Saturday 26 April 2014

Buffy The Vampire Slayer, "Who Are You?" Review (4x16)

Brief Synopsis: “Faith’s device, left to her by The Mayor, has resulted in Buffy and Faith switching bodies. Now, Buffy (in Faith’s body) must evade the Watcher’s Council long enough to convince someone that she’s telling the truth. Meanwhile, Faith (in Buffy’s body) has full access to Buffy’s life...including her mother, friends, and boyfriend.”


"This Year's Girl" (4x15) quick link here                                                                                                                    "Superstar" (4x17) quick link here



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With that being said, let’s get started, shall we?



I’m sat here with seven A4-pages of notes in front of me for “Who Are You?”. That’s almost double the amount of notes that I write for your average “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” or “Angel” episode! The reason for all these notes is simple...this episode is a masterpiece and arguably the second greatest episode of the season (the first being “Hush”). Notice that the top two episodes of the season are written and directed by Joss Whedon personally? That always seems to be the way. Joss has this magical ability to understand characters and human emotions more than any other writer I’ve experienced in my life. It’s why his fans are so passionate and so loyal. You hang on every word he says because he’s able to draw you in emotionally and keep you there. There are two primary reasons why “Who Are You?” is such a masterpiece. Firstly, the exploration of what it means to be a ‘Vampire Slayer’ and the discovery of Buffy and Faith’s deepest thoughts and opinions of themselves is handled terrifically. Secondly, one of Joss’ greatest strengths as a writer is his ability to write strong, intelligent, perceptive, empowered women. This episode is all about women. It’s a Faith-centric episode that involves a strong supportive cast of Buffy, Willow, and Tara. Notice that Riley doesn’t realise that Buffy isn’t Buffy, but Tara (who has never met Buffy) does.

I’ve heard a few people complain about the fact that Faith’s change in this episode is unrealistic and happens too fast, which I couldn’t disagree with more. Going all the way back to season three’s “Consequences”, when Faith was staring at Allan Finch’s lifeless body, it’s been obvious that deep down Faith has a spark of decency and humanity within her. She made a year’s worth of stupid decisions since then and she’s done some truly vicious and evil things, but buried under all of that pain and heartache, there’s always been a character begging to be helped, to be saved. Look how close Angel was to getting through to Faith in the last season before Wesley showed up and ruined everything! This episode has been a long time coming. However, even after this episode, Faith hasn’t simply reformed and become ‘good’. She travels to Los Angeles, brutally tortures Wesley and tries to kill Angel. This episode sparks the change in Faith, but it’s still a few weeks away from being brought to the surface.

Faith has always been jealous of Buffy. Always. You only need to go back to season three’s “Enemies” for confirmation of that. Faith tried to be good and follow orders, but all she ever heard was people praising Buffy and asking her to be more like Buffy (in Faith’s words). Now, Faith gets the opportunity to live Buffy’s life for a few days and she realises that it’s not everything she thought it would be. In trying to destroy Buffy’s name and legacy, Faith discovers what it’s like to have a loving, caring mother (as opposed to an abusive alcoholic mother), a supporting friendship group, and a stable boyfriend that wants nothing from Buffy except her love. This combined with Faith receiving genuine appreciation from a girl that she saves from a vampire at The Bronze is what causes Faith to look at her behaviour and realise that she’s been seriously messing up for the past year or so.


Ken’s Minion: “Who Are you?”
Buffy: “I’m Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, and you are?”
( - “Anne”)

While I don’t think it’s intentional, I love the episode title of “Who Are You?” because back in the season three opener, “Anne”, Buffy was asked this very question by one of Ken’s minions and it restored her sense of identity and helped bring her out of the depressive spiral she’d been living in all summer. It restored her power. Here we are a year and a half later and that question is once again very relevant. Buffy isn’t herself again, only this time it’s much more literal. Her entire identity has been stolen from her by Faith. For those of you that haven’t seen “This Year’s Girl”, here’s a little recap...Faith woke up from her coma and was intent upon revenge against Buffy, who put her in the coma to begin with. It resulted in a (you guessed it) fight. After the fight, Faith discovered a video tape and a present that The Mayor left for her before he ascended at the end of the last season. The present was a cool little gadget that allowed Faith to switch bodies with Buffy and have a second chance at life in a body that wasn’t wanted for murder. The episode concluded with the body switch taking place. Everybody feeling caught up?

