Angel - Season One - Sanctuary

[butterfly]

First off, I never saw Buffy as a bitch in this episode. I remember the first time I watched it and I was still so furious at Faith for what she'd done. It was tantamount to rape. She took Buffy's body. Even had sex with Buffy's body. She was planning on stealing Buffy's life and she sentenced Buffy to be hauled off by the police.

Oh, I was so much on Buffy's side during the first-run of Sanctuary.

I was so astonished when I realized that some people didn't understand Buffy's anger in the episode. "Oh, Faith's asked for help, so Buffy should just fall over herself to help." Then again, some people hate Buffy for not falling in love with a guy who tried to kill her and her friends several times, so I guess there are some things that I will never see like some people do.

Everything that Buffy feels in this episode resonates with me... still does now. Only this time, it's even worse because I've got this love for Wesley, too. I mean, I hurt for the poor guy tortured by Faith, but he wasn't my Wesley yet, so it wasn't quite the same.

Buffy came to L.A. because she thought Faith was trying to kill Angel. She found them hugging. Angel didn't even deny that Faith had tried to kill him, just said that she'd changed. Well, Buffy missed the break-down in the rain, Angel, so maybe you should excuse the fact that she finds that a little less than believable. Yeah, she probably does know that Faith was doing it a lot out of self-hate. That doesn't change what Faith did to her.

And then Angel hits her to protect Faith from her. Buffy here reminds me of Darla's incredibly hurt - "You were saving missionaries... from me." Subtext - "You chose someone else over me." No matter what, that's always going to be a blow. And to have it be someone that you absolutely despise at the moment... Buffy says that Faith made her feel like a victim. That no one else had ever done that. And I get that. Faith's theft of Buffy's body was probably the worst thing that had happened to her at that point, because she had no control at all over it. Faith stole Buffy's body, her identity, and did it in a way that tried to make sure that Buffy wouldn't have a chance to get anything back. Buffy got spit on by the Council Guys. No matter how horrible the battle, Buffy was always treated with at least a little respect by her foes once they knew what she was. As Faith, she had no respect. And that's not something that Buffy would take lightly. She would never have let anyone treat her like that, and because of Faith, she had no choice.

And then, God, Angel even doubts that she'd try to protect Faith. Doesn't he know Buffy? Even when she's with someone she hates, her first instinct is to protect. That's Buffy. She wanted Faith in a jail cell, not dead.

I wonder if that's where Faith got the idea to turn herself in - Buffy told her not to apologize, but mentioned that jail was where she wanted Faith.

And B was pretty much the only person that Faith tried to make anything up to. Not that I'm still bitter over the Xander thing.

Well, maybe a little.

...I would have punched Faith in Dirty Girls, if I were Buffy. Because she did deserve one good punch. The second, at the club, was probably too much, but I totally give her the first one.

Comments

[vylit.livejournal.com]

And then Angel hits her to protect Faith from her
The nails him once and then goes to hit him again before he touches her. Yes, he was trying to protect Faith, but Buffy was being violent when Angel hadn't done anything wrong.

Faith's theft of Buffy's body was probably the worst thing that had happened to her at that point, because she had no control at all over it.
Faith is a very fucked up little girl, but she does have reason. Buffy has always had Giles, Joyce, Willow, Xander. She has had people who were there for her and loved her. Faith comes to Sunnydale with a dead mother, dead watcher, and no friends. Buffy tells her mother she's being "singled, white, femaled" and I get why. However, Faith was a girl younger than Buffy who had lost everything. It isn't really all that surprising she ended up the way she did.

And B was pretty much the only person that Faith tried to make anything up to. Not that I'm still bitter over the Xander thing.
I know before you have mentioned that Faith tried to rape Xander, and I don't see that at all. She needs to apologize to Xander because she tried to kill him. She was straddling him, but she was choking him. Their clothes were still on. She wasn't intending to have sex with him. She was trying to kill him. She's a murderer, not a rapist.

Faith is No angel by any stretch of the imagination, but she isn't a monster either. At least, that's my take on it.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Then she could apologize for trying to kill Xander. She did neither.

And Buffy really did give Faith every chance - until Faith stole her body in This Year's Girl. She stood by Faith when no one else wanted to give her a chance. And Faith repaid her for it with a violation of her body and spirit.

