Buffy 3x15: Consequences

[fajrdrako]

Buffy 3x15 - Consequences

Written by Marti Noxon; I'm trying to remember authors names, because it's a useful thing to do. I love the title and theme.

My first thought: this has to be another dream beginning. Now, usually I don't like dreams being used to set things up (usually to set up the viewer) at the beginning of a show, but Buffy does it rather well.

Interesting thing that the dream sequence sets up conflict between Buffy and Faith, while in the previous episode they were doing a girlfriends-together act - until the end. Seems that Faith has finally managed to shock Buffy. Seems that Buffy's mother echoes her thoughts: "It's just terrible, isn't it?"

Yup, that it is.

1. Wesley wants to investigate the murder. Giles thinks it's out of their jurisdiction. Buffy doesn't want to talk about it. That means she hasn't told them what happened, or snitched on Faith. Yet.
   
   
2. Faith, having no conscience, doesn't mind baiting them.
   
   
3. Good Cordelia line: "Don't let me interrupt. Wait. Let me interrupt. I'm in a hurry."
   
   
4. I also liked this exchange:

   Wesley: Does everybody know about you?
   Buffy: She's a friend.
   Cordelia: Let's not exaggerate.

   Which implies Cordelia isn't feeling any more warm towards Buffy and co.
   
   
5. And Wesley didn't notice that Cordelia was a student. Oops. Wishful thinking there?
   
   
6. Faith says, "First word: jail; second word: bait." I'm not sure whether she is describing Cordelia or herself.
   
   
7. Loved it that when Buffy said she needed to tell Giles and the others that Faith had killed Finch, Faith said, "But you can pretend that Angel's still dead when you need to protect him." Yes: because Buffy felt it was right to protect Angel's secret and doesn't feel it's right to keep Faith's. Faith challenges her (or threatens her) by pointing out, "Anything I have to answer for, you do, too. You're a part of this, B. All the way." Not really true, but true enough to get to Buffy. Faith is a master manipulator.
   
   
8. Mayor Wilkins plays with the shredder: "It's *supposed* to cheer me *up*. Usually using the shredder gives me a lift. It's fun." I love hisstrangenesses.
   
   
9. When he then says, "Guess it'll take more than this to turn my frown upside down," of course I thought of The Master in Doctor Who, demonstrating to his Cabinet Ministers the difference between a smile and a frown.
   
   
10. Good Wilkins line: "Well, this is exciting. A Slayer up for Murder One. That's sunshine and roses to me."
    
    
11. Buffy does a detective shtick. Faith acts unconcerned about Finch and his death. Faith is fighting a losing battle.
    
    
12. Then Buffy discovers that Faith has a superiority complex: "That's right, better. People need us to survive. In the balance,nobody's gonna cry over some random bystander who got caught in the crossfire." And Buffy doesn't like this.
    
    
13. Good Faith line: "Whoever did it wasn't hip to the Bronze Age." I'm not sure that doesn't sound a little too sophisticated for her, though.
    
    
14. Great Willow line: "I've been letting things fester, and I don't like it. I wanna be fester-free."
    
    
15. So Buffy tells Willow what happened. Good idea. Willow wants to go to Giles. Even better idea.
    
    
16. Then it turns out that Faith told Giles that Buffy killed Finch. The cow.
    
    
17. But Giles didn't believe her. Yay Giles!
    
    
18. Giles calls Faith "unstable". That seems an understatement. And when he says "If we scare her off now, we may lose her forever." - that sounds prophetic.
    
    
19. I liked this dialogue:

    Buffy: As I recall, Xander and I nearly came to blows.
    Xander: Uh, *you* nearly came to blows, Buffy. I nearly came to loss of limbs.

20. And Xander, obliquely, tells the others he had sex with Faith. Surprise.
    
    
21. And when Xander talks to Faith, I love the way he describes sex with her: "it was nice. It was great. It was kind of a blur."
    
    
22. But Faith won't give an inch: "You wanna feel a connection? It's just skin. I see... I want... I take. I forget." Such a sweet girl. And then: "I could make you die." So: Angel to the rescue. I love all the levels of irony in that.
    
    
23. Another good bit of dialogue:

    Angel: She killed a man. That changes everything for her.
    Buffy: Giles said with counseling, they might not even need to lock her up.
    Angel: That's not what I mean. She's taken a life.
    Buffy: I know.
    Angel: She's got a taste for it now.

    I'm a little surprised to see Buffy being naive here. She still thinks Faith is like her, and not a different order of being.
    
    
24. But Wilkins knows what is going on. Lovely bit, as he looks at the security camera footage: "Here comes my favorite part. Where the Slayers see us in the hall together, thick as thieves. Oh, wait, we are thieves. And worse. And now they know it."
    
