Buffy could've utilised the scoobies more

[DeadlyDuo]

We've seen Buffy killing vampires and patrolling graveyards for seven seasons, yet the vampires just keep on coming. Whilst she may have killed the newly risen vampires to stop them killing and siring people, the vampires that sired them were still at large and siring more people. However, if Buffy focussed on finding the sires instead of staking the new risers, she was leaving the new vampires free to continue siring.

Why didn't Buffy put some of the scoobies on graveyard patrol to dust any new vampires (It seems like they know which people are going to come back as vampires as seen in the Freshman where Buffy and Willow are waiting for a vampire to rise from its grave but miss it because they're so busy discussing college course options), whilst she patrols popular haunts such as the Bronze to prevent sirings?

She won't be able to stop every siring as she can't be in two or more places at once, but if she dispersed the scoobies throughout Sunnydale (They're capable of killing vamps) then she could at least cut down on the number of sirings and theoretically over time bring Sunnydale's vampire population under control.

 

[Athena]

Because she's the slayer. She has powers and they don't (well, apart from Willow & Tara). Giles, Xander, Oz, Cordy, Dawn, Anya.... they're all regular and normal. Buffy wouldn't want to risk their lives in that way. She has the responsibility and the calling, not her friends. She's being responsible by not being reckless with their lives.

I do agree though, vampires are like bunnies in that they just keep repopulating with the sirings (sorry Anya! 😛)

 

[thrasherpix]

I'm suddenly wondering if it would be possible to get a priest to bless a water sprinkler, or at least a hug barrel of water that could spread around on the graves....then Buffy could "follow the screams" to make her patrols even more fruitful. 😀

While the idea of lacing the blood the vampires steal from the hospital (Angel could help her with that, but note that he didn't volunteer that info to Buffy) with holy water, that would probably cause a spike in vampirism as vampires came to fear drinking that blood (and thus only trusting living bodies as a food source). Hmm...now I'm wondering what would happen if say holy water were injected into bodies in the morgue. One vampire that was tricked into drinking holy water was killed. Could injecting such into a body cause it to be destroyed if it turned? Or would the "holy power" wear off before then? Did they embalm? That would probably get rid of any holy water in the system (but that begs the question to me on how that affects waking up as a vampire).

Maybe Willow could whip up a spell that detects which bodies are going to turn, something she can cast in the morgue with Buffy present...

Now I'm wondering about the morticians in Sunnydale. At least some, if not all, HAD to know. Maybe they even facilitated it. If Buffy was really into fighting dirty, maybe she could make contact with some ghouls and arrange for bodies to be eaten on general principle...while cold blooded (funerals are for the living, not the dead), it would strike me as the lesser evil to having dead bodies arise on a regular basis to feed on the living (creating more dead bodies). Though ideally, maybe ghouls could smell which ones were going to rise as vampires, very effective...then they could just have one (and if it's willing to eat the infected then that takes care of its dietary needs then that's convenient, otherwise, more will have to be done to keep the ghoul on their side). Not that I'm aware of ghouls in Buffy (though one of the comics--not "season 8+"--did have such in one of them), but I'm sure they exist, or something very close to them.

Though even better would be a bloodhound, if their noses could tell. Just how would one go about to training a dog to react to a soon to be vampire (or to vampires in general, and if vampires can smell each other than I'm sure dogs can tell the difference)? I'm sure it could be done. Yeah, dogs are much better than ghouls!

 

[DeadlyDuo]

Though even better would be a bloodhound, if their noses could tell. Just how would one go about to training a dog to react to a soon to be vampire (or to vampires in general, and if vampires can smell each other than I'm sure dogs can tell the difference)? I'm sure it could be done. Yeah, dogs are much better than ghouls!

Buffy could get Angel and the bloodhound to spend a lot of time together so the bloodhound could recognise the vampire smell. Wouldn't it be funny if a vampire had a bloodhound for a pet? They could train it to sniff out blood. Although Vampires are basically bloodhounds that like blood.

 

[black cat]

This is why I prefer " Angel's team" !! Because is more efficient and organized like a little troop: with or without Angel they are somehow autonomous! 🙄

Buffy, as " The Chosen One- who hangs in cemeteries a lot" it would be not the same Buffy with the struggle "to be able to connect " with inferiority and superiority complex"; destiny issues if she can count of the costant Scooby presence.... We would not have the " Leitmotiv" of all the Slayer: the loneliness feeingl alienated and so on.... All the show would lost its charm intriguing psychology of the various characters and not less mysterious and accttivante mythology! 😉

However I agree that the creators could make The Scooby less Buffy/ Slayer dependent with more active participation ( in "Angel" also Fred can be very dangerous! 😎) even just " moral support".... 🙁

 

[Mr Trick]

I think she used them a good amount. There are certain moments where she makes rash decisions partly based on ego, or maybe wanting to protect her friends. But I think she realised early on that the other Scoobies had something to add and I think she did include them to a good extent. But as the Slayer it always had to be that took more of the fight.

 

[white avenger]

Most likely, Buffy was just being protective of her friends, a habit that started back in Season 1 and just remained in force throughout the series, despite their growing experience and skills. She didn't want to be responsible for one or more of them getting hurt. The exceptions, of course, were Angel, Faith, Spike, and, to a lesser degree, Riley, none of whom, obviously, were Scoobies, but were trained, experienced fighters, and, with the exception of Riley, pretty much her equal in power and skill.