I've actually much more enjoyed Spike now that he's settled in a bit--his scenes with Illyria have been excellent, and some of the old married couple stuff with Angel has been funny.

On the whole, I'm OK with it. In fact, at this point, if there were another season, I'd be fine with him coming back.

That being said, I'm sure there's someone around FOX who's floated a Spike spin-off.

I do feel like they could have done a lot more with Lorne and Harmony, since they're the soul-less good guys. They're not M's oG out of conscience or guilt or anything but a desire to do good that's greater than a desire for evil. In fact, I'd put the reformation of Harmony as possibly one of the MoG's greatest goods - I mean, yeah, so far she's sucked at being an evil genius, but they've gotten one vampire to switch sides. In fact, I think they could have done a lot more good if they did start working on a small scale and then let it build - they get Harmony, and then she brings in a couple more vampires, and they bring in more, and pretty soon they can branch out to some demons - and then it's not just everybody against the humans anymore.

What are the odds that sans Angel's watchful eye Harmony keeps off the humans? How long would it take? Weeks? Months? Years? Decades? She's not getting any older.

In fact, I'd put the reformation of Harmony as possibly one of the MoG's greatest goods...

See I disagree with you here. IMO, Harmony's only on the side of good because that's whose paying her bills and by nature she wasn't a very good member of the scary vampire troupe. Take away the random human blood tests and she'd be sneaking a bite every chance she got.

That's a good question. As long as she's a marginal member, she is more abstaining from humans just because it's what the alpha commands, just as in high school she would have shunned wearing mules if Cordelia had told her to. The more she can feel like an active force for good, and that she can derive some self worth from that, the less likely she'd be to feed on humans- though I do think she'd probably sneak human blood from other sources like blood banks every now and then.

I do feel like they could have done a lot more with Lorne and Harmony, since they're the soul-less good guys

I can't equate Harmony with Lorne. Harmony is like Chipped!Spike. She is on a dry drunk. She has some sort of motive for not killing (it's never been clear why she'd want a job when she could just be killing--I think this is one place where the mythology has really started to fall apart).

The more she can feel like an active force for good, and that she can derive some self worth from that, the less likely she'd be to feed on humans- though I do think she'd probably sneak human blood from other sources like blood banks every now and then.

You give her more credit than I think she's due. Everyone in W&H who's not the MoG who's doing less evil now than before? I wager they're doing it because they get a nice job with room for promotion. No change in self-worth, or anything. And if the rules became slacker, they'd go right back -- just like a dress code.

it's never been clear why she'd want a job when she could just be killing--I think this is one place where the mythology has really started to fall apart

Because she's a follower, and this is more fun than the cult, and Angel's cute?

(it's never been clear why she'd want a job when she could just be killing--I think this is one place where the mythology has really started to fall apart).

Harmony's miserable when she's not part of a clique, and this is the closest she's been able to come since being vamped. Having minions didn't work, joining a cult didn't work, so why not try a corporation?

I can't equate Harmony with Lorne. Harmony is like Chipped!Spike. She is on a dry drunk. She has some sort of motive for not killing (it's never been clear why she'd want a job when she could just be killing--I think this is one place where the mythology has really started to fall apart).

I think it's consistent with the mythology. Presoul!Spike was evil but he also had this persistent human habit of following his heart and falling in love. Harmony's humanity that she couldn't shake was her incessant need to fit in and belong. We saw a little of this in Disharmony, and finally she was willing to stop behaving evil to be a part of the MoG. But like ita said, it's only as long as there's supervision. If she could get away with it she'd have no compunctions.

triple x-post of course