Buffy for Beginners 4.15: This Year’s Girl

Tagged with: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

By Sabrina Boyer
This episode is all about Faith. Not the belief, the character, and boy is it good. We finally get to learn who Faith is as a person and her motivation for her bad choices in season three. It really is true; with just a simple twist of fate, Faith could’ve been Buffy, or, any one of us could have been her, bad choices and all.

The episode begins with Faith and Buffy making Buffy’s bed; something about a little sis coming and so much to do before she gets here. Then blood drips onto the white bed and Faith asks, “are you ever gonna take this thing out?” meaning the sword that Buffy slid into her gut. Then, BAM! Faith’s awake.

Meanwhile, Xander and the gang try to fix the weird gun-like thing called “the blaster” that Professor Walsh gave to Buffy to trap her and get her killed. Riley’s still in psych/detox ward and Adam the Frankenstonian demon is still on the loose. He’s “The Terminator” without the bashful charm. As Riley still is on the mend in Initiative land, he’s still got Buffy’s hair thingie, and getting crap from his “family” about going to see Buffy.

Right before Faith wakes up from her sunny-coma, she dreams of eating a picnic with the mayor who plays with a snake as thunder rolls in the background. All of a sudden Buffy’s there and slices the mayor’s throat. As Buffy and the gang patrol for Adam, they see a demon splayed open and tied it up to a tree. Riley shows up at Xander’s basement and happys all around. Riley’s back so whatever comes they can handle. Except when that whatever is Faith. She’s awake and she’s pissed. I mean, wouldn’t you go after the chick who skewered you?

Faith’s dream grows more prophetic, as she is chased by Buffy and falls into an open grave only to pull herself out of it in the pouring rain. Rain. Water. Rebirth. Cleansing. She’s back. She’s a slayer. There’s no way she would be in a coma forever. What’s the first thing woman of the year does? Beats up a teenage girl and steals her clothes. Oh, and finds out the school was blown up and the mayor died. Faith goes by the school to make sure it’s true while the nurse that keeps watch over Faith calls upon the council to send an extermination and/or kidnap team. Faith also goes by Giles’ and eavesdrops on the Scoobies talking through the Adam problem. As she looks on, Buffy gets a call that she’s awake. “It’s too bad,” Will says. “That was the best coma ever.”

The next morning as Buffy and Will talk Faith on school grounds, Faith shows. “You tried to gut me, Blondie. Let’s have another go at it, see who lands on top,” she says. Awesome fight scene ensues. “You took my life B. Payback’s a bitch,” and then Faith flees, leaving a trail of cops in her wake. Will and Tara do some recon around the campus looking for the cleavagey slut bomb that is Faith. Xan and Giles do the same upon nightfall. And then there’s Spike aka sexy bitch. Spike promises, that if he finds Faith he’ll send her the Scoobies’ way. Meanwhile, the douchey Council members arrive and Faith gets a visit from a demon who was a friend of the mayor’s. He left her one last gift. Despite his homicidal mania, he does have a father’s love for Faith, who needs that kind of guidance. Only, without the homicidal part.

Buffy fills Riley in on the psychosis of Faith while she tries to convince him that she is uber dangerous. “I know Faith. She’ll come after me and the people that I love,” Buffy says. And Faith does. She comes after Joyce. In the world according to Joyce, Buffy is going to come crashing in that window. And she does. Not before, however, Faith goes on a wicked diatribe about how Buffy has forgotten all about her and all about Joyce. She’s obviously hurt and feels that Buffy left her out in the cold to be taken in by the monsters. Either way, the story’s not over. Just as the cops arrive and we’re waiting for Buffy to win, Faith puts on the device the mayor gave her and something happens.

Something bad.

Joyce asks, “Are you sure you’re ok?”
Buffy replies, (or is it Faith?) “five by five.”

We’ll see what she means.

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.