I contend that Spike cannot be redeemed by his current actions. Spike is evil not by choice, he cannot stop being evil. At most he is like a tamed animal, the only good in him, a trace of his bodies memories. While Spike's actions may bring a chance at redemption, he is not redeemed by being nice. Any thoughts (Note: I accept he's being reformed, but he is still evil.)

There is a theory that society's concept of a soul and its concept of just* punishment as separate from the whim of the leader or the mob develop together as two sides of the same coin.

Certainly in the Buffy-verse, the two ideas are connected, since the curse on Angel punishes him with a soul (or at least a conscience), and the moment he no longer feels the punishment of his soul, he no longer has the soul. It is partly because the soul is in some sense artificial.

If Spike can be redeemed, it would have to be because he grows a soul on the seed of the Initiative's chip, rather like an oyster "grows" a pearl. In this case, while the seed is artificial, the soul would be real, rather like a cultured pearl.

* "Just" in the above statement is the adjective form of "justice," not the synonym for "mere."

I don't know if this theoretical "growing" of a soul is possible even in theory, even in the Buffy-verse, but if it is, that is the course his redemption would take. His love (lust) for Buffy, and even more noticibly, his respect for Joyce and Dawn may be indications of the growing of a soul, but they could also be a combination of emotions of his demon spirit and the remnants of the human William's personality, like his feelings for Drusilla.

I just realized that the prophesy that his full humanity might someday be restored to Angel is another indication that his current souled state is artificial. In a way, he is like Pinocchio, trying to be good in the hope that he will one day become a real boy. Spike, on the other hand is as real as he ever was, and aside from the chip, all of his changes have been natural growth.

Okay the topic of Angel and Redemption: I also contend that Angel cannot be redeemed either. Angel is basically the Vampire Angelus, with the curse of having his body's soul rejoined. The reason why Angel is cursed is due to the wicked acts he has done. The fate of his soul is seperate from his body. Angel as a Vampire will always feel guilt for his deeds. Turning him into a human dosen't mean he will no longer feel pain for his acts. Angel will still remember his deeds.

*cough* May I step in a bit? Analyzation is a bit of a hobby of mine.

Spike's getting a soul is the equivalent of Gabrielle's Way of Peace back in the fourth season of Xena. It sucks, and it takes the fun out of the character, but it makes perfect sense in terms of characterization. Spike knows that no matter what he does or how hard he tries, he will never be held to Buffy's flaming standards of potential mates--ie, Angel. Spike, having been established as wanting to endlessly please the object of his affections*, decides to go all out and get a soul. He figures this is the one barrier in their relationship, and thinks it will make him, in her eyes at least, up to the level of Angel. Since Spike isn't as sociopathic and destructive as Angelus was, his period of guilt and madness is lessened, plus he doesn't have that pesky "moment of happiness = lost soul" clause attached to the bargain. Given that, Spike even more so than Angel stands a better chance of becoming a productive member of society (as opposed to sulking in a dank sewer for decades), and winning and keeping Buffy's affections.

I believe I have heard Spike described as a pack animal; he needs to belong to a group. He does not function well solo, he's not a solitary creature. He has an overwhelming desire to feel that he's needed, that he's making a contribution. It doesn't matter to him if he's the leader, or a follower; he just wants to belong. Vampires by nature are not social creatures, so he is highly untypical of his species in that respect.

Also, in life Spike was actually quite a nice, quiet, intellectual, upper-class young man. He was not a gadding drunkard like Liam was; he had a good idea of how to get around in society, and what was considered acceptable and what was not. When he was embraced he flouted those rules...not out of ignorance, but because he was feeling rebellious and no longer gave a fig about social mores or suchlike. He was never as violent or sociopathic as Angelus was, and even sans soul he had his moments of morality and even nobility. Since he received back his soul, all of his social training has come back to him and he's reverted to the quiet, polite person he was in life.

What it all boils down to is nature vs. nurture: Does a soul really make a vampire semi-human again, or does it simply repress their demon instincts? Is a chip-less Spike really defanged, or is that little piece of plastic and wire merely a stalling tactic? Like the metaphorical licks on a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.

*Harmony does not count as such. Her presence in his life was merely a convenience--he used her for food, shelter, and sex.