Spike & Willow Essay Part I: Unleashing the Monster to Hide the Geek

Spike and Willow: The Bloody Awful Poet meets Captain of the Nerd Squad. Unlike Xander and Buffy, Spike and Willow don't mind the monster that much, actually they sort of prefer it, the monster makes them feel powerful, important. It's that small shy geeky nerd that resides inside that they fear and detest. This is a common theme for Joss Whedon, who realizes that as we move into adulthood, we need to learn how to let go of the pains and torments we received in the past. We need to learn new coping skills. Like Spike and Willow, we need to learn how to embrace our inner geek.