COLE VS. BELTHAZOR

[vandergraafk]

In Brain Drain, Cole, the human form of the hybrid demon Belthazor/Cole, is able to fling fireball after fireball at a morphed Source in the guise of Alastair, a chameleon demon. After vanquishing the Oracle with a huge blast, conjured in a fashion similar to that used by Firestarters (see Forever Charmed and the Last Temptation of Christy, as well as Lost and Bound), Cole is able to wound the Source enough so that his mind control over Piper is broken. In the next episode, Black as Cole, Cole reveals himself as Belthazor in order to fend off Sykes, an upper level demon with similar skills to Belthazor, but lacking in the latter's long experience as an assassin. During this episode, Cole warns Phoebe that should he morph into Belthazor to defeat Sykes, he might cross a point of no return. He might not be able to morph back into his human form. Unfortunately, the juxtaposition of the two episodes makes no sense. Why could Cole launch fireball after fireball, including the massive fireball that takes out the Oracle, and remain in his human form, while Belthazor, taking on a lesser demon, risks losing his ability to morph back?

[Fourever Charmed]

This is probably very simply a continuity glitch. However, I will attempt to make sense of it:

Do we know how much time has passed between the two episodes? I have yet to go back and look at them, but might it be possible that because Cole expended so much energy in his human form battling The Source and Oracle, that he had to change into his demon form to battle Sykes because he's stronger in his demonic form?

Yes, I will be the first to admit that it's a weak case, but we also know that expending a lot of power does take it's toll on demons: Tempus, for example, turned back time up to his full potential twice in August 1999 and by 2001, well over a year later, he is still weak from the last time he exerted so much power, so when turns back time once more, it kills him.

I also admit that time is far more power consuming than energy balls, but prior to Cole's massive energy ball in "Brain Drain," let alone consecutive energy balls in addition to said master ball, have we ever seen him display such power before? I could be wrong, but I don't recall an incident even remotely similar. So, I think it's entirely possible that since the episodes were back-to-back, and usually there isn't a huge time leap between back-to-back episodes, that Cole might not have completely recovered from the battle with The Source and The Oracle and thus, in order to fend off a lesser - but still quite powerful and in its demonic form, and unlike Cole, completely "charged" - demon, that he would have to resort to actually turning into Belthazor to fend him off.

[vandergraafk]

It's an interesting line of thought and allows us to avoid the continuity error cliche! I like it. Correct me if I am wrong, Fourever Charmed, but this is how I read what you wrote:

"Since the two stories are back to back and perhaps linked closely in time, Cole was drained from his ferocious attack on Alastair (the Source) in Brain Drain. As a result, when he went up against a slightly lesser, but still powerful upper level demon, Cole could only vanquish Sykes by appearing as Belthazor in order to summon all the powers at his (diminished) disposal."