Writers blunder: Spike's past

[wiccianslayer]

ok i was lying in bed last night and something came to me william/spike was turned in 1880.

In The initiative when spike can't bite willow he says the line

"i'm only one-hundred and twenty-six years old"

But by my calcalations

That episode was set in 1999-2000

So if he was turned in 1880 he was only about one-hundred and twenty-one maybe one hundred and twenty-two.

But still not one hundred and twenty-six.

[Hello Cutie]

I assume it wasn't including his actual age... *hits self on head* well duh, he wasn't 4 or 5 when he was turned....just ignore me, its 3am here and I should be in bed now :S

But *tut tut* silly writers :)

[Dlou444]

Give the poor guy a BREAK! I'm only 33 and not only can I not remember my children's ages or my parent's ages, or my siblings ages (who are 5 years older and 5 years younger than I am) but I can't remember my OWN age most of the time. I'm 32 or 30 or 28 or 36...I have NO idea. By the time I'm 120 something, I'd better get more than a 4-5 year mess up!

Or....you're right, we can blame the writers.

[Clem Rocks]

You know the year Spike was sired without having to look it up?...

[wiccianslayer]

Yep i do i obsorb things sometimes dates and things happing and lines and stuff especially about spike like i know instantly spike killed nikki wood in 1977 in New york by breaking her neck and claiming her diuster for his own they fought on train and i know that he killed his first slayer During the boxer rebellion and the last words to her were "sorry luv i don't speak chinese" after she asked him in chinese to tell her mother she was sorry.

[Edmund Blackadder]

Yep i do i obsorb things sometimes dates and things happing and lines and stuff especially about spike like i know instantly spike killed nikki wood in 1977 in New york by breaking her neck and claiming her diuster for his own they fought on train and i know that he killed his first slayer During the boxer rebellion and the last words to her were "sorry luv i don't speak chinese" after she asked him in chinese to tell her mother she was sorry.

Maybe you can use your obvious talent for retaining knowledge and read a dictionary sometime for spelling purposes!!

That was a little bitchy, but seriously, the comments you leave are the only thing we have to judge you on, please take your time in what you are writing. I am sure if you son't know how to spell a word or how to put something grammatically, someone will help.

The biggest reason I say this is not to be harsh, but more because we have quite a few members whose first language isn't English and you would hate to confuse them, right?

[Allycat]

I don't think this has been the only mistake in the series where vampires have told an incorrect age. I assume that it's because they might not keep track of it. Somehow, I don't see Angel or Spike still celebrating their birthdays every year. Their turnday maybe, but not their birthday, as I think that's a tradition tied very much to the living and not the undead. Also, I think that if you're immortal, you don't really care as much about age any more, since it has no effects on you.

[Tranquillity]

Maybe he likes to make out that he's older, like teenagers do sometimes...

maybe not. Silly writers:)

[Kana]

The main explanation? Joss sucks at math, he said so. Angel's age has been a little sketchy (Halloween) and Spike's age has been fluffed a few times. In school hard Giles said he was barely 200, when he was no where near 200. Also Darla was about 388 (vamp age) when she was killed not 400.

[thegifting]

...and i know that he killed his first slayer During the boxer rebellion and the last words to her were "sorry luv i don't speak chinese" after she asked him in chinese to tell her mother she was sorry.

He said that to Dana.

[Tranquillity]

He said that to Dana.

too. He said it to both of them.

[Dlou444]

It IS the one thing that makes me sad about the show. I wish they would have made a LONG story board from day one about Angel and later about Spike and Dru to keep the story straight.

One thing that bugged me last night (although not important enough to have it's own thread) was that Giles says in S1 of Buffy that Angel had been "good" for 100 years. But, in Amends, when he's being haunted, there is a man that is CLEARLY not from 100 years ago and with an American accent saying that Angel killed his family. I guess it could have been from S2, I've never seen him before, so I don't know. But, it doesn't fit with the first theory UNLESS we assume in S2 that Angelus went on a bender that we never heard of and killed off some random guy's whole family.

