"Five By Five" is the beginning of Faith's redemption. Her two part appearance here on "Angel" follows up the BTVS season four episodes "This Years Girl" and "Who are You?" This is actually a very cool episode, that plays on Faith's relationships with Angel and Wes. It also draws some really interesting parallels between Angel and Faith using flashbacks of Angel regaining his soul in Romania. If you're watching the show or following Faith's story line than you really should see "Five by Five."
"Five By Five" revolves around Faith coming to LA. After Angel messes up another Wolfram and Hart case, they are looking for a way to get rid of him. Faith, being a Vampire Slayer, offers them a great new opportunity to kill him. They hire Faith as an assassin and she sets out to kill Angel. First, she taunts him, then she shoots him. Angel is shocked to see Faith up and out of her coma. He and Wes want to try and help her. But when she attacks Cordy and kidnaps Wes, Angel realizes that he'll have to fight her. Meanwhile, flashbacks show Angelus killing a gypsy girl and his subsequent curse of a soul. His voice breaks as he tells Darla that he can remember the face of every person that he killed. He begs Darla for help, but she is disgusted by his soul and drives him away. Angel has to fight his way out of the darkness alone. He doesn't want Faith to go through the same thing. Faith tortures Wes. Angel shows up to save him and then Angel and Faith battle their way right out a window. They end up in an alley way, still fighting. But Faith slowly breaks down and begins to cry. She hates herself and she wants Angel to kill her. Angel end up comforting Faith as she sobs.
There are some great parts to this episode. Having Faith dancing to Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" is just great. What a perfect song, considering Faith's state of mind. Also, I just love the scene in the at the end of the episode. Faith and Angel are fighting in the rain and, suddenly, you realize that she WANTS to loose. She wants Angel to kill her and end her suffering. When she begins sobbing and collapses to the ground, Angel just hugs her, sheltering her with his body as she cries. It's just a beautiful scene. Also, I really love the all the flash backs in this episode. They really show why Angel is so determined to save Faith and add to character histories. It's especially cool to see Angel right after he regains his soul. He's so broken and confused. Spike will go through something similar in BTVS season seven when he gets his soul back. (On a side not, I'm surprised that Wolfram and Hart doesn't try to hire Spike to get rid of Faith in "Sanctuary." He's the obvious choice, since he's killed two Slayers and has a history with Angel. I guess they know about Spike's little chip problem.)
In fact, there's a lot of stuff in this episode that can connect Angel to Faith AND Spike. Take, for instance, Angel imploring Darla to help him when he regains his soul and her disgusted refusal. In "Sancutary" Faith asks Angel for help and he agrees. Giving her the support that he never had as he struggled with his memories and remorse. And, in BTVS season seven's "Sleeper," Spike finally breaks down and begs for Buffy's assistance. He expects her to turn away. But, instead she promises to help him, setting Spike down a path towards redemption. It all sort of fits. Also, Angel's fear of dancing (see "She") corresponds with Spike and Faith. Spike always refers to fighting Slayers as "dancing." It's a kind of sexual metaphor for him, a mix of violence and death and sex and an exhilarating loss of control. (See BTVS season five's Fool for Love.") For Faith, dancing represents basically the same things. She always ends up on at night clubs, working out her aggression through dancing and the occasional fight. In this episode, she looses control of herself to music. (See also BTVS season four's "Who Are You?") To Angel, who constantly struggles to stay in control and to repress his sexual desires and darker violent tendencies, dancing is something to avoid. Which actually makes a lot of sense. Granted, I'm always looking for ways to work Spike into an episode, bit still... It's kind of cool.
On the down side, how does Angel get into that apartment to save Wes and fight Faith? They guy who owns the place is still alive, so wouldn't Angel need an invitation to enter? Also, when is Cordy gonna learn to listen to Dennis? He warned her about Wilson back in "Expecting" and now he tries to tell her not to come into her apartment because Faith is in there, but Cordy just doesn't get it. Finally, I'm sorry that poor Wes gets hurts in this episode. I really don't blame him for Faith's current condition. Even handing her over to the Council back in BTVS season three's "Consequences" is pretty understandable. Wes was new in Sunnydale, Faith was killing people and the Scoobies were keeping him out of the loop. Why wouldn't he follow Council protocol and arrest her?
