It's interesting because one component of evil, or at least my personal definition of such, is choice. But part of the definition of a vampire or werewolf is that they hunt, so they aren't making a choice when they kill: they just are, like a shark.
Over the course of the series, we saw a fair amount of evidence that vampires can choose not to kill humans, even without a soul or chip, so I'll accept they can choose to be evil or not.
On the other hand, we saw Oz say he had conquered the wolf, though he wasn't able to control it when he was emotional. But we didn't see evidence that werewolves can choose to kill or not to kill, beyond choosing (as humans) to be confined when they were wolfy. But I don't think Wolf-Oz or Wolf-Nina could decide in that moment not to hunt and kill; it's what they are.
I would think that their extra strength and speed would give them a higher metabolism, so that they do have to eat.
I was going for what Cindy said I was, but eh. It's not that fully-formed a thought.
I would think that their extra strength and speed would give them a higher metabolism, so that they do have to eat.
The beast has the urge to eat, but neither the beast nor the human he springs from is going to die, if he doesn't eat on those nights he's a werewolf. A regular wolf can't not eat when he's a wolf, because he's always a wolf. But we know from Oz, that a werewolf can lock himself up, and not go hunt, and live.
It's interesting because one component of evil, or at least my personal definition of such, is choice. But part of the definition of a vampire or werewolf is that they hunt, so they aren't making a choice when they kill: they just are, like a shark.
I buy this for the werewolf
when he's wolfie,
but he's not wolfie all of the time, or even most of the time, so it still doesn't quite work for me.
It seems contrary to Buffyverse canon where vampires are concerned. ** When it suits a vamp, he can not hunt. He chooses the kill. Angel made due with rats, and pigs blood (and blood stolen/bought from blood banks). Harmony didn't have to kill. Chipped!Spike didn't kill (and couldn't without great pain). They are motivated to hunt humans not only for food, because they enjoy hurting humans, until something else (guilt, whatever-Harms-motives-were, love) motivates them more strongly.
Sort of along these lines, wasn't the premise of some Buffyverse episode (maybe Dopplegangland, I can't remember) the vampires building a blood sucking machine, to automate the process. I have a distinct memory of a human on an assembly line.
eta
**
I realize you noted that, I just went off on a redundant tangent, anyhow. It's been so long since we've had Buffy stuffy. :)
Sort of along these lines, wasn't the premise of some Buffyverse episode (maybe Dopplegangland, I can't remember) the vampires building a blood sucking machine, to automate the process. I have a distinct memory of a human on an assembly line.
"The Wish." It was the Wishverse Master's plan.
But we know from Oz, that a werewolf can lock himself up, and not go hunt, and live.
No, we know that the human can choose to lock himself up before he becomes a werewolf. If the werewolf could choose, there would be no reason to lock himself up.
Unless this is referring to the "need to eat" thing. I don't have to eat every day, but it doesn't meant that I'm not hungry and won't eat if there isn't a reason not to.
The metaphor of the werewolf is that good people have dark, dangerous, beastial impulses inside. Oz did take responsibility for the werewolf manifesting by locking himself up, and fully understood the danger of losing control. When he felt that he needed further and deeper control over those beastial impulses, he went off and really mastered his wolf.
t /porn
So, the same dynamic that Isiah addresses is in place, but it happens on both the metaphoric and the conscious/realistic level. Willow's journey plays out on the level of her own responsibility (barring the Actual Car Crash), where she's seduced by power, does harm, and has to learn to take responsibility for her power.
Though, of course, as we often discussed, they marred that arc by muddying it with the addiction allegory. (And some crazyheaded folks feel like she never did properly atone.)
No, we know that the human can choose to lock himself up before he becomes a werewolf. If the werewolf could choose, there would be no reason to lock himself up.
I'm sorry. I meant the human. I agree with what you're saying about the werewolf, when he's wolfie.
Oz did take responsibility for the werewolf manifesting by locking himself up, and fully understood the danger of losing control. When he felt that he needed further and deeper control over those beastial impulses, he went off and really mastered his wolf.
I think he did in the beginning, but in S4 his denial suggested that he didn't "fully" understand the danger. He believed as long as he locked himself up, he would be fine. He didn't feel he needed deeper control until he nearly lost someone he loved deeply.
I think of the people who would ban pornography or whatever it is they think cause the ills of society rather than confront the actual ills. They're Oz, trying to lock themselves up instead of going to Istanbul.
He didn't feel he needed deeper control until he nearly lost someone he loved deeply.
And oddly, the situation could have gone on indefinitely. Oz kept the wolf under control with the help of his friends. Yet when Veruca came on the scene, he went it alone.
That's where he made his mistake. Trying to handle Veruca alone.
