Faith, Hope & Trick
| "Faith, Hope & Trick" | |||
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |||
 Faith in her first appearance on the series, after staking a vampire | |||
| Episode no. |
Season 3 Episode 3 | ||
| Directed by | James A. Contner | ||
| Written by | David Greenwalt | ||
| Production code | 3ABB03 | ||
| Original air date | October 13, 1998 | ||
| Guest actors | |||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes | |||
"Faith, Hope & Trick" is the third episode of season 3 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode title is pastiche of the Biblical verse 1 Corinthians 13:13 ("And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity") while using names of three characters introduced in the episode.
Plot synopsis
The episode begins with Willow babbling to Oz about how they are seniors and now allowed to go off school campus for lunch. Still, it takes Xander, Cordelia, and Oz to get her to walk to the grassy area where Buffy has set up a picnic basket. They proceed to chat about Martha Stewart, Scott Hope, and the meeting Buffy will attend with Principal Snyder later on.
That night, Kakistos and his colleague, Mr. Trick, up to the Happy Burger drive-through. Trick orders a medium diet soda, but gets hungry as Kakistos proceeds to talk about exactly what he'll do to the Slayer. To eat, Trick pulls the drive-through attendant through the window and into the car.
Meanwhile, Buffy has yet another dream involving Angel, this time at the Bronze. As they dance in front of their friends, Buffy's ring falls off her finger. Picking it up, Angel experiences a flashback to Buffy killing him. He clenches the ring in his fingers until blood comes out, and blood also starts to stain his white shirt, exactly where Buffy had impaled him. He tells her to go to hell, and his appearance changes to that of a zombie. Buffy wakes up, and her mother is asking her if she's ready to face "the beast" (aka Principal Snyder).
Principal Snyder lays out three guidelines that she must follow to be accepted again, though it is useless. The school board has already admitted her back in, and this fact prompts Buffy to take the mature stance regarding her reinstatement, and Mrs. Summers to take a childish approach to express her delight.
Buffy and Willow go to the library, where Giles has asked them to meet him for help on research. He wants to perform a binding spell on Acathla to make sure that the demon cannot be resurrected again. Giles asks Buffy details about how she killed Angel in order to know more about Acathala. But after giving short details, Buffy does not want to talk anymore and explains that she has to rush out in order to take her English make-up exam. After Buffy leaves, Willow tries to persuade Giles about the magic she's been doing.
At the Bronze that evening, Willow and Oz are kissing when Buffy comes up with drinks. She reveals that she passed her English make-up, and is glad to be back in her own life. Just then, Buffy is approached by Scott. When asked to dance, however, she babbles through a few excuses and a thank-you. Scott interrupts, and tells her where he will be if she wants to dance later.
Cordelia and Xander approach, calling attention to two of the people on the dance floor, one of which is dressed and acting like he is from a much earlier decade, dancing with a young woman. Buffy speculates that he might be a vampire, and follows them out, though she is distracted for a few moments by Scott. The gang follows her out as well, and right when they are ready to turn back, they track sounds nearby. The vampire was just about ready to bite when the young woman tosses him back. When Buffy arrives, the girl casually introduces herself as Faith, before staking the vampire and walking away.
Inside, Faith is telling a story to the gang about killing a group of vampires that summer in her Boston hometown. She also tells them that her Watcher went to England to attend a retreat, so Faith decided to venture to California to get to meet with Buffy, whom her Watcher describes as a legend. Cordelia figures out that Faith must have been called as a Slayer when Kendra was killed by Drusilla months earlier. Faith wants to hear a story from Buffy, but is quickly deviated when Xander asks for a story involving the alligators. When Buffy is asked what her toughest kill was, she flashes back to killing Angel, but says that they are all difficult. Oz asks about her position on werewolves. Faith doesn't have a problem with them, and apparently thinks that Giles has gone to England as well.
