*I CAN'T WATCH...* Angel Season 1 Ep 18 "Five by Five" Reaction: FIRST TIME WATCHING Buffy 

The choice to be good was because she was trying to be Buffy. When she looked in the mirror she saw Buffy and Buffy is good. As Faith she sees failure and evil and tried to just be everyone elses expectation of who she is.

The end of this episode is so powerful.

1800s Angel in the alley: "I'm a monster! I'm a monster!" Present-day Faith in the alley: "I'm bad! I'm evil!" It's really easy to interpret Faith's expression in the truck at the end of 'Who Are You?' as remorse, but the more I think about the Faith mini-arc in BtVS and Angel this season, I see it as shame. Two things happened with the body swap: she fooled herself into thinking she could be Buffy - morals and all -, and then Buffy beat her again. I think she was embarrassed that she let herself believe she could be the Slayer, only to lose to the 'real deal'. In the truck, Faith realised she can't win - she couldn't join Buffy, she couldn't beat her and she couldn't be her - and gave up on being anything.

A lot of people are confused that Faith doesn't show up being redeemed or trying to redeem herself after the body switch on Buffy. The thing is though that things go much deeper than that. When Faith in Buffy's body was doing the right thing, she was BEING Buffy. Yes she has realized how bad she was, and yes she does hate herself as shown with her punching her own face. But she doesn't think that Faith can be redeemed after all she's done. Her plan for redemption was to not even be Faith anymore. She was going to become Buffy. Not do good as Faith, but to just become Buffy and that would wash away all the sin, because that was Faith and she was not Faith anymore. When that didn't work, not believing that Faith can be redeemed, she just wants Angel to kill her. And it wasn't even deep down. That was her legitimate plan all along. Hence her wanting him to "get in the game".

Its the best ending ever. Trivia: They wanted rain, couldn't affort the rain machine and while filming it starts raining - in California! Seems like god or at least Peter is a fan of Faith😊. Is also Elizas favored episode. Oh, and listen to the song in the 'Club Hell' - Livin' Dead Girl by Rob Zombie. Describes Faith' inner behavior pretty accurate.

Eternity kicked off a really good run for the rest of the season. This is a great episode, though hard to watch. Gotta shout out Dennis who tried to stop Wes and Cordy from coming in the apartment... what a great ghost friend.

"You feel young, do you Faith? You're looking pretty worn out to be" Such a great line, Angel saw right through the suffering she was covering up

I've been waiting for this one. It's worth noting that Wesley acted impulsively and violently. Faith's actions were all about convincing Angel to be "bad" and see her as irredeemable so that he would end her pain. She even tests his willingness to do so with the gun. The most horrifying thing about the t*rture scene in the apartment with Wesley was Faith tending to his wounds that she created. It was very reminiscent of how abuse is often paired with a support system that enables it. When Angel fights, he is never the aggressor. All while he beaks down Faith's facade as he talks to her. That whole sequence is incredibly done. This is my favourite episode of season 1, and one of my favourites in the Buffyverse.

Man, that ending scene ALWAYS gets me

This is like Faith's version of "Amends" where she wants to die as Angel did. Although Angel's true path to change started as shown in the flashbacks. But the fight always goes on, as Buffy said in Amends, "It's hard, and it's painful, and it's every day. It's what we have to do."

Look at Faith when she first appears in the episode: pale, sunken eyes, haggard. She's still in much the same place she was in the last moment of her appearance on Buffy: haunted by the self-understanding she gained from walking in Buffy's shoes for a while, but even further into despair because she's had more time to find that she can't just stop. (The Angel flashbacks are on point, as you note in your comments.) Thinking she's beyond saving, she chooses suicide-by-Angel as the only way out, and everything after that is an attempt to enrage him enough to break past his dtermination to help. Notice how soon after Wolfram and Hart hire her that she starts talking to Angel about getting him "into the game."

In a deleted scene Dennis protected Cordy from being abducted by faith that's why only Wesley got taken he can only protect one at a time

Boy that end scene is so powerful and gets to me every time I watch it. So great.

Ooooh, I've been waiting for this reaction for so long! This is, in my humble opinion, one of the best episodes of the entire Buffyverse. The ending is just ... absolutely brutal.

