Original Air Date: April 25, 2000

Written by: Jim Kouf
Directed By: James A. Contner

Summary

At night, Angel saves a teenager punk named Marquez from three demons at the request of a client. Meanwhile at a bus depot, Faith gets off the bus and viciously beats a guy up in order to steal his jacket, wallet and apartment keys. Borsa, Roumania 1898 - It's Angel's birthday and his lover, Darla, surprises him with a gagged victim; a gypsy girl that he feeds off of mercilessly. Back to the present, Angel is in his office with Marquez and he's trying to get Marquez to stand up in court to testify against a murderer. That night at a club, Faith is dancing up a storm with someone else's boyfriend. The guy's girlfriend says something so Faith elbows her in the face. The boyfriend goes to punch Faith but she deflects him and he smashes into other people, starting a huge fight.

The next day in a court house, lawyer Lindsey McDonald of the Wolfram & Hart firm is trying to get his client off on a dismissal. Suddenly Angel brings in Marquez who stands on the witness stand to testify and convict Lindsey's client. Over at Wolfram & Hart, they're trying to figure out how to get rid of Angel because he keeps screwing up their cases. Someone comes up with a file on Faith and Lilah says she'll make contact with the rogue Slayer. Back at Angel's office, Cordelia is on the phone with someone who wants Angel to take their divorce case. Cordelia protests until she finds out how much money it is and sets up an appointment tomorrow for lunch. That night, Lilah finds Faith at a club and they head outside to discuss something. Faith becomes pissed off when she realizes that Lilah knows a whole lot about her but neverthless agrees to get in her limousine to discuss a deal with the firm. Back to Roumania -- Darla returns home to find Angelus completely broken down and muttering about the death of his victims. She then discovers that Angelus has been cursed with a soul by the elder's of the gypsy girl he fed off of. Darla's disgusted by him and tries to stake him but he leaves the house and heads for the streets.

Back to the present in an office at Wolfram & Hart, Faith is offered the job of killing Angel which she accepts immediately. The firm promises to get her off of her murder charges and to pay her a hefty fee. At some hotel the next day, Angel, Cordelia and Wesley are heading to the diner when Cordelia informs them that it's actually a divorce case and Angel's none too happy. While they're arguing, Faith appears behind Angel and takes aim with a crossbow at Angel's back. Before the arrow hits, Angel spins around and catches it right in front of his heart. Faith bolts out of there leaving the three of them in shock. Later Angel calls Giles and finds out that Faith got out of her coma about a week ago and that she's borderline psychotic. Angel tells them hide until this blows over. Wesley doesn't want to but Angel orders him to and says that he wasn't much help last time in rehablitating Faith. Wesley and Cordelia leave and Angel heads upstairs to find Faith standing in sunlight holding a gun. She decides to give Angel one shot to save himself so she tosses him the gun and he fires immediately at her kneecap. She figures she'll have to up the stakes because he didn't shoot to kill. Just before she leaves, after having told him that she was hired to do this, she fires the gun at Angel, and this one isn't a blank.

Angel heads to Wolfram & Hart and breaks into Lindsey's office. Lindsey shows up and Angel tries to get info about Faith out of him but he pretends that he knows nothing and says that he'll have Angel arrested for breaking and entering.

Wesley and Cordelia head to Cordelia's apartment and find Faith waiting for them inside. She tells them that she has to attack them to get Angel in the game. She knocks out both Cordelia and Wesley. Back to Roumania -- Angel is starving for blood and tries to feed off a noble woman but his soul gets the better of him and he leaves her alone. Back to the present -- Angel heads to Cordelia's and finds her waking up from unconsciousness. She tells Angel about Faith and they're surprised to find Wesley missing.

Meanwhile, Faith has taken Wesley to the apartment and has bound and gagged him and beaten him viciously with blunt objects. Faith continues to torture Wesley while telling him that it's his fault she turned out this way. Angel suddenly bursts in and tells her that she's looking run down and that she's no longer young and carefree. They fight viciously with Faith getting crazier by the minute. They eventually fall out a window and land on the ground four stories down. It starts to rain while Faith loses it, she wails on Angel all the while screaming that she's evil and bad. Wesley manages to escape and grabs a knife. He runs outside to find Faith in a complete and utter emotional breakdown. She's pounding on Angel's chest hysterically begging him to kill her. He simply grabs her and holds her close, trying to comfort her while Wesley drops his knife in shock and the rain continues to pour down on them...

Summary written by Nika

Quote of the Week

Faith: You don't know what evil is! I'm evil! I'm bad! Angel, please, just do it... Just kill me...

Rating

5/5

Nika Summers' Comments

Oh god, where do I possibly even start? This episode was so full of mixed emotions for the characters that it was incredible that the actors did such a wonderful job. Let's start with Faith, who's emotional breakdown I was not expecting. She was looking so ragged and worn out by the end of this episode that I eventually started to realize that it was coming. Eliza Dushku was incredible. Her best performance yet as Faith, she handled the emotions of a sick girl so well that it completely took my breath away. Who didn't fell her pain at the end while she begged for Angel to kill her? That scene was so painful and I can only wonder where it will take us. I could hardly believe that she'd become so sick of herself that she wanted to be killed... I'm glad Faith's breakdown was around Angel because of all the people she knows Angel is the most likely to relate to it and he will be able to help her. But that brings out my next point, I don't want to see Faith get completely rehabilitated because that would take away most of her fun! Anyway, on to Alexis Denisof -- his portrayal of Wesley finally realizing his defeat in trying to bring Faith back to good was awesome as well. In that final scene where Faith is torturing Wesley I could almost feel him give up and just to tell her exactly what he thought about her.

Niki Bartl's Comments

Yay! Finally we're getting somewhere with Angel. 'Five by Five' was spectacularly performed from all four principle actors. Cordelia's wanting to hide was perfect Cordy, although her emotional I've-just-been-knocked-out scene was a little overwrought. Angel's reluctance to fight was excellent even if I wanted him to kick Faith's ass. I was distressed to see him getting his butt whooped so easily. Wesley was good, especially his "I was your Watcher" lines. I think this was Faith's best episode so far, with her burning out at the end and turning into a sobbing mess. I can't wait until next week to see if her breakdown was an act, but I honestly hope not. It would be nice to see her and Angel become sort of friends, I just hope Wesley doesn't do something stupid concerning the relationship

Cast

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