Original Air Date: February 22nd, 2000

Written by Douglas Petrie
Directed by Michael Gershman

Summary

Faith is still lying in a coma in the hospital. She hasn't moved but she's dreaming, dreaming about Buffy and the knife that she feels is still stuck in her gut. The Scooby gang is at Xander's, where Xander is trying to repair the damaged stun gun so that Buffy can shoot Adam with it. Topic turns to Riley and Buffy's afraid that if the initiative doesn't like his behaviour, they'll try to modify it. Meanwhile, Riley gets off his bed in the initiative's hospital. He has a huge bandage wrapped around his puncture wound. Riley heads out to find Buffy but Forrest trie to stop him saying that they need to deal with their problems as a family and not with outsiders like Buffy. Faith is still dreaming; she's at a picnic with the Mayor when Buffy appears and kills the Mayor. Faith tries to run but can barely get to her feet.

That night, Buffy, Xander and Willow go hunting and Buffy finds a demon that's hanging from a tree with it's innards hanging out. They go back to Xander's, they figure that Adam did it because he's researching anatomy and how things work. Buffy then decides that she's got to get Riley out of the initiative, she comes up with a huge elaborate scheme but drops the entire idea when Riley appears and tells them that he just walked out of the initiative with few difficulties. Back to Faith's dream where it is now nighttime but Faith is still running from Buffy through a cemetery. Faith suddenly falls into an open grave an Buffy drops down into it beside her. There's a sound of cutting flesh, then Faith rises from the grave and the rain begins to pour down. In her hospital bed, Faith eyes suddenly snap open. She gets out of her bed and walks down the halls. She runs into a girl and after several questions, Faith learns that Sunnydale High burnt to the ground, the Mayor's dead and that it's the year 2000. Buffy anf Riley are in Buffy's room and Riley's restless. He's used to taking orders and now he doesn't know what to do. Buffy tells him that it's time to figure out what he wants to do. Back at the hospital the doctors are talking with the nurse that was to watch over Faith. They leave and the nurse makes a call and tells someone on the other line that "It's happened. Send the team". Faith visits the burnt down high school and then walks through Sunnydale's streets. She eventually makes her way to Giles' house where she listens in on the gang's conversation. They're discussing Adam when the phone rings for Buffy. The person on the other end tells her that Faith awoke from her coma. She puts the phone down and tells them the news. They're not quite sure what to do but they need to find Faith as soon as possible. Buffy then quickly summarizes the Faith situation to Riley leaving out some pieces of info, like Angel.

The next day, Buffy and Willow are outside walking around campus when Faith turns around to greet them. Faith is still bitter and still inclined to kill Buffy. She makes some nasty comments and they get into a fight when suddenly the police show up. Faith runs off and disappears behind a stone wall. That night, a helicopter touches down at the hospital and three men in suits step out, greeting them is the nurse from the hospital. Faith is walking around town when she's approached by a demon who says he has something for her. She kills him then takes the small package he was carrying. The package contains a video-cassette and a small box. She sneaks into a store and pops the cassette into a VCR. The Mayor's image pops up on screen. He knows that since she's viewing this, their plan has failed. He tells her to open the box, inside it is a strange small metallic gizmo. Buffy and Riley are talking and Riley's surprised by how much Faith has gotten under Buffy's skin. She tells him that he hurt her and the people she cared about but Riley's convinced that there's more to the story than Buffy is telling him. Meanwhile, Giles enters his house to find the three gentlemen waiting for him, and they greet him by name.

At the Summers' home, there's a knock on the door, Joyce answers it to find Faith, who punches her and takes her upstairs. She tries to turn Joyce against Buffy but Joyce won't listen. Buffy then comes crashing through the window and tackles Faith. Their fight eventually takes them donwstairs. Faith can hear sirens wailing from police cars so she puts the gizmo that the Mayor gave her on her hand and clasps Buffy's hand with the metal piece between them. There's a flash of light, and the look of their faces shows confusion as Buffy becomes Faith and Faith becomes Buffy. "Buffy" punches "Faith" out cold. She then crushes the metal gizmo with her heel as Buffy's mother walks in. Buffy's mom asks her is she's okay and she tells her that she's 'five by five' and stares at Faith's body oddly.

Summary written by Nika

Quote of the Week

Xander: (talking about turning Faith over to the Watcher's Council) Been there, ttried that. Not unlike smothering a forest fire with napalm, as I recall.

My Rating

3.5/5

Nika Summers' Review

Well it was absolutely great to see Faith back again and Eliza Dushku did a wonderful job reprising Faith's role. But as much as I liked to see Faith back, what I didn't like was the whole Faith is running/walking/looking around town for a good long portion of this episode. I know that some of that was needed but they could have cut down on it a great deal. ARGH! But the worst thing that I got completely irritated by was the fact that they didn't put Faith's tattoo back on her arm. There was only that one scene where Faith is talking to Buffy's mom that you can see her right arm and you can clearly see in the mirror that she doesn't have the tattoo on. That really grated against my nerves. Anyway, moving on... I was a little miffed at the beginning of this episode because I didn't really like how things were headed but by the end I was completely mesmerized. The fact that Faith and Buffy have now switched bodies is really going to make for an interesting next episode. I really liked Faith's dreams at the beginning and how she had to overcome Buffy before she could awake from her coma. Anyway, it was absolutely great to have Faith back, alive and kicking. She adds that extra oomph to the cast. Let's talk about another character though, Tara. Her stoner-like attitude is REALLY getting to me. She walks around like she's half in a daze and it's really getting frustrating. But to total this episode up, I really liked it, I just had some problems with it. My best guess about those three guys in Giles' apartment are that they're the Watcher's Council (or people from it). This should be interesting if the Council is getting involved.

Niki Bartl's Review

Wow..... it was everything I hoped for and more. A great, great episode, thanks to Faith! Our favourite bitch is back and I'm hoping she stays for a while.It was nice to see Riley bouncing back well, ten bucks says he's the one that says that Buffy isn't exactly Buffy. What exactly does five by five mean? Oh, and I revoke my statement about Willow's clothes because this episode the certainly were, ahem...... unique. It was nice to see Joyce putting an appearance in. This episode put all my questions to rest, as only Faith could do. When is Buffy gonna tell Riley about Angel? Why hasn't she been visiting her mum? Who exactly are those mysterious creepy guys in Giles' house? All the answers and much, much more complaining next week......

Cast