Kind of geeky questions for you guys:

[Chasing Cordy]

If the slayer is supposed to work in secret (like Kendra said) and nobody is supposed to know about the slayer (as Giles says in "the harvest") how is it that vampires know of her when they come back?
Vampires were mortal--and therefore not supposed to know about slayers--but when they come back, they do know? That's just silly, eh?

Also, how are these vampires even in the ground at all? Buffy's line in the series opener of how a vampire is made just doesn't stack up.
Angel never was buried was he? Darla made him and he quickly took her blood, right? You're either dead or a vampire. Ya can't be both, right?

 

[Black Eye Guy]

Well the Slayer is supposed to work in secret, and vampires don't just suddenly know what a slayer is when they become a vampire. They usually find out through word of mouth, like when we see a flashback (I think in Forever) where Angelus first tells Spike what a slayer is, he responds with "what's a Slayer?". The Vampires in sunnydale know of the slayer because it would have spread quickly when she arrived.

A vampire bites you and drains almost all your blood, then you have to drink from them. Then effectively you die, and the vampire leaves you there, most people have a funeral like that girl from Buffy's class in season 2 that angel killed - She woke up during hers. While others don't come out until their in the graveyard. Didn't Darla take two days or something?

It seems to take a different amount of time for different people. I'm guessing for the Vampires blood cells to irradiate the human ones, so it would depend on how much blood is left in the human by the vampire - But that's just my theory!

It could also be like a evolution thing, survival, so they don't come up during the day. Dig out of their graves and turn to dust!

 

[Mulder22]

Angel never was buried was he? Darla made him and he quickly took her blood, right? You're either dead or a vampire. Ya can't be both, right?

yeah Angel was definitley buried. They showed Darla waiting for him to rise in an Angel Season 1 episode. Forgot which one, possibly the one where Kate's dad dies. After Angel (then Liam) rises from his grave they see a man with a shovel and Darla tells Angel "You know what to do' and he goes after the guy and presumably kills him.

 

[VisionGuy]

I remember in the season 1 episode Never Kill a Boy on a First Date, that the serial killer vampire said that they told him about Buffy while he was sleeping.

 

[nerd4hire]

I remember in the season 1 episode Never Kill a Boy on a First Date, that the serial killer vampire said that they told him about Buffy while he was sleeping.

That's true but there are some background facts concerning that episode, which support an alternative explanation to what was meant by "they" and why "they" would want to talk to him while he was sleeping.

At the end of the episode The Master says.

Master: (quotes scripture) 'And in this time will come the Anointed.
And the Slayer will not know him. She will not stop him, and he will lead her into hell.' (kneels down next to Collin) Welcome, my friend.

It becomes a self-fullfilling prophesy because the order of Aurelius intentionally creates a decoy suspect to be presented as "the anointed one".

Giles: I know it doesn't quite follow, but, but it's worth
investigating. Look! Among the dead was Andrew Borba, whom the police
sought for questioning in a double murder. Now, he may be the Anointed
One. The, the bodies have been taken to, to Sunnydale Funeral Home, w-we
can...

They also attract the scoobs and therefore the slayer to the funeral home with suspicious activity. This allows, Collin, the actual "anointed one" to go unmolested.

So yes "they" talked to him while he was sleeping, but a good reason is supplied as to why The Master and his order might want to do that. It adds credibility to the ruse, by attributing a kind of specialness to Andrew Borba.

 

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

Well the Slayer is supposed to work in secret, and vampires don't just suddenly know what a slayer is when they become a vampire. They usually find out through word of mouth, like when we see a flashback (I think in Forever) where Angelus first tells Spike what a slayer is, he responds with "what's a Slayer?".

i watched 'forever' and i dont think it was there. maybe in 'fool for love'?

 

[SpikedBuffy]

The vamps probably know they are up against a slayer when they meet someone who (A) tries to kill them and (B) is not afraid of their true nature. They would need word of mouth to get the idea that there is a slayer though.

Being buried I think has no effect on vampirism. Some are just left laying around and then awake into vampires. Some bodies are found, buried and then they awaken in ground and dig out. Either way, you're still a vamp!

 

[Spirit_Of_Fred]

this quote from 'reunion' helps prove what SB said: vampires dont need to be buried to become vampires.

Angel: Drusilla will want to put the body in the ground.
Wesley: Angel, are you certain about this? A burial isn't necessary for a newly made vampire to...

he never finishes, but one can assume what he was gonna say. hope that clears things up 🙂.

 

[Another Apocalypse?]

I believe that the idea of a Slayer is in the Vampire racial memory, which every newborn has.

 

[Black Eye Guy]

But think about that Vampire From The Gift, When Buffy says she's the slayer He doesn't know what that means?

 

[nerd4hire]

I believe that the idea of a Slayer is in the Vampire racial memory, which every newborn has.

And your support for that theory is...

The support for the other side goes something like - Spike doesn't know what a slayer is until Angel tells him. The vampire at the beginning of the Gift doesn't know what a slayer is. The young vampire in Welcome to the Hellmout doesn't seem to know what he's messing with. Darla says, "He was young and foolish", Stuff like that.

On the other hand. In Lessons Buffy does tell a newly risen vampire, "I'm the slayer. You don't want to mess with me". I don't know if that proves anything though. I really don't think the Andrew Borba example is a good one.

 

[kimbonka]

Yea, I agree with N4H. I think vampires learn what the slayer is by word of mouth. If there is one thing I learned about demons and vampires from Buffy is, that they sure do gossip like humans.

 

[Chasing Cordy]

They usually find out through word of mouth,

I guess my problem stems from the scene in "lessons" where the vampire was stuck and Buffy pulled him out. He says "it's the last thing you'll ever do" and she said "I'm the slayer"

The guy just got out. He didn't have time to prance around talking to other undead, so what gives?

 

[nerd4hire]

Here's the actual scene then. Better for discussion that way.

VAMPIRE
I really appreciate it. It's just it's so dark, and I don't even know what I'm doing here.

Buffy picks him up by his suit collar and puts him down standing on his feet.

VAMPIRE
Whoa. Ooh. Thanks. That was a help. Unfortunately it was the last"”

(Buffy grabs him by the throat. His voice turns scratchy.)

VAMPIRE
"”thing you'll ever do.

BUFFY
Listen up. I'm the slayer. You don't want to get into it with me. You want blood? You can have hers.

(Vampire turns to go after Dawn.)

 

[Another Apocalypse?]

Ah. Well that proves me wrong then. Ah well. I'm with the school of thought that they learn by word of mouth then. Although they may have the idea of a Slayer, they don't really know what one is, and aren't scared or aware unless they're told of her.