In an "Angel" episode when Angel goes to talk to a doctor who is stalking a women, he is walking around the doctor's office. As he passes by a line of pictures hanging on the wall you can see his reflection on the glass. And in case you didn't know, Angel is a vampire, so he's not supposed to have a reflection!
Joss Whedon takes alot of liberties with the Vampiric Legend as do alot of other writers. According to Brahm Stoker, the originator of vampire lore, A vampire can be killed by a stake through the heart and sunlight and they can be hurt by holy water. They are also afraid of crosses, cast no reflection in a mirror and had the ability to control the weak-minded. On occasion they can take the form of mist or fog, a large bat and a wolf. And finally, the vampire had to feed on his victim three times for them to turn into a vampire themselves, but if you killed the vampire responsible for the whole mess, everyone of his victims would become normal again. So far out of all of these things that I have listed, Joss Whedon has only used the cross, the sunlight and the holy water aspects. Other writers have put their own twist on the legend. Take White Wolf Games, responsible for Vampire: The Masquerade (which by the way led to the very short lived TV series "Kindred: The Embraced"). According to them, there are several different clans of vampires all with their own special abilities and weaknesses for that matter. For example, some could fly, others could turn invisible or change their appearence to avoid detection and some could even walk in daylight. Some could travel by foot at bluring speeds, some had the strength of ten men, and some of them could not be hurt no matter what kind of weapon you used against them. And let us not forget Anne Rice's work with Lestat and Louis. She completely reinvented the Vampiric Legend. So you see, it all comes down to the person reponsible for writing the story. If they say that their vampire can cast a reflection in a mirror, so be it.
In regards to KCWPrez/[email protected] comment. Bram Stoker did not originate the tale of the vampyre, Dr Polidori, Lord Byrons doctor started it with a fiction short story called The Vampyre. Lord Ruthven (pronounced Riven) was the central character fashioned after Lord Byron. But who cares anyway most of them are a good read or good veiwing whatever interpretation you put on it.
Can we PLEASE make this the only "You can see his reflection!" post. It WILL happen and if it is listed here each time the will be no room for other slip-ups.
There are constant inconsistencies in Angel with the reflection thing. In "City Of" it is implied he has not seem himself since he became a vampire and there are heaps of references in Buffy to this. Giles remarks that a vampire casts no reflection in the Season 1 BTVS "Out of Mind, Out of sight" (aka Invisible Girl"). However also in City Of he appears on camera and later in the season he appears on pictures.And Don't get me started on the disappearing tattoo that he had in Buffy.
About the whole reflection thing in general, I have to ask...Why doesn't Angel have a reflection? I know you're thinking "because he's a vampire," but why don't vampires have reflections? Because they don't have souls! (A point that has not only been made in vampire mythology, but also on Buffy) Angel happens to have a soul, so why not the reflection? I know it's just a TV show and Joss Whedon can do whatever he wants, but I've always found that little question to be very intriguing.
KCW- numerous times in the show, did Angel, as well as other characters in the show, talk about Angel not having a reflection. Whether it was up to the writer or not, it wouldn't make a difference, because they can't just one day HAVE a reflection, and the next NOT have one. It's just a simple rule.
The episode where the actress hires Angel to protect her is a perfect example of the reflection thing. The actress finds out he is a vampire because of the mirrored walls in her house. When she is standing there talking to Angel she looks in the mirror and is standing there alone. No Angel in the mirror.
According to the folklore - "vampires cast no reflections in mirrors". Which is the key part in that sentence? Which part is giving you the trouble??
Then again - A Vampire can only be stakes through the heart (or through the navel) while it is resting in its coffin. The stake must be made of rosewood. And it doesn't kill it, just immobilises it. Sprinkle sand, rosethorns or slat around or in front of a vampire and it can't pass until it's counted every grain.
And do you people not care about plot, and characterisation, that you only watch the episodes to nitpick them? Can you say anorak???
All right, about reflections and vampires. According to old lore, vampires do not cast reflections in mirrors. This is due to the sliver in them. The silver will not show their reflection because it is to "pure". And either the vampires are to unpure or an abomination against God, I forget the exact reason. Which is also why in Blade, the sliver hurt the vampires. The reason that vampires are said not not photograph is the same principal. Film used to use silver to capture the image. If silver is used in the film then no vampire.
However, today most films no longer contain silver, so vampires can be photographed. Also, vampire would cast reflections in glass. Which explains this "slip up". Vampires have always cast reflections. Any time we see something, it is because we see the light it reflects. If vampires cast no reflections, then no one would see them. Or they would appear as a completely black human form.
Shalroth, it's a TV show. It doesn't have to match folklore. TV is not reality, and vampires are not real! And the whole reflection thing is always going be a slip-up, there's really no way around occasional mistakes like that.
ok the reason that angel has a soul but can not see his reflection is because his sole is not his own. he lost his sole and his reflection with it. angels soul was given to him by a gypse so its a soul that dosent come with a reflection because he wasnt born with the soul that was given to him by the gypies
In response to the reflection thing, i was wondering, has anyone noticed the major slipup in the opening credits.
At the end, Angel walks down an alley (i think it is taken from the third epidode of season one). Anyway, as he walks over a puddle, you see his shadow off to the left, and in the puddle, you see his reflection.
I thought it was amazing that they let such a mistake go into the credits every week, and never fix it up!!
I've at this a dozen times & I don't see the reflection in the picture.
What I do see is a shadow. This only reflection I see is when he opens
a sliver door knob, it shows a bit of flesh color.
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