Summary: Here is the Hellmouth Podcast for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, Season 4 Episode 7 - The Initiative. Angie and Bryan are joined by another member of the Hellmouth Empire Crew, Bob. The three of them discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of the episode The Initiative. HMPC 0407 “The Initiative” - Buffy The Vampire Slayer * Hello Sunnydale and welcome to the Hellmouth Podcast for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer Series, Season 4 Episode 7 titled “The Initiative” * 2-Minute Buffy * Forrest and Riley are people watching or ‘hot girl’ watching in the cafeteria at school. * As Buffy wrestles with the frozen yogurt machine and loses, Forrest asks Riley what he thinks of her. * She’s kind of… I don’t know. Peculiar. * Buffy tells Giles and Xander that they will have to handle patrol tonight (looking for the soldier boys) because she is taking Willow to a party to try and help her get over the Oz blues. Then she leaves to find something slutty to wear. * Spike, having been tazed in the last episode wakes up to find himself in some kind of research facility. He is effectively a lab rat but an ill-tempered one. * He is convinced that Buffy has finally found government funding and has come after Spike. * Willow is still not quite adjusted to life without Daniel Ozbourne, Oz. He has withdrawn from school and made no attempt to contact her but she continues to *hold on – for one more day” hoping that he will soon return. They said that you’d never be able to work a Wilson Philips reference into a buffy recap. You are all witnesses. * Buffy criticizes professor walsh for being so callous towards a human being in pain. * Professor walsh likes her, Riley thinks she is a little peculiar. * Riley finally realizes that he likes Buffy when he hears Parker bastard talking ugly about her. Decides it is time to prepare his plan of attack for asking Buffy out. * Phase one of that attack is infiltrating behind enemy lines and meeting with Willow to find out more about Buffy. Willow is reluctant to help him assuming that his courting will end in one of them becoming a ‘broken, hollow, mockery of the human condition.’ * In the end she gives in and gives Riley ‘cheese’ * Spike escapes from the research lab and returns to Harmony’s lair. * Harmony is in no mood to take Spike back once she realizes that he is still obsessed with the Slayer. She kicks him out and Xander stumbles across Harmony burning all of Spikes things in a small clearing. * Xander and Harmony sissy fight for a while and Xander finds out that Spike is back. * At the party, in spite of all of Riley’s efforts to have a meaningful conversation with Buffy. In spite of all of Willow’s help. In spite of a surprisingly receptive Buffy, all Riley manages is cheese and an unfinished question. * Buffy leaves the party with Xander to go try and find Spike. * Then we get the big reveal of the episode, Riley, Graham and Forrest are the soldier boys. Part of a government organization for catching and experimenting on monsters. * Now Buffy and the soldier boys, the Initiative are all hunting Hostile 17 or as we lovingly refer to him – Spike. * Where is Spike you ask? Spike has tracked down Buffy’s dorm room and finds a dejected, sad Willow. * Spike is unable to bite Willow however, due to excruciating pain any time he gets close. * There is a humorous moment between Willow and Spike that with a little bit of work could have been a great commercial for an erectile dysfunction medication. Then Willow, tired of massaging Spikes… ego – get’s the jump on him and runs just as the initiative shows up to re-capture him. * Buffy shows up, hijinks ensue and in the cover of darkness, Spike escapes, Buffy runs off the Initiative and Willow is saved. * The next day Riley tries again to ask Buffy out on a date. She still seems receptive even if Riley is a little… peculiar. * End Episode * Missy’s Fun Facts from Down Under
