Angel: “Five by Five”

Note: Since writing these in the morning works better with our schedule, we’ll have them up by noon each day. Today’s is a little later because we were going to do 2 Angel episodes but it would have been too long. So Sanctuary tomorrow to complete the Faith story and back to Buffy! Oh, and this time Kali is normal text, Sarah is in bold.

To start off with, we won’t be covering the entire episode, just the parts involving Faith and any other part of the story that directly relates to that. Otherwise we’ll start talking about Darla and you’ll be like “What is this nonsense? Darla has been dead since Season 1!” Then that would lead to mass confusion and brains exploding. All you need to know to understand these episodes in relation to Buffy is that Cordelia and Wesley joined Angel who now runs some sort of private investigation business for supernatural occurrences. Oh, and how Angel is all about “helping the helpless”.

So we start off with Faith getting off a bus in a shady part of L.A. and I’m not meaning there were a lot of trees. Of course, “shady” on TV comes nowhere near how bad it really is in some parts, but anyways… Some sexist pig tells Faith that a girl like her shouldn’t be alone in parts like this. She proceeds to beat him to a bloody pulp and steal his jacket, wallet, and keys.

"Now I got money - and a place to stay. I think I'm gonna like it here."

The first place that Faith goes, surprise surprise, is a dance club. I feel like every character Eliza places has to dance at a club. Faith on both Buffy and Angel, Echo on Dollhouse. I think Joss just wants to see Eliza dance, but moving on... And what’s the first thing she does there? Dance with another girl’s boyfriend, of course. Even Trelwaney should be able to predict what she does next. She starts a fight with just about everyone, while at the same time keeping the beat dancing to the song. Oh Faith, I thought you had a change of heart but now you seem to be falling back into the same destructive pattern.

Lilah, an attorney working for Wolfram and Hart (the Big Bad on Angel), finds Faith at a bar and offers her a deal. At this point Lilah and her partner at the firm Lindsey (who is a dude by the way) are all about killing Angel, (Spike should join Wolfram and Hart. Who am I kidding, that will never happen) so we assume that with their millions of connections they heard about Faith and want to hire her to kill him. When they ask her to kill him in the next scene, she doesn’t even hesitate in accepting the deal. We see here how she is falling back into the type of role that she had with the Mayor. She isn’t sure that she can be good and in her black and white world that means she must be bad then. I still feel bad for Faith. She isn't even given the chance to try and change because everyone keeps expecting her to be an evil bitch.

I’m going to add a quick blurb about how there are also scenes mixed in here about several of the nasty things that Angelus did back in the 1800’s when he had no soul. This matters to the Faith story line because we see why Angel is so dead set on saving her instead of killing or just capturing her. He is now trying his best to redeem himself for all of his past wrongs and he wants to do the same thing for Faith. While I didn’t care for Angel when he was on Buffy, he is pretty awesome on his own show. I agree with Kali; on Angel Angel actually has some personality. I still don't love his character, but I understand and respect him more. Angel understands how difficult this is for Faith because he's been through this. Through the scenes, we see how he was still viewed as a monster even when he didn't feel like one anymore. It's very hard to escape the image you've created for yourself, no matter what it is, but it's even harder I think for Faith and Angel because they have to work very hard to be listened to. I mean, think of the times Buffy, Xander, Willow, or Giles have acted poorly and were still cared for and given the benefit of the doubt by those who cared about them. Faith's friend, the Mayor, was killed and Angel's companion, Darla, ditched him before she caught soul cooties.

Faith’s first attempt to kill Angel is to shoot at him from a rooftop (like in Season 3 of Buffy) but this time Angel reacts and catches the bolt before it hits him. (Side note: Did you know that crossbows shoot bolts- not arrows? Well you do now. I thank Dungeons and Dragons for teaching me that one.) Anyways, Cordelia, Wesley and Angel discuss the fact that Faith is very much not in a coma. I'm still not convinced that she isn't in a coma... Angel calls his old buddy Giles who confirms that she woke up, tried to kill everyone, and ran away- you know, the usual. Angel wants the other two to now be a part of helping him with Faith. He does have a pretty good reason.

