And, much as I liked Spike glowing light dying, I rather wish he had dies before he tried to rape Buffy, and/or stayed dead and not been on Angel.

I agree with the die before rape bit, but since he didn't I'm actually glad he was on Angel because I love Season 5 and it's my understanding there would not have been S5 without Spike. You can't take the wee little puppet man or Illyria away from me!

I never twigged much to gender issues the way some do. It's an intriguing argument, but I think I agree with Una at the moment. I have no refuting in regards to Cassie, however.

Would we rather have (and I am really curious) more dead good males, or more alive good females?

but since he didn't I'm actually glad he was on Angel because I love Season 5

I liked Season 5, actually, I just think that Spike's overall arc of loving Buffy worked better if he stayed dead.

Perhaps they should have created a little brother for Buffy instead of a little sister and then they could have killed him off.

couldn't have been any more annoying. I think that they could have killed Dawn off after the key thing. As much as I like the PH arc, they still could have had it without Dawn. OTOH, if both Dawn and her mother had died, and her Watcher gone, what would have kept Buffy in Sunnydale?

I think Spike's overall arc would have worked better if after he had gotten the soul, he made a choice to go back to being evil.

what would have kept Buffy in Sunnydale?

Crushing grief? A Hellmouth to keep an eye on? High real-estate prices?

I agree with the die before rape bit, but since he didn't I'm actually glad he was on Angel because I love Season 5 and it's my understanding there would not have been S5 without Spike. You can't take the wee little puppet man or Illyria away from me!

I have to look at S5 as a separate entity from the rest of the series. I like to love a lot of individual episodes and the Connor B Arc, but the A Arc made no sense, it pings even harder than AtS usual did on race and gender issues, and a lot of the character development seemed utterly inorganic to me for anyone not named Angel or Spike.

Which just isn't an excuse or a good reason for doing things.

I think it's a great reason, maybe the best. Great character, great actor, enhances the show. Let's bend the show that way.

However, you are very right that Spike should've died.

So, I think they flinched on Giles and Spike. I think the Oz death was too early for a dark Willow arc. Riley would've been a perfect sacrificial lamb but they already killed off Joyce, so that was a no go.

I do concur with the Overall Pattern standard, though. I mean, that's even what the courts use to determine discrimination.

"You say that you don't discriminate against women, but you've had women in management positions for 20 years but not once has a woman been the right choice for a top executive position?"

I think it's a great reason, maybe the best. Great character, great actor, enhances the show. Let's bend the show that way.

I think it's a great reason to EXPAND a character from one or two off to recurring or regular while that character still enhances, but that you can have to know when it's detracting from, rather than enhancing, the story or show. Which I don't think they did.

but that you can have to know when it's detracting from, rather than enhancing, the story or show. Which I don't think they did.

I've been in this corner since Season 4.