Due to the body switching nature of the episode, it’s unique to write about. For this review, I shall be calling Faith – in Buffy’s body – “Faith”, and I shall be calling Buffy – in Faith’s body – “Buffy”. Faith is Faith and Buffy is Buffy...well, they’re not, they switched bodies...you know what I mean! 

The episode opens with Buffy being escorted away from 1630 Revello Drive by the police. Faith remains behind with a huge grin on her face, marvelling in her victory over Buffy. What’s interesting here is that when Faith insults herself (while in Buffy’s body), Joyce’s response isn’t what you’d expect it to be. Joyce doesn’t insult or degrade Faith; she mentions that Faith must be horribly unhappy with her life and with who she is. As we discover in this episode, Joyce’s instincts are dead on. This leads to one of my favourite scenes of the season...hell, any season of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer”. I’m of course talking about Faith pulling faces in the mirror and trying to sound like Buffy, wearing in her new skin (that rhymes!). Not only is this scene highly amusing, but it also gives us a glimpse into what Faith thinks of Buffy. Faith sees Buffy as the ‘good Slayer’. Someone who always does the right thing, thinks she’s better than everyone else, and someone who never has any fun...

Faith (as Buffy): “You can’t do that, it’s wrong. You can’t do that because it’s naughty! Because it’s wrong!”



After her subsequent conversation with Joyce, it’s clear that Faith intends to leave Sunnydale. Before doing so, she wants to destroy Buffy’s life and legacy. She isn’t content with just stealing Buffy’s body, she wants to steal her entire life and leave it in ruins before she disappears into the sunset. It explains why she’s rude to Tara, rude to Xander, rude to Spike, and why she sleeps with Riley. Like Angelus in season two, Faith doesn’t want to just beat Buffy, she wants to strip away Buffy’s entire identity before moving on. Vindictive, yes, but damn interesting! I’ve also got to commend both Eliza Dushku and Sarah Michelle Gellar in this episode. These two actresses are extremely talented and always bring their ‘A’ game, but in this episode they’re off the charts. Not only do they have some of the most powerful, intense scenes and dialogue of the season, but they also have to contend with trying to mimic the mannerisms, character traits, and sentence structure of one another. In Sarah’s case, she’s playing Faith trying to play Buffy. It hurts my head just thinking about it, let alone trying to do it! Yet, they both succeed with what appears to be relative ease! It’s the smaller moments that make the acting work. Eliza’s vulnerability as Buffy, Sarah saying “about” in Eliza’s Boston accent...it adds so much to the episode! They both really nailed their performances here. Even for people that missed “This Year’s Girl”, it’s clear that Faith is inside Buffy’s body. In addition to her mannerisms and personality changing, her dress sense changes too. Faith dresses Buffy’s body up in leather trousers (that’s “pants” to those of you in the United States) and a black vest top. It’s a new look for Buffy and I must admit that I like it rather a lot. Buffy should take fashion tips from Faith. Rock the leather more often! The change in dress sense also made me realise just how much weight Sarah has lost since the first season! She’s so thin!

Even though this episode primarily revolves around Faith and Buffy, it’s also an important episode for Willow and Tara as a couple. They’ve been on the brink of a relationship for a while now and “Who Are You?” finally cements them as a fully fledged couple....

Willow: “I really want you to meet them, but I just kinda like having something that’s just, you know, mine...and I usually don’t use so many words to say stuff that little, but, do you get it at all?”
Tara: “I do.”
Willow: “I should check in with Giles, get a situation update.”
Tara: “I am you know.”
Willow: “What?”
Tara: “Yours.”

