[Coglio]

Since you seemed to take exception to the explanation of Dracula's shape-shifting, I am throwing in my 2 cents ... actually, 1 cent, since this is a niggling detail.

I thought Spike's explanation was perfect. After all, if shape-shifting was a vampiric ability, why don't others do it? Simply put, it's magic. Spells.

Spike dismisses it as "Gypsy tricks" like its a minor ability or something. However, that's just Spike. It would be totally in character for him to pooh-pooh Dracula's abilities, just like he mocks Angel.

I think it's safe to say however that his "tricks" are pretty powerful, and useful, spells. You could argue that Dracula is a talented sorcerer, having mastered a couple of very useful spells. It makes sense that few, and perhaps no other, vampires master any magic since they clearly lack the discipline to do so. Dracula would be an exception to that, which makes him unique.

Anyway, I liked how they handled that. So much of Buffy mysteries are handled through single, off-hand comments like that. Without it, the audience would be puzzling over questions like Dracula's abilities.

This opens an excellent can of worms for other vampires, who have perhaps mastered different spells. Imagine perhaps a vampire who can travel into your dreams, ala Freddie Krueger.