In 1998 and 1999, Eliza Dushku had a major role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer's third season. This summary discusses Faith with many aspects of the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer written into it. I suggest going to the official site for more background information until I can put in even more about the show. The part of Faith is the role that gained Eliza most of her acclaim and where many of her fans, including myself, saw her for the first time. Faith was a vampire Slayer, just like Buffy. Faith was called upon after the death of Kendra, a Slayer who had come from Buffy's "death" of a few moments from drowning. However, CPR was performed on Buffy and she lived. There were now two Slayers, which gave them both a strong advantage in their continuous battle against the world's evil.

Faith came from a very difficult background. Faith, by no coincidence, hails from Boston, Massachusetts. She dropped out of high school and went out on her own. Faith's mother was "trailer park trash" and this only added to her poor childhood. Faith's Watcher was brutally attacked and killed right before her eyes by the vampire Kakistos. On the run from him, Faith made her way to Sunnydale, California, to find Buffy. When she arrives, Faith fits right in, going on patrol with Buffy and hanging out with her friends. It is not long until Buffy finds out about Kakistos, and she and Faith are soon drawn into a confrontation with him. Somehow, Faith finds the courage to finally face him and he is killed. Faith and Buffy continue on like this, yet Faith becomes more and more withdrawn over time. In battle, she is ferocious and unrelenting, even putting herself and Buffy at risk on numerous occasions. After a new Watcher arrives to keep charge of Faith and soon betrays her and attempts to kill them all, Faith's emotions are damaged even more.

One night, while on patrol with Buffy, Faith accidentally stakes and kills the Deputy Mayor of Sunnydale. Confused and afraid, the Slayers separate and run from the scene. Buffy is shocked and the accident is tearing her apart. She says to Faith that they must come forward and tell Giles. Faith tries to rationalize the situation, and becomes confrontational with Buffy over the issue as she washes the blood from her clothing. She tells Buffy that they won't be talking about it ever again. After the body is found, Faith secretly goes to Giles and tells him that Buffy was the one who killed him and not her. Either way, the investigation was leading right back to the Slayers. Giles knew right away that Faith was the real killer, and pretends to believe that Buffy is the killer in order to trick Faith. Faith nearly comes back to trusting them when Wesley and his henchman capture her to take her back to the Watcher's Counsel in England. She has no trouble escaping from them. With all emotional ties to Buffy, Giles, and all of the Scoobies severed, Faith seeks the trust and care she needs. She finds it in the Mayor. On Graduation Day, the Mayor will ascend and become an extremely powerful demon. The Mayor is able to provide Faith with a father-like relationship, giving her the attention and care she needed. Once a critical piece of the fight against evil, Faith was now a strong part of that evil.

In order to distract Buffy on the Ascension, Faith poisons Angel by shooting him through the chest with an arrow. In order to save him, he needs to drink the blood of a Slayer. Buffy has just the Slayer in mind - Faith. The two Slayers face off in a long and well-fought battle. Buffy is able to stab Faith with her own blade, and Faith escapes by jumping off her apartment building onto a truck in the street below. She is gone and presumably dead, leaving Buffy with no choice but to have Angel drink from her to save himself. Faith ends up in the hospital in a coma. There is little chance she will ever wake up with the trauma she received. Faith and Buffy are able to communicate in each other's minds while they are unconscious, as Buffy was after she forced Angel to drink from her. Faith tells Buffy how to defeat the Mayor, and she does at the Ascension.

Faith was not heard from again until months later, in season four of the show. She awoke from her coma and saw how changed the world was. She had nothing left. The Mayor had left her a gift that enabled her to switch bodies with Buffy. The Watcher's Counsel took "Faith", who was really Buffy in Faith's body, back to be brought to England. Faith had a great time being in Buffy's body and being cared about by all of Buffy's friends. She realizes what it is truly like to be Buffy. The real Buffy is able to escape her captors and find Giles to explain the situation to him. She finally convinces him of the situation, and they fight once again and return to their real bodies. Faith, more confused and withdrawn than ever before, leaves Sunnydale for L.A.

In Los Angeles, Faith was hired to kill Angel by the lawfirm Wolfram and Hart. Angel had moved on to L.A. with Wesley and Cordelia working to "help the helpless". When Faith found Angel, she attempted to get him to kill her instead. She could no longer withstand her pain. She eventually broke down into Angel's arms. He kept watch over her and could see she finally wanted redemption. Faith turned herself into the police, as she was wanted for several crimes, and is currently in a L.A. prison.

Since that time, Eliza's career has taken off, and she has not yet had time to return to either show with her busy schedule. She has left the possibility open, but in reality, the chances are not very good. I have a feeling that when the time comes for a series finale for Buffy, we might be able to get her back. Another possibility is a Buffy movie, and maybe something could be worked out then. We can only wait and hope for her return.