Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) The Initiative (1999) User Reviews

Meet the Commando Guys.

[katierose295 · 8/10 · 5 August 2006]

I don't like the Initivative. The whole idea is sort of X-File-y for my tastes. Basically there's a group of para-military commandos capturing demons at UC Sunnydale. Riley and his friends, under the leadership of Professor Walsh, are fighting evil through science. Dissecting demons, locking them up for study, torturing them... And they've captured Spike. They've put a chip in his head that makes it basically impossible for him to hurt others. Spike, being a pretty resourceful guy, soon escapes his prison, but the Initiative will be after him for the remainder to the season. My biggest problem with the Inititative is they're... Well... Bad guys. I don't think that BTVS ever really addresses the wrongness of the Initiative's actions. The Initative is meddling in places where they don't belong and they're going to bring a lot of trouble down on themselves. But beyond that, they're hurting demons for fun and profit. Demons, at least, are soul-less monsters that kill to survive. The Intitative are just bullies and bigots. They don't fight fair. They think they're better everyone else. And they're basically all jerks. Still, you have to see this episode if you're going to watch the rest of the show. It sets up rest of the season and enables Spike's switch to the good-side.

The episode revolves around the commando-guys who have been sneaking around campus all season. They're part of the Initative and they're hunting demons. Spike is their latest victim and he's being held in their secret lab under a frat house. He, of course, blames Buffy for his capture and as soon as he escapes he sets off to find her. Meanwhile, Giles and Xander are looking for the Commando-guys. Instead they find Harmony, learn that Spike's still in town and rush off to warn Buffy. Buffy's at a party. Riely, one of the Initative guys, has a crush on her and is trying to get her to like him. He's asked Willow for help. She's still broken up over Oz leaving, but she does give Riely some "How to pick-up Buffy" pointers before heading back to the dorm.

Once she's there, she meets up with Spike. He's looking for Buffy, but he's willing to pass the time by killing Willow while he waits for her. Unfortunately, for Spike anyway, the Initative has put a chip in his head that makes it virtually impossible for him to hurt anyone. It sends out electric shocks when he tries to bite people. Spike is horrified and confused. Especially when the commando-guys attack the dorm looking for him. Spike tried to fight back, but the chip won't let him. The commando-guys want to take Willow too, thinking that she's been "infected" by Spike. Then, Buffy arrives. She starts fighting the Intiative. Spike, realizing that Buffy isn't the one who captured him after all, escapes. The Initative retreats and the Scoobies are more determined than ever to figure out what's going on.

There are some good parts to this episode. I love Spike's escape from the Initiative. The way he tosses that other vampire at the commando guys and bolts for the door is great (On a side note, that vampire is the one who was captured at the end of "The Freshman.") Spike's a pretty clever fellow when he wants to be. And I really like Xander and Harmony's kicking-slapping-hair-pulling fight. It's hilarious. Evil Harmony is such great addition to the Buffyverse. Also, who doesn't love Willow and Spike's scene in the bedroom? He just gains an invitation by knocking and waiting for her to call out "come in," which is genius. Then he tries to bite her, but can't because of the chip in his head. So she ends up consoling him like he was unable to preform in bed. The two of them are just brilliant in together and their conversation also explains Spike's tendency to fight without his game face on. (He doesn't like being so bumpy and obvious.) Then the Initative guys attack and nearly shoot Willow... Until Spike knocks the gun aside. So he started out trying to kill her and ended up saving her life. All in all, it's one of best scenes of the season.

On the down side, Riely really is a doof. I don't like him. I'll never like him. And I wish he'd just go away. Also, with Willow so heart broken over Oz leaving, why wouldn't Buffy have taken down the "Dingoes Ate My Baby" poster on the dorm wall?

My favorite part of the episode: Spike listing off the various agencies that could be behind his imprisonment. "The government, Nazis, a major cosmetics corporation." Seeing as how he was once kidnapped by the Nazis ("Angel" season fives "Why We Fight") and is currently a captive of the the para-military, government commando guys, those are some pretty good guesses.

Explaining the paramilitary men in black

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 22 April 2019]

For much of this season we've seen mysterious black-clad paramilitary types; most notably when they captured Spike in the previous episode; here we learn more about them. Spike is taken to what appears to be a hi-tech prison for supernatural beings; it is run by a group known as The Initiative. Meanwhile Riley, the Teaching Assistant, is starting to show an interest in Buffy; unable to make his feelings known directly he approaches Willow for advice. Later Spike escapes from the facility and is reunited with Harmony; he tells her they will do what she wants... just as soon as he kills The Slayer. He heads to Buffy's room but only Willow is there; for some reason he can't bite her... so they end up having a somewhat awkward conversation... until The Initiative, closely followed by Buffy turn up.

