I really have to go back and watch the show because it's always been about the Spike and I really skipped a lot of the rest

I really do encourage it. you understand Buffy so much better I think that way. (Remember that in Joss' canon in the movie and in a flashback in Becoming, Buffy had another Watcher, Merrick. He died fighting a vampire, right in front of her; she had to burn down the school gym at Hemery High to defeat him. So there was already a downward social trajectory for her from Cordelia-esque cheerleader to outcast when she walks into Sunnydale HS.) You can really see in the long term how Spuffy and Bangel are opposites of one another, how the relationships play out; her earlier traumas, etc: being killed by the Master the first time and dealing with the PTSD - a thing to remember really, Buffy has untreated PTSD all the way through the series. She has to lie to her mother and everyone else except Giles and the SG about her identity, per Giles' instructions. Her relationship with her father is tenuous. etc

Buffy can be a bit boring

Boring? I don't find her that at all; she's not as flamboyant as Willow or Spike; but also seeing the early seasons will give you some perspective on that. the events of the show alter her drastically. A lot of that, honestly is due to her friends, and Xander, well-meaning as he is, plays a key role in the mixed message of "I admire you and love you but I'll judge you harshly if you don't meet my expectations." I'm not saying she's not at fault either; they are both kids from broken homes with little guidance.