Really like how they show Wesley becoming more and more confident with each episode. I also really like the dynamic between Angel and the rest of the agency, noticeably different from Buffy and her group of friends.

You've been so curious about Faith, I've been dying for you to get to this episode! It's so intense!! Really ups the level of the show and reminds me that Angel is often a much darker series than Buffy. I remember being so freaked out by what she was doing to Wesley, but still felt bad for her in the end, when she clearly wanted Angel to kill her. Such a complex character she is.

Remember that at the end of the episode with Faith on Buffy that when they are fighting in the church she calls herself disgusting in Buffy's body. We really don't see what trauma she is processing after the scene in the train with Faith. She's probably didn't have a healthy trauma response after living as Buffy. So it makes sense that she might numb herself by being vicious while trying to make herself feel unworthy of living. This episode honestly makes me cry.

Love this episode. I was really struggling with this show up until this point and this is really the one that convinced me to keep going with it. That ending scene in the alley is just....perfect.

The last time Faith saw Angel was when she shot him in the back with an arrow from very far away at night, hiding on a roof, hitting him just next to his heart and it led directly to Buffy, the "best" person she knows, trying to kill her. Now the first thing she does is try to hit him with a crossbow bolt in the back from like 2m away in broad daylight in a crowded mall. She's basically doing the exact same thing that got her almost killed before, but this time she wants to die. Enormous clue right from the beginning. The thing with Wesley is that if Faith is evil and irredeemable, then there's nothing he could've done as her Watcher and it's not his fault. But if she's not evil and can be redeemed, then Wesley objectively failed as a Watcher. That's hard to take when you're being tortured by the person you were supposed to help, but didn't.

You are delving into the best of Buffy and Angel now. My favorite characters are Spike and Lindsey hands down. In case no one mentioned it, Charisma Carpenter was a cheerleader for the San Diego Chargers. The Buffy episode "Hush", that you reacted, to is superb. I think that from this point onward the Angel series surpasses Buffy with its storyline. The Angel series certainly aims at an older audience. Please, everyone on the shows places the stress on the "e" when they say "Angelus." "

Yeah I lot of people are thrown by how she's acting at the beginning of the episode when she seemed almost remorseful after buffy season 4 but those last moments in the episode make it make sense: none of that was sadism, she was trying to make Angel WANT to kill her.

Faith had a moment of guilt, and her heroic instincts took over - but she was also going 'I'm Buffy" then, hence her beating her body bloody while screaming about how disgusting she is. Now Faith is back stuck with herself and her consequences, and she's spiraling, and when she spirals she turns to violence. Especially because she thinks she's going to die young whatever she does. Westley did some things to her, specifically, like try to kidnap her for rendition back to the Watcher's Council. Which she assumed, probably rightly, means she'd be executed as too much trouble and it would be on to the next Slayer.

Having Faith's arc reveal that her entire journey up until this point wasn't 'She's just evil' but 'She was trying to commit suicide by cop/Slayer/Angel' was one of the most brilliant plot twists in the franchise.

Super fun reaction. Thanks a lot!

Absolutely ❤️ this episode. That ending where she is almost begging Angel to kill her gets me every time 😢 Faith has always been one of my favourite characters in the Buffyverse. She really deserved a spin-off series of her own... sadly, it wasn't to be 🫤

The first time I watched this I didn't get Faith's "suicide by Angel" plan until the final fight. Watching it again, it's interesting to see the hints leading up to it.

Does Faith even know Cordelia? Thinking back to Buffy season 3 I'm not even sure they ever talked to each other. Of course she'd take Wesley.

I love this episode. That ending, where Faith's self-loathing explodes in the ultimate, most heartbreaking way possible, as Angel grabs her and embraces her tightly as the heavens pour down, is one of my primal, unforgettable moments in this series. It is probably one of my most rewatched Angel eps. But, it never quite crystalized in my mind how Angel's first days with a soul - struggling, then trying in desperation to imitate his old ways - paralled Faith's days after "being" Buffy - trying to revert to old patterns of behavior despite the fundamental changes in herself, because that's what she believed she was - until you recognized it and spelled it out, Thor - ! Impressive perceptiveness, God of Thunder : )

Wow I’ve only seen this episode once when it aired so I was in my pre teens. So angels looks on his face is so shocked. I always thought he knew faith was that deep down but he was in shocked. Great acting.