The next day at school, Giles confirms that a Watchers' retreat is going on in England, but he wasn't invited. Upon meeting Giles, Faith says that she should have requested a transfer. Buffy invites her to dinner at her house to get to know her better, and then asks Willow for help studying. She is ignored, though, and sits in the library. She leaves later, though, when Giles begins asking her more questions about the details of Acathla's demise. Buffy snaps at Giles that she doesn't want to talk about killing Angel or of sending him to hell.
Willow and Xander are showing Faith all the places in the school where the supernatural things occurred when Faith turns to get water. Finished, she accidentally bumps into Scott and the two start talking. Buffy appears to see the two apparently flirting. Willow starts talking about how Faith and Scott might hit it off, and agrees with Faith that Buffy needs to find the fun. Buffy drags Faith away and the scene switches to Kakistos.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trick is filling Kakistos in on what they can do there, before informing the vampire that there is already a Slayer there, a fact which indicates that they are not after Buffy, but Faith instead. Kakistos also draws attention to the scar over his right eye, saying that "she will pay for what she did to me". Mr. Trick agrees, before going to answer the door and dragging the pizza delivery man in to eat.
That evening, Mrs. Summers and Faith are talking at the dinner table, discussing Buffy. Mrs. Summers appears to think that Faith might be a better Slayer than Buffy, then leaves to get another drink for Faith. Buffy follows to talk, revealing that she doesn't want Faith to steal her life, like she seems to be doing. Mrs. Summers says that Faith could share the slaying, though, and that they could even ask Faith to take over. Buffy accidentally tells her mom that new Slayers only come when the old one dies, and her mother freaks at the revelation that Buffy died without her knowing about it. They finish talking, though, and both feel better.
When they're patrolling, though, Faith starts talking about Angel and asks Buffy at why she is elusive about talking about him. Buffy immediately becomes very defensive and sternly tells Faith that she does not want to talk about Angel and that no one, not even Faith, is to mention his name or talk about him... ever. Faith reveals that she suspects that Buffy is hiding something about killing Angel, but Buffy becomes even more bellicose, refusing to talk about it, and they both begin a verbal sparring match before a small group of vampires interrupt. Two drag Buffy down, mentioning Kakistos as they do so. Faith beats one into a bloody pulp before staking the vampire instead of helping Buffy. When Buffy yells at Faith for beating the vampire unnecessarily and not helping her, the latter merely says that she was doing her job and walks away.
The next morning, Buffy tries talking to Giles about Faith's behavior and that she may be hiding something, but it doesn't help. Giles begins mulling over what might be going on at the retreat before asking Buffy details to trace the lineage of the vampires who attacked them. Upon hearing Buffy try saying "Kakistos", he rushes off to the library to grab a book. When the fact that both the vampire and Faith appeared around the same time, they begin wondering if they are connected. Buffy and Giles set out plans and separate.
On her way out of the library, Buffy runs in to Scott, who tries to ask her out on a date. Buffy accepts, but she runs away very disturbed when Scott hands her a ring exactly like the one Angel gave her. Giles comes up, and tells Buffy that Faith's watcher is dead.
Buffy goes to see Faith at her motel room, and begins talking about Kakistos, surprising Faith with the fact that the vampire is in town. Faith starts packing saying the Kakistos is after her for disfiguring him with an axe to his face, but Buffy brings up her watcher and stops her at the door saying that she cannot hide from her troubles. They are interrupted by a knock on the door, and Kakistos and his group are outside with the dead motel owner.
Faith and Buffy run, eventually ending up in the exact warehouse where Kakistos has been staying. Faith begins to emotionally fall apart, right before bringing attention to the fact that they were herded there. Buffy fights the rest of the vamps while Kakistos starts beating Faith. Buffy intervenes, and Mr. Trick takes the time to leave with one of the other vamps. Buffy stakes Kakistos, but he's so old that a mere tiny stake isn't enough to kill him. Luckily, Faith finally recovers and picks up a thick wooden pole that she had broken earlier, using it to quickly kill Kakistos.
