Destina pretty much covered it. I also think (though I came into the fandom when this had all mostly died down) that there are a lot of lingering issues from the year that MS took off--there was a big campaign to try to get his character back, hurt feelings, fandom-wide bloodshed, etc. etc.

Which worked, apparently. That must have been very nice for the rabid fans. Proof that Good Will Out and such.

It's somewhat like being a Spike fan, actually--the ritualized "but not in a crazy way, you understand" thing.

*blinks innocently*

There are non-crazy Spike fans? Gosh.

*grins*