I personally prefer Buffy to Angel, but I would still watch I Will Remember You and these episodes. There’s a lot of character work that I love, even if Angel as a show isn’t my fave. (It also messes with the canon and Angel’s timeline. In Angel, the episode in Buffy, Angel literally says he hasn’t fed on someone since the day he got his soul back.)

I think, given Faith's history, she has probably always hated herself and had low self-esteem. According to Faith, her mother was a drunk and very possibly abusive (i.e. "My dead mother hits harder than that"). She also dropped out of school, had bad relationships with men, and had her watcher die when she was likely "supposed to" protect her. Faith would never admit to vulnerability, but she did seek Buffy out, probably because, on some level, she was afraid of her calling. So when she actually fails at her job and kills someone, it's like confirmation bias of everything she believed about herself. At that point for Faith, she just gives in to this belief of who she sees herself as. Who her mom, teachers, and societal messaging have probably told her she is instead of constantly trying to fight with herself and who she wants herself to be (someone more like buffy). Essentially, all I'm trying to say is I think her pattern of self-sabatoge probably goes far back from anything we've even seen, and the more "evil" acts she commits, the more suicidal she becomes. Therefore, hurting someone like Buffy in the way she did actually sent her down an even quicker spiral. Just my take.

A great episode and by the time this has been posted to RU-vid you are well aware its a two parter. One very impactful two parter and one of the best of the early Angel series. Poor Wesley.

Yeeeeeessss!!! Been waiting patiently as I could for you to drop this one!

I love Faith's arc. She's not a bad person, she's lost. "He needed a little guidance" She had a very unstable, abusive upbringing, witnessed perhaps her only parental figure (her watcher) being brutally murdered, was alone and pretty much unsupported, was manipulated and made some bad choices, did some bad things, but she's not bad at heart. She doesn't know how to come back from what she's been doing (being in Buffy's body, she tried to act like Buffy not just to trick everyone, but because that was the "better life" in her mind, she goes into the church because it's who she *wants* to be), and tries to do more bad to try and convince herself that she's evil and okay with that. Dancing in a club surrounded by chaos and violence she started like she just doesn't care. And then in the end she does care and isn't okay with it, she hates herself for who she is and the things she's done, and tries to "s be cop", trying to get everyone to hate her as much as she hates herself, trying to provoke Angel into ending it and he sees what's she's doing and it's such a heart wrenching scene.

Love the episodes with Faith, in Buffy and Angel!

I think a major reason she left Cordy is because she probably had the least interactions with her. Like think about it how many scenes are they in together before Cordy stops talking to the Scoobies. I don't think they even have a single conversation outside the first episode Faith is introduced, so odds are she likely didn't care enough about Cordy to bother hurting her too much. Then factor in how the episode ends. How is Angel meant to find her if she didn't leave at least one person behind. Like i always assumed by how it ended she wanted to be found, can't do that if she kills both Cordy and Wesley.

I don't think it's canonical to Buffy/Angel, but I never thought Angel was even close to "saving" Faith back when he had her captive in Buffy. He spouted a lot of counseling / recovery cliches, but showed no signs of truly "getting through" to Faith. Wesley did screw up with Faith, but I don't think he derailed any sort of Angel-inspired redemption for Faith.

Finally!!! 🏅

'He DID seem trustworthy1!!?? xD Never change dude haha

if u notice Cordelias ghosty roomate takes good care of her! he didnt want to let her in because Faith was in the house and he was trying to warn her! She chose wesley because she did blame him for a lot!! especially during that time in Buffy where wesley kind of betrayed her when angel couldve saved her with buffy. Wesley just turned on her unlike what giles wouldve done.

Before he turned back to Angelus in season 2, I wonder if that woman in the alley was the last person Angel ever bit, in all those years.

this is in my top 5 favorite episodes of angel

The rain in the ending scene was completely unplanned. When it started to rain in the middle of their fight, they said to keep rolling the film. This scene would not have been anywhere near the same.

