The trend that culminated in the only unwatchable, actively painful episode they ever did, The Girl In Question, which wasn't just fanfic but bad fanfic, not just injokes but bad injokes.

Except there were people who liked that episode.

buried themselves in injokes and shoutouts

Which injokes?

I totally agree that Spike lasted too long. Or, well, he didn't. *My* Spike was replaced by a pod-vampire, and with no real explanation or benefit to the show.

An episode which I still suspect existed purely to have that slash-pandering little exchange about 'that one time'.

Because it was such a hard line to slip into an episode?

Which is why we call them "opinions", Steph.

Which is why we call them "opinions", Steph.

Which is why I thought it was acceptable to express mine. My mistake.

An episode which I still suspect existed purely to have that slash-pandering little exchange about 'that one time'.

As opposed to giving some resolution, no matter how inadequate, to the Buffy question?

injokes?

All of TGIQ. Much of Selfless (which is a damn shame because there was real, painful, upsetting meat in that episode), loads of the Trio stuff. That's off the top of my head. I know the winking at the audience started much earlier (the "Guys, reality?" line way back in S3 is the first example I can think of), but towards the end it really started to grate on my nerves.

Because it was such a hard line to slip into an episode?

Hyperbole. My loathing for that episode is so all-encompassing that I may never be able to visit Italy.

And yeah, your position on the change in Spike has always been very persuasive.

Injokes? Why'd I say that? I meant to ask about shoutouts, actually. I don't mind shoutouts I miss, since they're not disrupting the flow. I can remember one (vaguely) that left me with a "Why did he just say that?" feeling, but the rest slid right over my head, and so I can't complain.

your position on the change in Spike has always been very persuasive

Whuh?

As opposed to giving some resolution, no matter how inadequate, to the Buffy question?

Are you kidding? You're kidding. They resolved the Buffy question! Cookie dough! The smile! "Can stand up - will stand up!" That's what pissed me off most - more than the pandering, more than making a joke out of Angelus - was bringing Buffy back after the perfect closure of Chosen for - what? A couple of cheap gags and another bloody flashback?

I am also very hard pressed to think of a series that lasted for more than a 3-4 years, and that had any reliance on a presumed continuity, that didn't eventually succomb to a round of "wouldn't it be cool if", or "this would be neat", or "we need to shake things up" that in turn sacrafices some of the continuity/integrity somehow. Can anybody think of one?

Deep Space Nine.

I wasn't in the fandom when it aired and ended up catching the entire 7 seasons over a period of months, but the attention paid to the continuity and the arcs was breathtaking. I guess one can make a case of Vic Fontane falling into this camp, but I thought he was fun and well-used overall. And Odo/Kira, despite its occasional foray into soapy/weird rom-com territory, ended beautifully, I thought.

I can't think of any shoutouts (exept that moon in Firefly, which was clearly acceptable), so ignore that bit of my rant. And I meant that the point you always used to make about them buggering up Spike somewhere along the line was a good one.