I cannot contain the cuteness and feels associated with this scene! Willow hasn’t been hiding Tara from the Scoobies because she’s embarrassed to be with her or because she’s trying to deny that she’s in a lesbian relationship. She’s been hiding Tara because she likes having something in her life that’s hers and hers alone. It might sound weird to some people, but I can totally identify with this. When my girlfriend Robyn came over to visit me for the first time, she stayed for a week. During that week, I was bombarded with requests by my family and friends to meet her. However, I turned down every single offer. Why? Because I wanted something in my life that was mine for a while without having to share her. Sharing her adorableness with everyone else would come in time, but for that moment I just wanted to keep her to myself. Willow has shared everything with Xander for her whole life and she’s shared everything with Buffy since Buffy arrived in Sunnydale. Just this once, even if it’s just for a few weeks, Willow wants to keep something for herself, which is so heart-warming that I think I might die. I’m serious, call help.

Before departing Sunnydale, Faith decides to go and visit the Scoobies at Giles’ house. I feel the reasoning for this is equal parts to rub it in Buffy’s face that she’s living her life and interacting with her friends, alongside the fact that she’s curious about how the Scoobies will react to her while she’s in Buffy’s body. Historically, even though the Scoobies tried to integrate Faith, she was always something of an outsider in the group. In Buffy’s body, not only is she a part of the Scoobies, but she’s the centre of the Scoobies. All of the attention and focus is on her for once. There’s a moment at Giles’ house where Faith has a daydream that she stabs Willow with a knife. When I first watched this episode, there was a second, just a split second, where I thought it was legitimate and my mind melted. I mean, open-mouthed with a look on my face like I was trying to contemplate the meaning of a life without Willow in it. After discovering it was a daydream, my pulse slowly returned to a more human level. The reason why I thought it was real was because it would have made perfect sense. Faith acts out of instinct, not careful planning. Faith is also well known for having a fetish for stabbing people. She’s never liked Willow and Willow has never liked her. Faith’s presence last year caused a severe wedge between Willow and Buffy (due to Willow feeling like she’d been replaced) and between Willow and Xander (due to Faith sleeping with Xander, whom Willow still had feelings for).

Xander: “We kind of have a romantic evening planned.”
Anya: “We were going to light a bunch of candles and have sex near them.”
Faith (as Buffy): “Well, we certainly don’t want to cut into that seven minutes...”
Anya: “Hey!”
Xander: “I believe that’s my ‘hey!’....hey!”



Anya’s lack of tact is once against one of the greatest things that happens in this season. Faith doesn’t just want to get back at Buffy, she wants to get back at everyone who she feels wronged her. This includes Willow (hence the daydreaming about stabbing her) and Xander, who she humiliates here. After getting bored with ridiculing the Scoobies, Faith reverts back to her old habits and decides to go to The Bronze for some dancing. While at The Bronze, she bumps into Spike and it leads to one of the most sexy, interesting conversations that either Spike and Faith or Spike and Buffy ever have...

Spike: “You know why I really hate you, Summers?”
Faith (as Buffy): “’Cause I’m a stuck up tight ass with no sense of fun?”
Spike: “Well, yeah, that covers a lot of it.”
Faith (as Buffy): “’Cause I can do anything I want, instead I choose to pout and whine and feel the burden of slayerness. I mean, I could be rich, I could be famous, I could have anything...anyone. Even you, Spike. I could ride you at a gallop until your legs buckled and your eyes rolled up. I’ve got muscles you’ve never even dreamed of. I could squeeze you until you popped like warm champagne and you begged me to hurt you just a little bit more...and you know why I don’t? Because it’s wrong...”

