The Initiative

"The Initiative" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is the sixty-third episode altogether. It was written by Douglas Petrie and directed by James A. Contner. It originally broadcast on November 16, 1999.

Spike, who was captured by the commandos is being held captive in a facility underneath the campus. He manages to escape and heads to find Buffy, who he assumes is behind it. Riley realizes he has a crush on Buffy.

Plot


Riley, Forrest, and Graham, watch as Buffy makes a mess of the soda and yogurt machines in the cafeteria. Forrest and Graham comment on how attractive she is and how interested in her they are, but Riley is reluctant to make fun.

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.

Spike, having previously been knocked out by a taser, wakes up in a facility where various types of demons are held captive behind electrically charged barriers. A packet of blood drops from the ceiling into Spike's cell but before he drinks it, a vampire in the next cell - Tom (captured in "The Freshman") - warns him that doctors starve the vampires and then feed them drugged blood before doing experiments on them.



In class, Willow asks about Oz, but Riley says 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, whereupon Willow abruptly leaves, saddened. Buffy approaches the professor, and tells her off, prompting Walsh to comment to Riley that she likes her.

Forrest asks Parker about Buffy, and when Parker vulgarly brags about having sex with her, Riley punches him. Riley then realizes he likes Buffy.

Spike lies on the floor of his cell, pretending to have drunk the drugged blood, and when the doctors come to get him he attacks. Riley visits Willow and asks her advice in wooing Buffy. Willow, still emotionally distressed, questions his motives but eventually relents, listing some of Buffy's likes and interests. After escaping from the Initiative, Spike returns to Harmony's lair, telling her he's "back for good" - then immediately leaves to kill the Slayer.



At the party, Willow tries to help Riley flirt with Buffy with little success. Xander discovers Harmony crying, burning some of Spike's things. The two get into an inept slap-fight, and then mutually agree to stop. Harmony lets Xander know that Spike is back. Xander interrupts Riley's renewed attempt to chat Buffy up to inform Buffy that Spike has returned. Riley is also called away; he and Forrest break away from the party and, after passing through several electronic checkpoints, go down a hidden elevator to the underground facility where Spike had been held. The operation's head, Professor Walsh, informs them that "Hostile 17" (Spike) has escaped, and the guys suit up. Riley gives orders to three teams that he sends out all over Sunnydale to find Spike.

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. Each unaware of the other's secret identity, Riley and Buffy try to send each other out of harm's way.



Meanwhile, Spike has found Buffy's dorm through the school computer system, and is accidentally invited into the room by Willow. When he tries to bite her, he is stopped by 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 but, 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 human 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.

Starring

 * Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
 * Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
 * Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
 * James Marsters as Spike
 * Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

Guest Starring

 * Marc Blucas as Riley Finn
 * Mercedes McNab as Harmony Kendall
 * Adam Kaufman as Parker Abrams
 * Bailey Chase as Graham Miller
 * Leonard Roberts as Forrest Gates
 * Lindsay Crouse as Maggie Walsh

Co Starring

 * Mace Lombard as Tom
 * Scott Becker as Lost Freshman

Production

 * This line was cut:
 * Buffy: "Giles, I live in a dorm now. (and now cut) Filled with what the young people these days call 'the young people'."


 * Several of the names in the student directory Spike examines are actually behind-the-scenes production people.


 * With this episode, Seth Green's name is no longer in the credits as Oz. James Marsters takes his place and will remain part of the main cast for the remainder of the series.


 * In the commentary for this episode, Doug Petrie reveals that after Spike attacks Willow in her dorm room and the scene immediately cuts to commercial after a fleeting glimpse of the corridor outside with people who fail to hear Willow's screams, he wanted viewers to believe that Willow had actually been killed.


 * The vast set for The Initiative, revealed for the first time in this episode, was filmed at Skunk Works, a complex where Stealth bombers are built. When describing the set, writer Doug Petrie said he was told by Joss Whedon to "go big. Use your imagination. Do it, go there. This is a big budget movie."


