While many critics of Buffy the Vampire Slayer tend to concentrate on Buffy’s strength as a female character (especially in feminist readings of the show), within an existential context, Buffy is read more negatively. Buffy is in fact a weak individual because of her inability to escape her fate as a vampire slayer: she lives an inauthentic existence because she allows choices to be made for her. For example, she acquiesces not only to her destiny as a slayer, but also to the slayer’s inevitable fate of death. In addition, Buffy finds herself in situations over which she exerts little control (like her own perceived detestable sexual relationship with Spike). I plan to argue that Buffy is not only a weak character due to her passive choices, but that she also exists in a state of bad faith, and that this state of bad faith is especially enforced in situations in which she appears to make an active choice. For example, Buffy’s moment of empowerment in "Checkpoint" (season five) in which she believes she takes control of her role as slayer from the Council of Watchers makes her escape from her destiny all the more impossible.