5x07 Fool for Love

Finally! The character development that Spike has needed for over a season. The last flashback reeks of ret-con, but if they're going to keep him around, he very much needed this. Angelus is always a weak point, IMO, but otherwise the flashback was actually one of the best ever segments from a production standpoint, and I especially liked Drusilla in this episode, who I haven't really been all that crazy about in previous episodes owing to my low tolerance for chaotically insane characters. Julie Benz is always great.

Buffy herself is also closer to her baseline in this outing, but I still hate how she treats Dawn. You're a college student, Buffy-- stop goading her so much. Though I suppose it's kind of realistic regarding a dysfunctional family without a proper strong parental presence. Joyce is no longer Mrs. Gaslight, but she's still pretty useless. Dawn needs less micromanagement so that she has an opportunity to make mistakes and realize that she's a hapless child. Keeping her on a leash just breeds all the problems of infantilization. I also don't remember still going for toys in cereal boxes when I was fourteen. I had definitely moved on to adult style toys at that point, like stereo equipment and knives. Was that intentional infantilization, or the writers just not remembering what kids that age want?