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| Writer: | Douglas Petrie |
| Director: | Michael Lange |
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| - | Review |
This episode represents an interesting experiment in trying to make Buffy more like Faith. The problem is that most of Buffy's actions seem rushed and out-of-character rather than a natural extension. Faith is pushing her to be more free-spirited right when the new prissy Watcher, Wesley, comes to town. The combination of these things is sure to make Buffy want to act out a bit, but giving into Faith's "want, take, have" philosophy in response is just out of character. That and the fact I find Belthazar pretty corny are the reasons why I'm not crazy about this episode.
The fun begins with Faith telling Buffy she "thinks too much" while fighting some vamps in the cemetary. Right away the core topic touched on. Faith believes Buffy thinks too much while the new Watcher, Wesley, seems to believe she doesn't think enough. Buffy is torn between two worlds; Faith's of "do what you want" and Wesley's of "do what you're told." Early on Buffy shies away from thoughts of doing (and doing) what she wants and disobeying authority, but as Wesley continues to pressure her with orders and attitude she decides to gives Faith's method a try. It's also really fun to see her still discuss everything with Giles, even against the Council's wishes.
All of this leads to Buffy skipping out on her chemistry test and then later breaking into the weapons shop with Faith and stealing stuff (including a longbow Faith is amusingly fond of). Faith tells her in the shop, "want, take, have." This really sums up Faith's philosophy of life at this point. Rather quickly the two of them get caught by a pair of police and we can immediately see Buffy is scared by the experience. In the cop car she is extremely quiet and it's obvious that "bad Buffy" is dead for now. The following day when looking in the paper we even see her dressed completely in black. She feels dirty and bad about what she did. Faith, on the other hand, isn't affected by getting caught at all which is the first sign of her indifference at being involved in crime.
Faith's indifference is naturally carried over when the big "staking a human" scene arrives. She kills a human, shows little remorse, and immediately wants to flee the scene and not accept responsibility for she's done. Buffy is terrified and can't understand why Faith doesn't appear to have any problem with what she did. We know from future episodes of BtVS and AtS that she does have feelings of guilt but they are buried deep and are repressed within her.
I really love Wesley's addition to the show. Aside from pushing Buffy towards Faith, the introduction of Wesley also sparks changes in Giles who now looks a whole lot cooler. During the fight against Belthazar's minions he really kicks some quality ass and even cracks jokes in the face of torture (he has been tortured recently in "Becoming Pt. 2" [2x22]). He really mixes up the tedium of monster research and adds an interesting dynamic to the group's discussions.
Unfortunately, Belthazar just doesn't work for me as a threatening villain. While I love the idea of a crippled and fat demon it is his personality that loses me. He just comes across as hokey and the effect of him pulling vampires towards him is poor as well. Ultimately this episode tries to do some interesting things but simply doesn't manage to fully succeed. The highlight is definitely the somewhat surprising ending where Faith says she doesn't care that she's now killed a human. Based on her character's development throughout the season thus far, this turn, while surprising, is still completely believable. If nothing else, that alone gives this episode importance.
| - | Minor Pros/Cons (+/-) |
| Pros: | |
| + | Faith wondering why Buffy hasn't had sex with Xander before. |
| + | Buffy acting hot and wild and Angel not liking it. |
| + | Wesley being completely out of the Buffy loop. |
| + | The Mayor genuinely enjoying taking photos with kids. |
| + | Ending fight scene is well done except it's far too easy to spot Buffy's stunt double. |
| + | Finding out more of what it is exactly that the Mayor is trying to do. 100 days to his ascension. |
| + | The Mayor's "to do" list is absolutely hilarious. |
| Cons: | |
| - | The fake drowning of Buffy and the lame joke that follows. |
| - | Foreshadowing |
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| - | Quotes |
| XANDER: | Willow, what are these? |
| WILLOW: | They're early admission packets. |
| XANDER: | Harvard... Yale... Wesleyan... Some German Polytechnical Institute whose name I, uh... I can't pronounce. Is anyone else intimidated? 'Cause I'm just expecting thin slips of paper with the words 'No Way' written in crayon. |
| OZ: | They're typing those now. |
| WESLEY: | Are you not used to being given orders? |
| BUFFY: | Whenever Giles sends me on a mission, he always says 'please'. And afterwards I get a cookie. |
| BUFFY: | Wait. Stop. Think! |
| FAITH: | No, no, no! |
| BUFFY: | How come your eye twitches every time I say Faith's name? |
| XANDER: | (twitches his eye) (defensively) What? (chuckles) No, it doesn't. |
| BUFFY: | Faith. |
| XANDER: | Cut it out! We got a test to take, okay? And I'm highly caffeinated, and I'm trying to concentrate. Some of us actually care about school. You know. |
| JOYCE: | You sure about those waffles? |
| BUFFY: | Yeah. But if you want them, I can help you make them. |
| JOYCE: | No. (sighs) They only don't have calories if I make them for you. (Buffy doesn't get it) Mom logic. |
| TRICK: | Why do they always gotta be using swords? It's called an Uzi, ya chump! Could have saved your ass right about now. |
| MAYOR: | This officially commences the Hundred Days. Nothing can harm me until the Ascension. Gosh, I'm feeling chipper! Who's for a root beer?! |
| - | Score | Learn about the Grading Scale |
| 70/100 |
C+ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ |
The main plot is likely problematic and/or hokey, but sharp humor and/or character development and relevance keep it afloat. A couple moments may be over-the-top in a bad way.
