av Mr Chase » tis maj 18, 2004 22:47
Mr Chase says the code word, m-o-n-k-e-y:
49. Consequences
This is essentially the second part in a two-parter that began with "Bad Girls". Although the title says "consequences" it really doesn't deal that much with that, at least not where Faith is concerned. She's still heavy in denial about what happened refuses to face up to it. Buffy tries to help her and goes to extraordinary lengths to do so by at first covering it up in front of Giles and the rest of the gang.
Buffy's reward is betrayal when Faith tries to frame Buffy for the killing of the Deputy Mayor. Giles knows better however, and realizes the truth. But I had to admit that for a couple of seconds he had me there, as well as Buffy, but it turns out he was just playing along. After this, and the near killing of Xander (if that was intended, we'll probably never know) it is still surprising how far the gang are willing to go to accommodate Faith. They hesitate when confronted with the albeit ugly prospect of locking her up. Surprisingly it's Willow of all people who is right here. Faith cannot be trusted and should be put behind bars.
But the new watcher, Wesley, overhears them and alerts the Watchers Council and they send in a strike team to take care of Faith. In my book that was the right call to make. Too bad that they were so inept at it that Faith could escape. But that doesn't negate that what they planned to do was the correct thing. I seriously doubt that Angel was going to succeed in just talking Faith out of it. As he himself said, she's taken a life and now has gotten "a taste for it". Sometimes the Scoobies let their compassion get the better of them.
Faith has gone too far in practicing her Nietzschean philosophy. She thinks her strength and power makes her morally superior and that's an extremely dangerous sentiment, especially in a slayer. You might think what you like about the Watchers Council but this is exactly why watchers are not only useful but also necessary. A young person given this much power without supervision and guidance will probably lead to this.
With all that transpired in this and the previous episode it is surprising that they just let Faith go in the end. How gullible can they be? Just because she saved Buffy's ass from the Mayor's henchvampires in the fight at the docks was in no way an act of redemption. It was as much an act of self-preservation on Faith's part. And she kills Mr Trick only so that she can take his place at the Mayor's side. No disrespect for poor Mr Trick but Faith is going to be a lot more dangerous as an ally of the Mayor than he ever was. Well, at least the Scoobies now know that the Mayor is a black hat and a major one at that. Now that the enemy has been identified it'll be easier to fight him.
As to why Faith is acting the way she does there's really no answers. She obviously has major trust issues and can't recognize friends and help when they're there for the taking. She was probably a very abused child and with her slayer powers she now has the ability to take revenge on a world she feels has betrayed her.
In this episode Xander also reveals to the gang that he slept with Faith. That revelation didn't do him any good. We get to see Willow cry about it in solitude and quite frankly I'm a bit sick of her still moping over Xander even though she's reconciled things with Oz. I for one would've been much more interested in seeing Cordelia's reaction to that piece of news.
Speaking of Cordelia, Wesley seems immediately jaw-droopingly taken with her appearance and I can't say I blame the guy even if she is, as Faith observes, jail bait. She calls him "Giles: the next generation" so she can't be to unfamiliar with geeky Star Trek references, cheerleader as she is.
Other things that aren't satisfactory explained is why the two cops that arrested Buffy and Faith in "Bad Gils" couldn't ID them now. I know that Sunnydale PD isn't exactly Sunnydale finest but come on? And why didn't Wes stake Angel when he had the chance? He works for an organization whose very raison d'être is killing vampires and he's still so new to things Sunnydale that he hardly has taken in the knowledge about who Angel really is.
Mr Trick gets to utter a fun line right before he literally bites the dust (pun intended): "I hear once you've tasted a Slayer, you never wanna go back."
Rupert Giles: "I'll be back in the Middle Ages."
Miss Calendar: "Did you ever leave?"
