Angel and Buffy are right to be concerned about the game Spike and Riley are playing. Spike would not take kindly to losing, and I don't think his displeasure would manifest like it did with Xander. Spike's not just going to sit on the soldiers to teach them a lesson.

I liked Angel's flattering view of Xander here: ...unlike most males, he didn't immediately fight for the dominant position in a relationship. He didn't sprawl out, claiming as much territory as he could on the bench. He didn't jump into the middle of every conversation and dominate it. For demons, who often tended to be a little touchy on the topic, Xander would be one of the rare humans who did allow them to keep their own power. Xander really is appealing, even though Angel feels the need to keep him at arm's length.