Tonight, the WB serves up outstanding, back-to-back Buffy and Angel repeats that focus on Faith, the rogue vampire slayer. Every great hero has a dark foil, a twisted version of him or herself, a villain who is everything the hero is not, someone the hero could have been.

Sherlock Holmes had Professor Moriarity (who had all of Holmes's brains but none of his integrity). Luke Skywalker had Darth Vader (who had all of Luke's power but none of his control). We love these bad guys because we can see our heroes in them. And now, a 19-year-old woman can be counted among them.

As vampire slayers go, Faith is as deadly as they come. Played with great intensity by Eliza Dushku, Faith arguably has become Buffy's greatest nemesis. Why? Because she is Buffy unbound. All of the skill, none of the discipline; all of the power, none of the restraint: that's Faith.

While Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) abides by Spider-Man's credo ("With great power comes great responsibility"), Faith lets it all hang out, doing what she wants, when she wants, because she can. For example, in a third-season episode entitled "Bad Girls," we learn Faith's mantra: "Want, take, have." That pretty much says it all.

Dushku imbues Faith with a creeping darkness and portrays her as a wounded animal - the most dangerous kind. Dushku's Faith is in pain, betrayed (she thinks) by everyone - family, the Council and, most important, Buffy. With nowhere to turn, she lashes out. Dushku makes it plain that Faith is not evil per se, but she is not to be trifled with, either.

These motivations make Faith a fully drawn yet unpredictable character - one who fans look forward to seeing again and again.

Although she was out of commission for most of this past season (after being beaten into a coma by Buffy during 1999's season's finale), Faith returns in a big way in these crossover episodes from February and March of this year. She awakens from her coma with revenge on her mind and goes gunning for the Buffster. Finding a magical gift from her former employer, the Mayor (Harry Groener), Faith is able to switch bodies with Buffy. Meanwhile, the Watchers' Council sends a trio of assassins to capture Faith and bring her to England to be punished for her crimes. Except, Buffy is Faith. And no one, not even Riley (Marc Blucas), can tell the difference. Needless to say, Buffy doesn't take that too well and a showdown follows, with the two slayers (literally) beating themselves up.

Following her adventures in Sunnydale, Faith (now back in her own body) heads to L.A., stomping grounds for another old friend, Angel (David Boreanaz). When she reaches the city, the wicked law firm Wolfram & Hart approaches her with a proposition. They'll shelter and pay her in return for a small favor: killing Angel. For a revenge-obsessed slayer, that's a mighty sweet deal.

Reprinted from TV Guide - By Jared M. Delaney - July 18, 2000