Cowboy Bebop (first episode answers the lasts question)

[didrox]

Remember in the first episode of bebop (astroids blue's or something like that) Well the wierd indian guy says that the swiming bird will meet the red eye cayotte then death . (more or less what he said not word by word)
well in the first episode a lot of things are shown that can be assumed that is from the last episode ( like him getting shot and lighting a cigarete)
well i think that , that is the answer to the question if spike is alive or not . id like to hear what other people think ...

[EmilLang1000]

The very beginning isn't an allusion to the end, it's what happened to Spike in the past, the night he faked his own death and left the Syndicate...
And the prophecy was about the death of the "Red Eye Coyote," not Spike. Remember tha Bebop was only meant to be a 13 episode series (thus the ending of episode 13). It was so popular, however, that people clamoured for more, and episodes 14 through 26 were made.
It's a nice thought, but I doubt there's a whole lot to foreshadowing that far ahead.

[Kai Stromler]

This page has the original air dates, which show that the development and release of Bebop weren't that simple. It also gives credence to the idea in the original post, because "Asteroid Blues" wasn't part of the original airing, and is thus part of that "second" continuity rather than the starting point for the first.

--K

[Daeowan]

Old man Bull did not say Spike would meet a red eyed coyote then death, though he did mention this first off. He said later that Spike would meet a woman and then death would become involved, to which Spike quipped, "One more time..."

I feel this certainly was forshadowing to Spike's eventual demise. One could interpet Bull's words a number of ways, however, and that his mention of death was meant for Julia and not Spike himself. Those who believe Spike was not killed in the final battle have been known to use this arguement.