Faith, Hope and Trick
"Obviously something in your body needs uncorking." The moment Faith and Buffy see each other, they fall in love. Here's perhaps a rather too deep interpretation of the song that's playing as Buffy first sees Slut-o-rama: I've given you every part of me/ tried everything I could to make you see/ but you don't love yourself/ you can't love me or anyone else/ You said I was the best thing in your life/ Is that why you run, why you hide?/
You will never be the cure/ and you will never change/ You will never be the cure/ and you will never change/ you will never be the cure/" They probably just thought it was a nice song... but to me it describes Buffy and Faith's coming relationship perfectly. Buffy gave a great deal of herself to Faith, and tried hard to help her through difficult times; Faith obviously feels Buffy to be the most important person in her life (Sanctuary: "All my life there was only one person who tried to be my friend, and I screwed her.") but she's got serious self-esteem problems and runs from any commitment (the end of Revelations). So this song (it's Cure, by Darling Violetta) prophesies the whole of their relationship. Faith obviously wants to find out more about Buffy, and her "hungry and horny" comment is her flirting and trying to convey her feelings. "You and me are gonna have fun" - what kind of fun does she have in mind? When Faith is talking to Giles with the rest of the gang, Buffy's following her with her eyes. They stand very close when reading that newspaper. Buffy's jealous when Faith's talking to Scott, not because Scott is talking to Faith but the other way around. She doesn't want her with anybody who might threaten their possible relationship. Faith certainly seems very interested in B when she's with her friends. Why does she know about Angel? Was she asking about her love life? It's obvious Buffy doesn't want Faith to leave. Despite her apparent resentment and dislike of the new Slayer in town, she's very sincere and heartfelt in her, "Faith, you run, he runs after you." She desperately wants her to stay. She shows the same thing in saying, "First rule of slaying: *don't die*." After the fight with Kakistos etc, the "You hungry?" comment is obviously referring to the earlier hungry and horny comment, with all those implications. And who knows what they did after that. B's pleased to have her stay at the end, and pleased to be able to stop hating her.
Subtext: ****
Overall: ****