{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"E184 - Spike Spiegel Live at PuchiCon Poconos","description":" Intro Background Spike Spiegel created by Shinichiro Watanabe & Toshihiro Kawamoto in \u201cStray Dog Strut\u201d, April 1998 Protagonist of the series, he\u2019s a bounty hunter partnered with Jet Black aboard the spaceship Bebop Over the course of the series, we learn his backstory - a former member of the Red Dragon syndicate, he fell in love with Julia, the girlfriend of his partner Vicious - when Vicious finds out, he forces Julia to kill Spike or be killed herself, so she goes into hiding to save herself Spike fakes his death and goes on the run, where he teams up with Jet - they\u2019re also joined by Faye, a gambler who recently awoke from cryogenic sleep; Ein, a Welsh Corgi with human intelligence; and Edward, a young Earth girl who\u2019s also a master hacker During the series finale, Julia has Faye send Spike a message that she is alive and ready to meet with him, but Vicious has her killed - Spike goes to the syndicate\u2019s headquarters and has a final battle with Vicious, where Vicious is killed and Spike is severely wounded or killed - the ending is left ambiguous Issues Vicious Vicious Vicious\u2026 where do we begin? Never got over his abandonment by Julia either A life of drifting vs A life of intention Treatment In-universe - Get captured as a bounty, take the time to get to know Spike Out of universe -  Skit  *knocking on door*  SPIKE: *mumbles* who the hell\u2026*regular voice* Come on in DOC: Uh\u2026are you Mr. Spiegel? SPIKE: I\u2019d better be, or else you\u2019d be dead by now. Plus we don\u2019t get visitors unless Jet has business with \u2018em. He gave me the heads up. You\u2019re the doctor, right? DOC: Yes, I\u2019m Doctor Issues SPIKE: We\u2019re not exactly fancy here, but help yourself to something to eat while you wait for him. DOC: Wait for who? SPIKE: Jet said he hired a doctor to check things out, and he wanted to make sure I was around. We\u2019re kind of in no man\u2019s land here. I think we have bell peppers and beef, but it\u2019s a little light on the beef\u2026 DOC: About that\u2026I don\u2019t usually do house calls, but he made it sound urgent\u2026except I need a special waiver to diagnose and treat someone so far out of my jurisdiction. He took care of that already, right? SPIKE: Suuuuuuure he did. Whatever. DOC: Good\u2026then there\u2019s the other part of the misunderstanding I need to clarify. SPIKE: Don\u2019t tell me you forgot your equipment? I figured you\u2019d need hardware tools if you have to deal with Jet\u2019s arm DOC: I\u2019m not an orthopedist SPIKE: Then maybe he\u2019s got a cold or something. I dunno. DOC: I\u2019m not here for Jet. SPIKE: *pause* I\u2019m not paying for the bill to get you to the right address then DOC: Spike, Jet asked me to talk to you. He figured if you were in your own space you\u2019d be more amenable. Says you\u2019ve had some tough breaks. SPIKE: I thought you said you weren\u2019t an orthopedist DOC: Har har har. I\u2019m a psychiatrist. SPIKE: I\u2019m a bounty hunter. I hunt bounties. I know what I do. No psychiatrist necessary, unless you managed to pack a better couch with you. DOC: No such luck. But you seem to be relaxed as it is. SPIKE: Not quite. *lights up cigarette, blows smoke* ah, that\u2019s more like it. Want one? DOC: I don\u2019t condone smoking.  SPIKE: More for me, then. I suppose this is where you warn me of the dangers of smoking and tell me to quit. DOC: You just did it for me SPIKE: Taking a shortcut. I like that. How long will this take? DOC: I\u2019m contracted for a typical hour SPIKE: Then that gives me some time for a nap. I don\u2019t have anything to talk about. You can stay or go, your choice. DOC: I don\u2019t abandon patients, but I\u2019m not going to bug you in your own domicile. Mind if I watch something on my phone? SPIKE: Suit yourself DOC: *exaggerated reactions* Oooh his countering is so slow SPIKE: *clearly interested* What ya watching?  DOC: I always keep some fights downloaded to pass the time. SPIKE: You don\u2019t seem like the fighting type. DOC: I\u2019m a huge fan because I view combat sports as the truest test of wills.  SPIKE: Spoken like someone who\u2019s never been in a real fight. DOC: Be that as it may, if you saw what I saw, you\u2019d have a similar critique. SPIKE: *begrudgingly* Alright, show me DOC: See how this guy keeps his head on the center line? He invites every hook imaginable, but he doesn\u2019t have the handspeed to land a counterpunch. SPIKE: Yuck; he\u2019s too rigid. He has to just\u2026flow. It\u2019s hard to explain DOC: Be like water. SPIKE: *pause* You\u2019re the first person to get that in the first try. *sigh* You know, it\u2019s nothing personal, but the reason I don\u2019t need a psychiatrist is because I\u2019ve already trained my mind with the best that martial arts has to offer. That\u2019s how I get through things. I flow with them, until I need to crash. DOC: Hmmm\u2026I think that may be a problem SPIKE: No way. DOC: Water as a liquid has the properties you claim. But what about under intense pressure and heat? It vaporizes. What about when it\u2019s cold? It freezes. SPIKE: So? DOC: So\u2026depending on what is going on around you, you\u2019re making yourself subject to the whims of people or circumstance. Judging from this place, you guys are nomads. But your background means that you had a strong homebase at some point. Either your situation was so intense you needed to become vapor and disappear, or you became so frigid to them that you are more stoic than you should be. Either way, you\u2019ve lost control. So which is it? SPIKE: Neither. It\u2019s like I said, I flow until I crash. DOC: So when\u2019s the last time you crashed? SPIKE: The last bum I knocked out, I guess. DOC: No, I mean emotionally. When\u2019s the last time you crashed? Who angered you? Who made you laugh? Who made you cry? SPIKE: You sure you\u2019re not ISSP with all these questions?  DOC: I\u2019ll back off, but the point is to answer those questions for yourself.  SPIKE: I\u2019ve had some people tell me the opposite. DOC: Why?  SPIKE: *pause* Because they don\u2019t want me to die. DOC: Your job is dangerous SPIKE: *sarcastic* Ha. My LIFE is dangerous. Let\u2019s go with your metaphor. If I do the wrong thing, people get boiled. If I care too much, others become targets. So I freeze them out. And no, I can\u2019t just pretend that I want it some other way. All I can do is hope that the parts I DON\u2019T like leave of their own volition, or I find something else to keep my mind occupied. Is that what you wanted to hear this whole time? Big whoop. DOC: Damn, that was deep. SPIKE: *calmer now* So, you got some time for some more fights? DOC: Depends on if you have time for more sessions. SPIKE: Well, we\u2019re due for another major dogfight and damage to the ship that\u2019ll put us out of commission for a while any day now, so I\u2019ll let you know when that happens. DOC: Sounds like a plan. SPIKE: Now if you\u2019ll excuse me, I need to go find some protein. If I have to eat one more carbohydrate I\u2019m gonna puke. Ending Thank you everyone for coming Hope to be back for PuchiCon Teaneck in the spring See you, space cowboy\u2026   ","author_name":"Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling","author_url":"https:\/\/www.capesonthecouch.com","html":"