My favorite part of the episode: Faith trying to shoot Angel with a crossbow. He catches the arrow before it can hit him, proving that --yes-- Angel CAN snatch those "wee sticks" right out of the air. (See season five's "The Girl in Question.") Spike would be very impressed.
"Five By Five" revolves around Faith coming to LA. After Angel messes up another Wolfram and Hart case, they are looking for a way to get rid of him. Faith, being a Vampire Slayer, offers them a great new opportunity to kill him. They hire Faith as an assassin and she sets out to kill Angel. First, she taunts him, then she shoots him. Angel is shocked to see Faith up and out of her coma. He and Wes want to try and help her. But when she attacks Cordy and kidnaps Wes, Angel realizes that he'll have to fight her. Meanwhile, flashbacks show Angelus killing a gypsy girl and his subsequent curse of a soul. His voice breaks as he tells Darla that he can remember the face of every person that he killed. He begs Darla for help, but she is disgusted by his soul and drives him away. Angel has to fight his way out of the darkness alone. He doesn't want Faith to go through the same thing. Faith tortures Wes. Angel shows up to save him and then Angel and Faith battle their way right out a window. They end up in an alley way, still fighting. But Faith slowly breaks down and begins to cry. She hates herself and she wants Angel to kill her. Angel end up comforting Faith as she sobs.
There are some great parts to this episode. Having Faith dancing to Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" is just great. What a perfect song, considering Faith's state of mind. Also, I just love the scene in the at the end of the episode. Faith and Angel are fighting in the rain and, suddenly, you realize that she WANTS to loose. She wants Angel to kill her and end her suffering. When she begins sobbing and collapses to the ground, Angel just hugs her, sheltering her with his body as she cries. It's just a beautiful scene. Also, I really love the all the flash backs in this episode. They really show why Angel is so determined to save Faith and add to character histories. It's especially cool to see Angel right after he regains his soul. He's so broken and confused. Spike will go through something similar in BTVS season seven when he gets his soul back. (On a side not, I'm surprised that Wolfram and Hart doesn't try to hire Spike to get rid of Faith in "Sanctuary." He's the obvious choice, since he's killed two Slayers and has a history with Angel. I guess they know about Spike's little chip problem.)
In fact, there's a lot of stuff in this episode that can connect Angel to Faith AND Spike. Take, for instance, Angel imploring Darla to help him when he regains his soul and her disgusted refusal. In "Sancutary" Faith asks Angel for help and he agrees. Giving her the support that he never had as he struggled with his memories and remorse. And, in BTVS season seven's "Sleeper," Spike finally breaks down and begs for Buffy's assistance. He expects her to turn away. But, instead she promises to help him, setting Spike down a path towards redemption. It all sort of fits. Also, Angel's fear of dancing (see "She") corresponds with Spike and Faith. Spike always refers to fighting Slayers as "dancing." It's a kind of sexual metaphor for him, a mix of violence and death and sex and an exhilarating loss of control. (See BTVS season five's Fool for Love.") For Faith, dancing represents basically the same things. She always ends up on at night clubs, working out her aggression through dancing and the occasional fight. In this episode, she looses control of herself to music. (See also BTVS season four's "Who Are You?") To Angel, who constantly struggles to stay in control and to repress his sexual desires and darker violent tendencies, dancing is something to avoid. Which actually makes a lot of sense. Granted, I'm always looking for ways to work Spike into an episode, bit still... It's kind of cool.
On the down side, how does Angel get into that apartment to save Wes and fight Faith? They guy who owns the place is still alive, so wouldn't Angel need an invitation to enter? Also, when is Cordy gonna learn to listen to Dennis? He warned her about Wilson back in "Expecting" and now he tries to tell her not to come into her apartment because Faith is in there, but Cordy just doesn't get it. Finally, I'm sorry that poor Wes gets hurts in this episode. I really don't blame him for Faith's current condition. Even handing her over to the Council back in BTVS season three's "Consequences" is pretty understandable. Wes was new in Sunnydale, Faith was killing people and the Scoobies were keeping him out of the loop. Why wouldn't he follow Council protocol and arrest her?
My favorite part of the episode: Faith trying to shoot Angel with a crossbow. He catches the arrow before it can hit him, proving that --yes-- Angel CAN snatch those "wee sticks" right out of the air. (See season five's "The Girl in Question.") Spike would be very impressed.