Watched this episode for the second time last night and I was wondering something. When Spike has his hands chopped off by the Slayer, why don't they turn to dust? Not sure if is has been asked before but they should've done, shouldn't they? :ermm:

mmmm I've got a couple of theories, usually they only turn to dust when they have been staked through the heart or decapitated but we don't normally see dismembered bits lying around so :unsure: not sure

Two, Spike was recorporialised by magic, maybe that changed him?

Really good episode though and horror when you see his stumps :o

Agreed, a fantastic episode :thumbsup:.

I agree with your first theory. A vampire dies by turning to dust, and they only die when they're decapitated/staked/sunlight etc.. as having arms removed isn't something which causes them to die, they don't dust.

One of the better episodes of s5 even with so much Spike, though I still think they stole the mad slayer idea from me. ;)

The arms turning to dust was asked when it was first shown and as has been said there's no reason that they should turn to dust. It does bring up an interesting and quite gruesome scenario. If someone was really vile they could totally dismember a vampire until there was little more than a head left and they wouldn't die. Put it in a jar, place it on the mantlepiece and you've got a really stand out conversation piece. It could be the next in thing. ;)

The reason his arm doesn't turn to dust is because the only ways to kill a vampire are to pierce their hearts with a wooden stake, to throw holy water at them (but this usually wards them off), to set them on fire and decapitation.

iirc the cut arm of the ubervamp in storyteller didn't turn to dust either

maybe body part are still "connected" to the body one way or another :ermm:

That's right it didn't, I'd forgotton about that :bag:

i wonder what they did with it ... i am sure the initiative would find a use for it but buffy and co ..... :ermm:

The arms should've turned to dust as they wasn't connected to his bady. Like in Blade.

Cool! I want one! :D
As long as it's not one of the ugly minor vamps who never have human face...

I couldn't imagine Spike in a jar though :tear:

Ha it would have been interesting.

I mean for the first half of the season Spike could have been non corporeal, then he could have been made corporeal and then he could have been dismembered by Dana and put in jars. Y'know he could have still spoken to Angel and had a go at him and stuff, it would have been funny, kinda.

i think as long the vampire got his head and his heart (so no arms and legs), he will not turn to dust

Do vampires even need a heart? Didn't James have his removed in Heartthrob?

It's a pity the Initiative was closed down because that could be an experiment they could do - see how much of a vampire's body they can remove before it's classed as decapitated and turns to dust. First subject Spike. :evil: ;)

:D Vampires turn to dust when dead hence not dead so not dust could also argue vampires have no breath if that the case how is it that Spike can smoke ????