"Consequences" REACTION - Buffy 3x15 Commentary (Early Access YouTube)
Added 2024-12-23 12:55:14 +0000 UTC
Comments
Excellent reaction! And so many excellent thoughts in the comment section. I have only one theory to add. I wonder if Faith didn't kill Trick to save Buffy. Perhaps instead, she didn't intend to save Buffy, but create an opportunity for herself.
Jennifer McIntyre
2024-12-26 02:22:03 +0000 UTCOnce again, you nailed it! You are so spot on in your commentaries of the show. I fully understand now why you are my favorite reactor. Other people enjoy the show a lot but don't really understand what the show is really about. I mean, it's okay. Not everyone likes to analyze what they are watching. The show is still extremely entertaining and sometimes emotional for the viewers to be involved in it. But you always understand what makes this show different from a lot of other TV shows. BTVS has something to say and has chosen to do so through supernatural ways. But the themes explored during all seasons are incredibly anchored in reality. That is one of the reasons that it is still relevant 30 years later. Over the years, I introduced BTVS to a lot of people (I mean everyone knows my love for the show since I still talk about it a lot^^) but few people really grasped it. I started watching reactions to fiction (and especially to BTVS) because I love watching people fall in love with the show but I always hope they also will understand the deepest meanings of it. It happened a few times but rarely. Not only you do it extremely well but managed to do a thing no other reactor did: you made me think to new things and theories and it has really become a pleasure to wait for your videos. So thanks again for putting the time and efforts to make them, it is greatly appreciated.
Aurelius 19
2024-12-25 22:14:20 +0000 UTC👀 Oh??? Oh! That is some cool tidbit to know.
Tanya TMS
2024-12-25 21:13:56 +0000 UTCYou are the first reactor I’ve seen who immediately understood the scene between Angel and Faith. Many reactors - and viewers (including myself, I admit) - hear Angel tell Faith she’s now “got a taste” for murder and think Angel is going overboard and projecting. It seems extreme; she accidentally kills one person and is now somehow addicted to killing people? But Tyler, you immediately understood that Angel wasn’t talking about a taste for killing- he was talking about power. Faith is physically strong for sure but she never really felt she was the one with the power. Feeling the tables turn like that can be very seductive. Angel understood that because most likely he went through the same thing himself when he became a vampire. Honestly, it truly impresses me what a grasp you have on these characters and on the themes of this show. I’m so glad you’re watching this!
StephanieB
2024-12-25 07:08:31 +0000 UTCOkay looked it up, Faith is almost a year younger than Buffy. Her bday is Dec. 14, 1981, Buffy was born January 19, 1981. Yeah I thought Faith was younger by a year bc her journal goes from her birthday (junior year) until June that same summer. Anyways, that's if you count Go Ask Malice as canon, which I do. And it makes her storyline even more tragic. As far as the cops interviewing her without a parent, I guess it depends on class and geography during the 90's whether that is realistic. But I'm the same age as Buffy and I was questioned by cops more than once without guardians present. It was the 90s and that wasn't an odd occurrence. At least not where I'm at. But yeah, I think the show really captures the phenomenon of the latchkey kids, the xennials, and how irresponsible adults really were back then. 100%.
Tanya TMS
2024-12-24 07:46:21 +0000 UTCall good points, I could have sworn in my copy of Go Ask Malice, the dates depict Faith being younger... because I had always assumed she was older until I got my copy. I'll have to go dig it up and double check. You could be right. I also agree that those scenes heavily point to it, but it doesn't come out and directly state it. Just like there is stuff in Go Ask Malice that is very vague and indirect too. But, yes... fully agree.
Tanya TMS
2024-12-24 07:36:14 +0000 UTCYes, a million times yes, to the lack of a support group for Faith. I can excuse the Scoobies because they are children, but Giles Joyce and even Angel dropped the ball utterly and completely. If Faith had just one person to show a consistent interest, to provide a structure or guiding hand, so many things would of been radically different. I mean, look how Faith actually began behaving under the strict hand of Gwendoyln Post. She was actually being responsive and following (in her own begrudging way of course). I will say the show does practically state that Faith had been SA'd in her past, without full on declaring it. The two immense indicators are in her very first episode we see her hyper-sexual attitude, and when she's pounding the vampire into the ground with her fists while screaming "You can't touch me". Two of the more common expressions of past trauma involving SA, at least in that time period. (Also there's been a huge debate, and retcons, and conflicting canon's that many state that Faith was about 5 months older than Buffy and already 18 when she showed up in Sunnydale. I think 'Go Ask Malice' backs that up. Honestly it changes nothing about any of the spot-on points you've made, though does explain why she could stay in the motel at all, and why the cops could question her without a representative or guardian present.)
