Faith, Hope, And Trick

Okay, I admit it: I'm psyched to recap this episode. Partly because David Greenwalt doesn't suck, but mostly because I love Faith. I love her when she's wild, I love her when she's crazy, I love her when she gets in Buffy's face, and I love her when she steals Buffy's body. So help me, I even love her when Angel helps redeem her. I don't love her when she's killing innocent people, but nobody's perfect, right? You think I have a problem? Who asked you, anyway?

Preview for tonight's episode, then for the episode of Felicity where Ben sleeps in her room. Oh wow, that was the one where her tape to Sally got played in front of the entire party. That had to be one of the most embarrassing moments in television history.

No previouslys this week. The camera pans sideways in front of the steps to Sunnydale High, coming to rest on two pairs of feet, one rocking back and forth. Moving up, we see that the rocker is Willow and the stationary one is Oz. Willow explains that she's "giddy" because, as seniors, they're allowed to go off campus for lunch. She waxes philosophical about it being a "senior moment [heh], one that has to be savored." During this speech, Oz surreptitiously looks back to see Xander and Cordelia approaching. As Willow prattles on, Oz nods slightly to Xander, and they grab Willow under each arm and force her to walk forward. It becomes evident that she was afraid to go through with leaving campus: "What if they change the rule without telling us? What if they're lying in wait -- to arrest me, and throw me in detention, and mar my unblemished record?" Hee. I've said it before: Willow's academic insecurities are endearing. You know, back when she was a character and not a caricature. Thank you, thank you. I be here all ze week.

Willow calms down and basks in the moment. They spy Buffy on the lawn, laying out a picnic. So they're only going fifty feet off campus? Baby steps, I guess. Willow suggests that they shouldn't be too "couply" around Buffy, and I'm amazed at how David Greenwalt has already managed to make Willow sympathetic again after the disaster of "Dead Man's Party." Oz prompts them: "Prepare to uncouple. Uncouple." Aw, that was so cute. I did vomit, but that was a Pavlovian reaction. They successfully detach and go to join Buffy. Cordy wonders when Buffy went "all Martha Stewart," but Buffy explains that she has time on her hands until her meeting with Principal Snyder the day. Willow excitedly points out "Scott Hope at eleven o'clock." She starts a babble-fest wherein she explains that Scott has been interested in Buffy for a while, and though Buffy wasn't ready then, she might be now, "to make conversation, or to do that thing with your mouth that boys like." Ha! Buffy looks horrified, and Willow spastically explains that she meant "that little half-smile thing," before giving up and looking reproachfully at Oz: "You're supposed to stop me when I do that." Oz: "I like it when you do that." The Gay Men/Straight Women World Coalition just swooned. We get a good look at Scott, played by Fab Filippo, who greets Buffy. He's pretty cute. He's also, in my opinion, completely gay. More on that later. After he leaves, Willow spazzes, "I think that went very well. Don't you think that went very well?" Stop it, Willow! You're making me like you! Cordy chimes in, "He didn't try to slit our throats or anything. It's progress." Heh. I can just picture a deleted scene from "Innocence" where Cordy tells Buffy, "Someday, we'll look back on this and laugh." I crack myself up. Willow: "Did you do that little half-smile thing?" Hee. I'm sorry for all the dialogue, but I really like this scene. And by the way, she totally did the half-smile thing. Buffy's not sure if she's ready for dating, but her friends are definitely keeping Hope alive. Thank you, thank you. See above.

Night. A stretch job pulls up to a drive-through window. The driver, in a sexy voice, orders a diet soda. As he waits, we see that it's the fabulous K. Todd Freeman, dressed in a snazzy dark suit. He gives a speech about Sunnydale's death rate, and opines that "we could fit right in here." The passenger has been completely in shadow, but now shifts a bit to reveal that his hands are cloven. He reminds Mr. Trick, since we all know that's who it is, that they're in Sunnydale for only one thing. Trick knows their job -- "kill the Slayer" -- but also wants to keep the big picture in mind. This is a nice bit of misdirection, even though now we all know that he's talking about Faith and not Buffy. Mr. Trick gets his soda. Cloven Guy growls on, "The Slayer. I'm going to rip her spine from her body, and I'm going to eat her heart, and suck the marrow from her bones." Oh, do go on. What fabulous things do you have planned for her hair? Her eyeballs? Her toenails? Mr. Trick: "Now I'm hungry." He vamps out and grabs the window guy, and drives off while drinking him while Window Guy's legs flail out the window. Credits.