[Keanoite]

I think that is what we are supposed to think, that Angelus circa S2 killed that man and his family.

[GATEGOD]

Can't we all just say they lied about their ages every now and then and that is why their is inconsistencies with their actual age.

[Spuffy is true love]

of course they all lied about their ages. Remember in Season 2 when Spike and Dru first come and there's the one Annointed Ones' minion who says "it'll be the greatest thing since the Crucifixion of Christ, and I should know I was there." comeon you know for a fact that guy wasn't there, if he was then Spike wouldn't have been able to smoke him so fast. So I say they all lie about their age.

[littlewilly]

Spike was30 when turned, but s4 he'd have been a vamp for 119years. Angel was 27, and 246 in vamp years.
Dru 139 years old, Darla 390 years old.
I dont know what reason though, that they couldnt have made it 1873 Spike got turned just to stick to the story.

[RockManic]

Obviously Spike was actually older than 126 during season 3. He was averaging 30 when he was turned so add that to the 120 years he had been a vampire and your talking closer to 150 years old.

Trust me, as a guy that is 32 years old and can still pass for mid 20s, if you can get away with knocking a few years off your age, you do it! ;)

[white avenger]

Obviously Spike was actually older than 126 during season 3. He was averaging 30 when he was turned so add that to the 120 years he had been a vampire and your talking closer to 150 years old.



...which brings up the question of whether human age is added to vampire age, or does it begin at the time he or she is turned. Maybe there's no real clear answer, and Giles was using Spike,s human and vampire age combined when he says that Spike is "not quite (or not yet, whatever) 200 years old," which would explain the inconsistancy of his present age vs when the Chinese Slayer was killed. Spike has said several times in various ways that when he became a vampire was the first time he ever felt really alive. If he felt that way, he might have disregarded his human age entirely.

[littlewilly]

Including his human age, in s4, Spike was 149. Angel wouldve been 274.

[RockManic]

I think it's fairly clear that this isn't a topic anyone can put a firm answer to because of the whole issue of how a vampire may or may not calculate their age. Like white avenger says above, it's a question of knowing if they count their human existence or not and that may differ from vampire to vampire. Certainly I'd imagine that the re-ensouled Spike and Angel would include their human years. At that point they would almost definitely be considering the time they were human as a part of their lives. Maybe not the pre-soul Spike of Buffy season 3 though. Hard to say.

[littlewilly]

I always imagined when a vampires age is mentioned, its not including the human age. As RM^^ said, maybe as Spike and Angel
had souls, they may have included human age, but maybe the average evil vamp see's it as being born when he's turned, so id say its just vamp age. But young vampires may add their human age, just to appear older and more experienced.
But WE know when they were turned, and Spike and Angels age when turned, so seeing as i dont wanna think of writers inconsitancies, i think they're either lying about or rounding of their age(if i was 288, im may just say 300, if asked)

[RockManic]

... i think they're either lying about or rounding of their age(if i was 288, im may just say 300, if asked)

I'd say 280, but then I'm incredibly vane. :D

[Airam]

Spike was30 when turned, but s4 he'd have been a vamp for 119years. Angel was 27, and 246 in vamp years.
Dru 139 years old, Darla 390 years old.
I dont know what reason though, that they couldnt have made it 1873 Spike got turned just to stick to the story.

I will admit that off the top of my head I don't know the age all our vamps were when they were turned, but Spike was 30?! Seriously? Not that I don't trust your knowledge, but when was that said, i'm having a hard time recalling the timeline? I know in real life James Marsters is older, in his mid 40's by now, but back in S2 when he first showed up he seriously defyied his age... he's always looked at least 10 years younger than his actual age to me. Being 30 when he was turned seems crazy to me....

[littlewilly]

I will admit that off the top of my head I don't know the age all our vamps were when they were turned, but Spike was 30?! Seriously? Not that I don't trust your knowledge, but when was that said, i'm having a hard time recalling the timeline? I know in real life James Marsters is older, in his mid 40's by now, but back in S2 when he first showed up he seriously defyied his age... he's always looked at least 10 years younger than his actual age to me. Being 30 when he was turned seems crazy to me....

