Okay, I'm taking theory #1 as a given. That totally works for me with canon.
When Spike got the chip implanted it was after Buffy died the first time, and hence she was only 'a Slayer' and thus more human (or something), and gave Spike headaches. After her second resurrection she was The Slayer' (again) and therefore registered as 'not-human' to Spike's chip. In any case: many thoughts, few answers.
Ooooohhhh....
It does make one wonder about the timing of the chip going wonky, too - at that point, Spike was already ensouled, not likely to attack the Potentials anyway, but... was it possible that he'd have been able to attack them, even if fully empowered as Slayers, if The First's brainwashing had worked? And was that the whole point of The First tormenting him, to unleash him against Buffy's army? (I tend to love theories that make The First seem more like it had plans that anticipated almost anything Our Heroes might do - the husband and I actually started a big fic epic about that, Bad Trip, continued in Bad Eurotrip. Unfinished as yet, sadly.)
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When Spike got the chip implanted it was after Buffy died the first time, and hence she was only 'a Slayer' and thus more human (or something), and gave Spike headaches. After her second resurrection she was The Slayer' (again) and therefore registered as 'not-human' to Spike's chip. In any case: many thoughts, few answers.
Ooooohhhh....
It does make one wonder about the timing of the chip going wonky, too - at that point, Spike was already ensouled, not likely to attack the Potentials anyway, but... was it possible that he'd have been able to attack them, even if fully empowered as Slayers, if The First's brainwashing had worked? And was that the whole point of The First tormenting him, to unleash him against Buffy's army? (I tend to love theories that make The First seem more like it had plans that anticipated almost anything Our Heroes might do - the husband and I actually started a big fic epic about that, Bad Trip, continued in Bad Eurotrip. Unfinished as yet, sadly.)