Buffy shouldn't have hit Angel. It wasn't smart of her, but she was hurting. It was the wrong thing to do, but I do understand why she did it. And it isn't as though Angel hasn't been needlessly violent to her in his times of great turmoil (Amends is on my mind recently), though again, that's not an excuse for her hitting him. She shouldn't have, but I do understand why she saw him hitting her for Faith as more a betrayal than her hitting him.

[vylit.livejournal.com]

Ultimately, we don't know that Faith didn't apologize. There was an apocalypse going on, and not everything was shown on camera. Whatever happened between the two, Xander didn't have a problem with her. He thought she was stable enough that he was willing to have them lead everyone against the First.

Buffy did eventually try to reach out to Faith. By the time people really started to care, it was too late. I'm not saying that Faith is blameless. She is in touch with her inner psycho, but I think that she was put in circumstances which are beyond what any girl her age could hope to deal with and come out normal.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Buffy tried a lot to help Faith. In third season, and again in fourth.

And yeah, Faith went through a lot. But she's the one who decided to take an accidental killing and turn it into a trip to the dark side. She made a choice. And later, she made a better one. But that doesn't mean that the people she hurt are suddenly going to stop hurting.

It's like Holtz. He went way too far, but I could understand his grievance against Angel. He had my sympathy until he dragged innocents into it.

Buffy tried to help Faith. She went slaying with her and then tried to help her after Faith accidentally killed Finch. In return, Faith lied to Giles to try to get Buffy in touble. Faith went to the Mayor and joined the bad guys' team. Faith killed an innocent man without even asking why he needed to die. Faith wanted all of Buffy's benefits, but Buffy didn't automatically get the friends - she had to make them and she had to earn them. Buffy started out in a better place, but even in her darkest moments, she never did anything like what Faith did. Buffy's first instinct is always to protect - whether she's protecting Xander, or Willow, or Angel, or Dawn, or Parker, or Faith.

And you're right, we don't know that Faith didn't apologize, but I thought it was distasteful of her to joke about being his first when the aftermath of that was so ugly. And Xander was willing to let her lead, yeah, but he was on drugs at the time of that decision.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

Buffy didn't want to lose that special Slayerness. For all that she may whine, it's what marks her out. we saw this with Kendra as well. Buffy had no intention of bringing Faith into the "family", and this did have some influence on Faith's fall to the dark side.

No wonder she took Buffy's body - Faith is, after all, intended as Buffy-but-for-the-grace-of, an image of Buffy had she lived without that safety-net of human contact. (The one she's always whining about...)

By the time Faith was slipping into madness, Buffy was too late, having rejected and neglected her before that. And she was, of course, planning to feed her to Angel...

[kittykatz.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I always enjoy reading about your take on Buffy. And although I haven't always thought it that way, I do agree with everything you said.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And yeah, this is a very emotional reading. I can't watch Buffy&Faith with any form of objectivity.

[kittykatz.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. When I rewatch Buffy, I always think of the different ways in which I read about her in fandom or books. It's always new though, I always see something different. I'm not sure if you do that, but the point of view always changes for me.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It often does. Time changes the way I view certain characters, and I seem to grow more sympathetic to everyone as time goes one.

[kittykatz.livejournal.com]

I'm still not very sure of Connor though, I find it very hard to watch him on Angel. But everyone on Buffy gets my love.

[kita0610.livejournal.com]

Agree wholeheartedly til the punch thing.

She wouldacouldashoulda punched her in Sanctuary (instead of hitting Angel, maybe?). But years later? After Faith has served time of her own free will? Let's remember that Faith could have broken out of jail at any time, and never did, except when it came time to help others who needed her. She's doing penance. Buffy hitting her? Made her look like a self-righteous, unforgiving bitch. Especially in light of the fact that she's now snuggling the guy who tried to LITERALLY rape her only a season ago. And I'm a Buffy fan.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Years later, I was still with her on the punch. Again, this is probably because I can be very petty. And Buffy never got any closure with Faith. Her last words in Sanctuary? "See? Faith wins again."