Anthony Ravenwood
2024-12-24 03:52:16 +0000 UTCFab reaction, as always! Always fun to see you delving into the psychology of the characters only for them to start literally discussing the exact themes and ideas you were mentioning moments before! 😆 Faith-centric episodes are always interesting, and I love that this episode never forces you see her solely as a villain or a victim. She's both, as people often are. That hint that she's a victim of SA moments after she assaulted Xander feels very deliberately placed. About Mr Trick - I've been in Buffy spaces for so long that I've forgotten if this was said by a Buffy writer/producer, or if it's just a fandom theory, but supposedly his name is a deliberate pun - we all 'missed a trick' by focusing on him instead of Faith in the first half of season 3. Which makes me like his anticlimactic death a little more, although I also wish the show had given him more to do. If anything, the writers missed a trick with him.
Lucy
2024-12-24 02:22:41 +0000 UTCGreat reaction. Buffy def already learned the lesson accidentally killing a person as a Slayer has consequences because of Ted, even though he turned out to not be human. The important part being she thought he was human at the time and she went through the police interviews, etc. She has somewhat been in Faith's shoes in terms of thinking she accidentally killed someone. Although I agree with you that she was still trying to sort through the temptation of the power in general as Slayer. Faith is one of my fav parts of s3.
Dutchkel
2024-12-23 22:19:06 +0000 UTCFantastic reaction as usual! Honestly I've never been a fan of Faith but that's okay, we all like who we like lol as someone who had a similar upbringing to Faith, I understand why she does what she does, but as you say it doesn't make it okay. I've never understood the leniency many fans give her, some characters on the show are hated and judged for doing far less. I think Eliza has great charisma which carries a lot imo. Very much looking forward to your reaction to the rest of the season! Hope you have a nice Christmas if you celebrate it :)
Pauline Robertson
2024-12-23 20:59:53 +0000 UTCSo much to say here. First, Trick. Yeah, cool bad guy. I think it's interesting how his presence in the show comes to a full circle through Faith. He came to Sunnydale with Kakistos for Faith (she had secrets- a past we didn't see fully) and in this episode he is the only remnant of this past (and she doesn't know it), but she takes him out to save Buffy. I wonder if that was intentional or if it says something deeper and I'm going to ruminate on it. Second, sorry... I know the whole Faith thing is heartbreaking and I've been so eager to see you get to this point because I love her story, the tragedy of her, the psychological development of her- but I couldn't give spoilers in past comments and say "oh btw, Faith might rip your empathetic heart out a bit." It is tragic and it does hurt. I fully agree that what she is doing is so wrong - that she is dangerous- that she needs help and shouldn't be on the streets. I fully agree what she did to Xander was appalling and on my first watch, not gonna lie, I was livid. I was shocked that I didn't see it coming. But then, I read that book about her past and I just began psychoanalyzing the situation more. It's like this tragic series of circumstances led her to where she is. And, of course, a person needs to take responsibility for their actions, regardless of their history and the traumas they have experienced. But sometimes, irl, that just doesn't happen. And that is what is so interesting to me about Faith. (I may also have some personal experiences in my history that draws me to this unfolding dynamic where I had my own "Faith" in my life. I think a lot of us do have that or have experienced that at one time or another. There is one thing you said about Faith I semi-disagree with. (Maybe the first time disagreeing on anything in all the reactions I've seen, but it's only semi.) You said Faith had alienated her friends- her support group. And I can see how the episode by itself would make it seem that way. But, I want to put myself in Faith's shoes here. This amazing group of people- the Scoobs- were never really there for her. What support group? They only tried to support her when she went off the rails and they saw how dangerous she could be. When they saw behind the mask. When they saw her logic and reasoning skills were dangerous. In a sense, they alienated her and when a vulnerable person is at their darkest hour do they trust this bombardment of care and concern they have never seen or had from these people before? I know I wouldn't. Trust is built and Faith never had a full opportunity to build trust with any of them. Sure, she went slaying and partying with Buffy, but that's surface level interactions. None of them tried to fully bring her into the fold. They left a teenage girl, younger than Buffy, stay in a seedy motel, not checking if she had food. Or money. Or the means for human survival. I'm not suggesting that Faith engaged in "seedy" acts to afford that hotel room, but a hotel like that in the states? Certainly not a safe place for a teenage girl. They also began hearing of her attitudes towards sex and of her careless promiscuity