Did you think after the fight with Adam...

[SlayerThe]

Did you think after the fight with Adam, that Buffy's powers would become clearer or she would learn about the mystical forces around the Slayer line?

I mean when Dracula talked to her about her powers being rooted in darkness, which we see by 'Get it Done', it seemed like there was more power there that she could have grasped. Although I think in S7, she should have taken the extra powerful because she could have easily taken out Caleb then...

I was half expecting Buffy's powers to become different. Although you can tell that Willow was using her magical powers during the fight, that could have unlocked some power within Buffy or the Slayer line. I mean shouldn't they have given the Slayer another power, such as telekinesis or telepathy (Which would have been awesome if Buffy would have been able to keep after Earshot)?

 

[Beer_Nut]

I kind of see where you're coming from. I thought that in the last two episodes of s.4 they were going to grant her a new understanding, or greater powers.

They didn't though...lol. Truthfully I'm not complaining though because if they made the slayer more powerful they would have had to change the stories and the enemies slightly to accomodate that. Since s.5 is one of my favourites I wouldn't change it for anything. But I do see what you mean.

 

[Primal Slayer]

When I first saw the promo for the episode and saw Buffy stopping the bullets, I went crazy and I thought to myself "this totally is what the Slayers true powers are!" boy was I wrong. So yeah I expected it but I was wrong.

 

[LadyLavinia]

So, if the Scoobies had utilized the powers of the First Slayer to fight Adam, why couldn't Buffy simply utilize those powers, herself? The powers had been passed on through different generations of girls and women? Was it simply that Buffy never bothered to look into herself and utilize the heart, spirit, mind and hands of the First Slayer, on her own?

 

[Lee]

So, if the Scoobies had utilized the powers of the First Slayer to fight Adam, why couldn't Buffy simply utilize those powers, herself? The powers had been passed on through different generations of girls and women? Was it simply that Buffy never bothered to look into herself and utilize the heart, spirit, mind and hands of the First Slayer, on her own?

I personally think that it proves that a Slayer needs people with her. In 'The Yoko Factor' after Buffy, Willow and Xander are all arguing, before she leaves, Buffy says ''Im starting to understand why theres no ancient prophecy about a Chosen One, and her friends'' which is interesting, because in 'Restless', in Buffy's dream, she's trying to find her friends all throughout her dream, she strives to have them with her, because she needs them, and this is symbolic of the joining spell, she will need Xander, Willow and Giles in order for the spell to work...

As for the spell itself, I think by unlocking the power of the First Slayer, it made her physically stronger...if you look in comparison to Season 4 and Season 5, Buffy seems to have a lot more strength and stamina...

I also think it gave her an insight about what being a Slayer is, which also opened the plot line for Season 5, how much of her power comes from being a Slayer, and is being a Slayer just being a killer? A few of the questions are answered in episodes like 'Buffy Vs Dracula' and 'Intervention'...

 

[SlayerThe]

Agreeing with all of you.

I especially side with Primal Slayer, as I too thought the same thing when I saw that promo.

I don't know if there are any other powers Buffy could access but it seems like she could gain alot more strength.

 

[eset]

I think it has something to do with the fine line between being Buffy and being the Slayer. I think there is more powere available for Buffy to take if she wants, the problem is that, in order to do that, she has to give up a little of what makes her unique to accomidate the greater link to Slayers past. I think in "Restless" as well as in "Get it Done" she realizes that, and so her refusal to accept more power is also her refusal to give in to what the original shadowmen felt a Slayer "should" be.

If the box was passed on from slayer to Slayer until Nikki, it's likely that Buffy and the few slayers before her were the first to be able to live their own lives--to a certain extent--and Buffy was unwilling to give that up, even for the power of the First Slayer.

 

[LadyLavinia]

I kind of see where you're coming from. I thought that in the last two episodes of s.4 they were going to grant her a new understanding, or greater powers.

They didn't though...lol. Truthfully I'm not complaining though because if they made the slayer more powerful they would have had to change the stories and the enemies slightly to accomodate that. Since s.5 is one of my favourites I wouldn't change it for anything. But I do see what you mean.

I think this is due to Buffy's continuing reluctance to let go of her friends and explore the full impact of her powers. I mean, if the First Slayer was capable of utilizing all four powers on her own - Spirit, Heart, Mind and Hands - surely Buffy and every other Slayer who followed, should have been able to do the same.

But Buffy had been trained by the Watchers to utilize her Hands ONLY. Just as many other Slayers who had been trained by the Watcher's Council. Remember that scene in "Restless" when the First Slayer told Giles that she didn't need a Watcher? Well, she was right, and not just about her, but about all other Slayers, as well. Unfortunately, the Shadowmen and later, the Watcher's Council assumed control of the Slayers that followed, and through their training stunted their ability to utilize all four powers. Well, it seemed that way to me.

And if you combine this with Buffy's reluctance to explore the real strength of her powers, along with her inability to get along without her friends - in other words, grow up - well, her attitude is not really a surprise.

If Buffy had the ability to utilize all four powers the way the First Slayer did, she could have taken care of Adam herself. But Buffy had not been trained to do so. Furthermore, her reluctance to depend upon herself, led to the other Scoobies taking part of that spell.

And Buffy didn't need the extra power from the Shadowmen. What she had needed to do was utilize all four powers within herself, and stop selling herself short.

 

[Wicca]

while it may be true that the first slayer was independant, i think that what made buffy the better slayer of the two was that she wasn't. she didn't allow her calling take over and consume her the way the first slayer had. she had her friends, she refused to remain alone, and back to spike's comment - they're her ties to this world. she can work the same powers but she has the people she loves to help her do that, she doesn't need to be alone. even when she realizes the slayer is always alone - she still doesn't need to be. qwhen you don't have to face all the evil and go into battle alone, when you have people who love you and would die for you - then you are by far more powerful than any loner.