Oz scratched Willow....

[BuffyElevated]

...so by Buffyverse laws, shouldn't she have become a werewolf, too?
In "Phases", when Oz calls his aunt, he asks her if his little cousin Jordy had been "bitten or scratched". If this means either one of these could make someone a werewolf, wouldn't this mean that when Oz scratched Willow's hand in "Fear Itself", she would have become a werewolf too?

 

[Lyri]

I thought they made it pretty clear in 'Phases' that someone had be be BITTEN by a werewolf to become a werewolf, which was why they had the lines of Larry saying he was actually bitten by the 'wild dog' and Oz being bitten by his cousin Jordy, and made mention of the grown-up teeth.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Ahhhh, ok. I remember that part, but I always remembered how Oz said that to his aunt, so I thought if you were scratched it could turn you... Ok, good point. Thanks Lyri! 😀

 

[InsaneMystic]

In "Phases", when Oz calls his aunt, he asks her if his little cousin Jordy had been "bitten or scratched".

Dang it... seems this is another example of the German dub being different enough that it changes the meaning! From the phone scene with the aunt in the dub, I was pretty sure that Jordy was neither bitten nor scratched, but born a werewolf - that the curse is somehow hereditary in their family (probably through the side that married into Oz' family, so he wouldn't necessarily know about it beforehand...).

As for the scratch, I second what Lyri said. 🙂 It pretty clearly seems to be the werewolf's saliva that acts as the carrier for the curse/disease in the Jossverse, so scratches should be safe.

Gotta say though, on first viewing of "Fear Itself" I wondered the exact same thing!

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Dang it... seems this is another example of the German dub being different enough that it changes the meaning! From the phone scene with the aunt in the dub, I was pretty sure that Jordy was neither bitten nor scratched, but born a werewolf - that the curse is somehow hereditary in their family (probably through the side that married into Oz' family, so he wouldn't necessarily know about it beforehand...)

Maybe I am German as I thought that too..

 

[Mumrik]

Dang it... seems this is another example of the German dub being different enough that it changes the meaning! From the phone scene with the aunt in the dub, I was pretty sure that Jordy was neither bitten nor scratched, but born a werewolf - that the curse is somehow hereditary in their family (probably through the side that married into Oz' family, so he wouldn't necessarily know about it beforehand...).

As for the scratch, I second what Lyri said. 🙂 It pretty clearly seems to be the werewolf's saliva that acts as the carrier for the curse/disease in the Jossverse, so scratches should be safe.

Gotta say though, on first viewing of "Fear Itself" I wondered the exact same thing!

I'm pretty sure that wasn't the German dub because I'm almost sure I've never seen that episode in German and I still thought that. I thought it had at least been suggested and to me, it's pretty much the only way it makes sense for a toddler to be a werewolf. And we can't forget that his aunt seemed to know about and been pretty cool with it, guessing from the way Oz talked to her on the phone.

Ahhhh, ok. I remember that part, but I always remembered how Oz said that to his aunt, so I thought if you were scratched it could turn you... Ok, good point. Thanks Lyri! 😀

Maybe it could be that it was just Oz who thought that? He didn't really have any information about werewolves besides maybe being one back then. That came later when he joined up with the Scoobies.

 

[InsaneMystic]

^ Well, he definitely does not ask "bitten or scratched?" in the dub. The dub retranslates as "Is Jordy a werewolf? ... uh huh... And how long has it being going like this?" (< quite strong support for the "hereditary lycanthropy" theory, I think). Can anyone quote the exact text from the original undubbed ep for me please if you have it handy?

 

[Mumrik]

^ Wow. Applause for the German dub actually getting something right (must be some kind of record). I just watched the specific part in the episode and it goes like this:

Oz (on the phone): "Is Jordy a werewolf? ... uh-huh. And how long has that been going on? ... uh-huh. No, no reason."

Definitely no biting, no scratching. Now I'm wondering - HisMrs, where'd you get that from?

 

[BuffyElevated]

Ok, so I was wrong about the scene the lines is from, it's when Oz walks into the library after Buffy and the others have found out Theresa Klussmeyer was killed:
From the US version, the line is:
Buffy: Uh, the, uh, (ahem) the werewolf. It-it-it was out last night.

Oz: Is everybody okay? Did anyone get bitten or, or scratched?

This is the line that has always stuck in my head and why I thought someone who'd been scratched by a werewolf could be turned.

 

[BillyidolwannaB]

Doesn't Nina only get scratched to become a werewolf?

 

[Lyri]

Doesn't Nina only get scratched to become a werewolf?

No, she's definitely bitten, I think, as Angel's quite worried when she runs off.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Ok, so I was wrong

You are forgiven this once... never let it happen again!

I didnt think Nina was bitten, but I could be wrong.. I remember her being pawed on/at and her seeing scratch marks in the morning, but dont recall any biting.

 

[Lyri]

This is the transcript from the ep:

ANGEL
(looking off into the distance)
(to Wesley) Can I borrow your pen?
WESLEY
(irritated)
Uhh, sure.
Nearby, a woman screams as a growling hairy monster follows her, knocking her down to the ground.

Fade to black.
Opening credits.

ACTI :
2 EXT. PARK - NIGHT
Resume. The monster attacks the girl, slashing her shoulder then biting her neck. Angel pulls the monster off of the girl and begins fighting with it himself. Angel punches it then jams Wesley's silver pen through its chest. The creature falls back to the ground and immediately turns back into the shape of a man. The girl ran away during all the commotion, and the next sound is that of car tires screeching as she drives away.

 

[BuffyElevated]

That's right... I remember Nina getting bitten by the werewolf. I was like "Oooh, ouch." LOL