The Initiative (Buffy episode)
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"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.)
Plot synopsis
Summary
Spike, who was captured last week by the commandos, is being held hostage by them in a hi-tech facility underneath the University. Riley, who has a crush on Buffy, is a member of this military-like demon hunting crusade (called the Initiative, hence the episode title). It also turns out that Professor Maggie Walsh is in charge of the unit, which performs experiments on the demons the commandos capture. Spike manages to escape and heads to find Buffy, who he assumes is behind this. Instead, he finds Willow, but is unable to bite her — the Initiative has put a chip in his head that renders him unable to hurt anyone; if he tries, he experiences severe neurological pain. Riley and his commandos, undercover, find Spike at Willow's dorm and attack, but Buffy shows up, and they all fight. However, circumstances have led to everyone being unable to see, so Buffy and Riley don't recognize each other, and Spike gets away.
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.
Extremely comprehensive synopsis
Writing and acting
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: Marti Noxon
- Directed by: David Grossman
Production details
Music
- Deadstar - "Lights Go Down"
- Four Star Mary - "Fate"
- Jake Lee Rau - "Welcome"
- Moby - "Bodyrock"
- that dog. - "Never Say Never"
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.
Continuity
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 doesn't defer to his authority anymore. 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.
Willow is still trying to recover from Oz's departure. The scene between Spike and herself was particularly funny, wherein both were having the same sort of conversation that a couple would have after the male counterpart fails to perform sexually (Willow herself becomes aware of the tone of the conversation after telling Spike he should try to bite her again in half an hour.) Vampiric behavior is often a metaphor for human sexuality and the writers sort of turn it on its head here in a great way.
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: |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.01 City of (Angel episode)>City of |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.01 The Freshman (Buffy episode)>The Freshman |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.02 Living Conditions (Buffy episode)>Living Conditions |
| L.A. 1999 | |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.02 Lonely Hearts (Angel episode)>Lonely Hearts |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.00 Unaired Angel pilot |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Not Forgotten (Angel novel)>Not Forgotten |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.03 The Harsh Light of Day (Buffy episode)>The Harsh Light of Day |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.03 In the Dark (Angel episode)>In the Dark |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.04 Fear Itself (Buffy episode)>Fear Itself |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy graphic novel: Blood of Carthage (Buffy comic)>Blood of Carthage |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel graphic novel: Surrogates (Angel comic)>Surrogates |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel comic: Strange Bedfellows (Angel comic)>Strange Bedfellows story, Angel #4 |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy video game: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Game Boy Color) |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.04 I Fall to Pieces (Angel episode)>I Fall to Pieces |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.05 Beer Bad (Buffy episode)>Beer Bad |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.05 Rm w/a Vu (Angel episode)>Rm w/a Vu |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy books: Lost Slayer (Buffy novel)>Lost Slayer series |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.06 Wild at Heart (Buffy episode)>Wild at Heart |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy graphic novel: Oz (Buffy comic)>Oz |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | Buffy book: |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.06 Sense & Sensitivity (Angel episode)>Sense & Sensitivity |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.07 The Initiative (Buffy episode)>The Initiative |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.07 Bachelor Party (Angel episode)>Bachelor Party |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Close to the Ground (Angel novel)>Close to the Ground |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Soul Trade (Angel novel)>Soul Trade |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel graphic novel: Earthly Possessions (Angel comic)>Earthly Possessions |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Redemption (Angel novel)>Redemption |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Shakedown (Angel novel)>Shakedown |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Hollywood Noir (Angel novel)>Hollywood Noir |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Avatar (Angel novel)>Avatar |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: Bruja (Angel novel)>Bruja |
| L.A. 1999 | Angel book: The Summoned (Angel novel)>The Summoned |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.08 Pangs (Buffy episode)>Pangs |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.08 I Will Remember You (Angel episode)>I Will Remember You |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.09 Something Blue (Buffy episode)>Something Blue |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.09 Hero (Angel episode)>Hero |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.10 Hush (Buffy episode)>Hush |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.10 Parting Gifts (Angel episode)>Parting Gifts |
| Sunnydale, 1999 | B4.11 Doomed (Buffy episode)>Doomed |
| L.A. 1999 | A1.11 Somnambulist (Angel episode)>Somnambulist |
External links
Reviews
- [Soulful Spike Society analysis of The Initiative]
- [Peripheral Visions Review]
- [Section 31 Review]
- [Swing the Sickle Review]
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