Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Episode Discussion: Faith, Hope, & Trick 3x3

Bronson · 05-28-2004, 06:22 AM

This is the episode where we were introduced to faith the Vampire Slayer and how she was cearley different from both Buffy and Kendra. Buffy was hesitant to assume the duties as the Slayer and Kendra saw it was her calling. Faith clearly loved the violent aspects of the Slayerdom. She did not figfht with Buffy as Kendra did when they first met but that was later.

Faith's bravado certainly was different from both Buffy and Kendra as well. There was a scene when she was asked how it felt (why ask her and not Buffy escapes me), Faith replied that it made her hungry and horney when she fought off vamps. This kind of goes to when Spike got off after killing the Slayer in 1900. Whether that is the way with all the Slayers or just Faith, I have never been certain. I have never noticed it with Buffy.

We found out that Faith's Watcher was tortured and killed by an ancient vampire kind named Kakistos (kissing toast) who had cloven hands and feet suggesting that he was older than the Master.

Apparently after killing Faith's Watcher, he was going to do the same to faith and instead, she cut him with an ax and of course he went searching for her for revenge.

She and Buffy do fight him off and Faith kills him finally.

Good episode.

My views on this episode are that first of all, it was cowardly of Faith to come to Sunnydale and not inform Buffy of the danger coming. Buffy, Giles, Xander, and Willow had a right to know.

The Watcher's Council should have told Giles of Faith before she came to town.

I can understand Faith coming to Sunnydale to meet the other Slayer. Who wouldn't. Especially since she is supposed to be the only one. That later.

I like how Kakistos is referred to in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer books: Spike & Dru: Pretty Maids in a Row and in the third volume of Tales of the Slayer.

How would I rate Kakistos as a Big Bad? Menacing but could have been better.

I get this stuff from: www.tvtome.com

***Lethe's Bramble*** · 05-29-2004, 02:30 AM

well what can I say?! It gave us Eliza so I looooooooooooove this ep!

behrlover18 · 05-29-2004, 01:26 PM

I love faith as well, i think that she added alot of spice and kick to this episode and i didnt like when she turn against.

**Fortyseven** · 05-29-2004, 01:33 PM

Awwwww the episode that brought us Faith!

I loved her since the moment we met her.

Eliza totally stole the episode although many Faithoholics didn't like the weak Faith at the end.

Most people love strong, fearless Faith.

As for Kakistos and Mr.Trick... Kakistos wasn't that scary, but Mr.Trick was an interesting character. Modern vaps are the coolest.

I'm glad we saw more of him this season.

This episode also brough us back Angel... I was B/Aer at the time, but I still wasn't that much impressed with his return. They completely ruined B/A in s3 for me.

Bronson · 06-02-2004, 05:36 AM

Yes I also love Eliza and enjoyed her as well. True Kakistos was not very scary and I did like Mr. Trick and that Faith would be the one who would vanquish him.

Another thing, we never saw Kendra vanquish anyone on her run as Slayer.

tru-davis-gb · 06-02-2004, 09:25 AM

I love Faith too!And this episode was cool,my best part was when Faith First meets Buffy,so cool.

saturn5 · 11-09-2009, 01:42 PM

Faith, Hope and Trick

The Good;
Faith. Need I really say any more?
Faith dancing and fighting is great but also the scenes where we get to see her terrified, more vulnerable side. Love the scenes where Buffy is being single-white-femaled by Faith which she takes with suprising good humour. And Angel's back, yay!
Love Joyce sticking it to Snyder and the uncoupling scene at Buffy's picnic.

The Bad;
The idea of Mr Trick being able to order children online as food is just too horrible for words

Best line; Mr Trick "Admittedly not a haven for the bruthas, strictly of the Caucasion persuasion here in the Dale" just beating Xander's wonderful "People say kids don't learn anything at High School. well I learnt, I learnt to be afraid!"