    
25. Faith overpowers Wesley. He is just way too easy. And the council sent him to mentor Buffy? That's like sending Gomer Pyle to mentor Batman.
    
    
26. Why does Buffy think Angel was getting somewhere with Faith?
    
    
27. Buffy catches up with Faith and Faith seems to believe that Buffy is like Faith, just as Buffy believes that Faith is like Buffy. Faith says, "You know in your gut we don't need the law. We *are* the law." And: "You've got the lust."
    
    
28. Fight. Not my favourite part. But I like Trick's line: "I hear once you've tasted a Slayer, you never wanna go back." Then Faith saves Buffy.
    
    
29. Nice heartwarming bit:

    Buffy: I'm not gonna give up on her.
    Giles:Then I think she stands a chance.

30. So Faith, ever the opportunist, goes and offers herself to the Mayor: "I guess that means you have a job opening."
    

I liked the suspense in this episode, and the tension between Buffy and Faith - the way they are two sides of a similar coin, both drawn to each other but horrified by each other.

Comments

[gillo]

Yay for more

Buffy

posts! (Where have you got to

really

, though?)

And Wesley didn't notice that Cordelia was a student. Oops. Wishful thinking there?

Wesley is so gorgeously clueless at this stage. Five years on, though...

Then Buffy discovers that Faith has a superiority complex: "That's right, better. People need us to survive. In the balance,nobody's gonna cry over some random bystander who got caught in the crossfire." And Buffy doesn't like this.

Perhaps in part because she's forced to confront some of her own attitudes there.

"I could make you die." So: Angel to the rescue. I love all the levels of irony in that.

Yes indeed. Including Angel's knowledge of safe words. (Why would a vampire need one I wonder?) Non-Missionary sex in the Jossverse is often a sign of other issues, though. Not sure I approve.

So Faith, ever the opportunist, goes and offers herself to the Mayor: "I guess that means you have a job opening."

A lovely Jossian twist that. And so very fruitful.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Where have you got to really, though?

At Harry's yesterday I saw "A New Man", "The I in Team", and part of "Goodbye Iowa".

Including Angel's knowledge of safe words. (Why would a vampire need one I wonder?)

There's room for speculation in that.

Non-Missionary sex in the Jossverse is often a sign of other issues, though. Not sure I approve.

Not sure I understand what you mean.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

Faith overpowers Wesley. He is just way too easy. And the council sent him to mentor Buffy? That's like sending Gomer Pyle to mentor Batman.

Truer words were never spoken :)

Again I am shocked by the fact that I have yet to bother to make more than one Buffy icon. Honestly...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Again I am shocked by the fact that I have yet to bother to make more than one Buffy icon. Honestly...

What's keeping you, woman? You are being neglectful! The world needs more Buffy icons. Or, more accurately, I need more Buffy icons.

I like that one you used!

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

What's keeping you, woman? You are being neglectful! The world needs more Buffy icons. Or, more accurately, I need more Buffy icons.

hehe That will definitely be on my lists of projects to complete soon. I've also found myself oddly lacking in Pirates of the Caribbean. And only one Torchwood? I'm shocked at myself.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Torchwood and Pirates also needed. Are you going to make a few Norrington icons? I'd like that.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge Norrington fan, but it's certainly possible. hehe

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

So who in Pirates do you like? I adore Sparrow, and Elizabeth, and Norrington. Will is okay but not a favourite, even though I love Legolas.

[star-momma.livejournal.com]

I love Jack and Lix, Will for his looks (yep, shallow), and Pentil and Rigetti because they're hilarious. I don't dislike Norrington, either, I'm just not a massive fan. That's definitely a movie where it's everyone working together and how they play off of one another that creates the fun. With the exception of Beckett, really, all the characters have their moments for me :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Will for his looks (yep, shallow)

Hee - I'd be with you, if I liked his looks. As it is, I can't take my eyes of Sparrow and Elizabeth.

I don't dislike Norrington, either, I'm just not a massive fan.

I was indifferent to Norrington in the first movie, pretty much, though I like the Naval Officer type - trained by those years of Hornblower fandom. Then Norrington came back all scruffy and bitter and I was a goner.

I agree with you, just about everyone in the movie is great. And I also love Penti and Rigetti.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

Erk, I've been all distracted by Merlin being new and shiny and now I am behind on my Buffy rewatching. Drat. I'm sure I had lots of things to say about this and I can't remember what they were...

Faith said, "But you can pretend that Angel's still dead when you need to protect him."

Yeah. I agree about your reasoning of Buffy's motives there, but as far as Faith is concerned I think she sees it as Buffy rejecting her in another way - Buffy will cross the line for Angel but not Faith. And she is very good at playing on Buffy's guilt.

