Well, maybe it shouldn’t, but it still does. By the way, I’ll gladly admit that my opinions tend not to be shared by anyone else.
This is only part of my problem, but I’ll be glad to start here. I question why we’re supposed to find the Operation “extremely unusual”. Just because we’ve never seen it before? Because the writers want us to believe that?
It certainly didn’t seem hard to come by. Steve just goes to the doctor and demands The Revenge Special. The doctor is still there so it could easily happen again. And we don’t know how rare these demons are. If these demons are rare and the operation hard to come by, shouldn’t Steve have had a harder time getting it? I don’t remember seeing anything to make me think along these lines.
Besides, this is only part of the problem for me. Whenever the writers break one of their own rules, I get the feeling that what they’re really saying is: “I can’t find a way to create dramatic tension within the paramaters of our established rules, so I’ll take the easy way out and just break the rules.” It’s this nagging feeling that really bugs me.
I think the reason we aren’t going to be seeing the operation used anymore is because the vampires die as a result. From what I understand these Vamps treasure their immortality and don’t wnat to die anymore than you or I do.
So, while the operation itself isn’t all that uncommon, finding a Vamp willing to go through with it is. It would have to be a very unstable one like in the Season Premiere.
What Amp said, and the lovesick vamp’s name was James, not Steve. Trion, we know the procedure is “extremely unusual” because neither Wesley, nor Angel with his 250+ years of experience, have ever heard of it.
And speaking of Wesley (well, maybe we weren’t, but we are now), I love how he’s changed and grown since the first time we saw him on Buffy. I believe the change, which is why it works. He’s gone from being Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent, through George Reeves’s Clark Kent and this season, with the shaggier 'do and more relaxed clothing choices, he seems headed toward Dean Cain’s Clark Kent.
The scene with Merle was great!
MERLE: The price is gonna change.
WESLEY: All right. (takes back several bills)
Now how in hell did I screw that one up? Sorry 'bout that.
Also from Fiver:
I dunno. This explanation feels a bit thin to me. Doesn’t the gang go through this in just about every episode regardless of how rare the problem is? Does James know about it 'cause he’s older than Angel? He sure seemed younger to me. And Lorne’s only been in this dimension a relatively short time. Was James singing in the club earlier?
From AMP:
Sure, but there are plenty of people who would be willing to die for their cause, for love, for revenge. For any number of reasons.