“Last year I had a shot at saving her.  I was pulling her back from the brink when some British guy kidnapped her and made damn sure she'd never trust a living soul."

At least Wesley is arguing for trying to help her. Poor Wesley is always getting the short end of the stick. I think Wesley has the worst hand of cards of any Whedonverse character, and that's saying something since Joss isn't an adorable little puppy who does nothing but paint rainbows and allow everyone to live happily ever after. After Cordelia and Wesley leave Faith drops by to have a nice chat with Angel. I do love Angel’s new attitude. When Faith gives him a gun to have a shot at her, he doesn’t even hesitate in pulling the trigger. Of course he shoots at her leg, but I don’t see Buffy shooting at someone to capture them. Too bad it was a blank, but don’t worry the second one that Faith shoots at him wasn’t. We see in this scene how Faith isn’t really out to kill him, she’s just playing the cat and mouse game.

Angel sneaks into Wolfram and Hart since they have the absolute worst security ever. Seriously people, a kitten guarding the front door would be of more use. I’m really not sure what Angel was trying to accomplish here since he doesn’t get any more information out of Lindsey. I’m guessing he just wanted them to be aware of the fact that Angel knows they hired Faith to kill him. Or he just wanted to dress up in a suit.

 

Nothing suits him like a suit

Whatever the reason for this visit is, I'm glad it happened because it allows for one of the best conversations EVER. He runs into a lawyer who actually believes he's a lawyer at Wolfram and Hart and talks to him about some meeting and doesn't notice that Angel is making up names and has no idea what the heck this lawyer is talking about.

Lawyer points at him:  "You!"
Angel turns to look at him.  The are right in front of the security desk.
Lawyer:  "We're in the Gruber meeting."
Angel:  "Right."
Lawyer:  "What the hell is going on with those people?"
Angel:  "I know, it's..."
Lawyer:  "I mean is this a negotiation or a cotillion?"
Angel:  "That's exactly what I was trying to tell Frank."
Lawyer:  "Who's Frank?"
Angel:  "Works with Louise in contracts."
Lawyer:  "Contracts - the problem is not contracts!"
Angel:  "That's what I was trying to tell..."
Lawyer's cell phone rings and he waves Angel quiet while he answers it.
Lawyer to phone:  "Go.  Yes. - Yes. - No, no. Thursday!  (Hangs up)  We have to close Gruber now, before the soft offer becomes hard and the stock goes..."
Angel:  "Through the ceiling!"
Lawyer:  "In the toilet!"
Angel:  "Right."
Lawyer:  "Keep me in the loop, will you?  I want to know the instant that they fold.  -  They are folding?  (Angel makes a face and the lawyer checks his watch)  Look, I've got to jump.  E-mail me.  Good to see you."
Angel:  "You too." infinite lulz
Back at Cordelia’s apartment, her and Wesley have a surprise visitor. Buffy! Ha, just kidding it’s Faith. Cordelia’s character has improved some since even she tells Faith that they want to help her. I really like what Wesley says, but his own ignorance of what Faith has gone through makes this statement have no effect on her. "I realize there have been failures, on both sides.  -  But I also believe in my heart that you are not a bad person." The thing with Faith is that no one can help her until she decides that she wants help.

Faith has now kidnapped Wesley and is torturing him. I feel like she partially blames him for how everything turned out. He was her Watcher and he was supposed to be there for her and help her. At least Wesley has grown a pair now.

