the twitter, send it here on the tumblr, or email us, and be sure to keep it spoiler free like @spikesjojo did so that our newbies both on and off the podcast can enjoy what you have to share!
