Buffy for Beginners 3.17: Enemies

By Sabrina Boyer

If there were ever spoilers that could be taken literally, this episode is it. Not only are their spoilers in this review, but spoilers all around. Things get all around spoiled. As in smelly. As in ruined. As in messed up. It begins with Buffy and Angel coming out of the movie La Banquet del Amelia, and apparently, it’s a sex romp. Or, at least enough romp to make them into lust bunnies, or Faith thinks so. She interrupts to steal Buffy away; “don’t worry big guy, just keepin’ her warm for ya.” Faith is back on active duty, and the slayers encounter a demon with a sweet offer, a chance to get a look at the Books of Ascention, the books that tell the story of how the Mayor’s gonna get all demony in the next one hundred days. Rut Roh (Scooby impression).

Faith is full blown right hand of the Mayor; she runs to tell him about these Books for sale, and it’s clear that the Mayor sees Faith as a daughter, asking her to pull her hair away from her face. And then he gives her a glass of milk for her growing bones and threatens her if she fails to kill the demon and steal the books. Meanwhile, Buffy tells the same ‘ole song and dance to Giles and faux watcher Wesley; “demon wanting money? Whatever happened to the still beating heart of a virgin?” Giles whines. Will gives the 411 on where they could maybe find info on the Ascension, and then Cordelia waltzes in to ask Wesley out. Again with the jailbait. Just as the gang decides to send Faith and Buffy to “persuade” the demon to let them glance at the books for free, Faith heads out on her own, kills him, and steals the books for her sugar daddy. Blood on her hands again.

And then she heads to Angel for help, or is she? It seems she’s legit, spouting off 12 steppy rhetoric. “I’m scared, scared of what I am, what I’m turning into. Straight up cold-blooded killer. I don’t wanna end up the way everybody said I would, dead or a loser.” She’s scared. And awful handsy on Angel. Then she splits, needing to be alone, and asks if “things were different” they’d be different between she and Angel? And then Buffy sees a cheek kiss. Cut to Faith telling the Mayor that Angel spurned her advances, and we learn she was bluffing and they’re trying to take his soul away. Buffy broods over Faith’s kissies on Angel, and Xander comes through with the demon’s address that has the books.

Faith comes in right on time as Buffy heads over to the demon’s lair; Faith forces her way to tag along and they find the demon deader then deadonia. The Mayor summons some kind of soul sucking demon to take away Angel’s soul; and can I just say, the Mayor is one of the creepiest Big Bads of the entire series, probably due to his fear of germs. Buffy asks Will if Angel and Faith could be snuggly; Will says no way on Angel, but that Faith’s the “do that” girl. “Buffy, I too know the love of a taciturn man, and the answers are in his actions.” Buffy admits she didn’t forwardly ask Angel what was going on; she goes to talk to him and Faith is there, apologizing for her randy ways. “You don’t trust me,” Faith says, and Angel tells her he understands her pain. Blah Blah. Then she turns around, calls him a chump, throws some kind of blood on him and the soul sucking demon comes out to steal his soul. Things aren’t looking good for the Scoobies. A fantastic light show later and Angel seems to be Angelus; in a scene reminiscent of his turn after season two’s post-coital bliss, he kisses Faith and then smacks her around a little. “It’s good to have the taste of a slayer back in my mouth, and just when I thought I’d quit..” Angelus quips. Faith convinces him to wave a white flag long enough to meet the new boss in town.

Wesley briefs the group about the demon and Giles urges Buffy to break and enter to find info. Faith takes Angelus to meet the Mayor. “Attitude may get you attention, but courtesy wins respect,” the Mayor laments, who also reads Reader’s Digest. The point to Angelus is to have him on the Mayor’s side. Angelus tries to stab the Mayor through the heart and realizes the Mayor is invincible. He cannot be killed. Or, impervious. Just a sidenote to his huge plans for Sunnydale. Like a first date meeting the Dad, the Mayor wants to know Angelus’ “intentions.” “Try to have her home by 11,” the Mayor tells Angelus.

As Xander runs into Faith and Angelus, he punches Xander out. The incredible duo ends up at Buffy’s house to trick her, telling her they’ve got the books at the mansion. Angelus is all Angel-like, helping Buffy carry her bag o’ stakes. Once at the mansion, they show their true colors, both Angelus and Faith. Buffy gets knocked out and chained up in the mansion as she learns Faith’s true intentions. The gang learns the Mayor is over a hundred years old, been living in Sunnydale and is not human.

Buffy and Faith finally have a sharing moment, with Faith kissing Angelus right in front of Buffy and threatening to get all S&M. We learn Faith’s mom was a drunk; “Why Faith? What’s in it for you?” Buffy asks. “I come to Sunnydale kicking ass better than anyone. What do I hear about? Buffy. So I slay, do the good girl routine and who does everyone thank? Buffy. Everyone always asks, why can’t you be more like Buffy, but has anyone ever asked if you could be more like me? You get the Watcher, you get the Mom, you get the Scooby gang. This was supposed to be my town! You think you’re better than me? Say it! You think you’re better than me!”

“I am…” Buffy responds. And then she comes out swinging. “In the real world, Angle would never touch you and you know it. There’s a word for people like you. Loser.” Buffy lets on she knows about the Mayor’s Ascention; we learn he built Sunnydale for demons to feed on in exchange for this Ascension. Faith plans on being his right hand. “What can I say? I’m the world’s best actor,” Faith responds. “Second best,” Angel says. “You think we got everything?” Buffy asks. “Can I just say, SIKE.” Oh snap!!! Buffy played Faith. So did Angel.

“What are you gonna do B? Kill me? You become me. You’re not ready for that. Yet.” Faith kisses her forehead and splits. Now we know that Faith has turned to the dark side. We also learn that Giles was owed a favor by the soul-sucking demon, and he put on a rather convincing light show to fake out Faith. “What did you do?” Willow asks. “I introduced him to his wife,” Giles says. Giles was in on the master plan without telling Wesley; there’s a rouge slayer and new info on the Ascention. Graduation Day is D-Day. Faith has lost her “friends,” and the Mayor is the only friend she needs. “Still unhappy?” he asks. “I’ve got two words that will make the pain go away. Minature. Golf.” And Faith giggles.

It was hard for Buffy to see Angel as Angelus and to see him kiss Faith. She needs a break. “You’re still my girl,” Angel says. “Always,” she replies. Whew. I still get goosebumps watching this episode. Things are spoiled indeed.

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About Sabrina Boyer: As a kid my dad would sneak scary movies past my mom and let me indulge in his horror movie fetish. I grew up watching V, Alien Nation, The Thing, The Fog (all originals) and then, in 1992 when Buffy the movie came out, I became obsessed with vampires, girl power, and all things gothic. I once stayed home from school, faked sick, and watched BTVS: the movie 6 times in a row. I know the beginning cheerleading dance by heart (still). Currently, I’m obsessing over Laurell K. Hamilton novels, and dream about Anita Blake being my best friend.

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