Once More, with Podcast Episode 17: The Boner Got In The Way

[Athena]

Y'know when Taake as Athena as Faith and Athena as Taake as Buffy are talking about Buffy as Faith and Faith as Buffy that things are going to get confusing....

In our first mid-month episode (Athena remembered! Woohoo!), we discuss bodyswaps galore in Who Are You, the second of our Faith four-parter. Click the image below to download!




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[Fool for Buffy]

- So I'm American and just learned to drive a year ago and was told to never leave my keys in the car, if that helps.

- The fact that people don't understand or know how to act when Buffy is "off" is one of the most disappointing flaws of the series. You mentioned this one and Intervention, let's not forget When She Was Bad, Dead Man's Party, and most of season 6.

- I had a problem with the analysis of Faith acting more like Buffy. It's true that she does, but it's not being in Buffy's body that does that. It's seeing her perspective and living her life. Buffy in Faith's body spends basically the entire time fighting to survive and escape. There is no reason to believe that she would start acting like Faith.

Anyway great episode, and I'm really excited to get new ones biweekly! (Fortnight sounds like something out of Shakespeare to me)

 

[Athena]

- So I'm American and just learned to drive a year ago and was told to never leave my keys in the car, if that helps.

Yeah I think it's just a TV/movie thing. It just irks me, it's a stupid plot device.

- The fact that people don't understand or know how to act when Buffy is "off" is one of the most disappointing flaws of the series. You mentioned this one and Intervention, let's not forget When She Was Bad, Dead Man's Party, and most of season 6.

Well, indeed. Buffy has stupid friends it would seem!

- I had a problem with the analysis of Faith acting more like Buffy. It's true that she does, but it's not being in Buffy's body that does that. It's seeing her perspective and living her life. Buffy in Faith's body spends basically the entire time fighting to survive and escape. There is no reason to believe that she would start acting like Faith.

I think it's a mix of both personally - the shell & the perspective, but it's all subjective at the end of the day.

Anyway great episode, and I'm really excited to get new ones biweekly! (Fortnight sounds like something out of Shakespeare to me)

Thank you! And maybe I'll get the title of Five by Five right for the next episode

 

[Give Us A Kiss]

I can understand why one doesn't like Who are you, there are better episodes...

Faith really enjoys being in Buffy's body, I don't blame her.

I hope that @Taake finds those photos

 

[Last Watcher]

Fortnight sounds like something out of Shakespeare to me

Hah close! It comes from very old English 'Feowertyne Niht' or Fourteen nights....

 

[Taake]

- I had a problem with the analysis of Faith acting more like Buffy. It's true that she does, but it's not being in Buffy's body that does that. It's seeing her perspective and living her life. Buffy in Faith's body spends basically the entire time fighting to survive and escape. There is no reason to believe that she would start acting like Faith.

See, I don't think she really sees Buffy's perspective, she can't since she's not actually Buffy, but that being in Buffy's body affects her because how people relate to her in this body is so different. So you're right that it's living her life and not the body per say, now I can't remember exactly what we said because we do drone on a lot, but basically I think that Faith starts acting more like Buffy because of how the world reacts to Buffy's body and the assumptions that come with it.

Buffy has no reason to start acting like Faith because she's not really living a life at all, she's just a prisoner. One could also argue that Buffy is more secure in herself and who she is, and would thus not be so easily swayed, however as seen in "Bad Girls" she is not immune to wanting to let loose and be more Faith-like. Hadn't there been a murder, Buffy may well have continued to be influenced by Faith. But that's not really essential here because if she had stayed in Faith's body I don't think it would've made Buffy more Faith like, but then, she has no reason to want to be like Faith. Faith however has, from the start, looked at Buffy's life with some bit of jealousy.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

The greatest thing about this episode was definitely Taake boasting very convincingly about her conquests. You are both a joy to listen to. Athena, you come across as such a happy person

- I want to comment on what you said about Willow, because to me, there is no such thing as a Faith episode. Every episode is a Willow episode.

