When James Marsters talked about his original auditions to become Spike he described strutting in like a sex god, looking down his nose at the other actors up for the role because they didn't have the confidence to strut and put it all out there.... And I think that that willingness to be 'out there' was why Joss & other writers on BtVS wanted to keep him on the show.
I don't think that Robert Carylye is trying to sexualize Rumplestiltskin (even when he is w/Belle he doesn't seem to be seducing her...), but he is seductive a lot: when he is trying to get someone to compromise their principles and accept his help, he is seducing them to go against their better nature. I think that that is why he helped Henry without asking anything in return (he didn't want the little boy to go against his better nature, he didn't want to corrupt him). I actually find Rumplestiltskin to be a more interesting character than the raw sexuality of Spike, but Spike definitely had more interesting dialogue and character growth (ie better writing).
And I agree w/you 100% about poor Edith on Downton Abbey! WWI just killed off huge numbers of young men of her age group... who do her parents think she is going to find? Because pretty much at this point most of them are either too young or too old; all poor Edith wanted was a man who genuinely found her lovely (who wouldn't be wishing he was in bed with Mary). I don't think that that was too much to ask. *sigh*
I like the 3rd season of Downton better than the 2nd because I found that to be maudlin and melodramatic (they could have been so much edgier and more honest about WWI).... But I agree that Merlin is way more fun: this final season they seem to be really going all out, and I found it to be really entertaining (instead of the more tepid/timid Downton).
At least there are entertaining things to watch to keep you resting your poor foot!
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I don't think that Robert Carylye is trying to sexualize Rumplestiltskin (even when he is w/Belle he doesn't seem to be seducing her...), but he is seductive a lot: when he is trying to get someone to compromise their principles and accept his help, he is seducing them to go against their better nature. I think that that is why he helped Henry without asking anything in return (he didn't want the little boy to go against his better nature, he didn't want to corrupt him). I actually find Rumplestiltskin to be a more interesting character than the raw sexuality of Spike, but Spike definitely had more interesting dialogue and character growth (ie better writing).
And I agree w/you 100% about poor Edith on Downton Abbey! WWI just killed off huge numbers of young men of her age group... who do her parents think she is going to find? Because pretty much at this point most of them are either too young or too old; all poor Edith wanted was a man who genuinely found her lovely (who wouldn't be wishing he was in bed with Mary). I don't think that that was too much to ask. *sigh*
I like the 3rd season of Downton better than the 2nd because I found that to be maudlin and melodramatic (they could have been so much edgier and more honest about WWI)....
But I agree that Merlin is way more fun: this final season they seem to be really going all out, and I found it to be really entertaining (instead of the more tepid/timid Downton).
At least there are entertaining things to watch to keep you resting your poor foot!