Plus, Buffy, while certain rules needed to be established, was set in the present day, modern American world with the same cultural signposts as the "real" world.

I tend to give a lot more leeway when a whole different society (or societies, as it seems to be) is being established. They just didn't have the time to establish everything - note how the Chinese aspect of the Fly-verse has never been clarified, either.

13 episodes into Buffy. No vampAngel, no gayWillow, no Oz, no Anya, no Spike, no Tara, no Faith, no definite views on direct/indirect sunlight, no hint where Slayer powers came from, no sense of how easy/difficult magic was to use, etc.

vampAngel was episode six, actually, and direct/indirect sunlight didn't become a big issue until they started doing more shooting in indirect sunlight--for me this wasn't a big issue until AtS and/or BtVS S4, but YSunlightIssuesMV. And the concept of the Hellmouth was explained in episode one, even if it was elaborated and justified better in the Mayor arc.

But mostly, just what Nutty said.

Sorry meeant, Angelus as opposed to vampAngel.

this wasn't a big issue until AtS and/or BtVS S4

Yes, this is the point I was making.

this wasn't a big issue until AtS and/or BtVS S4

Well, this is a subject they retconned considerably - in What's My Line, Willie mentions that Angel is going to need a few days to recover, and he was just sitting there watching the sunlight creep closer and getting weaker. By season 1 Angel he can practically go outside on a cloudy day (plus Spike running around with a blanket).

>this wasn't a big issue until AtS and/or BtVS S4

Yes, this is the point I was making.

Then I don't think we're talking about the same thing.

Sunlight wasn't an issue for me because they seemed to be reasonably consistent about it for the first few seasons. This is very different from it being a critical piece of background setup for one of the characters which is frequently referenced and in contradictory ways.

I think we differ on whether it's critical background or not.

Willie mentions that Angel is going to need a few days to recover

Yeah, but Willy could have just been doing what many people do, stating an opinion on what Angel looked like, not basing it on knowing Angel's tolerance.

Yeah, but Willy could have just been doing what many people do, stating an opinion on what Angel looked like, not basing it on knowing Angel's tolerance.

Could be, but when was he ever again weakened by ANY amount of indirect sunlight? It's kind of like how the Master is the only vampire we've ever seen that left bones. Sure, he was old, but so was Kakistos and he dusted completely (not to mention Uber-vamps).

But, guys, I think what they're saying is that people weren't spending Season One or Season Two saying "What's with the sunlight deal? Why are they being inconsistent? Why doesn't someone explain the sunlight rules properly? What's it all about?" because it seemed, taken within the context of itself, rather than set against as-yet-unwritten episodes, to make sense and be consistent. Whereas clearly many people find the Companion thing not to make sense or be consistent, and to be jarring because of the big fat explanation that is felt to be missing.

Yeah?

perhaps it was the intensity of the reflected light in the small room? Maybe he had made a couple of escape attempts? Maybe duration in the reflected sunlight....

Short periods in filtered light might be OK, whereas long term exposure that close takes a lot out of a vamp?

:)