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| - | Screencaps |
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Comments (34)
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| 1. | DingdongMay 8, 2006 (Mon)Link | |
| I've just finished watching "Bad Girls", again, off of Sky One. As I hadn't seen it for a while I wasn't sure what to expect. After seeing it, I looked at your review, and whilst I agree with you about the "Want, Take, Have" seen, I have to disagree with you on the following: "Unfortunately, Belthazar just doesn't work for me as a threatening villain. While I love the idea of a crippled and fat demon it is his personality that loses me. He just comes across as hokey", etc. I personally didn't mind Belthazar, mainly because, like the Judge, he was never intended to be a serious villain and was just there for some good comic relief as well as a reasonable inconvenience. I don't know who played him, but the comic timing never fails to amuse me, especially when Angel and Buffy attack and he simply sits about incompetant, booming "unacceptable!". Of course that's simply a matter of taste, but I wondered whether you found him amusing at all, or whether you just felt he was much more out of place than the Judge? Anyway, just a few thoughts. I did think the episode was too unsubtle and the development of Buffy a bit forced and rushed in a few places, but I personally find most of S3 to be rather unsubtle - take, for instance, the Xander-Willow tryst which was not unfeasible, and was arguably foreshadowed on Xander's part in "Becoming 2", but the execution felt completely childish and unnatural. Still, S3 always entertains me, even if I feel it represents a dumbing down of the show at that point in it's history. Maybe someone felt it wasn't aimed at teens enough. |
| 2. | GroundedMay 8, 2006 (Mon)Link | |
| I always wondered if Belthazar was supposed to be based on some existing character from non-Buffy mythology, the reason being that there's a very similar looking character in the vampire movie Blade. I'm a little scared to try and back this up with Google searching... ;) |
| 3. | mikejerMay 8, 2006 (Mon)Link | |
| The Judge is pretty hokey, as I mentioned in my review of "Surprise," but he didn't annoy me. Belthazar did annoy me in addition to being hokey. I didn't find his yabbering entertaining in the slightest. Maybe it was his voice? But yeah, that's just my own feelings. I hated the Willow/Xander thing in S3 as I mentioned in my reviews and on these boards many times before. I hated the idea of it and the execution of it. It felt completely rushed and out of place at the time it happened. |
| 4. | fryrishMay 8, 2006 (Mon)Link | |
| I disagree with your criticisms of this episode, particularly in regard Buffy's development. I don't percieve Bad Girls to be about her development so much, but to highlight the differences between Buffy and Faith and the idea of them as doppelgangers. Buffy realises that Faith's methods don't work for her, reinforcing what she already knew. It's a worthy set-up to Consequences which explores the issues of this one in more depth. It's hilarious when Balthazar is shouting in anger and those arms of his are waving. Rewatching S3, I think it would be close to my favourite season. Dumbing down? Unsubtle? I'm not sure I get it. |
| 5. | mikejerMay 8, 2006 (Mon)Link | |
| How easily Buffy skips out on important stuff on her life just to go rebel against Wesley and try out Faith's way of doing things was very poorly done. Buffy was simply out of character here. There was no build-up to this and Wesley wouldn't push Buffy that far away that quickly. The writers forced Buffy to go that far to make a point, and I can see through their manipulation. It's not a natural extension of the place Buffy's character was in at that point. The episode isn't without merit, but I'm sorry, Buffy repeating Faith's "want, take, have" in the weapons store made me cringe. I mean, seriously, at that point there's no way Buffy would realistically skip out on her Chemistry exam and then start acting all thuggish with Faith for a while. That just wasn't developed at all except within the confines of this episode. I think they highlighted the differences between the two with expert precision, and kept Buffy completely in-character, during "Consequences." That episode fantastically jumped into the issues between them and brought up some excellent commentary on Slayer darkness and impulses, as well as just the differences in their characters. "Bad Girls" really missed the boat, although it did have some good and memorable stuff in it. I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but you're going to need to pour on some heavy evidence to shoot down my reasoning. I'll always maintain that, as consistent as S3 was, it's not the beacon of perfection many fans label it as. It's also not even close to my favorite or most-watched season. |
