Angel: "Sanctuary"

We pick up where the last episode of Angel left off. Angel takes Faith to his apartment where he is really gentle and kind to her. She lays down on his bed to go to sleep, but has a “fantasy” about stabbing Angel similar to how she had one in Who Are You about stabbing Willow. I think this is why Angel relates to her. There will always be a part of her that wants to do evil, but she’s now going to work towards keeping that part buried and making the right choices instead.

Cordelia and Wesley, both bruised and scraped from their run-in with Faith, now doubt Angel’s decision to help Faith. This goes back to what I said a couple episodes ago on how people react differently depending on whether they are inside or outside a situation. When they were looking at the Faith situation from an outsider’s point of view, they wanted to help and felt she was worth saving. After being personally beaten and tortured by Faith, their views change unsurprisingly. And I just want to point out how differently both Cordelia and Wesley react to Angel. Wesley up front is upset and leaves the office while Cordelia has Angel sign some papers which apparently are checks written out to her for a paid vacation. I think the point goes to Cordelia for this one.

Faith is now more lost than ever. She grabs a knife from Angel’s kitchen and seems surprised to even have it in her hand. Next she has flashbacks of the Mayor’s assistant that she accidentally staked. Faith tried to run but Angel is there to stop her, not by holding her prisoner, but by telling her that running won’t help.

Angel:  "Where are you gonna go?  Back out in that darkness?  (Faith hesitates then keeps walking)  I once told you that you didn't have to go out in that darkness.  (Faith slowly comes to a stop her back to Angel)  Remember?  That it was your choice.  Well, you chose.  -  You thought that you could just touch it.  (Walks slowly closer)  That you'd be okay.  -  5x5, right, Faith? - But it swallowed you whole. - So tell me -(comes to stand behind her) - how did you like it?"
Faith turns and slugs him - hard.  He doesn't retaliate, just slowly turns back to look at her.
Faith stares for a moment then looks anywhere but at him.
Faith hesitantly:  "Help me?"

From the last episode and now through this, we see that Faith is acting out with violence because she wants to be punished for what she’s done. Angel has her number and knows that not retaliating is how he’ll get to her. They have a great conversation about how deciding you want to change and actually changing are very different things. That by wanting to be good doesn’t make up for all the wrongs that you’ve done and you may have to spend your whole life redeeming yourself. It seems like while Angel is saying this to Faith, he’s also talking about himself.

I have to say that while I really like the idea of Faith and Angel as a couple since they are so much more alike than Buffy and Angel, I like the fact even more that their relationship stay platonic. It’s almost as if their relationship is more meaningful this way. But still:

They’d make a freaking hot couple.

They would make a hot couple, but I agree with Kali here that it's more amazing that they start platonic. For both Angel and Faith, sexuality is tied to evilness so by them keeping each other away from it, it's helping them both stay on the light side of the force. Don't ask why I started talking as if we're watching Star Wars.

The bad guys at Wolfram and Hart discover that Faith not only failed in killing Angel, but is staying at his apartment. This causing them to hire some creepy demon to finish the job, plus kill Faith. I love how Lilah says this is a "hand shake deal" and then takes it back saying that was species-ist of her. Working at Wolfram and Hart must be very strange. Of course when this demon attacks at Angel’s apartment, they both kill it easily. However, this triggers a flashback for Faith and she starts freaking out over the blood on her hands so Angel holds her. To make matter worse, guess who walks in.

 Uh-ohs

Buffy and Angel start to argue since Buffy feels like violence is the best answer to any situation and would much prefer kicking Faith’s ass. I just want to rap this scene up by saying that Buffy is acting like a Grade A bitch right now. Yeah, Faith did some bad things, but this is Angel’s turf now and he’s trying to help SO BACK THE HELL OFF. I completely agree with Kali, who I almost just called Faith LOL. Buffy is being so annoying right now and acting like a child. In LA, you're not the master of the universe, you're inside of Angel Investigations and currently Cordelia holds more power than you. Stop seeking revenge and forcing everyone to care so much about your hurt that they forget about Faith's.

Wesley informs Angel that the assassins hired by the Council are here and are after Faith. Faith runs to the rooftop, where Buffy follows her.

Buffy:  "I gave you every chance!  I tried so hard to help you, and you spat on me.  My life was just something for you to play with.  Angel - Riley - anything that you could take from me - you took.  I've lost battles before - but nobody else has -ever- made me a victim."
Faith:  "And you can't stand that.  You're all about control.  You have no idea what it's like on the other side!  Where nothing's in control, nothing makes sense!  There is just pain and hate and nothing you do means anything.  You can't even.."
Buffy:  "Shut up!"
Faith:  "Just tell me how to make it better."

The assassin squad attacking with men and helicopters interrupts them. After some fighting, Faith escapes from the scene. Angel is arrested for helping Faith escape, but once he arrives at the police station Faith is waiting there to turn herself in. This is such an important moment for Faith. She finally chooses the right course of action for herself and for the people around her. We see her at the end in her prison cell, finally a bit more at peace because she is not longer running from anyone or anything.

Let’s not forget Buffy continuing to bitch about Faith and Angel telling her off.

Angel:  "Buffy, this wasn't about you!  This was about saving somebody's soul.  That's what I do here, and you're not a part of it.  -  That was your idea, remember?  We stay away from each other."
Buffy:  "I came here because you were in danger."
Angel:  "I'm in danger every day.  You came because of Faith.  You were looking for vengeance."
Buffy:  "I have a right to it."
Angel:  "Not in my city."
Buffy turns away for a moment then turns back.
Buffy:  "I have someone in my life now.  (Angel looks away from her but otherwise doesn't move)  That I love.  (Angel swallows hard)  It's not what you and I had.  -  It's very new.  (She steps closer)  You know what makes it new?  -  I trust him.  -  I know him."
Angel lets out a sharp breath:  "That's great.  -  It's nice - you moved on.  -  I can't.  You found someone new.  -  I'm not allowed to, remember?  I see you again it cuts me up inside and the person I share that with is me!  You don't know me anymore.  So don't come down here with your great new life and *expect* me to do things your way.  -  Go home!"

 BURN! OH SNAP!

If anyone else here watches How I Met Your Mother, this reminded me of the episode where Robin's old boyfriend came into town and the gang told her about how, after a break up, there is clearly a winner and a loser. Buffy is trying to win but the fight she's trying to win is childish and her actions really show how Angel and Buffy can never work. They broke up because they could never work *cough Bella and Edward take note cough*. I'm going to go and quote John Green here, even though he was talking about Twilight, "the reason why adults shouldn't date teenagers is not because they look old, it's because of the number of times they've been around the sun." Angel gets this and is upset at times about the relationship ending but understands the bigger picture. He is forced to be the adult here because Buffy is a teenager and no matter how much she can understand the break up while in Sunnydale, she reverts back to a child upon seeing Angel.

Well that wraps up Faith’s storyline for the time being. Timeline wise, this doesn’t take place until after Where the Wild Things Are which is 2 episodes from now in the Buffy series. It’s important to note this since it will come into play during The Yoko Factor.