and that didn't raise eyebrows? I agree she could have been SA'd herself. It's never stated but the representations of trauma make it a relevant question. So, I don't think she alienated her support system. She never had one. The Scoobies tried to create one when it was too late. But you can't alienate what you never had. And what she needed at that moment was someone she could trust, but she had no one. That's what's so heartbreaking to me. I feel like Buffy was close to being someone she could trust before she killed Alan, but they were working on it slowly. And with someone so bogged down with trauma and living constantly in survival mode (not just with the supernatural creatures - but in a material sense- food, shelter, physical safety from human predators that prey on young teenage girls) it will take time to build that trust with someone, especially when none of them stopped and said, "Why is this kid living in a seedy motel? Let's give her shelter and food." So I don't believe she alienated them. From her standpoint, they were never real friends that really cared about her. Do I excuse her choices and her logic? Absolutely not. Nope. No. No. No. It took me a bit to come to terms with these episodes and then some. (No spoilers except you get more Faith.) But I do love her. It comes from a deep place of empathy and compassion and I view her as this tragic element in the show. But it makes me think. Makes me think of society and all the people who have been put on a path to where they meet this crossroads and they have to make a choice of what type of person they will become. Finally, her words to Buffy on how Buffy needs her to be who she is to be able to be good brings forth that duality you were talking about - our shadow self. Given the power they both have and power being a chaotic force that requires order, there is so much to explore. We've had three slayers. Buffy, Kendra, and Faith. Kendra represented an extreme order of good that forsake free will but it was still positive. Faith is chaotic force of shadow and full free will. Buffy is the balance of the three. Just imo. But even Kendra received more care and attention than Faith. It's tragic but so much to explore. So much to explore. I hope your heart is okay. Faith is painful. But she is so interesting at the same time. Well, in case there are no more videos for a couple days, just want to wish you, Tyler, happy holidays- whatever you may celebrate. Or if you don't celebrate, happy week. But Happy New Year and all that jazz to my fav. creator. May the end of 2024 usher in good energy and positive beginnings for your 2025!!! And to any fellow followers of Tyler, same goes for you. Much love to all! xo.
Tanya TMS
2024-12-23 19:54:06 +0000 UTCFirst of all, what a fantastic reaction! You managed to get most of the subtext of Buffy and Faith and their complex relationship on a first watch in ways that often takes viewers and other reactors multiple watches. The writing for both Faith is so good at simultaneously making her sympathetic because of her severe trauma while at the same time, peeling back the layers of her scene by scene as her descent into darkness and villiany take hold. But what makes this episode extraordinary and one of my favorites of the season is how the writing shows that even as Faith is spiraling further and further down and every one of her ostensible friends and allies turns on her, Buffy refuses to give up trying to help her at all costs. Even as Faith is reveling in killing someone. Even as Faith tries to frame Buffy for the murder. Even as Faith tries to murder one of Buffy's best friends. When even Willow says that Faith needs to be locked away, Buffy still tries to reach with everything she has. All while Buffy herself is consumed with guilt and horror over being connected to a murder of a human. You think back to the opening scene of The Wish, when Buffy is talking about Faith and she says that "Slaying's a hard gig. Too much alone time isn't always healthy. Stuff gets pent up" and you can see how much Buffy not only empathizes with Faith, she sees that Faith is easily who Buffy herself could have become if not for her mom, Giles and the Scoobies. Look at how much like Faith, Buffy was even back in the episode When She Was Bad or even the Buffy of the alternate universe of The Wish. It's a tremendous portrayal of not only the dual sides of morality but also the writing is stunning for airing in 1999 and how it depicts the incredible strength of Buffy's character. I watch a lot of TV and it's rare to find character writing this good even nowadays (outside the Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Haunting of Hill House, etc.). It's part of why Buffy has always been one of my favorite all time characters. I'm really looking forward to watching your reactions for the rest of the season.
Land Howard Johnston
2024-12-23 18:08:16 +0000 UTCI'm guessing someone already told you but Alexis Denisof is Alyson Hannigans husband 🤣 Wes and Willow would never happen tho.
CeNedra
2024-12-23 18:03:54 +0000 UTCThis is such a huge episode, I’ve been waiting for this one! Awesome commentary as always! I’m really looking forward to seeing your reactions to the upcoming episodes because season 3 is amazing. 🙂
M C
2024-12-23 17:10:38 +0000 UTC