Back in the library, the Council's approves Giles on the phone of him acting as Faith's Watcher. Inspired by Faith's actions, Buffy finally tells Giles and Willow that Angel was cured when she was forced to kill him which is the reason why she left town and was unable to deal with the trauma of it all... much like the way Faith did at running away from Boston when she witnessed her Watcher killed by Kakistos. Giles says that it will help with the spell, and Willow apologizes to Buffy for being so hard on her. When Buffy leaves, Willow once again approaches Giles to offer her help about the binding spell for Acathla, but Giles tells Willow that the spell doesn't exist, and he was merely trying to get Buffy to tell what had happened with Angel in order for her to open up to them again.
Buffy finally talks to Scott, and they make plans to go out later on. The scene changes to show Buffy returning to the mansion where she killed Angel and stopped Acathla, finally able to say good-bye and leave her Claddagh ring. She leaves and Angel manifests, returned from hell.
Writing
This episode introduces the character of Faith Lehane, who plays a vital part in the remainder of this season, the seventh season, and the eventual spin-off series, Angel. The minor characters of Mr. Trick (Kakistos' right-hand vampire turned Mayor's assistant before his staking) and Scott Hope (Buffy's short-lived love interest) are also introduced.
The surprise ending – the return of Angel – is a major point of conflict for the Scooby Gang for the remainder of the season.
Continuity
- Angel's resurrection is questioned many times, despite The First Evil claims that it brought him back in ("Amends"), it is never verify as of who is the true culprit. In the spin-off's episode, "Hell Bound," reveals that Angel still questions his return thus revealing his doubts of whether The First is responsible.
- While showing Faith around Sunnydale High, Xander and Willow refer to events of several past episodes:
- Willow: "Over here, we have the cafeteria, where we were mauled by snakes." ("I Only Have Eyes for You")
- Xander: "This is the spot where, uh, Angel tried to kill Willow." ("Innocence")
- Willow: "Over there in the lounge is where Spike and his gang nearly massacred us all on Parent-Teacher Night." ("School Hard")
- Willow: "And up those stairs, I was sucked into a muddy grave." ("I Only Have Eyes for You")
- Buffy mentions The Three as being among her more difficult adversaries, warrior vampires sent by The Master in season one's episode ("Angel").
Arc significance
Several story arcs begin during this episode, among them:
- Buffy finally faces up to her ordeal last season, and it becomes general knowledge among the Scoobies that Angel was re-ensouled prior to being killed.
- Angel returns from Hell, where he was stuck for about 100 years, as mentioned in "Deep Down".
- A new Slayer, Faith, arrives. Although she and Buffy are united as Slayers, they are polar opposites as young women.
- While fighting vampires, Faith taunts one by declaring "My dead mother hit harder than that!" This is the first reference to Faith's abusive childhood.
- Willow continues to dabble in magic after her attempt to restore Angel's soul. She is even more encouraged when she finds out that she had in fact succeeded in the Ritual of Restoration.
- Buffy begins a relationship with Scott. However, this relationship ends two episodes later, in "Homecoming", where Scott says Buffy isn't that exciting anymore. Scott isn't mentioned until Season 7, where Buffy has a fight with former high school classmate Holden Webster, who points out that Scott "came out last year".
- Buffy feels as if Faith is taking her (Buffy's) life, a theme explored further in Season 7, particularly the episodes "Empty Places", and "Touched". It also foreshadows the Season 4 episodes "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You", in which Faith literally switches lives (and bodies) with Buffy.
- Buffy's asking Faith if she's hungry after the slaying of Kakistos is an indication that they share some similarities. This is confirmed in the season finale of the season one ("Prophecy Girl") after Buffy defeated The Master as well as in later seasons, when Dawn mentions that the first place Buffy goes after slaying is the refrigerator.
External links
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Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Faith, Hope, and Trick |
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