| 6. | fryrishMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
| She wasn't acting out of character, though. Why did this stuff need further development? She didn't go too far at all. It wasn't a step into darkness, if so I'd be inclined to agree with you. She's skipped out on class countless time before, there was plenty of precendent. They were going to kill vampires, after all. But, I have to concede having Buffy skip out on an exam was a silly decision on behalf of the writers. Faith had broken into the weapons store before Buffy knew what was going on and went in after her. She knew she shouldn't have been doing it and as soon as they were caught she did what she was told while Faith continued mouthing off. She was acting as Faith's conscience throughout the episode. |
| 7. | fryrishMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
| Another thing about this episode. Am I the alone in thinking the group never gave Wesley a chance? They pretty much ostracised from minute one. Seriously, the guy was only trying to do his job and they never attempted to integrate him into the group. For shame... |
| 8. | GroundedMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
| Buffy clearly skips out on the exam because she's madly in love with Faith. Am I the only one who sees it? ;) |
| 9. | fryrishMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
| Well, that's how the episode usually plays out in my head. Perfect title for it too. ;) |
| 10. | DingdongMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
It's only my view of it, but it felt a lot like someone felt that Buffy was outgrowing its original concepts too much. After the changes in S2, S3 took the show back to its "wisecracking" roots, and it felt slightly forced to me. In season 1 it felt perfectly natural to me, but after S2 and the shocking changes and growth to the characters, the heavy-handed approach to the "teen" issues didn't always seem to work. However, I always enjoy S3, and it's good to be able to watch Buffy for light-hearted fun, and I agree with Mikejer that it's very consistant. I just felt it could have been better. |
| 11. | DingdongMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
I too felt this about the episode the first time I watched it, and disliked it, but it doesn't feel unnatural. I personally feel the viewer is supposed to sympathise with Wesley, and it seems natural for Buffy and co to act like that, given what the council had done. Desinof plays the part to perfection, as well. |
| 12. | DingdongMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
I personally didn't feel it was completely out of character, only rather rushed, and confined to one episode. I could see the build up, and why Buffy acted that way, but they took it to extremes in the "Want, take, have" seen, which was way to heavy-handed and unsubtle. I guess I didn't mind it that much because the writers had done this before in the season. I don't believe S3 puts a lot of faith in subtlety. |
| 13. | mikejerMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
| I just felt it was OOC for the moment. I do agree that, had they better led up to Buffy's actions in "Bad Girls," her comments could have worked. But in the context of that moment, it felt OOC based on what we'd seen up to that point. All of the sudden Buffy's being thuggish with Faith. But I pretty much agree with you. |
| 14. | DingdongMay 9, 2006 (Tue)Link | |
| I actually think the episode built up to Buffy's trying Faith's world as well as it could - but it deserved more time. I think that Buffy finally decides to go nuts after nearly being drowned - again. Suddenly she's fed up of taking the slaying life so seriously, as she has to get used to it, it happens all the time, so she may as well get something from it. However, the "Want, Take, Have" scene felt completely OTT, IMO. |
| 15. | Clem's Kitten BasketSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| I watched this episode just the other day and I really liked it. Hadn't seen it for a while, but wow the comedy! A very funny episode with excellent performances and then WHAM! in your face - the killing of Allan. Very Whedon, that. Buffy's actions has to be seen in the context of her great disappointment with the Watcher's Council. They betrayed her, they betrayed Giles - even Giles betrayed her, acting on behalf of the WC. Don't forget Gwendolyn Post and the killing of Faith's watcher. Trust in authority does not rank high in Buffy's life right now. And Faith seems to be doing allright on her own, so why don't try her lifestyle out? Faith is a tragic figure. I don't like her, but I can understand why she acts and talks like she does. No one is close to her, she doesn't have a real friend or a family. She is a very lonely girl and obviously has been for a very long time. Tragically, no one understands how to talk to her or how to