Consequences

"Consequences" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the forty-ninth episode altogether. It was written by Marti Noxon and directed by Michael Gershman. It originally broadcast on February 16, 1999.

Synopsis


Buffy has a nightmare in which she tries to escape murky waters while the murdered Finch pulls her down. Finally reaching the surface, Buffy sees Faith, who immediately pushes her fellow Slayer back underwater. After waking up, Buffy wanders down to the family room, where her mother is watching a news report about the discovery of Finch's body.



At the library, Wesley orders Buffy and Faith to investigate Finch's murder, much to Buffy's chagrin, though Faith acts like she's indifferent. During their discussion, Cordelia Chase enters the library to check out some books for an assignment. She takes an immediate interest in Wesley, who doesn't realize how young she is until Giles and the others fill him in, at which point he turns frosty towards her. After heading out, Buffy tries to convince Faith to coming clean and confess their crime to Giles. Faith reminds Buffy that they were both involved, so if she goes down, she's taking Buffy with her. Buffy then spots Willow and tries to talk to her. However, Willow is still stung by Buffy's recent behavior in which she has been hanging out with Faith more and spending less time with Willow. Meanwhile, Mayor Wilkins shreds all of Finch's files that contain anything related to their dirty work. Mr. Trick listens as Mayor Wilkins wonders if Allan Finch was conspiring against him somehow.

Later that night, Buffy and Faith sneak into Finch's office at City Hall to see if they can find any info that might explain why he was in the alley that night. They notice that almost all of his files are gone, which leads Buffy to believe that a cover-up may be in the works. Just as they're heading out, Mayor Wilkins and Mr. Trick enter the building on the opposite end of the hallway. Seeing them together, Buffy and Faith duck back into Finch's office, waiting for the Mayor and Mr. Trick to pass by before running for the exit. Outside, Buffy expresses her concern over Faith's apparently guilt-free conscience. She doesn't believe that Faith is perfectly okay with murdering a man, but Faith says otherwise. Faith believes that their nightly deeds as Slayers should put them above the law&mdash;they have been Chosen and are better than others and don't have to obey the same rules.



When Buffy returns home, she is greeted by her mother and Detective Stein, who has come to ask her a few questions about the night of the murder. Buffy lies and pleads ignorance to everything related to the Deputy Mayor. Detective Stein leaves and visits Faith at her motel room, where he gets a similar story. Meanwhile, Buffy goes to Willow's house, where she starts to tell Willow what happened, but Willow is upset about Buffy recently ignoring her and speaks harshly about how Buffy is deserting her for Faith. This causes Buffy to burst into tears and tell Willow she's in trouble. She confesses all to Willow, and she advises Buffy to go to Giles. When Buffy arrives at the library, she finds out that Faith has gotten there first and pinned the murder on Buffy. Buffy tries to convince Giles otherwise but Giles is implacable. But after Faith leaves, Giles assures Buffy that he recognized immediately that Faith was lying, but feigned belief in order to prevent Faith from bolting or completely breaking. Giles tells Buffy that this isn't the first time this sort of thing has happened, and civillians are sometimes caught in the crossfire from battle and normally the Watcher's Council would investigate and deal out punishment if they feel it's necessary. However Giles has no intention of informing the Council given Faith's current mental state, and he and Buffy agree to only share what's happened with the others in the group... but what they don't realize is that Wesley has overheard the whole conversation from outside the office. Immediately afterward, he calls the Council to alert them of the crime.

The next morning, Buffy talks with Xander, Willow, and Giles about what they should do with Faith. Feeling he has a special connection with Faith, Xander offers to talk to her. The others think that of all of them, Xander knows her the least, so he confesses they'd slept together. Buffy tells him that Faith doesn't think well of the men she's slept with; Giles looks uncomfortable; and Willow looks a bit in shock, then later goes to the bathroom and cries. Despite this, Xander heads towards Faith's motel room. At the motel room, Xander tries to help Faith see that what she did was wrong. Faith instead shoves Xander onto the bed and sexually dominates him. She wraps her hands around Xander's neck and asphyxiates him. Before she can kill him, Faith is distracted by a sound at her doorway. She turns her head just in time to see Angel swing a bat right into her face.

Faith regains consciousness chained up in the mansion. She tries to come on to Angel. He leaves her there alone momentarily while he goes to talk with Buffy in another room. Angel believes that Faith is more dangerous than ever, now that she's experienced murder by her own hands. The Mayor discovers that Buffy and Faith saw him with Mr. Trick via a surveillance tape.





