Faith, Hope & Trick

"Faith, Hope, & Trick" is the third episode of the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the thirty-seventh episode altogether.

Synopsis
The episode begins with Willow babbling to Oz about how they are seniors and are now allowed to go off school campus for lunch. Still, it takes Xander, Cordelia, and Oz to get her to walk to the grassy area where Buffy has set up a picnic basket. They proceed to chat about Martha Stewart, Scott Hope, and the meeting that Buffy will attend with Principal Snyder later on.

That night, we are introduced to Kakistos and his right-hand man, Mr. Trick, as they drive up to the Happy Burger drive-through. Trick orders a medium diet soda, but gets hungry as Kakistos proceeds to talk about exactly what he'll do to the Slayer. Trick then pulls the drive-through attendant through the window, into the car, and begins to feed on him.

Meanwhile, Buffy has yet another dream involving Angel, this time at the Bronze. As they dance in front of their friends, Buffy's ring falls off her finger. When Angel picks it up the dream becomes a flash-back of Buffy killing him. He clenches the ring in his fingers until blood runs between his fingers, and blood also starts to stain his white shirt, exactly where Buffy had to impale him. He tells her to go to hell, and his appearance changes to that of a zombie. Buffy wakes up, and Joyce is asking her if she's ready to face the Principal.

Principal Snyder lays out three requirements that Buffy must fulfill once she has been accepted back into Sunnydale High. They're not actually requirements for re-admission, simply Synder's cruelty toward an unwanted pupil. The school board has already admitted Buffy back in, a fact that prompts Joyce to take a childish approach to express her delight.

Buffy and Willow go to the library, where Giles has asked them to meet him for help on research. He wants to perform a binding spell on Acathla to make sure that the demon cannot be resurrected again. Buffy has to rush out in order to take her English make-up exam. Willow tries to persuade Giles that she could help with the magic spell. At the Bronze, Willow and Oz are kissing when Buffy comes up with drinks. She reveals that she passed her English make-up, and is glad to be back in her own life. Just then, Buffy is approached by Scott. When asked to dance, however, she babbles through a few excuses and a thank-you. Scott interrupts, and tells her where he will be if she changes her mind and wants to dance later.

Cordelia and Xander approach, calling the gang's attention to two of the people on the dance floor, one of which is dressed and acting like he is from a much earlier decade and dancing with a young woman. Buffy speculates that he might be a vampire, and follows them out, though she is distracted for a few moments by Scott. The gang follows her out as well, and right when they are ready to turn back they hear signs of a struggle and head towards them. The vampire was almost ready to bite when the young woman tosses him back. When Buffy arrives, the girl introduces herself as Faith, before staking the vampire and walking away.

Back inside the Bronze, Faith is telling lewd stories about slaying to the gang and how, since her watcher was called to England, she wanted to take this opportunity to comapre notes with Buffy. She apparently thinks that Giles has gone to England, as well. Cordelia figures out that Faith must have been called to duty as a Slayer when Kendra was killed by Drusilla. Faith wants to hear a story from Buffy, but is quickly distracted when Xander asks for the "alligator story." When Buffy is asked what her toughest kill was, she flashes back to killing Angel, but says that they are all difficult. Oz asks about her stance on werewolves. Faith doesn't have a problem with them.

Giles confirms that a Watchers' retreat is going on in England, but that he wasn't invited. Upon meeting Giles, Faith says that she should have requested a transfer. Buffy invites her to dinner, and then asks Willow for help studying. She is ignored, though, and sits in the library. She leaves later, when Giles begins asking her more questions about the details of Acathla's demise.

Willow and Xander are showing Faith all the places in the school where supernatural things had occurred, when Faith turns to get water. Finished, she accidentally bumps into Scott and the two start talking. Buffy shows up just in time to see the two of them apparently flirting. Willow starts talking about how Faith and Scott might hit it off, and agrees with Faith that Buffy needs to "find the fun." Buffy then drags Faith away.

Elsewhere, Mr. Trick is filling Kakistos in on what they can do in Sunnydale, before informing the vampire that there is already a slayer there, a fact which indicates that they are not after Buffy after all, but Faith instead. Kakistos also draws attention to the scar over his right eye, saying that "she will pay for what she did to me." Mr. Trick agrees, before going to answer the door and dragging the pizza delivery man in for all the vampires to feed on.

