Buffy the Vampire Slayer backdrop
Buffy the Vampire Slayer S4E7 — The Initiative
7.9
Buffy the Vampire Slayer•Season 4•Episode 7

The Initiative

7.9/10 · 3,460 votesNov 16, 199945 min

Ranked #11 of 22 in Season 4•matches the season avg

Discussion

Spike finds himself targeted by a group of commandos after he escapes from a military lab underneath the Sunnydale campus.

Directed byJames A. Contner
Written byDoug Petrie
Previous episodeE6 · Wild at HeartNext episodeE8 · Pangs
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons7

All1234567

Season 4 Episodes22

The Freshman stillE1 7.6

The Freshman

Living Conditions stillE2 7.4

Living Conditions

The Harsh Light of Day stillE3 7.9

The Harsh Light of Day

Fear, Itself stillE4 8.4

Fear, Itself

Beer Bad stillE5 6.3

Beer Bad

Wild at Heart stillE6 7.8

Wild at Heart

The Initiative stillE7 7.9Now viewing

The Initiative

Pangs stillE8 7.9

Pangs

Something Blue stillE9 8.9

Something Blue

Hush stillE10 9.7

Hush

Doomed stillE11 7.5

Doomed

A New Man stillE12 8.2

A New Man

The I in Team stillE13 7.4

The I in Team

Goodbye Iowa stillE14 7.0

Goodbye Iowa

This Year's Girl (1) stillE15 8.3

This Year's Girl (1)

Who Are You? (2) stillE16 8.9

Who Are You? (2)

Superstar stillE17 7.2

Superstar

Where the Wild Things Are stillE18 6.3

Where the Wild Things Are

New Moon Rising stillE19 8.1

New Moon Rising

The Yoko Factor (1) stillE20 7.9

The Yoko Factor (1)

Primeval (2) stillE21 8.2

Primeval (2)

Restless stillE22 8.6

Restless

Cast6

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Buffy Summers

Nicholas Brendon

Nicholas Brendon

Xander Harris

Alyson Hannigan

Alyson Hannigan

Willow Rosenberg

Anthony Stewart Head

Anthony Stewart Head

Rupert Giles

James Marsters

James Marsters

Spike

Marc Blucas

Marc Blucas

Riley Finn

Crew9

Doug Petrie

Doug Petrie

Writer

J

James A. Contner

Director

R

Regis Kimble

Editor

M

Michael Gershman

Director of Photography

Jeff Pruitt

Jeff Pruitt

Stunt Coordinator

Clayton J. Barber

Clayton J. Barber

Stunts

Sophia Crawford

Sophia Crawford

Stunt Double

S

Scott Rhodes

Stunts

J

James A. Contner

Co-Producer

Discussion

0 comments

Join the conversation

Share your take and reply to other fans.

No comments yet

Be the first to share your thoughts on this episode.

Episode Summary

"The Initiative" is episode 7 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 4. It scored 7.9/10 from 3,460 votes, ranking #11 of 22 episodes this season (season average 7.9). Directed by James A. Contner and written by Doug Petrie, it aired on November 16, 1999.

Next: E8 · PangsBest of Season 4