Primeval (16 May 2000)

Having gained control of Riley's mind, Adam sets in motion his plot to create an army of unstoppable soldiers and destroy the Initiative.

Director:

James A. Contner

Writers:

Joss Whedon (creator), David Fury

Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, Alyson Hannigan

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Buffy Summers
Nicholas Brendon	...	Xander Harris
Alyson Hannigan	...	Willow Rosenberg
Marc Blucas	...	Riley Finn
James Marsters	...	Spike
Anthony Head	...	Rupert Giles (as Anthony Stewart Head)
Leonard Roberts	...	Forrest Gates
Amber Benson	...	Tara Maclay
Bailey Chase	...	Graham Miller
Jack Stehlin	...	Dr. Angelman
Conor O'Farrell	...	Colonel McNamara
George Hertzberg	...	Adam
Emma Caulfield	...	Anya
Lindsay Crouse	...	Professor Maggie Walsh
Bob Fimiani	...	Mr. Ward

Storyline

When Buffy sees Spike in Adam's cave, she realizes that Spike is intriguing the Scooby gang to destroy their friendship following Adam's instructions. She meets Willow, Xander and Giles and they apologize to each other. They also realize that the monsters were not captured by the Initiative, but actually they are the Trojan Horse of Adam to fight against the commando from inside. Once Buffy alone is not able to defeat Adam, the Scooby gang decides to transfer the best of each one of them, i.e., the witch power of Willow, the strength of Xander and the expertise of Giles, to Buffy through witchcraft to make her powerful and capable of fighting against Adam. Meanwhile, Riley finds that he has a chip over his heart and connected to his central nervous system to modify his behavior and obey Adam.

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Plot Keywords:

love | returning character killed off | lesbian | heroine | female protagonist | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 2000 (USA)

Filming Locations:

1800 Stewart St., Santa Monica, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mutant Enemy, Kuzui Enterprises, Sandollar Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When the Scoobies are discussing their strategy, Buffy says, "According to Riley, Adam's power source comes from a uranium core embedded somewhere inside his chest." Amusingly, however, Riley must have merely passed on information that actually came from Jonathan in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Superstar when he cast a spell to make himself a superhero and was an advisor to the Army.

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Goofs

In the fighting scene between Forrest and Riley, Riley gets thrown over a table. In the next shot, you can see the chest-belt under his shirt (the thing with a wire to pull him back in the next shot).

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Quotes

Colonel McNamara: You've got some nerve, lady.
[Opens Buffy's weapon bag]
Colonel McNamara: You think you and your friends can just keep waltzing into a government installation brandishing weapons like -
[Stops and considers something he just picked out of the bag]
Colonel McNamara: Like -
[Stops, unable to name the thing]
Willow Rosenberg: It's a gourd.
Rupert Giles: Magic gourd.
Colonel McNamara: [Stares in disbelief] What kind of freaks are you people?

User Reviews

One for All, All For One – The End of the Initiative

When Buffy sees Spike in Adam's cave, she realizes that Spike is intriguing the Scooby gang to destroy their friendship following Adam's instructions. She meets Willow, Xander and Giles and they apologize to each other. They also realize that the monsters were not captured by the Initiative, but actually they are the Trojan Horse of Adam to fight against the commando from inside. Once Buffy alone is not able to defeat Adam, the Scooby gang decides to transfer the best of each one of them, i.e., the witch power of Willow, the strength of Xander and the expertise of Giles, to Buffy through witchcraft to make her powerful and capable of fighting against Adam. Meanwhile, Riley finds that he has a chip over his heart and connected to his central nervous system to modify his behavior and obey Adam.

"Primeval" is the best episode of the Fourth Season of Buffy. The story is excellent, showing the importance of synergy and friendship to resolve difficult situations. Riley uses the strength of his love for Buffy to remove his chip and save her, who becomes extremely powerful with the gifts of her dearest friends. End of Season, end of the Initiative, which now is definitely closed. Last but not the least, like the Three Musketeers, the Scooby gang finds how important is the saying: "One for All, All For One". My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Primitivo" ("Primitive")