react properly. Of course she ends up with the Mayor. I believe she went looking for security, to be protected from the WC and The Scoobies and maybe she was prepared to kill the Mayor if he hadn't reacted in her favour. Well, she found security and in more ways than one. The relationship between Faith and The Mayor seems repulsive and wrong, but it's also exactly what Faith says to Robin Wood in season seven: The Mayor becomes her father figure and that's rather obvious from the start. He's not the greatest "parent", being evil and all, but compared to being totally alone all the time, this is good for Faith. In his own peculiar and disturbing way, he takes good care of Faith. She could be doing a lot worse, considering her situation. So, in conclusion, I think this is a great episode. |
| 16. | DingdongalisticSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| I don't think this is a great episode, the execution is rather too unsubtle and rushed, but I like your views on Faith. In particular the take on what happened at the end of Concequences, which is a great episode in my opinion. I've always regarded Faith's arc to be somewhat dodgy in places, not the actual character development which I have no problem with (with the exception of some of "F,H &T") but rather the way it was structued, centering mainly about "Enemies" in which a huge amount of potential is wasted, and the great idea of a shock discovery of Faith's betrayal completely abandoned. Instead we're led to believe that the gang suddenly believes for no reason that Faith has turned traitor, and set her up. No wonder Faith didn't trust these guys! |
| 17. | Clem's Kitten BasketSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| As is obvious, I forgot to clarify that I saw the episodes "Bad Girls" and "Consequences" as one - mostly. BG is the one that I think is a great episode, C is rather weak and only works in the way that it continues what was started in the previous one when it comes to Faith's reactions and the failure of Buffy, Xander and everyone else to communicate with her. In "Consequences", everyone fails rather remarkably. |
| 18. | DingdongalisticSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| Oh no, I strongly disagree here. I regard Concequences to be the best episode of season three, because it delves into serious ideas and concequences to earlier events, and characterises everyone extremely well. Coupled with this the plot takes many surprising directions, but ones which make sense, which are very engaging. The study of guilt is particularly well done, and even Angel is used very well. Wesley also is used best here, and the episode wastes very little potential. There's also demonstration of exactly the right balance of subtlety and obviousness, which season three sadly lacks as a whole. |
| 19. | mikejerSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| As my reviews of these episodes make obvious, I agree with DD on this one. In addition to what he's said about the eps, I think the exploration of Buffy's morality base is expertly handled in "Consequences" and is something vital for us to delve into so we can see her growth throughout the series in this area. |
| 20. | Clem's Kitten BasketSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| Well, we disagree on this. People have very different opinions and takes on characters as well as episodes. Who is Buffy? What is "good" and "evil"? How to define morals, ethics, duty etc. Nothing is crystal clear and sometimes people change over time. Not for the first time, I've been trying hard to remember what my own thoughts and instincts might have been, say 25 years ago. Let me tell you, that is NOT easy to do. But I do know for a fact, that I had a much more simplistic and naïve view of almost everything back then. That kind of view makes it easy to judge and draw extensive conclusions from very little fact. Now, I'm only talking about myself here. I don't know anything about you guys. When it comes to "Consequences", age might have something to do with it, i.e. my age, since I know I have changed over the years. I watched this and every other episode from my own, personal perspective and therefore this episode didn't make a very deep impact on me. When I write that "everyone fails", it means that they ("they" meaning the good guys) do everything wrong when trying to deal with Faith. Still, this could very well be the best they were able to do. The only one who comes close to finding the right way, is Giles. Giles: Buffy, this is not the first time something like this has happened. (A very important piece of information.) Buffy: (confused) It's not? Giles: The Slayer is on the front line of a nightly war. Now, it's, it's tragic, but accidents have happened. (Again, important information that puts the event into a reasonable perspective.) Buffy: W-what do you do? Giles: Well, the Council