This episode was rather fun; there was action, character development as well as a fair amount of humour. The highlight though is the return of Spike as a main character; he may be evil but he is also strangely likeable. James Marsters is great in the role; the scenes between him and the always excellent Alyson Hannigan, as Willow, was priceless; first scary, then funny. The way The Initiative was introduced was handled well; not too much was said about them so it is unclear whether their motives are good or evil at this point. Another hilarious highlight was a delightfully feeble fight between Nicholas Brendon's Xander and Mercedes McNab's Harmony. The plot thread involving Riley was fun enough; whether he and Buffy will become an item remains to be seen but his awkwardness around her felt real as he struggled to think what to say. Overall I really enjoyed this episode which was more about setting up future plotlines than providing resolutions.

The One With The Initiative...

[taylorkingston · 8/10 · 23 June 2015]

I really enjoy this episode. I like that we see more of Spike and that we learn more about the mysterious commando guys.

In this episode, Spike has been captured by The Initiative, the commando squad on the Sunnydale University campus. He eventually escapes the high-tech facility and goes to kill Buffy. He finds Buffy's dorm, but since she's not there and Willow is, he tries to attack Willow. But something happens and he's in pain when he tries to bite her. The commando guys eventually find where he is and try to re-capture him, but they fail. Meanwhile, Riley discovers that he does have feelings for Buffy and tries to have a conversation with her to find out if she likes him as well.

Best part of the episode: When Willow and Spike kind of "bond".

Worst part of the episode: The commando guys.

Overall, I give this episode an 8 out of 10, which in my ratings book is: Awesome.

Best fight season of the whole series

[travinorbit-72734 · 8/10 · 5 January 2020]

Harmony is one of many brilliant secondary characters I'm always delighted to see, and Mercedes McNab plays her to perfection. The slow mo fight scene with Xander is laugh out loud funny.

The whole underground mercenary creatures in glass cages thing seems like quite the precursor to The Cabin in the Woods; classic Joss Whedon. Actually, this episode has heaps of classic Joss Whedon moments. Such as 'I hope I'm not interrupting something depressing', and when Spike can't pull his act together to attack Willow, and she counsels him through it.

A fun episode. One of the better of a rather dumpy season.

The truth at last

[Joxerlives · 8/10 · 9 March 2012]

The Good; So at last the truth! The Initiative set is indeed impressive and Spike's escape is daring, he's almost like Jaws in the Bond films, the audience starts rooting for him even when he's the bad guy. The fights also good and the Harmony/Spike scenes and Harmony/Xander scene is wonderful

The Bad; Not a great deal, strong ep

Best line; Buffy (to Walsh); "For someone who teaches human behaviour you might try showing some"

Shot; Buff uses a flare gun, odd to see her using a firearm of any kind. The Initiative seem to have more guns than NATO.

Tied up; Spike tied up but escapes.

Knocked out; Willow in the struggle with Riley and co.

Women good/men bad; The horrible scene where we think Spike is killing Willow. Of course, she then fights back, You go girl! Contrast that to Harmony who takes Spike back AGAIN after all he's done to her. She asks Xander why men just leave but of course by that stage Xander already has. Buffy is outraged at Riley's seeming chauvinism towards her. Parker's remark about Buffy is unforgivable although maybe he has a right to be bitter, he did try to apologise to her only for her to bash him over the head with a branch.

Jeez!; Walsh's remark to Willow about Oz is very harsh. For a moment your heart is in your mouth when you think Willow is lying dead behind Spike on the bed.

Kinky dinky; Buffy describes her top as 'slutty' but I don't think it is particularly. Unlike her top in the cafeteria which you can blatantly see down when she trips. Forrest eyes up the women in the cafeteria, the first blonde girl in the floral number in particular is undeniably HOT! Parker describes Buffy as 'Bunny in the sack'. You figure she must have gone easy on him? Forrest figures that Buffy and Xander are on their way to have 'Crazy naked sex'. Harmony comments that she can 'slap Spike around' a little if he likes it. Buffy dancing is also good although she's better with Faith.