Angel attempts to get Faith to recognize reason. He tells her how he can relate to her sinful desires. Although Faith initially remains insolent, it seems as if Angel is slowly persuading her. Just as he tells her that she does not have to "go into the darkness," Wesley and several other men crash into the mansion. The men subdue Angel while Wesley unlocks Faith's chains. Immediately after unlocking the last chain, Wesley restrains Faith with his own cuffs, informing the Slayer that she will be brought to face the Council. In the truck, Faith tricks one of the men into getting closer. She then captures and threatens to snap his neck unless Wesley frees her from the restraints. Wesley follows her orders. As soon as she's freed, Faith knocks Wesley to the floor and jumps out the back of the truck.

Buffy returns to the mansion to find Faith gone and Angel immobilized on the floor. Shortly, Giles, Xander, and Willow arrive at the mansion. When they try to formulate a plan to save Faith, Willow interrupts with her own objection to the idea of saving a guilty murderer who has just tried to kill Xander. At that moment, a bruised Wesley arrives at the mansion and tells them that Faith has escaped. Buffy goes to the docks and finds Faith on one of the boats, ready to flee the country. Buffy tries one last time to turn Faith around and get help. They argue again, but this debate is cut short by a surprise ambush. Mr. Trick and several of his vampire cohorts knock Buffy to the ground with a large crate, and she is pinned down by it. With Buffy down, Faith attempts to fight the vampires by herself. Mr. Trick tries to kill Buffy but, after dusting the last of his henchmen, Faith sees Mr. Trick about to bite into Buffy's neck and stakes him in the back at the last second, much to the vampire's surprise.

At the library, Buffy talks to Giles about Faith's heroic act. They believe that there may still be hope for Faith. Meanwhile, Mayor Wilkins gets a visit from Faith at his office. With Mr. Trick out of the picture, Faith says he must have a job available. Intrigued, Mayor Wilkins lets her into the office, shutting the door behind her.

Continuity

 * Finch's death is the the third murder investigation in which Buffy has been involved in less than two years. She was previously suspected in the deaths of her would-be stepfather, the robot Ted ("Ted"), and fellow Slayer Kendra ("Becoming, Part Two").


 * Cordelia Chase and Wesley meet each other in this episode. The two will become each other's superficial love interests until Graduation Day, Part 2. Later, on Angel, the two become very close friends and coworkers.


 * The telephone number that Wesley dials when contacting the Watcher's Council regarding Faith appears to be a correct one, which is unusual for television and film. The international calling code from the US to the UK is 011-44-telephone number. On screen, we clearly see Wesley dialing 11-44-the rest of the number.


 * Angel seems to be able to get through to Faith, a theme that will be picked up much later when the two meet in LA.


 * The events of this episode are one of the primary reasons Wesley is eventually dismissed from the Watcher's Council, as revealed in the Angel Season One episode "Parting Gifts".


 * Buffy seeing the Mayor Wilkins and Mr. Trick together provides the Scoobies with their first concrete evidence that the Mayor is not what he seems and will become a problem.


 * After the death of Mr. Trick, Faith firmly casts her lot in with the Mayor, representing the first conscious, definitive break from the good side she has taken.


 * Despite failing to help Faith change here, Angel helps her seek redemption over a year later and she willingly sends herself to prison for her crimes, only breaking out when Angel needs her help.


 * Faith says to Buffy "We are the law." Buffy in later episodes mentions that she is the law.

Body Count

 * Two vampires, dusted by Faith
 * Mr. Trick, dusted by Faith

Production

 * Although credited, Oz does not appear in this episode as Seth Green was away filming his scenes as Scott Evil in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
 * This is the only time during Season 3 that a main character is absent.

Deleted Scenes

 * This exchange was cut for length:
 * Angel: "You and me, Faith, we're a lot alike."
 * Faith: "Well, you're kind of dead..."
 * Angel: "Like I said. A lot alike."
 * Faith: "Sorry, buddy. I'm alive and kicking. In fact, I've got a bodily function that needs attending to pretty quick here."
 * Angel: "You're not alive. You're just running. Afraid to feel. Afraid to be touched..."
 * Faith: "Save it for Hallmark. I have to pee."

Music

 * Kathleen Wilhoite - "Wish We Never Met" (Plays as Willow cries in the bathroom.)
 * Christophe Beck - original score

Other

 * This episode is Faith-centric.