There are lots of reasons for why Willow keeps Tara secret. In Restless, Tara is Willow's safe space, the only place she does not have to pretend to be stronger than she is. Her main reason is probably her fear of coming out, but that is only part of it.

I do feel terribly sorry for Tara, though. Tara does not have a lot of friends. She is bullied by the Wicca group. Willow tells Tara that she has a boyfriend named Oz who went away, but Willow does not tell Tara what she will do if Oz ever comes back, even after Tara tells Willow she is hers.

I do believe very strongly that Willow does not really resent being the side kick. I think she is very happy being Buffy's second. Her resentment comes from not being valued enough. Willow is quite confident early in s4, but then Oz leaves. Buffy's flirtation with the Initiative sows doubt about the Scoobies future. Buffy and Willow start to drift apart. Tara becomes a lifeline.

- The Scoobies realise that something is wrong, but Buffy has acted strange before and this is the first time she has been possessed. When they meet the BuffyBot, they are completely baffled, but they cannot come up with any explanation for why she is acting like that other than emotional stress.

- Is it inconceivable that Faith visited Giles' apartment off-camera in s3?

- If I was Buffy or just a member of the Scoobies, I would never forgive Faith. You say Faith's plan for revenge failed. I would say that, once again, Faith succeeds in causing Buffy a considerable amount of pain. I see nothing odd about the way Buffy acts in Sanctuary.

Of course, it is no picnic being Faith, but I feel she gets her revenge on the world tenfold.

I tried asking Priceless earlier ... what is up with Faith's pursed lipped fight face?

 

[Taake]

The greatest thing about this episode was definitely Taake boasting very convincingly about her conquests. You are both a joy to listen to. Athena, you come across as such a happy person

Aka... I probably should start paying more attention to what I say on this thing. It's so easy to ramble on with Athena that I can't even remember what I said

- I want to comment on what you said about Willow, because to me, there is no such thing as a Faith episode. Every episode is a Willow episode.

Haha, at least you're honest about your addiction

Good points about Willow though. As for resentment I don't think she walks around actively resenting Buffy, but I do think it chafes at her, it's the kind of thing that can build over years - like you mention, from not feeling valued enough. Usually it's the kind of thing that would bubble up and blow up during a drunken fight and not when your turn evil and try to destroy the world. I don't think it's wrong for Willow to have those feelings, I think it's understandable, but even here I see a consistent character trait and it's represented in her secrecy about Tara. In my opinion that's good writing.

It is possible that Faith visited Giles off-camera in season 3, but I do kind of hate the "off camera" excuse, but that's just me

Guess you'll have to tune into our Sanctuary episode... spoiler, you might disagree with us then as well, hehe.

I tried asking Priceless earlier ... what is up with Faith's pursed lipped fight face?

This is an ancient Mayan fighting technique known as "puffer fishing", it tricks your opponent into thinking... yeah ok, I got nothing. I guess she uses her lips to channel her strenght and rage, some people use their tongue when they're to focus really hard on something, for Faith I guess it's pursed lips.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Guess you'll have to tune into our Sanctuary episode... spoiler, you might disagree with us then as well, hehe.

That is hardly a spoiler and more like a given. I feel sorry for Faith when it is just her and Angel, but if I was Angel, I would have dropped Faith to the floor as if she was contagious the moment Buffy came in.

The Fang Gang should be renamed to Sunnydale Outcasts Anonymous.

 

[Taake]

That is hardly a spoiler and more like a given. I feel sorry for Faith when it is just her and Angel, but if I was Angel, I would have dropped Faith to the floor as if she was contagious the moment Buffy came in.

The Fang Gang should be renamed to Sunnydale Outcasts Anonymous.

Don't be a push over for your ex! That's just good life advice

SOA fits the character Sanctuary turned out to be all about for me this re-watch... and it wasn't Faith!

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Don't be a push over for your ex! That's just good life advice

But Buffy and me are for-evah!

And I'm a total push over. I just need to get a text from an ex and I am all up in love again.

and it wasn't Faith!

Ah, I see... poor, directionless Wesley.

 

[Taake]

Rogue demon hunter Wesley, if you please