DVD Caps
Icons Consequences 
Break Down
I'm in a constant state of flux with this episode. One moment I can ignore the bad writing and think it's wonderful. The next I think the only thing that carries it through is Eliza, Sarah and Alyson, not to mention some choice acting by David. This is 
meant to be the episode that 'drives' Faith to the Mayor. And, it does indeed, have enough happening to Faith to drive anyone to the Mayor. However, the psychology is lacking. Sure, Faith is under incredible strain, but I don't think it's enough to 'turn' her. I absolutely don't think it's enough to have her try to kill Xander!
It's been said that Xander would understand Faith. That they have more in common than anyone, besides Faith and Angel. I agree with that. It's one of the many places where Consequences falls down. Both Buffy and Giles dismiss Xander's offer of talking to Faith. Buffy tells him that she treats guys as "a joke". Not true! We've just had two episodes worth of how much Faith likes Xander. Even their backgrounds are similar. Technically, Xander should've been able to talk Faith around. It's infuriating that when he turns up at her room, she doesn't really want anything to do with him. It's incongruent, let alone annoying. Getting back to said scene, Xander's dopey approach would drive anyone to at least want to throttle him. "I'm willing to testify to that in court" was just a red flag to Faith. It's her biggest fear! She has herself tried and convicted already. She doesn't need Xander to swan in and remind her that court is in her future. In point of fact, she doesn't need Xander to remind her that she's even done anything wrong!
As Buffy noted: "She's freaking." And Giles tells us the party line: "She's in denial." You don't go to someone in denial and confront them with what they're denying! At least, not the way Xander did.
People should also remember that after the hurt of Revelations, it took a lot for Faith to trust Buffy again. So, when Faith chides Buffy for pretending that Angel was still dead when it suited her, so why can't Buffy cover for her, this really hurts Faith. It's not merely an observation. Angel did far worse than Faith! At most Faith is guilty of manslaughter at this point (and even that's stretching it). Angel was guilty of far more! So, you've got to understand where Faith is coming from. As I noted in Faith Hope and Trick, Faith will not speak her mind. She's selective about what she lets people know. Perhaps if she had been more forthcoming about her feelings, Buffy may have been more sympathetic. Really though, what Faith said to Buffy in the classroom should have been enough.
The next order of business in this episode, is Faith's justification for not being overly sad about her victim. She reasons to Buffy that Finch was not exactly the nicest person in the world, but between the two of them, they've saved probably thousands. Also, she is sorry: "I'm sorry about the guy, I really am!" So, they have one not-so-innocent guy got caught in the crossfire! No big deal. No one's going to cry about it. However, moral crusader and all round nice Slayer, Buffy would cry about it, she tells Faith this. And that's that.
Faith figures there's no talking to Buffy and Buffy figures the same about Faith, but this is (to Buffy) nothing to 'agree to disagree' about. She's tortured. The annoying thing about this scene though, is Faith is right. Nearly everything she says is true.
After being given the third degree by the detective, Faith correctly concludes that Buffy won't be able to go through with the pretense anymore. Faith beats Buffy to telling Giles, although she lies and tells him Buffy was the one who killed Alan Finch.
When Giles explains to Buffy that what happened is not uncommon, that it's happened to Slayers before, and that it's not that big of a deal, he's basically saying the exact same thing Faith was trying to tell Buffy earlier. "It's unfortunate, but it does happen." So, what has Faith, the younger and not-so-well educated of the two, being right? Logic, plain and simple. Buffy could use a good dose of it. What should have happened here, though, is Giles should have told Faith what he told Buffy. Faith would've automatically felt better and the whole stupidity of this episode would've been over.
By the time we get to Angel's mansion, I despair. Again, because even though the scene where Faith tries to kill Xander shook people from their complacency, it simply didn't ring true. There was no reason for it. Faith's not that stupid. Nor that (yet) cold.
Our recurring element of Faith is resurrected once more though. Her false bravado. "I hope evil takes MasterCard", she tells Angel when Angel tells her that she "can't imagine the true price for evil". Sighing, he heads out to a hopeful Buffy and downs all our spirits by telling us she may never come around because "She's got a taste for it" ('it' being murder). I refute that. Faith is cocky. Her false bravado is in full swing. She's blowing smoke! Anyway...that said, once he returns to Faith he begins to make real progress, setting up the Angel episodes Five By Five and Sanctuary a year later. However, the 'ever-so-green' Wesley, storms in with council goons and destroys all progress by kidnapping Faith to take back to England. Our girl escapes and heads for the docks.
This is where Faith tells Buffy how she percieves her situation in relation to the two of them. Faith believes that everyone wants her to be like Buffy and says "it ain't gonna happen, B." She believes she's found herself, that reckless abandon is what Slaying is all about. She tells Buffy what Buffy knows but she denies, that she is scared that if you scratch the surface, she's more like Faith than she'd ever care to admit. A Slayer who enjoys what she does. As Faith points out, it's not a bad thing! Ironically, it's one of Faith's triumphs. Buffy protests too much and tells Faith she's "sick". At the very least, even if Faith is sick, she's honest! Faith taunting Buffy, causes Buffy to backhand Faith. Faith smiles, knowing she's right. It's interesting that the Slayer part of Buffy, the primal part, rarely emerges during this. Even if anyone thinks Faith is wrong, the fact that Buffy hit her proves that she's capable of unwarranted violence. also, don't get me started on how right Faith was. Once we get to another Marti Toxon epiode, Buffy vs. Dracula, Dracula all but says the exact same things Faith did (acknowledging a power Buffy seems to be scared of) - Buffy thinks it's annoying that he knows more about her being a Slayer than she does and asks Giles to 'teach her'! So, Faith was 'sick' but Dracula is knowledgeable?! Agh!
When Buffy gets in real trouble, life and death trouble courtesy of Mr. Trick, Faith could've left her to die, but she doesn't. She slays Trick and rescues Buffy. That act in itself, contradicts everything Buffy leveled at Faith. Also, and this is a huge moan of mine, Buffy makes a point of telling Giles later that she's "not about to give up on her". And yet by the very next episode, she is cold and distant. It took me this long to realize, that when it comes to Faith, Buffy pays lip service only. She doesn't follow through. The Scooby gang is full. Of course, by the time we get to Enemies it's all over. Getting back to Consequences, however, Faith has done her math and she sees herself as never coming up to people's expectations. Buffy is just too hard an act to follow. As with most people, and certainly a teen who's as down on herself as Faith is, hurt and anger turn to hate. Hate not just of Buffy and the Scooby Gang, but a self-loathing that only gets worse. Again, her logic kicks in, and we see the result as Faith turns up at the door of the only person who can save her from jail. The Mayor.