Season 4, Episode 15

Written by Douglas Petrie

Directed by Michael Gershman

Original Airdate: 21 February 2000

"I'd hate to see the pursuit of a homicidal lunatic get in the way of pursuing a homicidal lunatic."
Xander

REGULAR CAST

• Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers

• Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris

• Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg

• Marc Blucas as Riley Finn

• James Marsters as Spike

• Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

GUEST CAST

• Kristine Sutherland as Joyce Summers

• Amber Benson as Tara Maclay

• Leonard Roberts as Forrest Gates

• Bailey Chase as Graham Miller

• Chet Grissom as Detective Clark

• Alistair Duncan as Collins

• Harry Groener as Mayor Richard Wilkins III

• Eliza Dushku as Faith Lehane

CO-STARRING

• Jeff Ricketts as Weatherby

• Kevin Owers as Smith

• Mark Gantt as Demon

• Kimberly McRae as Visitor

• Sara Van Horn as Older Nurse

• Brian Hawley as Orderly

• Jack Esformes as Doctor

SYNOPSIS

• In a dream, Buffy and Faith put clean sheets on a bed, and suddenly blood from Faith begins to drip onto the white sheets. Buffy's holding the knife in her stomach and shoves it in further. Xander is checking out the Blaster gun from the Initiative, but he doesn't have the knowledge to fix it. Giles is concerned about Buffy because she's been patrolling non-stop for days without finding Adam. Buffy is worried about Riley because she still hasn't seen him. Xander accidentally shocks himself with the Blaster, but no one notices. Riley wakes up and tries to leave the hospital but Forrest and Graham try to talk him out of it.
  
  At the hospital where Faith is in a coma, Faith is dreaming about having a picnic with the Mayor. Buffy arrives, slits the Mayor's throat and stabs him. On patrol, Buffy, Willow and Xander find a demon strung up on a tree opened up like a dissection experiment. Buffy explains her plans for getting Riley out, but it turns out it's not necessary as he has gotten away from the hospital and is there in Xander's basement with them. Faith continues to dream about Buffy chasing after her with her large knife. Faith falls into an open grave and engages in a fight with Buffy. As Faith climbs out of the grave in her dream, she awakens from her coma.
  
  Pulling free of the tubes in her body, Faith walks out into the hospital halls and encounters a girl. She thinks it's still the day of the Graduation, but the girl informs her of the date and what happened at the graduation ceremony. Faith leaves the hospital in the girls' clothes. Riley and Buffy talk about their jobs working to fight the forces of evil. Buffy tells him he has a choice in what he does with his life. At the hospital, a detective talks with members of the hospital staff. They find a girl, beaten up and striped, but no Faith. A nurse makes a call, asking for a team to be sent out.
  
  Faith walks around Sunnydale looking at all the things that have changed. The Scooby Gang talks about their plans to attack Adam while Faith watches and listens from outside a window. A phone call informs Buffy that Faith is awake and on the loose. They talk about how they're going to deal with her, but conclude that they'll have to see what condition she is in first. On campus Buffy and Willow run into Faith. The two Slayers talk about what happened and fight briefly before the cops arrive and Faith runs.
  
  Willow brings Tara along with her to search for Faith. Xander and Giles go searching the streets for Faith and Adam but instead encounter Spike. He's not willing to help them, but will help Faith find and kill them all instead. A helicopter lands and three men carrying briefcases exit. After conversing with the nurse, they go into the hospital. Faith is approached by a demon that tries to give her a gift, but she kills him and runs off with the box. Somewhere, she watches a video tape of the Mayor and then opens a box from him that contains a special gift.
  
  Buffy and Riley talk about Faith but Buffy doesn't want to tell Riley everything about what happened with Faith. Faith arrives at Buffy's house and punches out Joyce. Keeping Joyce her captive, Faith doesn't think Buffy will arrive, but is surprised when Buffy flies through the window. The Slayers have an incredible fight that travels through almost every room of the house while Joyce calls the police.
  
  Giles finds the lights don't work at his apartment but a lamp turns on and the three men with briefcases are there. Faith puts the gift from the Mayor on her hand and grabs Buffy's hand. A light flows through them and Buffy punches Faith. Buffy smashes the gift from the Mayor, a metal contraption, and when Joyce asks her if she's okay, Buffy responds, "Five by five." Somehow, Faith has switched their bodies.

