General Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel discussion thread.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

This is a relatively minor point in the scheme of things, but how come crosses are only useful when it's convenient to the plot?

In The Wish we had an overwhelmed Giles fend off two vampires with a quick cross waving, but in that faith-takes-buffy's-body episode, a vampire somehow managed to hold an entire church hostage, which you think would be difficult if crosses are so effective against them.

[The Romulan Republic]

This is a relatively minor point in the scheme of things, but how come crosses are only useful when it's convenient to the plot?

In The Wish we had an overwhelmed Giles fend off two vampires with a quick cross waving, but in that faith-takes-buffy's-body episode, a vampire somehow managed to hold an entire church hostage, which you think would be difficult if crosses are so effective against them.

It varies from vampire to vampire. Its not a hard-and-fast "vampires can't come near/touch a Cross", but rather a strong aversion to/fear of them, combined with being burned if they touch them.

The Master discusses this in season one (in one of my favourite Master scenes), when he grips a cross, saying that fear, like pain, is in the mind and can be controlled. It still burns him, but he's able to touch it.

Angel has had prolonged contact with a cross on occasion as well.

Edit: In fact, wasn't part of the point of Adam sending the vampires to take hostages in a church (at day) to overcome their fears? Or at least that was the line he sold them? Thus, sending vampires to take on the Slayer in a church in the middle of the day.

[The Romulan Republic]

Cavemen, or astronauts?

Discuss.

Only one answer; Cosmonaut. Cosmonaut has space gun. Astronaut and Caveman has no space gun. Cosmonaut win.

And then Russian hackers change all the Cavemen's cave paintings, and Caveman Trump becomes Chief.

But honestly, I think the Astronaut vs. Caveman conundrum depends on the circumstances. The Astronaut wins if he is in a situation where he can put his advantages (technical knowledge) to greatest effect. The Caveman might win a brute strength fight, or a hunting in the wilderness situation, but I don't know: a lot of astronauts are military guys.

Of course, the whole thing was actually intended as a thin metaphor for the struggle between modern civilization and the primitive/savage.