Virginia's point

[DavidZahir]

I don't think I was very clear. I meant that although Virginia was seemingly inconsequential, her appearance in the story was to prove that a vampire of any type, could benefit from a caretaker.

Honestly, I don't see how that is particularly supported either. We all can benefit from having help in our lives, with very few exceptions.

[lombano]

Virginia's arc, as minor supporting as it was, fullfilled lots of "plot functions" including revealing character as well as exposition and furthering the story

But all of which could've been fulfilled with Abby killing her outright, save for showing extreme vulnerability to sunlight, and that could've been achieved by the deleted scene in which Abby, presumably having overslept on the sleepover, is burned by sunlight, thus avoiding the death scene.
I didn't like Virginia's death scene in the original film, either, I wish her catching fire had been implied thus avoiding the bad CGI - but while giving Lacke a motive could've been achieved by Eli killing her outright, it would've failed to show anything, by implication, of Eli's transformation or bring up the topic of suicide as a way of avoiding becoming a killer.

[DavidZahir]

I'll give the cats in LTROI looked goofy, but the fire in both films seemed fine to me.

Virginia's suicide in LTROI pretty clearly indicates just how terrible being a vampire is, a bit of data that gets hammered in again and again, quite properly IMHO.

Having Owen spy on her gives a peak into where he is emotionally, including the fact he hides when she glances in his direction, and he reacts with guilt when she glances at him during the day. Virginia and her husband also offer a parallel between Owen and Abby, in which one rescues the other but kinda/sorta not really. Having her turn and then die actually makes the investigation on the part of the Detective less of a "data dump" as well as demonstrating Abby can in fact die. The news about the fire also provides a continuity link in order to return to Owen's POV.

[lombano]

What i was trying to say that having Virginia be turned and so on was pointless in LMI. Owen spying on her and so on is fine, as is Abby attacking her.
The LTROI death scene looked obviously digitally added in (look at the ceiling) and the LMI scene was way over the top. Thus I wish they'd done it differently in LTROI, and avoided it altogether in LMI. Since sunlight being deadly to vampires is a well-known trope, showing Abby getting burned by a little sunlight woul've been enough to establish that's still the case here.

[SPiN]

This being the case, it makes us give Abby points for being able to say "go away" to Owen in the subsequent basement clubhouse scene, and even more points for having the presence of mind to flee.

Sauvin, when you say "gives Abby points..." you mean for being good right?
i never thought of that...with her monster face on, she had the presence of "mind" to run away from Owen...so maybe no duality? she can distinguish who is who while in monster mode so she skips eating Owen and attacks a stranger.

Virginia's role in the film wasnt too bad. to me, it didnt detract from the film. added imo.

[sauvin]

This being the case, it makes us give Abby points for being able to say "go away" to Owen in the subsequent basement clubhouse scene, and even more points for having the presence of mind to flee.

Sauvin, when you say "gives Abby points..." you mean for being good right?
i never thought of that...with her monster face on, she had the presence of "mind" to run away from Owen...so maybe no duality? she can distinguish who is who while in monster mode so she skips eating Owen and attacks a stranger.

Virginia's role in the film wasnt too bad. to me, it didnt detract from the film. added imo.

Dualism isn't necessarily an either/or proposition, switching states instantly and totally. It can be a spectrum with strong tendency to be in one state or another, with transient liminal states in between.

Watch the clubhouse scene again, where Abby goes from being a sweet twelve year old with eyes closed, smiling, maybe waiting for a kiss, to seconds later being something that could send Dracula himself fleeing back to Transylvania in abject terror. She doesn't transmogrify all at once - you can see consternation in her expression, and a growing fascination with the blood. The beast is coming to the fore, but for a very short time, she's still outwardly completely human. By that same yardstick, she's on her hands and knees before Owen, having lapped up his blood off the floor, and she's still enough the girl to fear for the live of her boyfriend, even if she does look like a genetic experiment gone horribly awry that lived long enough to lose an argument with a pile driver. One presumes if she lost even a tiny bit of her will at that juncture, Owen is is a goner.

Yes, I give Abby points for hanging in there long enough and well enough to flee. Good points, that is.

[SPiN]

This being the case, it makes us give Abby points for being able to say "go away" to Owen in the subsequent basement clubhouse scene, and even more points for having the presence of mind to flee.

Sauvin, when you say "gives Abby points..." you mean for being good right?
i never thought of that...with her monster face on, she had the presence of "mind" to run away from Owen...so maybe no duality? she can distinguish who is who while in monster mode so she skips eating Owen and attacks a stranger.

Virginia's role in the film wasnt too bad. to me, it didnt detract from the film. added imo.

Dualism isn't necessarily an either/or proposition, switching states instantly and totally. It can be a spectrum with strong tendency to be in one state or another, with transient liminal states in between.

well put. so like degrees of...

you can see consternation in her expression.

TRUE. for a split second, its like shes trying to hold back...a la bruce banner.

Yes, I give Abby points for hanging in there long enough and well enough to flee. Good points, that is.

[tman]

At that point Abby was definately trying to control things. I guess if she hadn't fed for a while, it could have been a lot worse for Owen, but she gains strength, composure and confidence from feeding, so it paid of here. Instict still kicked in for her (I guess blood just does that), but she hung on long enough. That lengthy gaze she took of the blood on the floor was likely her trying to surpress the vampire, but it's a very, very strong urge, almost uncontrollable at times. It was 50/50 whether Owen was going to make it for a few seconds.

I can't imagine many times she'd have told fresh blood to 'go away', so there was some turmoil going on there.

[SPiN]

At that point Abby was definately trying to control things. I guess if she hadn't fed for a while, it could have been a lot worse for Owen, but she gains strength, composure and confidence from feeding, so it paid of here. Instict still kicked in for her (I guess blood just does that), but she hung on long enough. That lengthy gaze she took of the blood on the floor was likely her trying to surpress the vampire, but it's a very, very strong urge, almost uncontrollable at times. It was 50/50 whether Owen was going to make it for a few seconds.

I can't imagine many times she'd have told fresh blood to 'go away', so there was some turmoil going on there.

i guess you could also argue that at that very moment she (the monster within) chose not to eat her future caretaker...but thats not possible. i refuse to believe that!
Abby is a good girl.