After the movie is over, the trainers, chefs and drug dealers have all left (or alternatively the Fallen Angel). I can't keep up that level of fitness anymore.  But, I've learned a ton and with some effort I can keep it up at least to a degree.  Maybe I can't be as fit as I was with those true professionals guiding me each step of the way, but I'm a great deal more fit than I was before they came and left.

It doesn't work that way, I think the text is pretty clear on that.  Say you are thirty when you take up the coin, you physically stay thirty as long as you host the coin.  Give up the coin say when you are ninety, your body reverts to a ninety year old body.  It doesn't happen all at once, as in instantly but over several months your body will eventually become what ever age it is supposed to be.  That is what was happening to Cassius, no amount of exercise and diet is going to stop it.  Perhaps for a while, but a ninety year old body has it's limitations.

"Mollys story is not a happy one" imagine if he said the opposite, what could do more to take out tension from the story than reassurance that Molly's story will have a happy ending.

Ok lots of things could, but you get the point.

It has never been a happy one, Molly has a purpose now, but is she happy with her job?

It meant to hurt him enough to bring him to his senses rather than permanently damage him, though. That's what I mean by shock.

Exactly, and from Harry's reaction and continued shame because of that burn, it straightened him out totally. 

My point is that the Alphas are proof that you don't need a coin.  I think that Alphas could turn into giant demon bears or grape apes -- just like Listens to Wind -- if they worked on it.  The Alphas are working on other stuff, just not grape apes, according to them.  Frankly, why would they?  wolves are almost ideal predators if you have a pack.  Grey proved to me that giant demon bears are not that practical.

Yes, but not everyone can become an Alpha, there is some other stuff going on as well.  If you don't have that pre-existing talent, without a coin, I don't think it is going to happen.  I think the bigger question is why do you think you need to turn into anything with the power and strength that comes with it?  That is the temptation, Nic is very careful to match potential hosts with their coins, he had good reasons to match Lasciel with Harry.

Harry could learn to speak all sorts of languages too -- if he worked on it -- I can't be bothered to learn Spanish, not because of an lack of use for it, but because I'm too lazy.  But, I'd take a Matrix download of Spanish in a heartbeat.

Yes, if he worked at it, but then again how many people teach conversational Etruscan these days?  Yes, with Lasciel's help Harry could and was able to understand the Ghouls.

In short, the temptation of the Coin is NOT the skills or the power per se, it's that they get to skip the hardship of EARNING those skills.  Hellfire might be the one exception.  You might not be able to channel Hellfire without that demonic bargain, whether express or implicit. 

No, reread the conversations between Lasciel and Harry, even after he mastered Hell Fire etc., she was tempting him with more power.. It isn't about earning those skills, Harry already had a pretty good fire spell, he had learned and earned it, Hell Fire really wasn't a short cut for him at all.

In short, Marcone could become a Senior Council level wizard -- but he doesn't have the six hundred years of life and hard work it would take.  A Coin is a great short cut, so he gives into the temptation.  His further temptation is that if he could do X in a decade, what could he do with infinity?  I'm sure Namshiel TELLS him that if he ever gave the coin up, he couldn't do X anymore.  If Marcone believes him, then he won't be able to do X.  But, personally, I think it's a lie.  Once you learn to tie your shoes, magically speaking, you can. 

No, you pretty much lose whatever skill you got with the bargain.  Look as Cassius, first things first, when he gave up his coin, he started to age rather rapidly to whatever his real age was.

Harry was meant to be a weapon, Lea tells you as much in Ghost Story.  When that part takes over, Harry has the potential for evil and the sword can hurt him. That text is given to reader to make what happens to Harry understandable.

It still doesn't make Harry evil, a weapon is neither good nor evil, it is the hand that wields that weapon that does the good or evil.

I've said it before and I will no doubt say it again: I believe the shock of Murphy's sudden depth slipped Harry's control over the Winter Knight mantle, demonstrated in text by the parallel with when he gave it its head in Cold Days, and the burn from the Faithsabre was to allow him to reassert his free will/mastery over the mantle. The burn wouldn't stop him from killing Rudolph, but it would shift it to him killing Rudolph, instead of the meat suit being piloted by the id-machine Winter Mantle.

Pretty much, the pressure and shocks that Harry had been under and received the the days leading up to witnessing Murphy's death at the hands of Rudolph sent Harry over the edge.  For a few minutes he was sent into a mindless rage, all he wanted to do was react and kill the one who killed his love.  The Sword burn was like getting ice water thrown into his face, the shock of it brought him back to himself and reset his brain..  Everyone loses it sometimes, Eb lost it when he was fighting Harry with almost tragic results, that reset Eb's brain and he reacted with the same shame as Harry, both know they should never lose control, but enough emotion, enough pressure, it happens.  Both Eb and Harry are basically good people, they are not monsters

Harry told them.  He discussed it with Murphy.  Anduriel was listening in.

I don't think Harry had to tell them, depending how well Mab hid the knowledge of it, it was out there for Anduriel to find out about.

Harry's a monster.  Showing remorse doesn't mean anything. A man might show remorse after beating his wife to death. It makes him no less a monster. The day might come when Butter's or someone isn't there.  And then what? And this isn't the first instance of Harry going into a killing rage.

A true monster in my opinion is a psychopath and or sociopath, Harry is neither.  A monster wouldn't have demanded that the people hurt and killed in the battle be compensated.  People lose their tempers all of the time, that doesn't make them monsters.  We tend to cut Rudolph a bit of slack for killing Murphy because he was paranoid, scared shitless, and totally careless.  Yet, many aren't willing to cut Harry a bit of slack, react, yes, but with merely a flood of grief, not violent retaliation.. That makes him a monster some seem to think, but left out in that scenario is the kind of pressure Harry was under at that moment,people were dying left right and center and he couldn't do much about it, then Murphy was killed before his eyes, he snapped, everyone has their breaking point.  Sanya and Butters know this, if they thought for one moment that he was a monster, they would have dispatched him, the Sword would have instead of a mere slap on the wrist in the form of a burn to bring him back to the job at hand.