TRIVIA

• Jeff Ricketts, who plays Weatherby, is a regular member of the Whedon universe. He has appeared in Angel as Weatherby, and he also played the demon in the season four episode Sacrifice. Jeff played Malcolm in Amber Benson's movie Chance and also appeared in two episodes of Firefly.

• This episode was almost called 'Rise and Shine.'

• When Faith looks through a shop window, she sees an ad for 'Gustafson Blades'. D.C. Gustafson was a guy who worked on Buffy and sadly died. This was the crew's homage to him. Season five's Into the Woods is also dedicated to him.

• Writer Doug Petrie notes in his DVD commentary for this episode that it was important for there to be a real fire in the scene in which the Faith spies on the Scoobies in Giles's home. He wanted to create a comfortable family atmosphere to make Faith feel even more excluded from the group. He also adds what a "pain in the ass" it was to have a fire on set - as fire marshals need to be brought in.

• The scenes of Willow and Tara and Giles and Xander looking for Faith were added later as the episode was 9 minutes too short.

• 'Five by Five' is Faith's catchphrase. There are loads of different interpretations. For example, it's a poker term, it's a piece of wood, it's US Army talk for a radio signal being loud and clear, and a it's also a reference to Aliens.

CONTINUITY

• Faith is back! She's been in a coma since Graduation Day (Part 1). The knife used to put her there is seen protruding from her stomach in her dream sequence in this episode and also is used by Buffy to hack away the dream interpretation of the Mayor. And speaking of dream sequences, Faith also mentions that 'little sis' is coming to Buffy, which is clearly a reference to Dawn who first turns up in Buffy Vs. Dracula.

• Buffy asks Faith if she's 'going for the boyfriend' again. This is a reference to Faith's attack on Angel in Enemies.

• Willow wonders if they should get the Watcher’s Council to help them get Faith. Xander says, “Been there, tried that. Not unlike smothering a forest fire with napalm, as I recall.” He’s referring to the fact that they failed to control Faith the last time they captured her in Consequences.

• While searching the town for Faith, Xander mentions that “The point being, I could be the target here. If Faith finds Mr. Xander Harris still in town, she’ll go tighter than cat gut. Got a lotta pent up feelings there. I’m only saying.” He's referring to the one time he was seduced by Faith in The Zeppo.

• Riley apologises for pushing Willow over, which he did in Goodbye Iowa.

• Mayor Wilkins' message would have been made sometime during the events of Graduation Day (Part 2) - after Faith was hospitalised, but before he went and turned into a giant snake.

GOOFS

• How does Faith know where Giles's house is? She never went there.

• When Forrest confronts Riley as he's trying to leave the infirmary, Riley's shirt is further open in some shots than in others.

• The boom mic. operator can be seen in a bush, just before Buffy sees the demon that Adam dissected.

• When Buffy and Willow are discussing what Buffy told Riley about Faith, an extra in a stripy sweater walks by on Buffy's left. A moment later, as the camera cuts to a different angle, he walks by again.

• Whilst running away from Buffy, Faith climbs a wall. The wall wobbles around, giving away that it's a fake.

• When Faith is rummaging through Joyce's make-up, you can't see her tattoo on her arm.

• Buffy throws Faith across the dining table as they fight, knocking everything off the table. A few moments later, the tablecloth and some pieces of fruit are back on the table.

• When Faith is walking down the street near the start when she's slightly dazed, a couple walk behind her. The woman is wearing a bright orange jacket. As Faith walks down the street, the couple walk from right to left twice. Then they walk from left to right.

• A lighting error casts a shadow of Buffy and Riley on the wrong wall in the scene where they are talking in Buffy's room.

• When Buffy and Faith are rolling down the stairs, to the left you can see a camera following them.

• Why didn't Willow and Xander notice Riley coming down the stairs behind Buffy?

• When Faith crawls out of the grave, she takes a couple of steps. In the next shot she's several feet away from the grave.

• Tara's pendant around her neck moves between shots when she and Willow look for Faith.

• Who calls Buffy to tell her Faith is awake? And the phone call wasn't long enough for Buffy to receive all the details she relates to the gang.

The Freshman | Living Conditions | The Harsh Light of Day | Fear, Itself | Beer Bad

Wild at Heart | The Initiative | Pangs | Something Blue | Hush | Doomed

A New Man | The I in Team | Goodbye Iowa | This Year's Girl | Who Are You | Superstar

Where the Wild Things Are | New Moon Rising | The Yoko Factor | Primeval | Restless