C’mon, be honest, that conversation is sexy. Even if you’re not a ‘Spuffy’ shipper or a ‘Spaith’ shipper, that conversation was sexy. It’s clear that Spike wants to kill Buffy and shag Buffy in equal measures. Whether or not it was intended at this point, it sets up the reveal that Spike has feelings for Buffy in season five’s “Out Of My Mind” perfectly. Ever since he first laid eyes on Buffy at The Bronze two and a half years ago, Spike has been obsessed with her. Sometimes subconsciously obsessed. He’s always had a fixation with her that he can’t explain. Perhaps he doesn’t want to look into it too deeply because he doesn’t want to be in love with a Slayer. Is it a fixation with all Vampire Slayers that he has or is it a fixation with this particular Vampire Slayer? Spike mentions in “Fool For Love” that after discovering the existence of Slayers, he was obsessed with them. He wanted to learn all he could about them and he wanted to fight the current Slayer. Is this history repeating itself or is Spike genuinely in love with Buffy? Both, I think. When Faith (in Buffy’s body) brushes Spike off after he tells her to leave him alone, he seems genuinely offended that she said “fine” and walked away. He wants her attention, whether he’s aware of it or not. He doesn’t want to be viewed as a harmless, impotent creature. It’s certainly an interesting first meeting between Spike and Faith either way.



Another memorable scene that takes place in The Bronze is the one between Faith and Tara. I absolutely adore Tara in this episode. She realises that Willow’s feelings for her are strong and genuine, she reciprocates Willow’s feelings, and she’s finally introduced to Willow’s closest female friend, Buffy. The only problem is that it’s not Buffy, it’s Faith. After Willow goes on a drinks run, Faith ridicules Tara. She insults Tara’s stutter and she subjects Tara to details about Willow and Oz’s past and how close they used to be. Instead of being upset about the situation and going into pouty mode, Tara has the intuition and intelligence to realise that Buffy isn’t herself. Nobody else was able to figure out that Buffy wasn’t herself. Not her mother, not her Watcher, not her closest friends, not her boyfriend, but the person who has never met Buffy before. If it wasn’t for Tara, the real Buffy may very well be in prison or dead in England. So as far as first impressions go for the Scoobies, Tara must have scored some points for that one.

Another key moment for Faith in this episode is when she saves a young woman from a vampire outside The Bronze. Notice that Faith didn’t voluntarily go after the vampire and save the woman. She couldn’t care less until Willow prompted her into action. However, once she killed the vampire and received the woman’s gratitude, she was shocked. She was horrified that someone was so genuinely thankful towards her for saving their life. Again, she gets to see slaying through Buffy’s eyes and it’s an entirely new experience for her. Slaying isn’t just about the hunt and being “hungry and horny”. It’s about helping people and making a positive difference to the world. I believe it’s this realisation that makes Faith voluntarily go to the church at the end of the episode to help the civilians inside. Her responsibilities as the Slayer take on a new meaning for her.

While all of this is going on, Buffy has been taken away from the police by the Watcher’s Council and she’s heading back to England to be put on trial for her crimes. The three members of the Watcher’s Council that have Buffy are more ruthless and uncaring than we’ve seen before from the Watcher’s Council...well, two of them are. Smithy isn’t so intimidating.

Collins: “What you are, Miss, is the package. I deliver the package. I don’t much care what’s inside.”

What’s interesting is that Collins doesn’t care at all what happens to Faith (Buffy). He does his job and he gets paid regardless. So what if it’s a human life? So what if it’s a Vampire Slayer? In comparison, Weatherby raises a point that I hadn’t thought of before. Weatherby despises Faith because she ruined the Watcher’s Council’s name and reputation by turning rogue and committing murder. As I mentioned in the last episode, “This Year’s Girl”, I’m Jeff Ricketts (Weatherby)’s agent for convention appearances. In talking with Jeff, here’s a little trivia for you about that scene...when Weatherby spits on Faith, it’s not actually Jeff spitting on Eliza. Eliza didn’t like the idea of someone else spitting a mouthful of phlegm at her, so what actually hits Eliza’s face is fake spit fired from a glue gun.