investigates, um, metes out punishment if punishment is due. But I... I have no plans to involve them. I mean, it's the last thing Faith needs at the moment. She's unstable, Buffy. I mean, she's utterly unable to accept responsibility. (Somewhat stating the obvious here, but still, it needs to be said.) Buffy: She's freaking. So, so then we just have to help her deal, right? Giles: She's in denial. There *is* no help for her until she admits what happened. Buffy: (uncertainly) I-I could talk to her. Giles: (sighs) Perhaps. (He knows that won't help.) Buffy: Or maybe I'm too close. Maybe, maybe one of the guys could. Giles: We should meet. It-it may be that they're seeing a different side of her. (This is where he takes the wrong turn. No one is close to Faith, so any "different side" they see in her is of no value in this situation.) If Wesley hadn't overheard this conversation, Giles might have found a constructive solution to the problem, but there is nothing to suggest that. Buffy, Xander and Willow are far too young to deal with these complex psychological issues. Angel does even worse when he compares himself to Faith. I think that could actually be fuelling her confusion and self-contempt, and make her believe that she really belongs on the dark side, the she is in fact evil. Maybe we just disagree on what we see in these episodes. You know, as Buffy says in End of Days: "Well, the good guys aren’t traditionally known for their communication skills." This is what draws me to the show and keeps me there; communication and relationships. From that point of view "Consequences" is an excellent example of communication failure, so maybe I should change my rating? Compared to for example "Go Fish", it's a masterpiece. I just don't enjoy watching people do and say stupid things for an entire episode. Their reactions are predictable and the only somewhat surprising thing that happens, is when Faith seeks out the Mayor. - All this is how it seems to me, from my perspective. I do understand your perspective and I don't think it's wrong. It's just different. |
| 21. | DingdongalisticSep 6, 2006 (Wed)Link | |
| Oh, that's completely fair. I myself do agree with you in that quite a few people fail, and that's why I like watching concequences, the sheer difficulty in the situation and the way different characters approach it. I can sympathise if you don't find that sort of thing pleasant to watch, but I personally love stuff like that. It's just different tastes. However, I do disagree with you on Angel. I thought he was starting to make progress before the WC interrupted. I think the way he talked to Faith wasn't exactly nice, but it was frank, and she respected that. Giving her an idea of the seriousness and danger of the situation was working.jun |
| 22. | junApr 15, 2007 (Sun)Link | |
| Rewatching this today, and the bit with Xander's twitchy eye... when he claps his hand over it, it struck me.. that's the eye he loses in S7. |
| 23. | XenophonOct 3, 2007 (Wed)Link | |
| I'm a noob on watching buffy (ie first time i am watching all the seasons from 1-7 all through) and firstly i just want to say I really enjoy these reviews. After every +/- 4 episodes I watch I come and read up on this site and I always enjoy it. The foreshadowing I don't mind because it's very interesting that when I get to the episode that was foreshadowed it makes more sense. What I also found funny is how when everyone sees Wesley the first time and just says "the new watcher?". Also when Giles & Wesley both take off their glasses, cleans them and puts them back on again. When Wesley is checking Cordelia out and he asks her if she teaches psychology, and she says, no she takes it and then either Willow or Xander (can't remember which) says something about two words : Jail Bait |
| 24. | XYOct 14, 2007 (Sun)Link | |
| One thing that contributed to Buffy's faith-like actions is the "epiphany" (probably too strong a word) she had regarding slaying. She felt one with her slaying, as it were. She couldn't even stop talking about it during the chemistry exam (just before she took off). That experience combined with Wesley and Faith's influence put her into a state which influenced her into doing untypical things. Like she was drunk -- until the cops showed up, at which point she sobered up really quick. They did the break-in to get weapons to fight villains, so it wasn't for fun. Buffy seemed very casual about it, but it is in-character for her to sound casual about all sorts of serious things (so I don't see "want, take, have" as Buffy really, deeply giving in to Faith's philosophy, it's just Buffy being casual, like "if apocalypse comes, beep me". Although, of course, those words are coupled with a corresponding action, so it isn't just a comment, and what she's doing *is* serious, there is no denying that.) Or something, I dunno. Haven't really given it that much thought. : ) |