It's a pure emotion thing for me, though. Much, I suspect, like it was for Buffy.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it felt so strange seeing Buffy bitch at Faith right after everyone on Angel's been all forgivey. Made Buffy seem like a total bitca, esp. when she was fucking a cold-hearted killer just a season before.

*ahem* I think I may have issues...

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Well, everyone on Angel was forgivey towards Faith, but their intra-group forgiveness rate wasn't the best, either. And while Buffy fucked a someone who'd been a killer, she never was a killer and she didn't sleep with him until he hadn't been killing for quite some time. I mean, I wouldn't have done it, but I also haven't been pulled from my grave any time recently.

[nostalgia-lj.livejournal.com]

Well, everyone on Angel was forgivey towards Faith, but their intra-group forgiveness rate wasn't the best, either.

The #1 AtS Bad Unforgivey was Wes taking Connor. Which he did because (he thought) he had to. Me quite has issues with that... *sniff* (how much did I squee to see Wes & Faith in action and have him call her "Faith; the Vampire Slayer?!)


And while Buffy fucked a someone who'd been a killer, she never was a killer and she didn't sleep with him until he hadn't been killing for quite some time. I mean, I wouldn't have done it, but I also haven't been pulled from my grave any time recently.

One thing that gets me is the idea that either Buffy or Spike was innocent in that one. Both used each other. Feh.

He was still a soulless killer, and Buffy more than anyone knows the deal with souls etc. Buffy may not have killed a human (cos AtS really changes the moral boundaries on that one), but she did stab Faith and plan to feed her to Angel. Sheer chance that she wasn't able to. So in mind at least she killed.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Neither were innocent, I agree. Buffy went through a dark night of the soul, but it was of the soul. She felt dead inside and did stupid and damaging things because of it. Much like Faith.

And she did plan to kill Faith. Feed her to Angel. But it was a life or death thing - Faith or Angel. I can understand why she decided that Angel's life was more important. And she knew how wrong it was - as did Xander.

Xander: "I don't mean to play devil's advocate here, but are you sure you're up to this?"
Buffy: "It's time."
Xander: "We're talking to the death."
Buffy: "I can't play kid games anymore. This is how she wants it."
Xander: "I just don't want to lose you."
Buffy: "I won't get hurt."
Xander: "That's not what I mean."

And Buffy's always thought of what she did to Angel as killing him. Buffy does blame herself a lot.

[inyron.livejournal.com]

Not that I'm still bitter over the Xander thing.

Yeah. It's weird, I just finished watching Empty Places. All the things that could've happened between Xander and Faith, and she just ends up bragging to Anya about getting him first. That's nice.

I actually didn't see 5x5 or Sanctuary until S2 of Angel, and it was all about Wesley for me. I had no great sympathy for Faith, but at the same time, I did feel like Buffy was coming off as harsh in that episode, mostly because of her attitude, and comments toward Angel. Maybe also because of the fact that I ahdn't watched the body-switching episode in a year, and it wasn't as fresh in my mind as in Buffy's.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

See, I don't even have to rewatch Who Are You to feel this rush of incredible anger at Faith. It's just... it had that big an effect on me. She... yeah, you hate yourself, Faith. Big deal. Not everyone who hates themselves takes it out on other people. I wanted her to grow the fuck up.

Which she did. And I'm glad for that. But an apology to Xander would have been nice.

[minim_calibre]

Word.

I mean, I do have more to say on this eventually, but yes, word.

And yes, on the whole thing, up to and including the punch. Because were I Buffy, and had I gone from having my body stolen and used for sex, had I had that moment of someone else was in control, and I have no idea what they've done with me (much like roofies or a similar drug), I'd be carrying a lot of anger.

The relationship of Buffy and Faith is never going to be a black and white thing, but in this case, my sympathy is with Buffy.

(And with Wes, who I really do think broke something when he saw Angel cradling his torturer.)

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

It is. It... I mean, she found out about the Faith/Riley thing and she still had no clue what else Faith might have done. If Faith had slept with other people while in her body. God. How do you feel safe after something like that? It is a rape, a violation.

Oh, God, yes. If I ever actually do that thing about Angel&Wes, that's definitely something that I really want to think about. I mean, that's just... and after that, he still saves her. He tells Angel that he thinks Angel did the right thing. Breaks my heart. Is this the first time that Wesley chooses the mission over himself? And Angel gives him no consideration in Sanctuary. The man was just tortured. "Yesterday, I still had full feeling in my right arm," reminded me a bit of Giles from Revelations - "But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me... for hours... for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me, or the job I perform."

