Really? Fury 'caused a great stir when he called a Spike fan (whom you know) serial killer lovers. He was forced to apologize for it. Suffice to say, up until and including LMPTM, he was not the biggest fan of Spike. He changed his mind later.

You're right about it being the final image. I don't know if it was simply them not thinking of it or not. It's scripted that way. I have to say I don't care for the way fandom plays it all off as funny. I can't quite remember my initial reaction to that episode, but I don't remember enjoying it that much. One thing that stuck out to me and still does is the one slug line...

He rises and crosses to her. She beckons to him again to come even closer. He does. Then she whispers to him, intimately.

BUFFY
Spike... The only chance you had
with me was when I was unconscious.

Spike registers his disappointment. Why hadn't he thought of that? Then, his rage building, he ROARS:

It just colors everything for me.

Like, oh look at what evil things men are capable of - now let's enjoy the sight of Buffy in a slip of a dress, chained up and screaming!

Made even worse by the moral of the story being that you shouldn't lie and go to parties.