The Bronze. Buffy and Angel slow-dance in each other's arms. He's not wearing black, so you know it's a dream sequence. Third Eye Blind's "The Background" plays in the background. See what they did there? Buffy tells Angel that she misses him. In a quick, lovely shot, we see that Oz, Willow, Cordy, and Xander are staring at them, entranced. The intensity of their expressions makes it one of my favorite throwaway moments. Buffy and Angel touch hands, and we see both of their claddagh rings. Buffy's slips off her finger and falls to the ground. She looks a bit stricken. Angel picks the ring up, then stands to stare accusingly at her. She flashes back to killing him. The gang is still staring. The music has changed from Third Eye Blind to nine kinds of creepy. Buffy, her voice breaking, tells Angel that she had to. He crushes her ring in his hand, which starts streaming blood. He grits out, "I loved you," as blood starts to stain his white shirt from the spot where Buffy stabbed him. She starts forward, but he yells, "Go to hell!" Quick cut to Buffy, then back to Angel, whose face has gone all veiny and dark green: "I did." David Boreanaz displayed more emotion in that scene than in the whole of Season One.

Buffy wakes up. She opens the nightstand drawer and takes out her claddagh ring. Joyce knocks and interrupts her reverie, brightly asking, "Are you ready to face the beast?" Cut to said beast, as Principal Snyder outlines the terms for Buffy's readmission to Sunnydale High. She has to take a make-up test for the classes she missed, get a letter of recommendation from a teacher that is "not an English librarian," and complete an interview with the school psychologist to make sure her "violent tendencies" are under control. As he says that, he grabs a letter opener that Buffy's been fidgeting with away from her. Heh. Joyce calls him on his snotty attitude, and Snyder is forced to admit that he's required to educate Buffy. Buffy sasses him for getting overruled by the school board. Joyce stands and says that what Buffy's trying to say is, "Nah nah nah nah nah." That would have been funnier if she made a face and said "NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH NYAH!" But still, ha! Joyce is likable again, too. Thank you, David Greenwalt. Snyder is not pleased, and is then informed that he has a call from the Mayor. He looks surprised and scared. I love Mayor foreshadowing.

Willow and Buffy walk into the library. They chat about Giles, and Willow asks Buffy if she's noticed that, when Giles is mad, he makes a "weird cluck-cluck noise with his tongue." Cue Giles to stand up from doing something behind the counter. Hee. Willow tries to play it cool, and Giles just ignores her. Giles starts to bring up Acathla, but Buffy wants to play: "Giles, contain yourself. Yes, I'm back in school, but you know how it embarrasses me when you gush, so let's skip all that and get straight to work." Hee. Giles says it goes without saying how happy he is, but he realizes that "you enjoy making me say it." I love making British people admit their feelings. It's hours of fun. Giles explains that he's working on a binding spell for Acathla, and needs details about the fight. Buffy's casual about it until he mentions Angel's name. Her tone darkens just a bit. She gets through his questions, however, and rushes off to take a make-up test. Willow starts talking about magic, and Giles seems chagrined. Willow asks if he's mad at her, and he says no: "If I were, I would be making a strange clucking sound with my tongue." Ha! Willow smiles abashedly.

The Bronze. Oz and Willow are kissing. Buffy comes back from getting drinks for them. She's very happy because she passed her test. Scott comes up, and Willow in a too-loud, overeager voice asks him what he's doing there. Scott: "You told me if I came after eight I could run into Buffy." Willow looks chastened, and Oz looks amused. Scott explains that he doesn't like to lie. Yawn. He's about as interesting as herbal tea. Scott asks Buffy to dance, but she turns him down. He offers to hang out by the dance floor in case she changes her mind. You know, when I first saw this season, I thought there was something off about Scott. And now I realize, as I mentioned before, that the way he's played seems totally gay. He's almost as fey as my first boyfriend, and if you knew him, you'd know that that's saying a lot. And the fact that Fab Filippo is making a home for himself on Queer as Folk isn't doing anything to change my opinion. Check out his scenes with Randy Harrison -- they've got about a million times more chemistry than he does with SMG.

Anyway, when he leaves, Willow and Oz are all pro-Hope, but Buffy still thinks she's not ready. Cordy and Xander join them. Cordy: "Check out Slut-o-Rama and her Disco Dave. What was the last thing that guy danced to, K.C. and the Sunshine Band?" Okay. First of all, Faith's outfit may be slutty, but it's nothing compared to some of the bare-midriff push-up numbers you've been sporting on Angel lately, so just back off, Cordy. But she's got a point about the guy; he's the worst dancer this side of Elaine Benes. It looks like someone set a stun gun to "L.A.P.D." and stuck it where the Sunshine Band don't shine, if you know what I mean, and I think you do. As Faith and Disco Boy leave, Buffy figures it out: "I don't think that guy thrives on sunshine." I like the consistent theme of identifying vampires by their outdated ensembles, as also seen in "Welcome to the Hellmouth" and "Who Are You." Buffy goes to leave, but is stopped by Scott, who thinks she's changed her mind about dancing. And he totally gives away his Canadian roots by pronouncing the word "sorry" the Canadian way. Buffy awkwardly blows him off again.

