Mostly nodding along with all this, but let's see if I can summon some thoughts.
I always wondered if Faith was actually mentally ill or not, because in This Year's Girl or Five By Five she's described as "psychotic", right? But it makes more sense that she would actually be sane, but acting insane. Because it makes more sense than anything else.
And I think Faith does think that she's the problem, but she also thinks the world is out to get her. I think that's sincere. It's sort of up and down and back and forth. Is she a loser, or is the world out to screw her?
I think Buffy could justify herself declaring herself as better than Faith by telling herself they needed Faith worked up so she would talk...but I don't think that was the only reason. Because we know that Buffy does think of herself as better than everyone, as well as worse than them. And I think she means it, and I think it's sort of her weird way of getting back at Faith. And yet, strangely, she's also trying to reach Faith in that scene, and I don't think she's faking that, either. It's almost like her attempts to hurt Faith and her attempts to help Faith are the same, the same sort of attitude, the same sort of condescension and superiority. Note what Faith has just accused Buffy of: trying to share "Buffy wisdom".
Faith has the double-whammy of not having all the things Buffy has, and of not being able to keep up with Buffy as a slayer. She has nothing. She is nothing. And yet the one thing she does have is Buffy, because they have this special slayer bond. The chosen two. But Buffy is one of the very things that is keeping her down.
Sometimes I wonder if there is an element of fake it 'till you make to Buffy's kindness: She fakes it not because she's insincere, but because she's trying too hard. She acts good because she doesn't feel she is good. So she's worse than everyone, because she's not a good person, but she's better than everyone, because she acts so good and they don't.
no subject
Mostly nodding along with all this, but let's see if I can summon some thoughts.
I always wondered if Faith was actually mentally ill or not, because in This Year's Girl or Five By Five she's described as "psychotic", right? But it makes more sense that she would actually be sane, but acting insane. Because it makes more sense than anything else.
And I think Faith does think that she's the problem, but she also thinks the world is out to get her. I think that's sincere. It's sort of up and down and back and forth. Is she a loser, or is the world out to screw her?
I think Buffy could justify herself declaring herself as better than Faith by telling herself they needed Faith worked up so she would talk...but I don't think that was the only reason. Because we know that Buffy does think of herself as better than everyone, as well as worse than them. And I think she means it, and I think it's sort of her weird way of getting back at Faith. And yet, strangely, she's also trying to reach Faith in that scene, and I don't think she's faking that, either. It's almost like her attempts to hurt Faith and her attempts to help Faith are the same, the same sort of attitude, the same sort of condescension and superiority. Note what Faith has just accused Buffy of: trying to share "Buffy wisdom".
Faith has the double-whammy of not having all the things Buffy has, and of not being able to keep up with Buffy as a slayer. She has nothing. She is nothing. And yet the one thing she does have is Buffy, because they have this special slayer bond. The chosen two. But Buffy is one of the very things that is keeping her down.
Sometimes I wonder if there is an element of fake it 'till you make to Buffy's kindness: She fakes it not because she's insincere, but because she's trying too hard. She acts good because she doesn't feel she is good. So she's worse than everyone, because she's not a good person, but she's better than everyone, because she acts so good and they don't.