| 25. | buffyholicOct 24, 2007 (Wed)Link | |
| I don´t think her actions are rushed and unnatural because her actions are supposed to be like that and the viewer is supposed to see that this side of Buffy doesn´t work, she´s not like Faith. Sure she has a darker side but she doesn´t let that control her like Faith does. I like this episode a lot also because of Wesley. He is introduced here as an idiot and the gang couldn´t care less for him. He plays everything by the book and has his notion of "right and wrong" and "black and white scenario". |
| 26. | gabrielleabelleNov 9, 2007 (Fri)Link | |
| The point's already been debated quite well. Personally, when I first watched it I thought Buffy was under some spell or something cause of the way she was acting. I found it OOC and I wish there'd been more build up to it. |
| 27. | SamNov 20, 2008 (Thu)Link | |
| Consequences is definitely a far superior episode than Bad Girls. In fact, I think Season 3 is the only season where the best episodes are not w/d by Joss Whedon, so that alone may qualify it as off. I still liked this episode a lot, although my favorite part is certainly Buffy and Faith's sexy dancing at the Bronze. :) |
| 28. | SanjuroNov 30, 2008 (Sun)Link | |
| I agree that Consequences is a far superior episode, but that's not really a fair reason to criticize this one. I'd give it at least a solid B: it introduces Wesley (one of my 5 favorite Buffyverse characters), the MOTW is decent enough since you know he won't be sticking around, the Mahyor gets in some choice moments ("oh, that P.J.!") and it nicely sets up the next episode. And I was going to take you task for not putting any of the Giles/Wesley exchanges in the quotes section, but as I tally them up, I can understand why: it would have consisted of nothing else: WP: I didn't say you had emotional problems, I said you had an emotional problem. It's quite different. G: If you want to criticize my methods, fine. But you can keep your snide remarks to yourself. And while you're at it, don't criticize my methods. WP: Stay calm, Mr. Giles. We have to stay calm. G: Well, thank god you're here. I was planning to panic. WP: I have, in fact, faced two vampires myself. Under controlled circumstances, of course. G: No danger of finding those here. WP: Vampires? G: Controlled circumstances. Genius. Also, it retains none of its hilarity when you write it down, but Denisof's deadpan delivery of the "Three P's: Preparation. Preparation. Preparation." is one of the funniest moments in the whole show to me. |
| 29. | AAADec 24, 2008 (Wed)Link | |
| Another episode of season 3 mikejer totally misunderstood. Buffy has not been in agreement over Faith's action in this episode , and she never gave in into Faith's want,take have philosophy which is pretty obvious in this episode. She may have been tempted to but she obviously attempted to stop Faith from the want,take ,have road. One of the great episodes of a very good season. The fact that it is followed by consequences and sets up that storyline is also extremely important. |
| 30. | mikejerDec 25, 2008 (Thu)Link | |
AAA, I don't buy your comment that I "misunderstood" this episode. You claim:
Unfortunately, your comment is made void by the episode itself. Buffy, inside the weapons shop, says "Want... take... have. I'm gettin' it" and steals a knife from the broken glass. If that's not momentarily giving into and/or trying out Faith's philosophy, I don't know what is. I think you might be mistaking 'misunderstanding' for 'disagreeing.' I don't happen to worship Season 3 like much of the fanbase does, and I've yet to hear a convincing argument of why I should start now. It's a very good season of television, but it's not one of my favorite seasons of Buffy. |
| 31. | TaraMay 15, 2009 (Fri)Link | |
| Although I enjoyed this episode, it's one of only two episodes in the series (the other is Triangle) in which a character situation is established with inadequate build-up in previous episodes. While I can buy into the idea of Buffy wanting to embrace more of Faith's lifestyle and the timely arrival of Wesley being the catalyst to sparking this off, we haven't had any sufficient foreshadowing in the previous episodes to warrant this. Had there been a couple of secenes or even one or two lines of dialogue in the previous few episodes that showed Buffy's increasing frustrations with the rigid doctrines she's supposed to be adhering to (maybe something along the lines of what we saw in the excellent Band Candy), this episode would have been a fantastic culmination of those simmering issues brought to the surface. However, instead it feels rushed and something more plot-driven than a natural character progression. |
| 32. | SeleneJul 8, 2009 (Wed)Link | |
| This far from the best episode but it's also far from the worst. There are definite flaws, but taken with Consequences as 2 parts of a whole, it's actually quite good.