I can't find your video for Sanctuary. HELP! 😄

one of the best comments i read about this episode was "she didnt know if Angel would only pull the trigger once" something to think about with the Russian roulette scene

Oh no, of all the episodes to accidentally see the title!

Angel, knows how hard it is to "adjust" to a new life. He was "forced" to have his soul back, but while that gave him a conscience it didn't undo his past... or his needs (blood) he had to adapt. And may very well have wanted to die at one, or many, points in his life. He knew Faith wanted him mad and "murderous" so she could be put out of her misery. Also kind of why she was so reckless in attacking people. suicide by cop is a thing.

Season 1 of Angel may be the best season in all the buffyverse

Are you going to post your reactions to the last couple of episodes of Angel or are they only on your Patreon?

A Watcher is a someone who guides the Slayer. A mentor. Wes was not that for Faith. When she truly needed help he dobbed her in to the Watchers council. Even though he knew Angel was trying to get through to her. Faith sees the relationship that Buffy has with Giles and is jealous of that, because no one is there for her. She has no family, her first Watcher was brutally slaughtered before her eyes, Gwendoline Post betrayed her and so did Wesley. It's no wonder she's messed up and things she has to rely on herself. She's given up on herself and while she initially takes up the bounty on Angel, she knows if she takes one if them Angel's more likely to kill/stop her (she also chose Wes over Cordelia for the above reasons, as she never really spent much time with Cordy so didn't have that much of a connection). Angel is the only one who tried to unselfishly make time for Faith and get through to her. He's like the Watcher she never had; also, one that can understand her darkness.

He could have tried harder. Kept the door closed and not let them in at all but I'm guessing he new we wanted to see the showdown. 😋

eternity is great easily in most peps to 5 for this season

when you said mug shots are never flattering made me wonder if you speak from experience. something to share with the class? 😉

Wesley completely betrayed Faith, she was listening to Angel before that. If he hadn’t contacted the watchers council she might have never joined the mayor, she had already shown remorse for killing that guy. It’s Wesley’s fault she lost trust in everyone. That’s why she just went for him, she blames him for being the cause for when everything went wrong.

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The title is a spoiler, but only for a few minutes into the episode. The guy who was trying to chat Faith up at the beginning of the episode deserved what he got. He was clearly going to try and rope her into the sex trade.

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous

Faith is as bad a dancer as Commander Shepard.

I just wish you couldn't tell so easily that Boreanaz was picked off the street for his looks and not for his acting talent. It really knocks the show down a couple notches for me.

an-GE-lus. Get it right, dude. How long have you been watching this franchise?

Dude, I'm not even 4 minutes in and I'm getting a migraine. What's up with the blurriness and the scenes skipping? I'm not a fan of that at all.

Yo reaction to faith at the end is the most bland I’ve seen

At this point, I already don't like Cordelia, and I can't stand Wesley, so I'm team Faith 100% =D Too bad she didn't get rid of those two XD It's so sad that she can't see any other way to stop being this way other than death. She's such a tortured soul.

I always preferred Faith to Buffy....sorry

I didn't watch"Angel"at the time(because I didn't know it existed)but the self-hatred scene of Faith at the end of"Who Are You?"is 1 of the most memorable of the whole show for me(that's why I was so pissed when you skipped it in your reaction!)so when I finally watched this episode,even if I hadn't rewatched"Buffy"in a full decade,probably more,the moment Faith gave Angel the gun I *IMMEDIATELY* knew what her *real* goal was(I mean..she LITERALLY said:"You didn't shoot to kill!"for Glory's sake!!!)!💔Basically I predicted the end halfway through the episode...and it was halfway only because there were all the flashbacks in the middle(which I always skip in my rewatches BTW..this is 1 of the very few"Angel"episodes I rewatch but I only do it for Faith,so...🤎). If there weren't it would have been sooner. It always baffles me how *no* reactors seems to get it...maybe someone starts to guess it during the very last scene,but never sooner and I'm like... HOW???It was *so damn obvious the whole time!!!!!* 😭🤎 P.S. I can't stand Wesley in general,but in this episode in particular...can't he do *A SINGLE GOOD THING?!?!* 🤬💢 15:49 - 15:55 *NO!!!ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!>O