That's down to what TV Tropes calls the law of conservation of ninjitsu...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu
*FINALLY* I've finished Buffy, let's dish a little.
- Thread starter Mr. Adventure
- Start date
That's down to what TV Tropes calls the law of conservation of ninjitsu...
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu
People always seem to forget that Angel didn't know about the loophole in the curse. Nobody knew about the loophole in the curse except for the Kalderash gypsies, and then it was hardly as if it was an inherent, planned part of the whole soul cursed deal. It was an accidental loophole that no-one had any good reason to believe Angel would ever fall through. There is no possible way to argue that Angel "did it" deliberately.
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yeah, a silly aspect of the curse in many ways. Why would you want a curse that could so obviously boomerang back on those who conjured it, and why would you want such a dangerous clause to be a secret? Whatever. It led to a great plot line, but best not to think about the logic.
I love TVTropes.
I don't know if it's supported onscreen but I figured the First had buffed(buffyed?) up the first vamp like he did with Caleb.
I had a Buffy marathon a couple of years back, and when I got to season 4, was really pleasantly surprised by Riley. I totally agree with your point here. I was sorry to see him go.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
We did a Buffy marathon before the holidays at Top41's house. I realized a few things, which I hadn't considered before (mostly because I'd only ever watched the show with my sister when it originally aired.) One of these was that people genuinely liked Riley.
The other, more obvious was when, during "Dawn's Lament" in Once More With Feeling, we all screamed "SHUT UP!" at the TV.
The other, more obvious was when, during "Dawn's Lament" in Once More With Feeling, we all screamed "SHUT UP!" at the TV.
I think anyone who's not in the big four should do that (so, just like Buffy then3. Boo for all of Joss Whedon's gratuitous character killings. At least Marvel will make sure he doesn't kill off anyone too important in The Avengers. (But I have a sinking feeling that Agent Coulson should make sure his life insurance is up to date.)
). Also, I wouldn't bet against the Hulk getting an apparent demise.
But that's true of every single action show. The main character is always the strongest character in the cast. I can't even think of a single exception to that rule.
Can think of a few quickly, but regardless... i wouldn't say Buffy was the strongest character in the show, she got her ass handed to her several times, and without the support of friends around, she'd be dead after 1 or 2 seasons, like most other Slayer's in the Buffy-verse...
M
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
:facepalm:
It's not that Buffy or Angel were stronger. It's that everyone else was written as being weaker. So with regard to Buffy the Vampire Slayer - a show that is celebrated for empowering women - it strikes as a bit hollow that despite being so empowered and strong, they're all up against men who are written to be weaker. It's an uneven playing field, so philosophically, the "empowerment" of characters like Buffy, Willow, Tara, Anya, Amy, Dawn, etc. don't seem as groundbreaking or noteworthy.
I may not be explaining this opinion/critique properly, I fully admit that.
It's not that Buffy or Angel were stronger. It's that everyone else was written as being weaker. So with regard to Buffy the Vampire Slayer - a show that is celebrated for empowering women - it strikes as a bit hollow that despite being so empowered and strong, they're all up against men who are written to be weaker. It's an uneven playing field, so philosophically, the "empowerment" of characters like Buffy, Willow, Tara, Anya, Amy, Dawn, etc. don't seem as groundbreaking or noteworthy.
I may not be explaining this opinion/critique properly, I fully admit that.
I think I'm just having a hard time viewing the male characters as "weaker" like you're suggesting that they are. Giles is a fucking badass. Spike is certainly strong enough to take on Buffy and beat the shit out of her several times. Hell, at the end of Season 6, Xander is the one who stepped in and saved the day when Buffy failed!
Well that certainly clears things up.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
Well, as I said: I'm sure I'm not explaining this quite as succinctly as I mean it, so I'll just drop the topic.
No, because as I said in the paragraph you quoted, it wasn't an intended part of the curse. It was an accidental loophole.
Here's a post I wrote almost two years ago that explains how the soul curse works:
um, no. You just don't design a curse with that kind of "loophole." If anything, you just assume the guy will still be tormented by guilt and don't even bother with the rest, but you DON'T make it a possibility that he will turn back into an incredibly dangerous killer who will likely go back and go after YOUR tribe first chance he gets, which is pretty much exactly what he does.
Come on, the show doesn't even try to defend it. Jenny Calendar complains how inane the idea is, and Joss Whedon on his commentary for "Innocence" said he struggled to have it make sense before using that "vengeance is a living thing" stuff.
It was a dramatic necessity for a great plot line, but makes NO logical sense from an in-universe perspective.
Yeah, the curse was pretty silly. I can accept it as a a plot contrivance that was required for the fantastic Angelus arc. Fair enough.
However, what really bothers me, is that Willow added that same happiness clause both times when she re-ensouled Angel. I can accept that the first time she did it, back in Becoming, that she simply wasn't comfortable modifying the curse. But five years later in Orpheus she really should have done the poor vampire a favour and allowed him to have sex without worrying that he might end the world.
However, what really bothers me, is that Willow added that same happiness clause both times when she re-ensouled Angel. I can accept that the first time she did it, back in Becoming, that she simply wasn't comfortable modifying the curse. But five years later in Orpheus she really should have done the poor vampire a favour and allowed him to have sex without worrying that he might end the world.
What don't you understand about the word "accidental"? I just explained how it was not a part of the design, it was an accident. Think of it as an unintended (and possibly unavoidable) side-effect of the act of forcing a soul into a reanimated dead body. It doesn't belong there - the body is dead - and it doesn't take much for it to lose hold.
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He CAN have sex without losing his soul. It is just needs to be without the whole true love thing.
As far as I can tell, the original spell and Willow's recreation of it were straightforward in intent, being simply the curse of a conscience. It's just that the spell in each case is of limited strength and needs Angel's sense of guilt to reinforce it. If he's free from guilt/worry and truly happy then the spell fizzles out. But Willow by the time of Orpheus is a powerful witch recasting her first-ever spell, so perhaps she can add a little more oomph this time.
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