Mayor Wilkins plays with the shredder: "It's *supposed* to cheer me *up*. Usually using the shredder gives me a lift. It's fun." I love hisstrangenesses

Yay for the Mayor. I've always liked the way he plays the moment where he wonders if Allan was going to betray him - it's just so disappointed and hurt. And then the line about "And now he's dead and I'll never have the chance to scold him."

Then Buffy discovers that Faith has a superiority complex

And a whole philosophy of life based around it too - Faith feels she is entitled to do what she wants because Slayers are better. The thing is that Buffy probably does feel some of the same superiority - only Buffy turns it around so that other people are entitled to her protection because Slayers are better. I love the line when Buffy says that she will cry over some random bystander as well.

Great Willow line: "I've been letting things fester, and I don't like it. I wanna be fester-free."

Hee. I like "Sometimes I unleash... and I don't know my own strength. It's bad." I like the whole bit between them - Willow really is a good friend in it.

Faith seems to believe that Buffy is like Faith, just as Buffy believes that Faith is like Buffy. Faith says, "You know in your gut we don't need the law. We *are* the law." And: "You've got the lust."

And they're both kind of right. Faith does save Buffy - and Buffy does get a charge out of fighting. It's just that Faith's view of people in general doesn't lead her to want to save the rest of them.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I've been meaning to watch Merlin. Haven't yet. I wonder if commodorified and auriaephiala would be interested.

as far as Faith is concerned I think she sees it as Buffy rejecting her in another way - Buffy will cross the line for Angel but not Faith.

Yes, which I think is symptomatic of Faith's rather skewed views on Buffy and on sexuality. She is jealous of Angel, or competing with him, or wants to supplant him in Buffy's life - not necessarily as a lover but as The Important Person.

she is very good at playing on Buffy's guilt

Especially since Buffy is confused about Angel anyway. That she loves him and shouldn't, that she wants him and can't have him, and so on.

"now he's dead and I'll never have the chance to scold him."

Classic. I must remember that one.

Faith feels she is entitled to do what she wants because Slayers are better.

Reminds me a little of the Magneto/Xavier bits of X-Men. Magneto thinks Mutants are better because they have powers. Xavier thinks this gives them a responsbility to protect non-Mutants even when non-Mutants attack them. Lots of parallels, including the sexual tension that goes with the philosophical debate.

Faith does save Buffy - and Buffy does get a charge out of fighting.

True. Which is one of the reasons she can identify with Faith, and Faith got under her skin.

We wouldn't want things to be easy for Buffy, would we?

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

She is jealous of Angel, or competing with him, or wants to supplant him in Buffy's life - not necessarily as a lover but as The Important Person.

That's a really interesting insight - I don't think I ever thought of it like that before. Of course, Faith also wants to supplant Buffy in Buffy's life in some ways as well.

Reminds me a little of the Magneto/Xavier bits of X-Men.

Gah, of course! A perfect comparison. I guess it isn't exactly a new theme!

I've been meaning to watch Merlin

I am enjoying the hell out of it. It is quite ridiculously shiny and charming and the slash factor is surprisingly high, particularly in 1.04 (or maybe not so surprising since apparently RTD was involved somehow). Even the Dragon is matchmaking Arthur and Merlin! And Tony Head is King Uther. (See Rivier's reaction (http://rivier.livejournal.com/622557.html) to the first episode and picspam (http://rivier.livejournal.com/624122.html) for further mostly-spoiler-free pimpage.)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Faith also wants to supplant Buffy in Buffy's life in some ways as well.

Yes. I think she sees Buffy as central and wants to be central to Buffy as well.

A perfect comparison. I guess it isn't exactly a new theme!

It's one I like. Sexual tension/friendship between enemies. Enemies who become friends or loves and vice versa.

It is quite ridiculously shiny and charming and the slash factor is surprisingly high, particularly in 1.04 (or maybe not so surprising since apparently RTD was involved somehow)

LOL - I totally approve.

Even the Dragon is matchmaking Arthur and Merlin!

Who/what is the Dragon? I know, I know, I should just watch it and I'd know.

[janne-d.livejournal.com]

The Dragon is a dragon. It's chained up under Camelot, occasionally speaks telepathically to Merlin and says lots of things like "the half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole" when Merlin complains about Arthur.

I have a rather large crush on Arthur. And Merlin is adorable. *gazes a icon dreamily*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

The Dragon is a dragon. ...occasionally speaks telepathically to Merlin and says lots of things like "the half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole"

Did you ever read Bone? There was a terrific dragon in that. This one sounds like fun, too.

Nice icon.