WHO ARE YOU?
Okay, I missed the opening montage. What I did catch seemed to be exclusively from part one so we'll go with that. The real show starts with Joyce and Buffy...
Okay, I'm going to call characters by their souls and not their bodies, got it?
Joyce and Faith are standing watching the paramedics take Buffy away. Buffy becomes aware enough to see the two and Faith takes Joyce's hand just to rub it in. The cops assure them that Faith is a dangerous chick and will go bye-bye a long time. In the house Joyce muses at what causes Faith to act this way and discounts Faith's "she's nuts" explanation. Joyce always did like Faith. Faith is over gleeful at the prospect of Faith in jail and when chastised by Joyce gets all maudlin over the danger mommy was in and goes to take a bath.
Buffy wakes up in the hospital long enough to freak out and get sedated. Hasn't she seen Classic Star Trek Mirror Mirror or Wolf in the Fold or Turnabout Intruder? God, I hope she hasn't seen Turnabout Intruder <shudder>.
Willow and Tara are talking at Tara's place on Tara's bed. Willow expresses concern over Faith hurting people before Buffy can stop her. Tara reminds her that no one knows Willow is there because no one knows Tara exists. Tara knows about them but not visa a versa. Willow, says that Buffy is her best friend and the gang is the gang and she wants Tara to meet them and they meet her but right now she just wants someone who is "mine". Tara assures her that she understands and that she is "yours". We are rapidly exiting subtext and heading to maintext.
Faith enjoys a long bubble bath and then we have what has to be the funniest scene in the episode. (Actually, this episode was really lacking funny but that's beside the point.) Faith tries makes some silly faces in the mirror and then begins some Buffy lines. Tiring of that she dresses in Buffy's only black top, black leather pants (Nic, eat your heart out) and somehow manages to get her hair permed. She then steals Joyce's purse and charges a plane ticket to the Visa.
While enroute to the hospital, jail whatever the Men In Black in an armoured van kidnap Buffy.
Faith goes to Giles where Giles, Willow, Xander and Anya are. Faith gleefully and happily tells them how "Faith" is off to the big house. Giles corrects her with an off to England, the council has her. While the others are chatting Faith and Willow have a moment. Faith states that Willow hates her but Willow says it is because of what Faith had done to Buffy that caused it. Willow then flashes that Willow smile and Faith returns it. Faith suggests that they all go party and they remind her about Adam. Faith suggests that they all go rest and she'll go on patrol, after all it is her duty.
Apparently patrolling means dancing at the Bronze. In an odd way this makes sense as almost as many demons as kids show up there in a given evening. Faith runs into Spike who she doesn't recognize but who she knows from the files as "Bloody William". Spike does some macho posturing and Faith counters with a description of what she'd do with him but won't because it isn't "nice". I'm very interested in seeing Spike and Buffy's next meeting.
Short break to Adam preaching to three vampires. Adam has decided that his purpose in life is to destroy everything living. Vampires fascinate him and he's chosen them to help him.
Buffy tries to tell the Men In Black that she's Faith but, surprisingly they don't believe her. One expresses his hatred for Faith and Buffy as he considers them the cause of the Council's fall.
Willow and Tara arrive at the Bronze and Willow introduces Tara to "Buffy" and then heads off to get drinks. Faith immediately makes the comment that Willow isn't driving a stick anymore and then starts to bring up Oz and how much they were in wuv and what a cute couple they were and Tara gets more and more nervous. Willow returns to report a vampire spotting and Faith, after a slight hesitation goes off to dust him. When the guy is dead his victim tearfully thanks Faith who seems quite taken aback and uncomfortable with the praise. Faith returns to the bar where Willow says that she's taking an ill Tara home. Faith tells Willow that she should give Tara what she needs and they all decide that maybe Faith should go spend some quality time with Riley.
Buffy grabs one of the Men In Black and threatens to kill him if they don't let her go. The Spitter says, go ahead - we have wills. Obviously this man has seen Speed. Buffy punts the hostage out of the van.
Tara and Willow arrive at Tara's where Tara tells Willow that Buffy is not her friend. Or rather that Buffy is not Buffy. Tara knows a spell that would allow Willow to astral project to where Buffy really is to find out what happened. Quoting from memory the best set of lines in the episode...
TARA: It's dangerous. I'd have to be your anchor.
WILLOW: I trust you.
TARA: (nervously) It's not like anything--
WILLOW: (earnestly and taking a step forward) I trust you.
Faith goes to Riley's dorm room. She asks him how does he want to play it, what game does he want. Riley (sweet Iowa boy that he is) says she'll be Buffy, he'll be Riley and no game and kisses her. Faith pulls back to give Riley a "what planet did you come from" look before we fade away because, while we can show a lot on TV we can't show THAT.
