Reviews Series / Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Let's see if I can address some of the points you raised.

Besides the 'Slayer' title, what makes Buffy special?: In Buffy's case, in particular, she would not be tied down by her Watcher or the Council. Enhanced strength, speed, agility, these would be pluses. The idea of what makes her so special would be addressed through the series, from muggles being let in on the secret and being able to fight back to other Slayers being, well, not that good.

Wouldn't it be more useful to study?: Again addressed through the series. Buffy blows off her training and study and has varying levels of success and failure afterwards.

On that note, how come every monster’s back-story is lying conveniently in a book? And how on earth did Giles compile such an all-encompassing library?: Because it's his job as Watcher to have any texts on myths or monsters throughout history. Watch Gingerbread when they're taken off him, and allusions in other episodes.

Wait, there's a COUNCIL now? Why????: Think of the Council as Internal Affairs, they want to keep the Slayer under their thumb, train her in the way they see fit (such as Helpless,) occasionally help if there's a threat and intervene should something go wrong.

An entire group of Watchers, even though there's only supposed to be one Slayer in the world? What, they sit around and talk all day?: Research, and look for Potentials for a Watcher to assign to and make contact, train and prepare should the current Slayer die.

Instead of target ‘Potentials,’ why don't they marshal an army of deadly ninjas armed with stakes?: The idea that the police, army, ect cannot handle it and wanting to keep it a secret. The comics bring this up when the masquerade is broken, and later we see Buffy go to kill a vampire when a beat cop does so instead, the police training up to protect just as Buffy does and, seemingly, doing a pretty good job of it.

Come to think of it, if the monsters are so overflowing in this world, then why is the war against them treated so secretly?: Look to works such as Men In Black, the idea that people cannot handle the truth or deal with the threat.

Shouldn't every government know about these monsters, and send out huge armies to defeat them??: This was tried with The Initiative, who were going to be far more evenly matched. Budget, as well as I think fans not taking a shine to this story, saw them curb stomped. I read that as covert, it might interest you to know that Kennedy had created what you might call...what's a good name? Dead Cell, yes Metal Gear but itself a riff of Red Cell who were supposedly super secret SEALS who performed covert assassinations.

Hopefully that answers some of your questions.

Thanks, I appreciate your posting these. Having watched the entirety of the TV series, I do feel that many of these questions get 'answered.' These answers aren't really given, though, until quite late in the series. Since a review can be helpful for giving newcomers an idea of what to expect, many of these questions address how a new viewer might feel before the answers come along.

That being said, a lot of these answers don't merit my willing suspension of disbelief, and again lead me to rely on well-written characters to enjoy the show.

Re: Slayer - I understand that Buffy is a special person, but the question is what makes a Slayer special. In the end, the answer is 'super strength, etc.,' which seems less important when you consider that an everyman like Xander or Giles can kill vampires, too.

Re: Books - The question is not so much 'Why are there books about monsters?' but more 'How are they so darn lucky to have every single monster on file?' His books just end up being something of a plot-device crutch, which fit too well within a formula. I have seen Gingerbread.

Re: Council - I'm aware of their function now that I've seen every episode. The problem is, they should focus less on the life of Slayers, and more on fighting evil head-on a la the Initiative. Thanks for the info on the police - that sounds much more productive, although not part of the TV series I was reviewing.

Re: Can't handle truth, etc. - Just strikes me as a somewhat implausible Hand Wave. Convenient for the plot, but illogical in-universe.

Re: Initiative - To paraphrase my original question, 'Why don't governments send out armies that are NOT covert and secretive? / Why wouldn't voters fully support overt government programs that fight evil?' The Initiative is, without a doubt, covert and secretive. The implication is that the average Joe / average voter has no idea it exists.

Thanks again for your info though. Ultimately, my logical problem with the show is NOT that there are no answers supplied. It's that the show's answers are convoluted. As stated, I'm drawn back by the characters.

Let's have a look here, one of the good things about time off from work is I can try and answer the queries on a work I'm pretty familiar with.

Re: Slayer - I understand that Buffy is a special person, but the question is what makes a Slayer special.: I think it's a case of the thinking a muggle would encounter a vampire or demon and just go to pieces. A Slayer has the power and training to do something about it. Sort of a supernatural police, you don't try and take on the gangs without that. Of course as you may have seen just being a Slayer doesn't automatically make them that much more qualified than someone who's not, Kendra was the one true Slayer and kind of meh. On the other hand Kennedy was considered the best, most able of the Potentials and had trouble with one vamp fighting as a group, and defines Amanda as a Bad Ass because she took on Bringers and a vampire with a little help and no idea as to what's going on. I guess you could say it's not the powers, it's what you do with them.

Re: Books - The question is not so much 'Why are there books about monsters?' but more 'How are they so darn lucky to have every single monster on file?: The same could be asked of any police or detective story where they are able to find the evidence needed or the witness is able to give the information needed to bring the suspect to justice in the half hour, hour, movie length time frame. When Australian anti drug campaigner Don Mc Kay was murdered you know how long it took to find Bazely, George and Fred who were responsible? Some eleven years. It's a marathon, not a sprint, even if this is occasionally addressed chalk it up to Acceptable Breaks from Reality, not so acceptable in your case.

Re: Council - I'm aware of their function now that I've seen every episode. The problem is, they should focus less on the life of Slayers, and more on fighting evil head-on a la the Initiative.: As I understand it the Council is considered somewhat...murky. Not really concerned with the Slayer's welfare and covering their own behinds, as seen when they come forward when it comes to Glory and The First, or with Faith. Have a gander at the Wild Mass Guessing page and you can see that there might be a case that it's not in their best interests to take part in the war, certainly not the Slayer's welfare. One idea, I'll need to have a look to see, is that they want there to be a certain level of chaos so they have a job, that might well be worth chasing up to see if there's any truth to it.

Re: Can't handle truth, etc. - Just strikes me as a somewhat implausible Hand Wave. When the masqurade is broken I don't think people freak out so much, this is addressed in the comics as well as Angel I think and the army does go into a panic, though they were being influenced, and society as a whole takes more of a shine to vampires and see Slayers as the enemy. They are meant to be canon but of course your views may be different.

Re: Initiative - To paraphrase my original question, 'Why don't governments send out armies that are NOT covert and secretive?: Because...governments are dumb? Going back to Gingerbread we see the panic that arises when the children are killed by those who practice witchcraft, even the Mayor thinks Oh Crap! because it might lead to the truth coming out and he's involved in it, and he very much comes across as genuine over being upset. If the government is behind the Initiative then they would likely know this, and don't want to cause a panic. They're like that. Yeah...probably far from the best explanation but it might be worth going through again and seeing if it is explained.

Feel free to come back if you have any other questions and we'll try and work them out.