Faith:  "All these little cuts and bruises - just bring out the mother in me.  (She takes his face between her hands and slaps his cheek)  Come on.  Now, now, don't poop out on me, damn it!  Otherwise this all just going to be over too fast, and you'll be dead and I'll be - bored.  -  Come on, Wesley!  Where is that stiff upper lip?  Now, we've only done one of the five basic torture groups.  We've done blunt - but that still leaves sharp, cold, hot and loud.  Have a preference?  (Wesley looks at her and nods.   Faith pulls the gag out of his mouth) Well, that great!  It's always better with audience participation.  -  May I take your order please?"
Wesley spits on the floor to one side of her.
Wesley:  "I was your Watcher, Faith. - I know the real you - and even if you kill me, there is just one thing I want you to remember."
Faith:  "What's that, love?"
Wesley:  "You - are a piece of sh.."

We see more about how Faith feels towards Wesley here:

Faith:  "Did you ever wonder if things would have been different - if we'd never met.  What if you'd had Buffy - and Giles would have been my Watcher?  You think you'd still be here right now?  Or would Giles be sitting in that chair? - Or is it just like fate.  You know, there is no choice.  You were gonna be here no matter what. -  You think about that stuff? - Fate - and destiny.  I don't.  Not that any of this is your own fault. Since this may be - the last chance we will have to unload on each other, I feel that it is kind of my duty to tell you that if you'd been a better Watcher, I might have been a more positive role model - Face it, Wesley, you really were a jerk.  Always walking around as if you had some great big stake rammed up your - English Channel.”

Again, she questions what it would be like if she was in Buffy's situation instead.

The end of this episode is so freaking good, I’m just going to post it.

Faith swings at Angel but he keeps ducking them, so instead she kicks him in the gut.  Angel come back and hits her, she hits back then tosses him back over the sofa.
Faith:  "You can't take me!  No one can take me!"
Faith jumps to kick him again as he gets up, but Angel intercepts her kick with a piece of furniture.  Faith sends him flying across the room again, then smashes up a glass-shelving unit when Angel ducks her next kick.  Angel slams Faith down on the floor then slides her headfirst across the room into a wall.  Faith comes up with another piece of wood in her hand.
Faith:  "Come on!"
Angel tackles her and they both burst through the window, falling two stories to land on a trash-container lid.  They roll off of it and Faith again throws Angel around.
Faith:  "You're gonna die!"
Wesley is almost done sawing through his ropes.
Faith keeps hitting and kicking Angel.  Halfway through this it starts to first rain then pour.
Faith:  "You hear me?  -  You don't know what evil is!  -  I'm bad!  -  Fight back!"
Wesley has freed his hands and is untying the other ropes.
Faith keeps whaling on Angel, sometimes he ducks, sometimes the hits connect.
Angel grabs a hold of her:  "Nice try, Faith."
He tosses her away from him. Then walks after her.
Angel:  "I know what you want."
She hits him and he hits back dropping her.  She comes back up hitting and screaming, but not making much of a dent.
Wesley leans out of the window and sees Faith beating up on Angel.  He goes into the kitchen and grabs a butcher knife, then heads for the door.

Angel as he dodges another hit:  "I'm not gonna make it easy for you."
Faith throws herself against Angel screaming:  "I'm evil!  I'm bad!  I'm evil!  Do you hear me?  I'm bad!  Angel, I'm bad!  (She begins to sob, grabbing a hold of Angel's shirt and shaking him)  I'm ba-ad.  Do you hear me?  I'm bad!  I'm bad!  I'm bad.  Please.  Angel, please, just do it."

Wesley comes running out of the house.
Faith sobbing:  "Angel please, just do it.  Just do it.  Just kill me.  Just kill me."
Angel wraps his arms around her shoulders and pulls her against him.  She over balances them and they sink to their knees, Angel still holding her as she cries.

Angel:  "Shh.  It's all right.  It's okay.  I'm here.  I'm right here.  Shh."
The camera shows the knife dropping from Wesley's hand as he stands in the pouring rain, staring at them, while Faith cries and thunder rumbles overhead.

All the sadz in the world. :( I second Kali's sadz :( I have to point out again the symbolism of the cleansing power of the rain. This scene is just so beautifully put together. It's one of my favorites from the Angel series. Tune in tomorrow for the final part (for now) of the Faith saga!