Just because Faith has realised that slaying has a different meaning to what she thought, it doesn’t mean that her personality has instantly changed. She still wants to destroy Buffy’s life before departing Sunnydale. In trying to do so, she sleeps with Riley. Watching Faith seduce Riley might be the most uncomfortable thing I’ve seen in my life. I don’t think you can blame Riley for this. It’s not exactly a common occurrence for his girlfriend to be body-jacked. Sure, Buffy was acting weird and sexual, but it still doesn’t lead to the obvious answer of body swapping, does it? Plus, if he was naive enough to not even know that the Slayer existed a few months ago, he probably doesn’t know that body swapping is possible. The sex itself is the other catalyst for Faith’s change, I feel. She can’t fathom a male that wants nothing more from a female than love. Her dating résumé consists of dead-beats and a drummer, so it’s not surprising that she hasn’t encountered a man like Riley before. To Riley, sex represents a physical and emotional bond. A special experience between two people that is more than physical pleasure. Riley doesn’t have a kinky sexual fantasy, even when Faith prompts an answer from him. Sex is one of the few things that Faith is confident and comfortable with when she’s in Buffy’s body. The problem is that she’s never had sex like this before. She’s out of her element. Go and watch the scene where Faith has sex with Xander in “The Zeppo” and then compare it to this scene. With Xander, Faith was on top, Faith was in control, and Xander was nothing more than an able body. This time, Riley is on top, Faith has no control, she’s emotionally vulnerable, and it’s “making love” (ugh, I hate that phrase) as opposed to sex. The difference between these experiences causes Faith to have a mini panic-attack and wonder what Riley wants from Buffy. Surely he must have a hidden agenda other than wanting Buffy to love him?

The journey that Faith has gone through while in Buffy’s body has caused a genuine change in her. This is evident after Forrest calls her a “killer”. Rather than responding to Forrest in a way that Buffy would to cover her tracks, Faith responds from a genuinely emotional place herself. She’s adamant that she’s not a killer, she’s the Slayer. She’s not defensive because she’s pretending to be Buffy, she’s defensive because she is legitimately offended by what Forrest says. This difference is key. Faith’s on the brink of turning her life around.

Okay, the scene where Willow and Tara are doing a spell together is just one big, erotic, sexual metaphor, isn’t it? All that sweating, heavy breathing, and then Willow’s climax to the spell...I feel like I need a cold shower. All joking aside, it was a fantastic moment between these two characters. They have a mutual love and trust of each other that we’ve rarely seen up until this point. It’s oddly tender.



After Buffy escapes the Watcher’s Council (“Stop her, you ponce!”) and goes to Giles for help, it’s Tara and Willow’s spell that reveals that Tara’s suspicions are true...Buffy isn’t herself. The “stevedore” scene between Buffy (as Faith) and Giles is easily the funniest part of the episode and it’s in the “Quote Of The Episode” section.

Oh, yeah, Adam is also in this episode (*yawn*). Spike’s right, though. Adam is like Tony Robbins. He gives these great inspirational speeches to vampires and makes them address their own fears and immortal lives. Surprisingly, it actually works! By the end of this episode he has vampires going into a church! Adam also raises an interesting point regarding vampires. They fear death more than humans because they’re immortal. As humans, we know that death is coming sooner or later so we don’t worry about it so much. Vampires fear death because it’s not imminent. It’s a threat rather than an eventuality. Likewise, they fear God because they’re raised to believe that they should (due to crosses and holy water hurting them). Adam changes the rules by encouraging them to believe that they have nothing to fear from churches or houses of worship.

Seeing these vampires in a church on the television causes Faith to have a moral crisis. Does she run away like she always does or does she go to the church and try to save innocent lives? She has a responsibility as the Slayer, but it’s a responsibility she’s always shrugged off historically. She decides to help people. Progress is being made, people! We’re getting somewhere here! When she arrives at the church and tells Riley “I can’t use you”, she means it both metaphorically and literally. She doesn’t want to mess with Riley’s emotions anymore like she intended to the night before. She doesn’t want to use his feelings for Buffy against him. In addition, she can’t use him physically against the vampires because he’s still hurt from being skewered by Adam in “The I In Team”.

Faith: “You’re not going to kill these people”
Boone: “Why not?”
Faith: “Because it’s wrong.”

Unlike when she was talking into the mirror at the beginning of the episode, pretending to be Buffy, this time she means it. She won’t watch innocent people die around her anymore. She’s the Slayer and she will defend these innocent people.

Giles yelling at the police officer and flailing his arms around to distract them will remain one of the funniest things he ever does.

