Original Plan for Faith Was Much Worse

[David]

https://screenrant.com/buffy-vampire-slayer-faith-story-suicide-worse-reason/

Original Plan Would’ve Been Much Worse

Eliza Dushku had a significant impact on both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Angel as Faith. But the original plan for her would’ve been much worse

Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s original plan for Faith Lehane would have been
much worse. One of the many reasons that Buffy has endured as a seminal
piece of pop culture is thanks to its memorable line-up of villains, from
Spike and Drusilla to The Mayor, but Faith was particularly noteworthy as
she was introduced as an ally to the show’s protagonists.

Portrayed by Eliza Dushku, Faith made her debut in season 3, episode 3,
“Faith, Hope & Trick”, and she’s revealed to be the new slayer that gets
called in the aftermath of Kendra’s death. Faith is almost immediately
contrasted with Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) due to her often nonchalant
and even reckless attitude. But, as the season progresses, the two begin to
form a fraught but intense connection. This relationship would form the
basis for Dushku’s character to shift into an antagonist, siding with The
Mayor and proving to be an immensely difficult adversary for Buffy to square
off against. Perhaps more important than Faith’s initial arc is the impact
she had on season 4 of Buffy, as well as the spin-off series, Angel.
However, if series creator Joss Whedon stuck to his original plan for Faith,
she likely wouldn’t have such a lasting mark on the legacy of the
Buffyverse.


In Whedon’s original vision for Faith, she would have been written off Buffy
in a very dark and depressing way. The plan was for Dushku to guest star in
five episodes. After accidentally killing Deputy Mayor Allan Finch in season
3, episode 14, “Bad Girls”—mistaking him for a vampire—she would have
committed suicide. Because Dushku impressed Whedon with her performance as
Faith, he decided to change course for the character. The accidental death
of Allan Finch instead became a breaking point which led Faith to join
forces with The Mayor, rather than the event which would have led to her
tragic suicide.


In some ways, Whedon’s initial objectives with Faith make a lot of sense.
The purpose of the character, in those early season 3 appearances was to
shed a light on the dark side of being a slayer in an effort to point out
the contrast among different slayers in the slayer line. This is a point the
show’s writers would revisit on more than one occasion. However, it’s
difficult to imagine that Faith’s suicide would have been all that
significant in the long haul. She might have been mourned for a handful of
episodes, but likely would have been gradually forgotten once more pressing
plot developments started coming into focus. In any case, Faith would have
been a minor footnote in the history of the Buffyverse rather than an
absolute force of nature that changed the course of a season whenever she
popped up on screen.


This was the case when Faith returned for two episodes of Buffy in season 4,
giving the drama a jolt with an excellent a two-parter that featured the two
slayers switching bodies. It was especially true when Dushku moved on to
Angel, helping the new spin-off find its footing as writers crafted an
emotional storyline which revolved around Faith and Angel trying to seek
redemption for their past actions. Dushku would later return for Buffy
season 7, in addition to Angel season 4, with the purpose of offering the
character a measure of closure.

Faith proved popular enough that, when Buffy ended, a spin-off was
considered for the character. In her long career, Dushku has built up an
impressive filmography that includes prominent roles in franchises such as
Wrong Turn and Bring It On. However, for many fans, her stint on Buffy the
Vampire Slayer still counts as her best work. It’s a good thing that Whedon
saw Dushku’s potential early on and allowed her character to evolve.


David


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