Beyond Buffy's Impact: Ranking the Most Powerful Faith Episodes in the Buffyverse

The top six Faith-centric episodes you can’t miss!

Sure, everyone loves Buffy. But there’s another favorite Slayer who has our hearts. We’re counting down the six best Faith-centric episodes (in our opinions, anyway!) from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.

6. Season 1, Episode 18, “Five by Five” (Angel) 

Lee: With Faith’s arrival in Los Angeles, we see that the arc which started with “Bad Girls” not only spanned through multiple seasons of Buffy, but crossed over into multiple shows. Taking the chance to expand on Faith’s story by having her be recruited as a gun-for-hire, with a bounty on Angel’s head, allows us a surreal chance at reflection. This is far from the first time we see Faith aiming for a member of Buffy’s inner circle, but while she tries to maintain the heartless image she has portrayed of herself for many years, we start to see the cracks in the frame this time around. Carrying out torture in the name of a job, we find the true meat of this episode in its closing scene. Faith and Angel battle it out in a rain soaked alleyway, and the broken shell of a person who has been stumbling her way through this mission, shows something worse than weakness. She shows defeat. A Slayer who could easily overpower and dust a vampire whose soul won’t allow him to go for the kill, crumbles in his arms while begging for her death. Faith herself has denied the existence of her soul for many years now, but when faced with empathy from someone who should want nothing more than to watch the life fade from her eyes, emotions come pouring out. She can no longer deny or hide the weight of everything she’s done, how the guilt and grief haunts her, and leaves her longing to be freed of just how much she cares. As we have been cheering on the sidelines of Team Faith, this episode truly allowed us to see a side of her we always suspected was there. A side that felt the harshness of the world too deeply, and chose to shut it all off until the day came that she was powerless against the gravity of her choices.

5. Season 1, Episode 19, “Sanctuary” (Angel)

Brandon: I'm always amazed at how this episode tackles themes of trust, redemption, and the tough choices we make. When Buffy showed up in LA to confront Faith and Angel, my nerves were on fire. Buffy pretty much expelled her from Sunnydale and Angel had committed to sponsor Faith back in “Enemies,” in a bloodlust/AA way. The tension between Angel’s hope for Faith’s redemption and Angry Buffy in Kill Bill-vengeance mode and then feeling betrayed on top of that? So well-executed. Moments like this remind us of Buffy’s age at the time. The brokenness, the sadness, the pain, the journey that Faith takes us on.

4. Season 3, Episode 17, “Enemies” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Brandon and Lee: Who isn’t always on the edge of their seat with this one, with Angel turning into Angelus?! “Enemies” is a slow burn, the last third of it, where Faith and Angelus go on their tear, shows you where this show has no equal in handling dark storylines and each part of this one is masterfully executed. Rejected Faith is not for the faith of heart. We also get to see Buffy admit to some of her condescension, which is how we ended up here in the first place. Faith: “Why? So you can impart some special Buffy wisdom, that it? Do you think you’re better than me? Do you? Say it, you think you’re better than me.” Buffy: “I am. Always have been.” The dialogue is sharp and poignant, Joss left 0.0 crumbs. It’s chilling how rejection can drive someone to the edge, and Faith is its ultimate victim. It is so intense seeing Faith’s transformation, especially during the torture scene. Her jealousy and how it slowly consumes her feels all too real. “Enemies” masterfully showcases brilliant execution of a brilliant script.

3. Season 3, Episode 14, “Bad Girls” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Lee: Want. Take. Have. Faith’s version of Slayer wisdom is something that Buffy is trying to come to terms with, and in this episode, we see her attempt to embrace it. What does it mean to be the Slayer who doesn’t care to study, to follow along with rules, to accept the guidance of those older and supposedly wiser? In Slayerdale (Faith’s Version), it means being led by instinct, prowling and thriving off of the hunt, preparation be damned. It means swarming vampire infested nests, and dancing all of your troubles away. It means finding a human at the wrong end of your stake, and kicking off a guilt spiral which will lead her all the way down the rabbit hole. She has survived this long by insisting that she doesn’t care, and this mistake leaves her at a crossroads. Does she crumble and finally allow emotion to overwhelm her? Does she finally admit that she isn’t as detached and above it all as she’d like everyone to believe? Of course not. She doubles down on her refusal to face responsibility and the pain that comes along with it, and jumpstarts an arc which will weigh her conscience down for many seasons to come.

2. Season 4, Episode 15, “This Year’s Girl” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Brandon: We absolutely love this episode. Watching Faith wake from her coma and then go head-to-head with Buffy is such a thrilling ride. From Faith’s lens, Buffy seems less like a sister slayer and more a remorseless destroyer shattering everything she holds dear. In dreams, Buffy wounds and drowns Faith without mercy. In life, she takes Faith's sole source of affection–she kills the Mayor, Faith’s dark father figure. From Faith’s perspective, it’s the ultimate betrayal. But Faith’s view is distorted by trauma and isolation. Buffy did what she must to save lives. Yet dismissing Faith as “evil” only worsens her wounded psyche. There is still hope to pull her from the brink and transform her pain to wisdom. With care, Faith could have seen the truth. Instead, rejection fuels vengeance. Faith never learns to see shades of gray–only the black and white binaries that failed her. Faith can be a litmus test of empathy, the “villain” in one’s eyes may be “wounded” in another’s. Bridging divisions requires seeking those hidden wells of common ground. Therein redemption lies.

And the number one episode in our ranking…

Season 4, Episode 16, “Who Are You?” (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Brandon and Lee: Of all the Freaky Friday trope episodes out there, what is better than this one?

Buffy’s Version: Every little mannerism, little quirk, Sarah and Eliza just nail. We love Sarah as Faith in Buffy’s body: putting on a show at the Bronze, the gallop speech blowing Spike’s mind (keeping him in Sunnydale for another season), and Willow at Xander’s remembering their last exchange. Faith sarcastically parrots Buffy’s moralizing lines like, “You can't do that, because it’s naughty, it’s wrong” mocking Buffy’s self-righteous act. This highlights Faith’s view that Buffy often comes across as sanctimonious. By exaggeratedly imitating her, it’s a great example of how the show uses one character to subvert and critique the facade of another. Let’s not forget that Buffy went to turn in Faith to Giles, and Giles said Faith was right: she didn’t need trial. Faith is vindicated; what a creative way to see why has such a chip on her shoulder.

 

Faith’s Version: It’s rare that Eliza ever gets enough credit here because Sarah crushes it so hard. Faith can’t ever stand still, and you can see her trying to focus her energy into Buffy’s poise and not always getting it. Eliza does an amazing job nailing Sarah’s mannerisms and the tone of her voice when talking to Giles: “what’s a stevedore?” and “Stop inching! You were inching!” On top of that, you can really feel the bitterness towards Buffy and her life; the vengefulness, the self-loathing and desire to be someone new–and the longing. The longing for Buffy’s life, for escape, for friends, a home, a place, a purpose. She starts off trying to escape Buffy, but ends up wanting to be her more than ever–but also starting to realize it isn’t as simple as she had first thought. We see her walking in Buffy’s shoes and starting to realize what it means to be her.

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