Wheldon Cliches;
Character death;
Shot;
Tied up; no but presumably Faith was handcuffed when she was arrested
Knocked out;
Women good/men bad;
Kinky dinky; Now that Faith is on the scene I expect to have a great deal more to write in this column. She starts off with naked slaying and alligator wrestling and saying Slaying makes you 'hungry and horny' (of course in Get It Done we discover why Slayers have these sort of feelings). And of course, the writers find an excuse for nude Angel too. According to Willow Buffy has a thing she does with her mouth that 'boys like'. Hmmmmm? Xander calls Buffy a slut. Buffy's fondling of the letter opener is reminiscent of her stroking the crystal in 'Helpless'. Cordy refers to Faith as 'Slut-o-rama' but also suggests that she dress up as a Slayer and put a stake to Xander's throat, a sex game he seems keen on.
Calling Captain Subtext; Faith obviously hungers for both a mother and father figure, commenting on Giles' 'youth and beauty' and obviously enamoured of Joyce, saying she's really cool (something I suspect Buffy and Dawn would also think but never say). Joyce says she likes Faith and Buffy describes Joyce as the 'best mom ever'. Faith's line about her 'Dead mother hitting harder than that' is loaded with not so hidden meaning. Faith has not only never knew her dad but lost her mother and also her female Watcher making her pretty desperate for some maternal/paternal love. So I pronounce this Jaith and Gaith. She also starts putting the moves on Scott Hope, the beginning of a long tradition of stealing Buffy's boyfriends (Buffy is still touchy when Faith mentions Angel). BUT even Buffy describes Faith as 'personable' the beginning of the biggest subtext in the series. Joyce actually refers to marching in the 'Slayer pride parade' again likening being the Slayer to being gay.

Questions and observations;
The introduction of Mr Trick and Faith, the series just never looking back from this point. Kakistos seems to not be killable with a regular stake. Like The Master he seems to be so old that he's devolving into a Turok-Han. Martha Stewart is mentioned as she is later revealed by Anya to be a witch. Giles' subtle efforts to get Buffy to reveal the truth about what happened to Angel (another point against Normal Again, Buffy never knows about this). There are no leprechauns in the Buffyverse but judging by DB's attempts at an Irish accent and Charmed's efforts in that direction we should be grateful. Faith's dead Watcher was female, the first we've heard about. I know some people think that she was killed during Faith's Cruciamentum which we'll later see in Helpless but that happens when a Slayer turns 18 and Faith is younger than Buffy who is 17 (Buffy refers to Faith as her little sister, at least until Dawn comes along). Giles loves to kayak. Couldn't the Watcher's Council pay for Faith to have a better apartment? Or couldn't she live with Giles or Buffy and Joyce (Dawn's room isn't being used yet). Mr Trick is right, not many visible ethnic minorities in Sunnydale but I've been to Santa Barbara which it's apparently based on and it's a pretty accurate representation. Giles warns Willow for the first time about abuse of magic. You can make fire from ice and it doesn't take magic. Presumably Khakisto's scar doesn't heal because Faith inflicted it with some form of enchanted weapon, like Spike's with the Chinise Slayer. Joyce comments on Buffy being an only child and learns for the first time that Buffy died. You wonder what Dawn makes of Faith? She resents her when they first meet in season 7 but what's her attitude on season 3?

Why no commentaries on all these brilliant episodes? Crap like Reptile Boy gets them but not classics like this? Please Joss, if you need a few million dollars to finance your next project just sit down with the cast and do some commentaries for Buffy; Special Edition DVDs, we'd all buy them.

10/10

**ashleyt** · 11-09-2009, 09:02 PM

I hated this episode

The best part is the ending.

saturn5 · 11-10-2009, 12:38 PM

Endings great but Faith's here, how could anything be wrong?

**ashleyt** · 11-10-2009, 12:48 PM

I dislike Faith

And I don't find ED to be a great actor.

saturn5 · 11-10-2009, 01:26 PM

I'll have to correct you of such misapprehensions as we go

**ashleyt** · 11-10-2009, 03:01 PM

You can try but while I do grow to like Faith on ATS, I still dislike her in S3 of BTVS.