The gang convenes outside The Bronze, and they hear a noise. They rush over as Disco Vamp tries to bite Faith, but she starts beating the crap out of him. She takes the time to introduce herself brightly. She already knows Buffy's identity. After some more fighting, she grabs Buffy's stake: "Can I borrow that?" She dusts the vamp, hands the stake back to Buffy as she walks off, and says, "Thanks, B. Couldn't have done it without you." I love her. Did I mention that? Buffy looks perturbed.

Faith is holding court at the Bronze in front of the gang. She's relating a war story in which she was naked. Xander is practically drooling. Then she switches gears and asks Buffy, "Isn't it crazy how slaying just always makes you hungry and horny?" The gang slowly and hilariously turns to look at Buffy. She's not telling: "Well, sometimes I crave a non-fat yogurt afterwards." Yeah, it seemed like one non-fat yogurt a day was all SMG was eating in the fourth season. I call it a toss-up between her and Katie Holmes as to who had the sharper collarbones. Sars? ["I think Gellar takes that one easily, but if it's a sharper hipbones contest, it's a lot closer." -- Sars] Cordy, apropos of nothing, says, "I get it," and then adds, "Not the horny thing. Yuck." She explains that she understands Faith was called after Kendra -- who had been called when Buffy briefly died in "Prophecy Girl" -- was killed. Thanks, Cordy. How much is the Exposition Fairy paying you to sit in for her this week? Willow comes up with the first intelligent question, which is why is Faith in Sunnydale, but Faith explains that her Watcher went on a retreat in England, so she came to meet Buffy and "compare notes." She asks Buffy about the time she used the rocket launcher in "Innocence," but Xander interrupts to ask Faith for another story. She obliges, and Xander wonders if she was naked in this one, too. Cordy to Xander: "Find a new theme." Seriously, dude -- your girlfriend's right there, and she could kick your ass. I'd like to see that, too. Remember when Harmony slapped Xander? Good times. Faith asks Buffy about her toughest kill, and we get yet another look at Angel's dopey mug as Buffy stabs him. She hems and haws, but her friends are more interested in Faith anyway. Oz wonders what Faith's position on werewolves is. Faith: "As long as you don't go scratching on me or humping my leg, we're five by five." We have our first use of "five by five," folks. If you don't know what it means, check out the show FAQ. Faith is looking forward to hanging out with Buffy "Watcherless and fancy-free." Buffy repeats, "Watcherless?" Faith, puzzledly: "Didn't yours go to England too?"

Cut to the library, where Giles is explaining about the retreat: "It's a great honor to be invited -- or so I'm told." Wait, he's never been invited? He's English! And how many Watchers can there be? Still, I can overlook these points, because bitter Giles is hilarious. Faith thinks the retreat is too stuffy for Giles. She butters him up: "If I'd known they came that young and cute I would have requested a transfer." Can I get that transfer? Wait, what do you mean Ace and Sars are ahead of me? Oh, the perks of seniority. Giles is flattered, but directs their attention to work, mentioning that a couple of locals have disappeared recently. Buffy is up for patrolling, but after dinner with Joyce. Willow pointedly raises her eyebrows, and Buffy reluctantly takes the cue to invite Faith to dinner. Faith accepts. Willow asks Buffy if she's got another make-up test. The answer is yes, and Buffy starts to ask for help studying, but Willow is too busy being excited at the prospect of hanging out with Faith until Buffy's test is over. See, I like this vibe. Faith was cool, everyone liked her, it was all good. Then she plunged her stake in the wrong guy, and it all went to hell. Wow. That came out so much naughtier than I intended. Everyone but Buffy and Giles leaves. Giles thinks Faith has "zest," but at Buffy's glower, he changes the subject to the binding spell. He asks more questions about the fight, but after a little of this, Buffy's had enough. "Giles, look, I've got make-up tests to pass, missing people in Sunset Ridge, and a 'zesty' new Slayer to feed. time I kill Angel, I'll video it." Hee. She leaves.

Xander and Willow are showing Faith different spots in the school where they faced evil. Faith is totally into the two of them, and asks them if Buffy's a little uptight, saying she needs to "find the fun" a little bit. Faith goes to the water fountain, and bumps into Scott. They recognize each other from the Bronze, and start to chat. Buffy comes down the stairs with the news that she's passed another test, but the gang's checking out Faith and Scott. Cordy: "Does anyone believe that is her actual hair color?" Pot, have you met kettle? She stalks off. Willow thinks that maybe Faith and Scott would make a good couple. I think that Faith likes her men straight, but what do I know? Buffy babbles that she hadn't said no to Scott for all time, and rambles on until she notices Xander's and Willow's pitying gaze. Buffy: "Why am I getting a look?" Willow interrupts: "You really do need to find the fun, B." Buffy stares at her. "uffy." BWA HA HA! That could easily be my favorite Willow line ever. Buffy grabs Faith away from Scott and heads off.