Well for Angel, im sure it was said in one of the commentaries or interviews that he was 27 when turned, but Spike, i really dont remember where i heard that, it may not even be true, but i definetly remember getting it from somewhere. James Marsters is about 45 now, so in s2 he'd have been 35, so Spike being turned at 30 seems reasonable to me! Why would Spike being 30 when turned seem crazy????

[Bluebird]

Well for Angel, im sure it was said in one of the commentaries or interviews that he was 27 when turned, but Spike, i really dont remember where i heard that, it may not even be true, but i definetly remember getting it from somewhere. James Marsters is about 45 now, so in s2 he'd have been 35, so Spike being turned at 30 seems reasonable to me! Why would Spike being 30 when turned seem crazy????

In the commenatry for Lies My Parents Told Me someone mentions that Spike still sits with his mum when he's 30, so that's probably where you heard it. I don't think it was ever confirmed that he was 30, although I have no problem thinking he could have been when he was turned.

[Airam]

Well for Angel, im sure it was said in one of the commentaries or interviews that he was 27 when turned, but Spike, i really dont remember where i heard that, it may not even be true, but i definetly remember getting it from somewhere. James Marsters is about 45 now, so in s2 he'd have been 35, so Spike being turned at 30 seems reasonable to me! Why would Spike being 30 when turned seem crazy????

Lol, well maybe not SO crazy, he just looked really young to me, which is a props to James I guess. I never really knew how old James was and in S2 I just always assumed he was around the same age as all the other younger actors, he just looked to be in his early to early mid 20... I would have capped it at 26, maybe. I think I found out his age at the start of Angel S5 that he was 40 and I just recall being SO shocked. Plus maybe it creeps me out a little a "forever" 27 or 30 year old being all into a 16 year old Buffy... but yeah him being 30 when turned isn't unreasonable.

[littlewilly]

I was VERY suprised when i found out Marsters age. I also thought he'd be at least 7 or 8 years younger.
I found alot of the actors ages suprising.
Like Nic Brendon was 25 in Btvs s1.

[pernilleborup]

He als once said he was 124 :O


OH NOES! Spike sucks at math, that's why!

[fly on the wall]

If I had to keep track of 100+ years of life....well, I probably wouldn't even try to. How exhausting. Vampires have better things to do. Drink the blood of the innocent, torture, maim, plot, avoid sunlight, avoid crosses, avoid holy water, find your way around sewers, keep out of reach of the Slayer (or hunt down the Slayer, depending). Or, if you're Angel/Spike, obsess about the Slayer. :) Who has time for a silly thing like keeping track of age? Especially when it's really irrelevant, since you're immortal and all.

[pernilleborup]

If I had to keep track of 100+ years of life....well, I probably wouldn't even try to. How exhausting. Vampires have better things to do. Drink the blood of the innocent, torture, maim, plot, avoid sunlight, avoid crosses, avoid holy water, find your way around sewers, keep out of reach of the Slayer (or hunt down the Slayer, depending). Or, if you're Angel/Spike, obsess about the Slayer. :) Who has time for a silly thing like keeping track of age? Especially when it's really irrelevant, since you're immortal and all.

Yeah... Who needs math at all? I'd rather play the vampy games than doing math

[LadyLavinia]

ok i was lying in bed last night and something came to me william/spike was turned in 1880.

In The initiative when spike can't bite willow he says the line

"i'm only one-hundred and twenty-six years old"

But by my calcalations

That episode was set in 1999-2000

So if he was turned in 1880 he was only about one-hundred and twenty-one maybe one hundred and twenty-two.

But still not one hundred and twenty-six.


Quite simply, the writers made a mistake. It happens especially on shows with long story arcs. I think we should be grateful that such mistakes weren't tenfold on BUFFY, as they were on other shows.

[pernilleborup]

Mistakes are made, and we can only be happy that the age difference isn't enormous. we are only talking a few years here... It's not like Spike is 122 one day, and 145 the next