[minim_calibre]

Wesley in the alley just breaks my heart. It has since first airing.

It's the first time he chooses the mission over himself without it being played as comedy (in Graduation Day, he did mention wanting to help, but it's not quite the same level of choice). It's not the last time, obviously.

Watch 5x5 and then Release back to back. It's quite the kick in the guts. You can tell (having 5x5 fresh on the mind) what's Wesley's actual pain/issues/trauma, and what's him trying to get Faith in the game just from the way the voice shifts. It's most impressive.

Did you see selenak's overview of the Faith/Buffy relationship? If not, run and check it out. It's quite good.

I often get the feeling that people hold Buffy to a weird standard where by it's supposed to be just fine to do anything at all to her, because she can take it, she's the hero, where if she reacts at all, lashes out at all, feels anything other than benevolent forgiveness, she's abusing her power. I get confused by this attitude.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

Wesley in general is breaking my heart these days.

I did see that. Bloody brilliant. It points out all the things that I always want to tell people who say that Buffy never tried to help Faith.

And people do hold Buffy to a higher standard (I've noticed this on Smallville, too - Clark is held to a higher standard than Lex). Because, I suppose, she's the hero. But she's also just a woman and she gets hurt.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

In "Sanctuary", I think Angel ignores her because he's so intent on proving his independence from her, and that he's truly worthy of her respect. I think it's a large part of why he so immediately goes to apologize to her once Faith's situation is resolved. He really did handle it poorly, but crisis averted, he does get it.

Given time, I do think Buffy could accept his apology even if she was probably still hurt. (Because, more than anybody else, I think she's always looked to Angel to see Buffy/person when so many others have always seen her as Slayer/Mission.) Particularly in the wake of her dealings with Spike over the course of S7, I don't think she's blind to the parallel.

And people do hold Buffy to a higher standard (I've noticed this on Smallville, too - Clark is held to a higher standard than Lex). Because, I suppose, she's the hero. But she's also just a woman and she gets hurt.

Characterwise, nowhere more do I see that more than in Xander's behavior in the blowout in "Revelations". He's secretly having illicit smoochies with Willow, and unable to stop himself, and feeling guilty about it. Willow, seems a bit chastened, and tries to help Buffy and is very solicitous even though she must be really conflicted and scared. But Xander verbally attacks Buffy for her similar behavior, repeatedly interrupting her before she can explain herself. Granted, the price of her fall would be far higher than Xander's, but there's a certain similarity in terms of human situation where he ought to be a bit more empathetic and compassionate toward his friend. (Granted, teen aged boy =/= not alway that mature or sensitive) There are certainly other examples, but that's always one that jumps out at me.

But it always goes back to the "martyr complex" insults directed at someone who is literally a martyr several times over, and who has been trained/inculcated to see herself that way for many years. It is who she is, something she accepts as reality, but not anything she is ever all that happy about or almost ever comfortable with. When Buffy says "I am the Law" in Selfless she means it far differently than Faith did, or Kendra would have.

[tiffanynichelle.livejournal.com]

Wow, great post. I've had issues with Faith since the day she showed up and it's only recently that the hatred has mellowed.

I've only watch Sanctuary twice. The first time it aired and the a few weeks ago when TNT reran it. I have it on tape but I could never bring myself to watch it. The Angel/Faith/Buffy thing was just so painful. When I finally rewatched it all the anger just came roaring back. I could understand why Angel wanted to save Faith but for the life of me I couldn't help but stay on Buffy's side. Faith had just completely fucked with her life, her body, her family, her friends and I understood why she came looking to make sure Faith ended up where she deserves. And why she was so pissed that Angel would stand btwn her and her vengeance. And that first punch? Yeah, total payback.

Oh and watching Wesley watch Angel hug Faith in the rain just broke my heart.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Also? Angel had no clue what Faith had done to Buffy. "Giles just said it was rough." He told Buffy that he knew, but he didn't. He didn't have a clue, and Faith certainly didn't offer up the ugly details.

Wesley is breaking my heart a lot recently.