Faith taking over the Slaying biz

[Chosen Enemy]

After Faith's arrival to Sunnydale, not only Buffy notices the option of Faith replacing Buffy in the Slaying zone, so Buffy could have a normal life, go to college, leave Sunnydale... Not the official Slayer anymore.

Now, would it be a good idea? Would you have wanted to see Faith taking over the slaying and Buffy getting a little rest from it?

 

[FaithsFollower]

Back then? Heck no. As Buffy herself said, that girl's 'not playing with a full deck.' As much as it would've been interesting to see, it would probably just have spelled D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R.

 

[Steven123]

Not really, as pretty much the entire rivalry between the two wouldn't have happened. Plus it wouldn't really work as it would be more like Faith The Vampire Slayer, if Buffy had 'stepped down' as such, she couldn't stay in Sunnydale as she would still have little or no option to fight vampires and demons and the such as they would still target her, and she would still protect her friends, and if she leaves Sunnydale then it basicly becomes Faith The Vampire Slayer, and i don't think as many viewers would have wanted that (at the time).

 

[Skytteflickan88]

I can't imagine season 3 Faith as a non-headcase so I have a hard time imagining it. But she did show some good qualities back then, and we've seen more of them now, specially in season 8 & 9, so maybe if some things had turned out differently it could have worked.

Here's a scenario:
Buffy tries to live a normal life(maybe she's been injured and needs months to heal) and Faith trying to be the one and only slayer, having help from Giles, Willow and the others. It would be weird, considering she's a loner who's not used to giving orders and getting help from other people (other than her watcher). It would probably have worked badly, so we could see the consequences of that. Willow & Oz & Cordy & Xander & Giles trying to help, Faith not being able to handle getting help or leading them and giving them the cold shoulder, Buffy trying to live a normal life but in the end, she misses slaying but doesn't want to steal Faith's thunder. Faith turns out not being able to handle the pressure being the one and only slayer, and the scooby gang trying to be supportive and tells Buffy they're doing okay without her, which is a lie. Buffy wants to return, the others want that too, but they're all too nice or afraid to ask her.

If TV seasons were longer, maybe this arc could have been put in in season 3, pre-Evil Faith.

 

[BuffyElevated]

Back then? Heck no. As Buffy herself said, that girl's 'not playing with a full deck.' As much as it would've been interesting to see, it would probably just have spelled D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R.

Definitely agree with this... As much as I love Faith, she was nowhere near ready to take over for Buffy at that point. She was tough, but definitely not as well-trained as Buffy, and I don't think she could have handled the Hellmouth on her own; she was way too quick to jump without looking.

 

[zobothehobo]

Yeah, I don't think Faith was anywhere suited to take over being the one and only slayer.

 

[VisionGirl]

I could have totally seen that in season 7 though. She probably still would've struggled with it, but she would have done it if necessary.

 

[white avenger]

I think that a lot of Faith's impulsiveness and just plain craziness in Season 3 was to impress and compete with who she referred to as "the famous B," or whatever. She had apparently been a quite successful and skilled Slayer before losing her Watcher and coming to Sunnydale. Quite possibly, without Buffy there to compete with and whose reputation try to live up to (not to mention whose approval to try and win) she would have settled down to her business and done an excellent job. That doesn't mean that she wouldn't still be the wild, flamboyant person that she always was, but when it came to Slaying, she would have been totally professional.

 

[dexeded]

I think that a lot of Faith's impulsiveness and just plain craziness in Season 3 was to impress and compete with who she referred to as "the famous B," or whatever. She had apparently been a quite successful and skilled Slayer before losing her Watcher and coming to Sunnydale. Quite possibly, without Buffy there to compete with and whose reputation try to live up to (not to mention whose approval to try and win) she would have settled down to her business and done an excellent job. That doesn't mean that she wouldn't still be the wild, flamboyant person that she always was, but when it came to Slaying, she would have been totally professional.

What about Kakistos?

 

[KellGreen]

I think she would have done great if given the right support. Not getting to actually be the chosen ONE made things worse in the mind of a girl who was, apparently, not even special to her own mother. If given the support of Giles and the Scoobies, and not told she was "bad," but had the good reinforced, she would have been. I love the essay on Slayage regarding Faith and the concept of "bad faith," wherein one becomes what those on the outside have labeled them. She lived up to, or rather down to, her perceptions of everyone else's expectations of her. I'm not saying her choices are excused, but it is easily understandable.

Buffy had some problems early on, but she did at least have a good support system in place. Though, on the inverse of Faith's issues, she ends up hurting herself at times because she pushes herself to live within the confines of the pedestal the Scoobies (especially Xander) have put her on. But she doesn't have the internal, doubting, monologue of how "bad" and "wrong" she is - she knows she is good (see S6 for the exception and resulting self-destructive behavior).

Also, Faith's character is totally Buffy in "When she was bad."

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

Honestly? Now that Faith's rehabilitated and stable I wouldn't be against her taking over for Buffy.

Slaying has taken a huge toll on Buffy - it's affected her ability to be happy, for one. Although I completely agree that being the Slayer is who Buffy is...I wouldn't be against Faith taking over, or at least sharing the duties. Buffy's already lived a lifetime for a person so young. She's seen so much and done so much. She deserves to rest.