 * Actress Mercedes McNab says the hair-pulling, shin-kicking fight with Xander was "actually one of my favorite on-screen fights." When asked if she had a stunt double, she responded "No, it was all me", but "we wore knee pads and shin guards... which was kind of ridiculous seeing it was just such a cheesy fight."


 * According to the DVD commentary of this episode, Graham Miller, one of Riley's friends, was named after a college friend of Doug Petrie's. The original Graham Miller was Canadian, and while talking about Buffy with Riley, Graham references this by saying that "Maybe she's Canadian".


 * Also according to Doug Petrie's commentary, Forrest and Graham were meant to be Shakesperean sidekicks whose job was to tell the hero what his heart truly wants - "So it's Shakespeare with ray guns and shit".

Quotes
Buffy - "You know, for someone who teaches human behavior? You might try showing some."

Parker - "The difference between a freshman girl and a toilet seat is that the toilet seat doesn't follow you around after   you use it." Riley - (punches him)

Xander - "No studying? Damn. Next thing you'll tell me is I'll 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?"

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."

Willow - "Okay. Let's say I help. And you start a conversation. It goes great. You like Buffy. She likes you. You spend time together. Feelings grow deeper, and one day without even realizing it, you find you're in love. Time stops and it feels like the whole world's made for you two and you two alone until the day one of you leaves the other and rips the still-beating heart from the other who's now a broken, hollow mockery of the human condition." Riley - "Yep. That's the plan." Willow - "I figured it was."

Riley - "So what do I do?" Willow - "Ask her to dance." Riley - "Right. Dance. Wait. No." Willow - "What's the matter?" Riley - "I can't dance." Willow - "Then talk. Keep eye contact. Funny is good, but don't be glib. And remember, if you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel. [Riley looks very surprised] A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend. Have fun."

Spike - "I don't understand. This sort of thing's never happened to me before." Willow - "Maybe you were nervous." Spike - "I felt all right when I started. Let's try again. [He leaps on her and draws back immediately. He tries again and the same thing happens.] Ow! Oh! Ow! Damn it!" Willow - "Maybe you're trying too hard. Doesn't this happen to every vampire?" Spike - "Not to me, it doesn't!"

Willow - "I know I'm not the kind of girl vamps like to sink their teeth into. It's always like, "ooh, you're like a sister to me," or, "oh, you're such a good friend." Spike - "Don't be ridiculous. I'd bite you in a heartbeat." Willow - "Really?"  Spike - "Thought about it."  Willow - "When?"  Spike - "Remember last year, you had on that... fuzzy pink number with the lilac underneath?"  Willow - "I never would have guessed. You played the blood-lust kinda cool." Spike - "Mmm. I hate being obvious. All fang-y and "rrrr!" Takes the mystery out." Willow - "But if you could..." Spike - "If I could, yeah."  Willow - "You know, this doesn't make you any less terrifying."  Spike - "Don't patronize me."

Riley - "The problem is, what kind of girl's gonna go out with a guy who's  acting all Joe Regular by day, and turns Demon Hunter by day?"

Continuity

 * The existence of the Initiative is established.


 * Spike receives an inhibitor chip in his head from The Initiative in this episode. The chip will continue to be a major story point for years to come.


 * While captive, Spike asks a fellow prisoner who their captives are, specifically asking if "the government" or "the Nazis" or "a cosmetics manufacturer" are involved. It is revealed in the Angel Season Five episode "Why We Fight" that Spike was captured by the Nazis during World War II, who intended to make an army of vampire slaves to win the war. Ironically, in that same episode, Spike claimed, "I'm not getting experimented on by his (the American) government." Ironically, the latter happened in this episode.


 * Xander comments on not being up to passing weapons drills for the Mobile Infantry, a reference to the film "Starship Troopers".

Music

 * Deadstar - "Lights Go Down"
 * Four Star Mary - "Fate" (this song was also played in "Inca Mummy Girl", the first appearance of Dingoes Ate My Baby)
 * Jake Lee Rau - "Welcome"
 * Moby - "Bodyrock"
 * That dog - "Never Say Never"