A prominent character in the past few episodes we have watched is Faith. She is a very intriguing character and her presence on the show raises a lot of questions about what a slayer is and what her capabilities are, both for good and for evil. Faith has been through a lot during her presence on the show. The audience has seen her battle some very fierce demons (both internal and external). However, by the end of consequences, the audience is left without much faith in this character. She has coincided with the evil mayor. This begs the question "Is the slayer strong enough to handle the pressures that come with her job?" If Buffy had remained dead, Faith would be the last hope for the world. Since the rule says that when a slayer dies, only then is a new one called, does this mean the world would have just been out of luck? Her betrayal also requires that one reconsider the wisdom of The Council. Faith obviously has some mental instability and to think they would call someone who would crack so easily under these circumstances is questionable. A slayers strength, mind, and heart, is meant to be continually concerned with the protection of mankind.
What should also be considered is Faith's influence on Buffy. In Bad Girls the audience really sees a connection between Buffy and Faith. Faith can relate to Buffy in a way that none of Buffy's other friends can because she is a slayer. Buffy feels the same exhilaration when fighting demons and vampires that Faith can easily put into words and often expresses with grunting noises. However, Faith has confused the exhilaration and power the slayer feels when hunting demons with the thrill and desire to kill that can be compared to a vampire's thirst for blood. A slayer-turned-killer is a very dangerous force. Is Faith a Darth Vader in the making, or will her road to recovery soon be discovered?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dr. Rose says:
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure we can imagine what would have happened if Buffy had stayed dead. First there would have been Kendra, who would never have come to Sunnydale, and Faith, had she ever even been called, would have never had to contend with sharing her identity as slayer with Buffy.
So, who knows...