Tara and Willow prepare for the spell. They kneel side by side facing each other, speaking a phrase in unison and waving their outside hand in a lazy arc. The energy builds and a fog machine starts up creating a circle based on their two arcs. They are breathing rather heavily by this time and sweat is pouring from their faces. They touch, outstretched hand to outstretched hand, give each other a look that Gabrielle and Xena *use* to share and then Willow collapses backward (which is really bad for the knees - don't try it at home).
Back at Riley's. We are just post what we aren't allowed to show and Riley says I love you to Faith. Faith freaks. She begins hitting him and yelling for him to get off and, when he does, she rolls up and out of bed and moves across the room. Riley goes after her to comfort her, telling her maybe he shouldn't have used the "L" word, what's wrong and notes that she's shaking. (Exactly what Buffy had said to him during Good-bye Iowa when he was going through the DTs at Willy's Place.)
Adam is preaching to the Vamps, all of whom have this rapt look on their face that is usually reserved for cultists. Adam tells him that the vampires will be his messenger but first he's going to help the vampires conquer their greatest fear. He asks them what that fear is but we break away before finding out the answer.
Faith awakens, steals one of Riley's shirts and leaves him sleeping. On the way out of the dorm his second in command (who's name I can never remember) berates her for not letting Riley rest and heal. They get into a bitch fight and we get the second best exchange of the episode...
XO: You're just a killer.
FAITH: I am not a killer!! I am the Slayer and you have no idea what that means.
XO: Why do you care what I think of you?
FAITH: I... I don't care. (turns in confusion and walks away)
The Men In Black have found out that the Council can't arrange to get their "package" out of the country so they should kill her. The Spitter takes his gun, sticks it and his arm through the grill to shoot a sleeping Buffy. FAKE!!! Using those muscles that Faith bragged about to Spike she grabs the gun with her ankles and pulls the guy into the door. She grabs the keys and unchains herself and while the guy that she didn't kill is dithering she makes it to the cab of the armoured car and drives away. They shoot at the fleeing van which is (duh) armoured and doesn't slow down.
Faith is at the airport picking up a ticket when she notices a news report about a hostage taking at a church by what are obviously (to her) vampires. She stares at the screen pensively.
Buffy arrives at Giles and tries to convince him that she really is Buffy by telling him about the time he turned into a demon and she knew just by looking into his eyes and that when she could read minds her mom had thought that he was like a stevedore during sex and what was a stevedore. Giles begs Buffy to stop trying to convince him and dives for the books. Willow and Tara arrive and blow off the explanations about body switching because not only do Tara and Willow know what happened they have conjured the cure. Xander calls to tell them to turn on the TV and now the Scooby Gang knows about the church hostages.
At the church a suit clad Riley takes over. Faith arrives convinces Riley that she can handle it and that he should stay outside and help people to safety and in she goes.
The vampire leader has been terrorizing the congregation. Apparently his biggest fear was God. But here they were, in God's house and he wasn't home let alone smiting them with lightning bolts. Faith walks in, tries to negotiate but the vamps say that they don't need to negotiate; they're going to kill them all. Faith says that they're not going to kill anyone because it's wrong. (This was the line she practiced in the mirror and was unable to way with any conviction at the beginning of the episode.) Faith dusts one vamp and a second grabs a coat to protect himself from the sun and runs for it. He plows into Riley who manages to push the vamp away while holding onto the coat so that he combusts. Easy kill; Riley is up to 15 now.
Buffy and party show up in the Scooby Mobile, err stolen armoured truck, and Giles distracts the cops so that Buffy can get in the church. On the way in she bumps into Riley and exchange a few confusing words.
Inside the church the leader has gained momentary advantage over Faith who is lying on her back while he stands over her and rants. He is droning on that Adam has made me strong, I fear nothing, nothing can stop me, I am strong, I am invincible, I am woooo- dust. Faith looks up to see Buffy standing in the dust motes. Without pause they launch into an attack. After a no holds barred silent fight (almost exactly the opposite of the first one) Buffy grabs Faith's hand and their souls are transferred back to the right body. Again, Faith apparently recovers first as she runs out before Buffy even tries to stop her.
Last scene is in Riley's dorm. Buffy is on the phone getting a report that the Men In Black have cleared out and that there is no sign of Faith. Riley is kicking himself for not noticing that "Buffy" wasn't Buffy and thereby lets slip that he slept with Faith. He feels guilty for cheating Buffy even though he didn't and couldn't have known. Buffy doesn't like it but doesn't lay a guilt trip on him They agree that she's gone and never coming back.
Last lingering scene is of Faith, sitting in a shadowy box car heading who knows where, gazing pensively out of the slits into the sun. Fade to Joss' name.
RANDOM NOTES: