The Initiative (Buffy episode)
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| Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode | |
|---|---|
| “The Initiative” | |
 |
|
| Episode no. | Season 4 Episode 7 |
| Guest star(s) | Marc Blucas (Riley) Mercedes McNab (Harmony) Adam Kaufman (Parker) Bailey Chase (Graham) Leonard Roberts (Forrest) Lindsay Crouse (Professor Maggie Walsh) |
| Writer(s) | Douglas Petrie |
| Director | James A. Contner |
| Production no. | 4ABB07 |
| Original airdate | November 16th 1999 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Wild at Heart" | "Pangs" |
"The Initiative" is the seventh episode of season 4 of the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (See also List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes.)
Contents |
[edit] Plot synopsis
[edit] Summary
Spike is imprisoned in an underground demon-research facility; Riley realizes he has a crush on Buffy.
[edit] Expanded overview
Riley and a couple of friends, Forest and Graham, watch Buffy as she manages to make a mess of the soda machine and yogurt machine. They comment on what a catch she is, and how interested they all are, but Riley is reluctant. Spike wakes up from unconsciousness to discover he's in a facility where they are keeping various types of creatures captive behind electrically charged barriers. Giles and Xander discover the commando guys are human and that their help will not be needed, again. Buffy arrives and while Giles tells her to patrol, she says she's going to party with Willow and hopefully cheer her up.
A packet of blood drops down from the ceiling into Spike's cell but before he drinks it, another vampire from the cell beside him warns him it's drugged. We see it's Tom, who was captured in "The Freshman", and he tells Spike that the people starve the vampires and then feed them drugged blood before doing tests. In class, Willow asks Riley about Daniel Osborne--Oz--but he tells her he dropped out. After Willow tries to tell him that Oz will return, Professor Walsh informs her that he won't be back to her class, to which Willow abruptly leaves, saddened. Buffy approaches the professor, and tells her off, which prompts Walsh to comment that she 'likes her,' to Riley.
Forest asks Parker what Buffy was like, and Riley ends up hitting Parker after he brags about Buffy and talks vulgarly about her. Riley then discovers that he likes Buffy. Pretending that he drank the packet of blood, Spike lies on the floor and when the people come to get him, he attacks. He escapes, also setting Tom free to show the way out and then while Tom gets captured, Spike escapes. Riley visits Willow to find out more about Buffy, but the emotionally distressed Willow isn't much help. As he's leaving, and after he's somewhat convinced her that he might be okay for Buffy, she tells him about some of Buffy's likes and interests.
Spike returns to Harmony, and pretends to be back for good. At the party that night, Willow sneaks away to inform Riley about Buffy and what he can expect to happen that night. He makes a complete fool out of himself though. Xander and Giles patrol that night and after splitting up, Xander runs into Harmony. The two fight, very badly, and then mutually agree to stop. She's burning some of Spike's things and lets Xander know that Spike is back in town. Xander interrupts Riley's second attempt to talk to Buffy to inform her of Spike's return.
Riley and friends break away from the party and after passing through several electronic checkpoints, go downstairs into an underground facility--the place where they were holding Spike. Professor Walsh is heading the operation and after informing them that Hostile 17, a.k.a. Spike has escaped, the guys suit up and get ready to go after him. Riley gives orders to three teams that he sends out all over Sunnydale to find Spike. Buffy's plan is to go alone and kill Spike.
Spike finds Buffy's dorm through the school computer system. Riley's team spot Buffy sitting on a bench. Riley says she won't be their bait and goes out to get rid of her. Both unaware of the other's secret identity, they try to get rid of the other. Willow accidentally invites Spike into her dorm room. He tries to bite her but finds that when he tries, there's an intense pain in his head. Willow hits him with a lamp and runs out just as Riley and friends cut the power and then work their way up to the dorm room. They capture Spike and while they consider whether to take Willow or not, Spike breaks free.
Buffy arrives and fights Riley and his friends while Spike manages to escape through a window. Unable to make out the identity of their attacker, Riley orders them to retreat. Professor Walsh is not happy with what happened or with Riley's report on the event. It is revealed that Spike cannot harm a living thing without feeling pain in his head thanks to an implant they placed there. Riley catches up with Buffy and they talk. Buffy tells him he's a little peculiar, which he says he can live with.
[edit] Extremely comprehensive synopsis
[edit] Writing and acting
[edit] Cast and crew
- Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
- Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
- Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
- Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles
- Marc Blucas as Riley Finn
- Lindsay Crouse as Maggie Walsh
- James Marsters as Spike
- Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall
- Written by: Douglas Petrie
- Directed by: David Grossman
[edit] Production details
[edit] Music
- Deadstar - "Lights Go Down"
- Four Star Mary - "Fate"
- Jake Lee Rau - "Welcome"
- Moby - "Bodyrock"
- that dog. - "Never Say Never"
[edit] Quotes and trivia
- Forrest: Oh... check her out. Is she hot, or is she hot?
- Riley: She's Buffy.
- Forrest: Buffy? I like that. That girl's so hot, she's buffy.
[edit] Continuity
[edit] Arc significance
- The existence of the Initiative is established. We now know who the mysterious commandos are and apparently they do experiments on demons and vampires. Throughout the show in previous seasons, Buffy has explored the powers of magic fighting demons, now in this season we will see the power of science fighting them.
- We see some more of Giles' feeling useless again. He's lost his footing this season, since he's not an official Watcher anymore and Buffy no longer defers to his authority. Several times in this episode, we see this happen when he tells Xander they won't be able to help Buffy again and when she tells him that she's patrolling on her own.
- This episode marks the first or many references to Spike as a neutered animal, or an impotent man, now that he has the Initiative-installed inhibitor chip in his brain. Willow tries to comfort Spike after he tries unsuccesfully to bite her, telling him they could "try again in half an hour."
- This episode marks the second time that Willow sits next to a distraught Spike on a bed and tries to comfort him; the first time is when Spike returns to Sunnydale in Season 3 and kidnaps her to perform a love spell. He threatens and menaces her, but then sits next to her and they discuss the pain of his breakup.
[edit] Timing
- Stories that take place around the same time in the Buffyverse:
| Location, time (if known) |
Buffyverse chronology: Fall 1999 - December 1999 (non-canon = italic) |
|---|---|
| L.A. 1999 | Angel comic: Doyle: Spotlight |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.01 City of |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.01 The Freshman |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.02 Living Conditions |
| L.A. 1999 | |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.02 Lonely Hearts |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.00 Unaired Angel pilot |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Not Forgotten |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.03 The Harsh Light of Day |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.03 In the Dark |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.04 Fear, Itself |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy graphic novel: Blood of Carthage |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel graphic novel: Surrogates |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel comic: Strange Bedfellows story, Angel #4 |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy video game: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Game Boy Color) |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Tales of the Slayer: All That You Do Comes Back.. |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.04 I Fall to Pieces |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.05 Beer Bad |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.05 Rm w/a Vu |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy books: Lost Slayer series |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.06 Wild at Heart |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy graphic novel: Oz |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy book: Oz: Into the Wild |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.06 Sense & Sensitivity |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.07 The Initiative |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.07 Bachelor Party |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Close to the Ground |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Soul Trade |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel graphic novel: Earthly Possessions |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Redemption |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Shakedown |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Hollywood Noir |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Avatar |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Bruja |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: The Summoned |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.08 Pangs |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.08 I Will Remember You |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.09 Something Blue |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.09 Hero |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.10 Hush |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.10 Parting Gifts |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.11 Doomed |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.11 Somnambulist |
[edit] External links
[edit] Reviews
- Soulful Spike Society analysis of The Initiative
- Peripheral Visions Review
- Section 31 Review
- Swing the Sickle Review