As some have pointed out, no, the Scoobies never really did give Wesley a chance, but to be fair, Wesley never gave the Scoobies much of a chance either. He never took the time to find out what the situation with the Slayerettes was like; he just came in with this "I'm the Watcher, I know everything better than you and you will do as I say" attitude. Not exactly a way to endear yourself to the group. |
| 33. | SunburnOct 4, 2009 (Sun) @ 1:48pmLink | |
| W/r/to Buffy acting out of character in this episode, I thought so at first, but I think her father's - and Giles' - recent betrayals in Helpless are actually quite convincing reasons why she would suddenly reject the lessons that authority figures have taught her in the past. As children, we are good because it pleases our parents and gets us rewards; only later do we start being good for its/our own sake. Buffy's still young here, and although she has a strong sense of right and wrong already, I can't think of a more devastating shake-up of a teenager's worldview than to be let down so comprehensively and in quick succession by her father and her father figure, especially when those aren't just subjectively unkind, but in Giles' case are pretty much completely immoral. I don't think it's inconceivable that even an unusually strong and noble teenager would lash out and deliberately break rules after being betrayed and confused as Buffy was. Even less so since Faith and Wesley were there to act as catalysts, the former actively teasing Buffy for her conformity and egging her on, and the latter doing a classic bit of reverse-psychology in making her utterly averse to obeying authority. We all have our moments of madness and I find it convincing enough that a whole lot of circumstances combined to make this one of Buffy's. |
| 34. | VictoriaNov 8, 2009 (Sun) @ 8:12pmLink | |
| Uh, Buffy is definitely interested in going The Way of Faith in this episode. It's totally understandable. For the last three season's she's been this mythic figure amongst her friends. They put her on a pedestal, expect her to behave, and put her Slayer life first. She's always had to divide Slaying versus being a Real Girl. Not only that, but she's always had to stay confined to these tight rules to make sure that it all doesn't go to her head. So far she's been okay with all of this. It's a pain, but she gets that it's for her own good. In walks Faith, with her "Want. Take. Have" mentality. She's a free agent, no one's confined her to rules and she's survived so far (granted, she's riddled with insecurities yet also boldly, almost blindly confident). Faith understand where Buffy is at, or at least I think Buffy wants to believe this. I don't think Faith was actually ever on the same page, or even in the same book as Buffy. While Buffy at least goes along with Wesley and his new silly rules, Faith says "Screw that" and walks away with no consequences. In fact, it must be totally enticing to Buffy to see that Faith can act that way with no consequences. Buffy's behavior up until the arrest is very reckless, and yet I think it's actually kind of logical that Buffy would behave this way: 1. Buffy skipping a test to slay with Faith. Why should she care about some silly test? She's not exactly sold on a life beyond slaying. She knows, in the end, that she'll never get away. I also think Willow and Xander's lack of interest in her awesome story seems to throw her off. 2. Buffy getting off on the slaying a little. I mean, Buffy has no dating life, she occasionally gets sweaty with Angel, but she can't exactly do the deed with him. It makes sense that the ONLY rush in her life, Slaying, makes her a little... hot under the collar. 4. Her sexy behavior around Angel. Is it really so smart to entice the Vampire with a tentative grip on his soul? Noooooo. 3. Breaking into the weapons shop. She's a little hesitant, but why shouldn't she be able to break into a weapons shop? She's the slayer, she has slaying to do and, by golly she's doing these people a favor, they might as well fork over a weapon every now and then for her convenience. But when she gets caught, she realizes that there are consequences, and that even though she's The Slayer, she has to answer to law enforcement, because she is still a person. It is at this point that Buffy is more or less coming out of her "phase" and it's a totally believable phase. It happens often. Sometimes one thing spirals into other things really quickly. Once she realizes this, though, her view of Faith changes. She realizes that the rules that confine her REALLY are for her own good. I think after that, she takes a "damage control" approach. On a fun side note: Wesley!! And the Wesley meeting Angel for the first time! It's fun to watch, knowing how these characters lives intertwine later on. :) |
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