Buffy the Vampire Slayer/The Initiative

The Initiative
Season 4, Episode 7
Airdate	November 16, 1999
Production Number	4ABB07
Written by	Douglas Petrie
Directed by	James A. Contner
← 4x06 Wild at Heart	4x08 → Pangs
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season Four

The Initiative is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the sixty-third episode overall.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), James Marsters (Spike)

and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles)

Guest Starring: Marc Blucas (Riley Finn), Mercedes McNab (Harmony Kendall), Adam Kaufman (Parker Abrams), Bailey Chase (Graham Miller), Leonard Roberts (Forrest Gates)

and Lindsay Crouse (Maggie Walsh)

Co-Starring: Mace Lombard (Tom), Scott Becker (Lost Freshman)

Plot Overview

Spike awakens to find himself being held in a government facility. He soon stages an escape to target Buffy, unaware of what this governmental operation is up to and what it means for him.

Meanwhile, Riley realises that he's fallen for Buffy and tries to woo her. Little do either know of the secret life the other is hiding.

Notes

Monster of the Week

Though not actually monsters, The Initiative makes its first in-depth appearance and appears to be a military organization dedicated to killing demons.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Tom	Initiative Soldier	Staked	Initiative Prison

Music

• "Bodyrock" by Moby: When Buffy and Willow come to the party, the song playing in the background is "Bodyrock" by Moby. The song is the third single from his 1999 electronica album Play, which was notable for being the first album to have all its songs licensed for movies, commercials or television.

• Deadstar - "Lights Go Down"

• Four Star Mary - "Fate"

• Jake Lee Rau - "Welcome"

• That Dog - "Never Say Never"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Initiative: Not only is The Initiative revealed in all its grandeur, but Maggie Walsh appears to be the leader of the organization. Also involved in "Special Agent" Riley Finn and his two friends, who are at a lower rank. Finn, when explaining his predicament regarding Buffy to his friends, describes himself as a demon hunter, although the full extent of the group's purpose is not known. It is also shown that they have been keeping demons (particularly vampires) captive to use as guinea pigs in their experiments.

Characters

• Spike: Spike's fate following his tasering and capture in the previous episode is revealed when he wakes up in an electrified prison cell under watch by the Initiative. He's designated "Hostile 17" and although he escapes from their custody, the full effects of the Initiative are felt later on. Spike is no long able to harm humans and suffers a psychological episode whenever he tries due to an implant. Spike also mentions that he's 126 years old.

Referbacks

• 4x01 - The Freshman: Tom, one of Spike's cellmates, was part of Sunday's vampire crew. Buffy staked most of them, but the one who escaped was captured by the Initiative before he could get away for good.

• 2x06 - Halloween: Xander has had several brief flirtations with the military, all stemming from a Halloween when most of Sunnydale was transformed into the costumes they bought from Ethan Rayne. Xander has kept much of that acquired knowledge stashed away, but his inability to check his handgun proves that the army know-how has faded over time.

Xander: Requisitioned it, back when I was military guy.

• 3x12 - Helpless: Buffy admitted to Willow and Xander that she figure skated as a little girl and has traditionally gone to see the Icecapades with her father annually on her birthday.

Willow: Loves Icecapades without the irony.

• 3x08 - Lover's Walk: The last time Willow saw Spike, he held her captive so that she would be forced to cast a love spell on Drusilla. He directly references the encounter after he "fails to perform" in Willow's dorm room.

Willow: Spike! What do you want, a spell? I can do that!

Trivia

The Show

• Credits: Due to Oz's sudden departure in the previous episode and Seth Green leaving the show for a film career, his place in the opening credits has been taken by James Marsters.

• Hall Residents: Spike uses a computer to figure out which room Buffy lives in at Stevenson Hall and, consequently, also pulls up room numbers and names of other residents. Many of the names are real people who work on the show including co-producer David Solomon, hair stylist Lisa Rosenberg and stunt coordinator Jeff Pruitt. The full list is:

Peralta, JD (509) Parker, Eric (399) Pruitt, Jeff (111) Robinson, Judy (311) Ruskin, Victoria (208) Rosenthal, Cindy (213) Rosenberg, Willow (214) Rosenberg, Lisa (519) Solomon, David (216)

Starkey, Mike (312) Speed, Tim (416) Solis, Leo (520) Summers, Buffy (214) Suta, Bryan (319) Theriault, Paul (511) Thomson, Kelly (613) Tomb, Brooks (905)

Full Name: The one and only time that Oz's full name is said aloud is in this episode when Willow, fully in denial over his leaving, tells Riley that he left "Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne" off his role call. Behind the Scenes International: Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been dubbed into many different languages and the title translated for each different international version. Some international translations of this episode's title are: French: "Intrigues en Sous-Sol" ("Intrigue in the Basement") Italian: "Le pattuglie della notte" ("The Night Patrols") German: "Die Initiative" ("The Initiative") Spanish: "La Iniciativa" ("The Initiative") Allusions and References Memorable Moments Goofs When Spike has Willow against the wall in her dorm room and vamps out, the camera repeatedly cuts between two shots. In the shots with Spike's back to the camera, his collar is up; it's down when facing him. It's not made clear how Spike is able to toss around the scientists during his escape from the Initiative lab and later the soldiers in the dorm without the neurological pain from his implant that he experiences at other times. Quotes Xander: No studying? Damn! Next thing you'll tell is I have to eat jelly doughnuts or sleep with a supermodel to get things done around here. I ask you, how much can one man give? Spike: (in Initiative cell; about Buffy) I always worried what would happen when that bitch got some funding. Buffy: You know, for someone who teaches human behaviour, you might try showing some. Walsh: It's not my job to coddle my students. Buffy: You're right. A human being in pain has nothing to do with your job. (leaves) Walsh: (to Riley) I like her. Harmony: Spikey. Let's leave the Slayer alone. You know she'll only slap you around, and I can do that. Xander: Every man faces this moment. Here, now. Watching, waiting for an unseen enemy that has no face. Nerve endings screaming in silence, never knowing which thought might be your last... Giles: Oh, shut up. Willow: (to Riley) If you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel. A vague disclaimer's nobody's friend. Have fun!