Mrs. Summers and Faith are talking at the dinner table, discussing slaying. Mrs. Summers appears to think that Faith might be a better Slayer than Buffy, then leaves to get another drink for Faith. Buffy follows Joyce to talk, revealing that she doesn't want Faith to steal her life, like she seems to be doing. Mrs. Summers says that Faith could share in the slaying though, and that they could even ask Faith to take over. Buffy accidentally tells her mom that new Slayers are only called to duty when the old one dies, which makes her mother freak out, because Buffy never revealed to her that she had been temporarily killed while fighting The Master. They finish talking though, and both feel better.

While Buffy and Faith patrol, Faith starts talking about Angel. The two verbally spar before vampires interrupt. Faith starts beating one into a pulp as two drag Buffy down, mentioning Kakistos as they do so. Paradoxically, Faith appears to enjoy beating the vampires more than slaying them, even to the point of ignoring Buffy's plea for help. When Buffy yells at Faith, the latter merely says that she was doing her job and walks away.

Buffy tries talking to Giles, but it doesn't help. Giles begins mulling over what might be going on at the retreat before asking Buffy details to trace the slain vampire's lineage. Upon hearing Buffy try saying "Kakistos", he rushes off to the library to grab a book. With the fact that both the vampire Kakistos and Faith appeared around the same time, Giles and Buffy begin wondering if the two are connected. They formulate their plans together, then go their separate ways.

On her way out, Buffy runs in to Scott, who again tries to ask her out on a date. Buffy accepts, but then runs away when Scott hands her a ring that looks exactly like the one Angel had given her. Giles comes up, and tells Buffy that Faith's watcher is dead. Buffy goes to see Faith, and begins talking about Kakistos, surprising Faith with the fact that the vampire is in town. Faith starts packing, but Buffy brings up her watcher's death, which stops Faith in her tracks. They are interrupted by a knock on the door, and Kakistos is outside with the dead motel operator.

Faith and Buffy run, eventually ending up in the exact warehouse where Kakistos has been staying. Faith begins to fall apart, right before bringing attention to the fact that they were herded there. Buffy yells at Faith, repeating the number one rule of slaying, "Don't die!". Buffy fights the rest of the vamps while Kakistos starts beating Faith. Buffy intervenes, and Mr. Trick takes the time to leave with one of the other vamps. Buffy stakes Kakistos but he's so old that a regular stake isn't enough to kill him. Luckily, Faith recovers and picks up a thick wooden post that she had broken earlier, using it to impale and thus dust Kakistos.

Back in the library, Buffy finally reveals to the others that Willow's restoration spell had cured Angel just before she was forced to kill him. She tells them all the details, and Willow and Giles proceed to stare at her. Giles says that it will help with the binding spell, and Willow empathizes with Buffy and apologizes. When Buffy leaves, Willow once again approaches Giles about the spell, only to be told that the spell doesn't exist, and he was merely trying to get Buffy to talk about what had happened.

Buffy finally talks to Scott, and they make plans to go out later on. Buffy goes to the mansion, finally being able to say good-bye. She leaves her ring in the spot where she killed Angel and goes out. The ring starts to quiver on the floor, however, and a bright white light appears. Out of the light drops a naked figure. We see it is Angel, shivering - back from Hell...

Continuity

 * This episode introduces the character of Faith Lehane, who plays a vital part in the remainder of this season, the fourth season, the seventh season, seasons one and four of the eventual spin-off series Angel, and later comic continuation Angel & Faith.


 * When Buffy complains about Faith, Joyce replies "It's probably better that you were an only child." This will become a somewhat ironic statement following the introduction of Dawn.


 * Buffy describes the arrival of Faith as "the arrival of my best new little sis", foreshadowing the arrival of Dawn.


 * When Faith and Buffy are attacked by Kakistos in Faith's hotel room, the vamps come in without being invited. It's well established that vampires do not need invitations into hotel rooms (vis Angelus in "Innocence" and Angel in "The Zeppo").