Calling Captain Subtext; Doug Petrie describes the Initiative boys as a 'gay calender pin-up' and he's not wrong, you can imagine Jack from Will&Grace having it on his wall. Petrie seems very keen on Marc Blucas in his commentary although he was equally as keen on the Faith/Buffy sapphic subtext. The whole Spike/Willow scene is one big impotence gag. Once again a vamp feeding is compared to a sexual act. Harmony comments that Buffy is just going to slap Spike around and that she can do that. Is that why Spike falls in love with the Slayer? When Spike finds Buffy on the computer he says 'Hello gorgeous". Hmmmmm. Will still has some insecurity left over from her wallflower days.

Guantanamo Bay; The whole idea of the Initiative is very 'War on Terror', it resembles Camp X-ray to a T. Of course this all takes place BEFORE 9/11

Scoobies to the ER; Thankfully not this week

Questions and observations; Spike likes the Sex Pistols, big surprise. Buffy likes cheese, a leftover from her day as a rat? Here we have Spike in the opening credits hinting that he's a regular from now on (by contrast it took poor old Tara 3 seasons to get there and she only lasted 1 ep). Giles comments that he should lock his door. Spike refers to the Nazis conducting experiments on vamps which we'll see in 'Why we Fight'. Xander refers to the mobile infantry from Starship Troopers, Riley not unlike Johnny Rico in many ways. Spike is 126 which means he was born in 1873, making him a late Victorian (Angel is over 200 making him a Georgian). Note Doug Petrie named Grahme Miller after a Canadian friend of his and that it's Grahme who suggests that Buffy might be a little off because she's Canadian. Spike seems to use significant violence during his escape but maybe the chip hasn't really kicked in yet? Riley' shirt makes him look like he's from Star Trek.

Marks out of 10; 8/10

The government is on it

[Realrockerhalloween · 2 October 2016]

The initiative finally reveals the truth at last now learning Riley and his friends are part of a demon hunting organization funded by the government. Spike escapes their clutches to retain his glory only to find he has a chip in his head that won't allow him to hurt a living soul. The initiative is very impressive with their warehouse located underneath a dorm and the equipment at their disposal very effective against the darkness. Yet its made clear they've been around since season one so how come they left Buffy to stop apocalypse without lifting a finger or she never ran into them until this point and they know nothing about her. Did they happen to never catch her staking a camp or cutting off a demon's head without getting suspicious.

Another aspect is Spike's turning phase as he now finds out he's been neutered. I found it kinda sweet how he has pep talks with Willow about not being able to bite her and she's desirable. Most creatures of the night would leave yet he tries to comfort her instead of leaving her to wallow in sadness over the break up. Still I wish he would treat Harmony better as she was not crazy in high school yet never knowing love or romance and her first serious relationship is with a guy who doesn't appreciate her. It doesn't help that she acts like a teenager and an aggrieved woman done wrong leaving me feeling sorry for her.

Xander vs Harmony

[japascal · 9/10 · 10 August 2022]

When Xander fights Harmony is just the best of the best scene ever lol I always watch it like 10 times.

I'm also one of the few people who really likes Riley (at least the first part of their relationship) so this episode is always great to me.

Disclosing the Paramilitary Commando in the Campus

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 6 August 2006]

Spike is captured by the paramilitary commando in the campus, but escapes from a hi-tech facility unable to bite or fight against humans. Meanwhile, Riley Finn (Marc Blucas) finds that he likes Buffy, but is incapable of establishing a dialog with her.

This episode discloses the members of the paramilitary commando in the campus and their leader. It was a great surprise for me to see who is leading the experiments with demons at UC Sunnydale. The intriguing situation of Spike, who is unable to suck blood, promises unusual resolutions to satisfy his need of blood. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil) "A Iniciativa" ("The Initiative")

Soldiering on

[ossie85 · 7/10 · 16 August 2022]

Willow is still trying to deal with the sudden departure of Oz, but another romance is blossoming. Riley recruits Willow to help him get to know Buffy better and has many sorrowful attempts at asking Buffy out. Spike, meanwhile, escapes from The Initiative but has a new found disability.

Why It's So Good - We start to learn where this season is going, and The Initiative does provide some challenges for Buffy. Spike's new role provides a lot of humour, and Riley's character is fleshed out.

Watch Out For - I found the Spike and Willow dorm room conversation particularly hilarious, and James Marsters and Alyson Hannigan sold it beautifully.

Quote - "No studying? Damn! Next thing they'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?" - Xander.

You gotta be kidding me

[drexmaverick · 7/10 · 26 March 2020]

When Buffy goes to college and there's a teacher and elote troops that kidnap demons for the government ... How do they not know who she is? That doesn't even make sense to the storyline. There's just no way they couldn't know about her Giles for that matter ...