Finally, we arrive at the climax of the episode, the confrontation between Faith and Buffy. The fight scene itself is very good, but what makes this one unique and memorable is the dialogue that takes place during the fight. Faith, in Buffy’s body, yelling at her own body and screaming “you’re nothing!” and “you’re disgusting!” is clearly Faith yelling at herself and the person that she’s turned into. She’s finally realised just how far she’s fallen over the past year or so and she doesn’t want to live that way anymore. It’s the single biggest moment of her character journey, in my opinion. Even bigger than accidentally killing Allan Finch. She has a moment of perfect clarity about herself and it sparks change. Not instant change, but change nonetheless.

Buffy and Faith return to their original bodies and in a move that surprised nobody, Faith skipped town. This is both a positive and a negative. The negative is that people who don’t watch “Angel” must be really confused when Faith returns during the seventh season as a ‘good’ character. The positive is that it leads to the amazing “Angel” episode, “Five By Five”, which is even better than this one. The cool thing about Faith’s journey here is that it isn’t resolved yet. One episode to resolve a year’s worth of story would be an unsatisfactory conclusion to Faith’s journey. By the end of “Who Are You?”, Faith has realised that she’s a monster and she doesn’t want to live that way anymore. She has no place in the world without The Mayor and all that’s left now is to go out with a bang...just like The Mayor predicted.

Just as exciting, Faith leaving town doesn’t diminish the episode because it leaves an open thread to be explored in the next episode, “Superstar”...

Buffy: “You slept with her.”
Riley: “I slept with you.”

Well, that’s just uncomfortable.


Quote Of The Episode

Buffy (as Faith): “You have a girlfriend named Olivia and you haven’t had a job since we blew up the school, which is valid, lifestyle-wise. I mean, it’s not like you’re a slacker type, but...oh! Oh! When I had psychic power, I heard my mom think you were like a stevedore during sex. Do you want me to continue?”

Giles: “Actually, I beg you to stop.”

Buffy (as Faith): “What’s a stevedore?”


A stevedore is pretty much a dockworker for those of you unaware. That entire exchange always has me in stitches. Giles’ look of complete confusion and horror is a joyous thing to witness.


FINAL SCORE: 9/10


What are your thoughts on "Who Are You?"? Did you enjoy this episode? Dislike it? Let me know all your thoughts in the comments section below!

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5 comments:

  1. Great review. But I still believe that Faith's change was fast. However, it's something that I'm able to forgive for how brilliant this episode is and because it's understandable, I mean Eliza wasn't part of the regular cast, so they needed to move Faith's plot faster than a regular character. Anyway, I don't have much to say, I think you covered very well the episode, maybe I just add the fact that Tara was who found out Buffy wasn't Buffy as you said in the review and ALSO Faith(as Buffy) was the first one who knew what's going on between Tara and Willow. Not Buffy, not Xander, not Giles, but Faith. Again someone out of gang notice sth different about one of the members before them, probably is because, this season, the scoobies aren't really close as the other seasons. Just that addition xD

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  2. Although, really, at *this* point Buffy, Xander,a nd giles haven't had the *chance* not to notice it becuase they have not met Tara yet.*grin D'C'A'

    As for the ep., not much really to add. Good review.

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  3. LOVE the Stevedor moment, I snorted tea out of my nose at this point.
    LOVE the use of the word ponce
    LOVE how amazing Eliza is as SMG.
    Don't love the church part of the storyline - find it a bit weak. I don't believe Faith would have returned to save those folks based on her previous behavior. I know that the writers are trying to show the impact that living as Buffy had on her - but she has too good a thing being in Buffy's body - she would have run.

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  4. Sarah Michelle Gellar does an amazing job playing Faith

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  5. I believe part of what Faith is screaming at Buffy (who is in Faith's body) - so screaming at herself - are the words Willow said to her when the mayor had kidnapped Willow.

    Willow from "Choices": You were a Slayer and now you're nothing. You're just a big selfish, worthless waste.

    Faith yelling at herself: Shut up. Do you think I'm afraid of you? You're nothing! Disgusting! Murderous bitch! You're nothing!

    Ahh continuity!

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