 * Buffy feels as if Faith is taking her life, a theme explored further in Season 7, particularly the episodes "Empty Places", and "Touched". It also foreshadows the Season 4 episodes "This Year's Girl" and "Who Are You", in which Faith literally switches lives (and bodies) with Buffy.
 * Faith said lewdly "Isn't it funny how slaying always makes you hungry and horny?" Buffy awkwardly denied the "horny" bit. Interestingly enough, many of Buffy's sexual encounters in the series had taken place immediately after slaying or violence of some kind: "Surprise" with Angel, "The I in Team" with Riley Finn, "Where the Wild Things Are" with Riley again, "Smashed" with Spike, "Gone" with Spike again, "Dead Things" with Spike, and "Twilight, Part Three" with Angel.


 * The minor characters of Mr. Trick (Kakistos' right-hand vampire turned Mayor's assistant before his staking) and Scott Hope (brief love interest of Buffy's) are also introduced.


 * Buffy begins a relationship with Scott. However, this relationship ends two episodes later, in "Homecoming", where Scott says Buffy isn't that exciting anymore. Scott isn't mentioned again until Season 7, where Buffy has a post-fight discussion with former high school classmate Holden Webster, who points out that Scott told some people Buffy was gay which is ironic because he also stated Scott came out last year.


 * Buffy finally faces up to her ordeal last season, and it becomes general knowledge among the Scoobies that Angel was re-ensouled prior to being killed.


 * Willow continues to dabble in magic after her attempt to restore Angel's soul. She is even more encouraged when she finds out that she had in fact succeeded in the Ritual of Restoration.


 * The surprise ending -- the return of Angel -- is a major point of conflict for the Scooby Gang for the remainder of the season.
 * Xander and Willow reference several events that took place in Season 2: They were attacked by snakes in "I Only Have Eyes for You", Angelus tried to kill Willow in "Innocence", and when Spike attacked them on Parent-Teacher night in "School Hard".


 * Faith is the only character to have her first appearance be one of her centric episodes.
 * Buffy briefly mentions The Three who appeared in the episode "Angel" of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
 * There was also some reference to the rocket launcher used to kill The Judge in "Innocence".
 * Faith described Buffy as " wound too tight. " Buffy admitted years later that she was "tightly wound" in Season Nine 's Freefall. 
 * Xander openly showed an attraction to Faith in this episode which Cordelia noticed, claiming Xander had a thing for slayers. This seemed to be somewhat true considering Xander's crush on Buffy during the first and second seasons along with his brief flirtation with Kendra Young.
 * When Faith professes her attraction to Giles in the library scene Xander remarks 'Raise you hand if euhh!' and raises his hand. Notably Willow who is present does not raise her hand, foreshadowing her later confession of having had a crush on Giles.

Body Count

 * Happy Burger Employee, drained by Mr. Trick
 * Disco Dave, dusted by Faith Lehane
 * Pizza Delivery Guy, drained by Mr.Trick
 * Five Vampires, dusted by Buffy
 * Motel operator, drained by Kakistos
 * Kakistos, dusted by Faith

Production

 * According to the published shooting script, the title of this episode is "Faith, Hope & Trick", rather than "Faith, Hope and Trick" or "Faith, Hope, and Trick". This refers to the three new characters it introduces: Faith Lehane, Scott Hope and the vampire Mr. Trick. The title is also a play on Corinthians, 13:13. "And now abide faith, hope, and love; these three; but the greatest of these is love;" based on this passage, the three theological virtues are listed as either "faith, hope and charity" or "faith, hope and love."


 * The vampire seen dancing with Faith uses somewhat dated dance moves, harkening back to "Welcome To The Hellmouth" in which Buffy picks a vampire out of a crowd based solely on his out-of-fashion clothes. Joss Whedon had originally wanted vampires to wear clothing from the era of their human lives, but felt that this would make them less frightening.


 * This episode features the band Darling Violetta performing in the Bronze. Darling Violetta would later write the theme song to Angel.

Deleted Scenes

 * This exchange was cut due to length:
 * Mr. Trick: "I believe this dance is mine."
 * Buffy: "The music stopped."
 * Mr. Trick: "But the beat goes on. Gimme whatcha got."

Music

 * Brian Jonestown Massacre - "Going to Hell" (Plays as Oz and Willow wait for Xander and Cordelia outside Sunnydale High.)
 * Third Eye Blind - "The Background" (Plays during Buffy's dream.)
 * Darling Violetta - "Cure" (Played at The Bronze when Scott asks Buffy to dance.)
 * Darling Violetta - "Blue Sun" (Played at The Bronze when Faith talks about her slaying history.)
 * Christophe Beck - "Goodbye" (Capture)