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| 70. Goodbye Iowa Original Air Date: February 15, 2000 Written by: Marti Noxon Directed by: David Solomon Guest Cast: Marc Blucas (Riley) Emma Caulfield (Anya) Amber Benson (Tara) George Hertzberg (Adam) Leonard Roberts (Forrest) Bailey Chase (Graham) Jack Stehlin (Doctor Angleman) Lindsay Crouse (Professor Walsh) Buffy, Xander, Willow, Anya, Spike and Giles are at Giles' house. Buffy is explaining how Dr. Walsh set her up to be killed by demons. Spike hits a nerve by blaming Buffy's troubles on her poor choice of lovers. He suggests that Riley was in on the plan to kill her. Buffy refuses to believe that. Willow tries to support Buffy by vouching for Riley's sincerity, but no one jumps to his defense with any enthusiasm. They are worried about the danger they could all be in for, from the super-secret Initiative. They speculate that Walsh must have had some fear of Buffy, probably her curiosity, that caused Walsh to attempt to kill Buffy, but what secrets Walsh was trying to hide baffles them. From a tunnel access, hidden in the woods, Adam, the Initiative's Frankenstein monster emerges. Buffy's first impulse is to arm themselves and then find a place to hide. Most agree that Xander's basement apartment is probably the best place, the Initiative is least likely to look for them there. Giles rejects the idea and scoffs at the thought that the Initiative soldiers will come looking for them at his house. Just then, Riley enters without knocking. When Buffy tells him of her suspicions of Walsh and the Initiative in general, he doesn't want to believe her - because of that, he avoids telling them that Walsh told him that Buffy was already dead. Then he notices Spike and unlike last time they met, he realizes that Spike is also Hostile 17, for whom the Initiative has been searching. At first, Spike makes a lame attempt to do his lame "friend of Xander's" impersonation, but quickly decides to chuck it and admits that he is Hostile 17. Buffy has a hard time explaining what he is doing there. When she tries to allay Riley's fears, by saying Spike isn't bad now, Spike protests that he is still, after all, evil, just handicapped by the Initiative chip in his head. Riley feels betrayed by Buffy hiding Spike from the Initiative. Spike tires of this soap opera and decides to go home to watch the real ones, after giving Riley, literally two thumbs up on any desire to kill Buffy. Riley is upset with Buffy, but Xander reminds him that its Prof. Walsh, who has some explaining to do. He admits that Walsh told him that Buffy was dead, just before he saw Buffy's challenge to Walsh on the monitors, but he still refuses to believe that Walsh is capable of murder. He strains for explanations for the murder attempt. When they probe for answers by suggesting it might involve 314 and sinister motives behind the Initiative, he almost flees from them in confusion and fear, fear that something may indeed be wrong with the Initiative. A small boy is playing with a silvery, male action figure, when Adam approaches. Adam is only wearing camouflage pants, with a metal brace on his left leg. His body is a patchwork of demon parts, with shiny metal pieces grafted in various places. The only humanity that is apparent is a jagged portion of his face and a head of close-cropped brown hair. The child calmly explains to the confused creature, that Adam is a monster and he is a little boy. The boy notices the opening on Adam's left wrist, his Polgara demon arm, where the long bony skewer can jut out, the same skewer that killed Prof. Walsh. Adam's evil smile indicates that he is about to show the child exactly what it does. That evening, Riley walks the campus trying to sort out his thoughts, as Dr. Angleman discovers Walsh's body. The next day, Giles has joined the rest of the Scooby Gang in Xander's basement and is awakened by sunlight off the disco ball and the sound of the ladies watching Road Runner cartoons. At first, Giles and Anya parry cross words, until Buffy pleads for peace and they apologize. Buffy is worried about Riley and their relationship. When Anya tells Buffy that she needs a boring boyfriend, Buffy reminds them that that was what Riley was supposed to be. Buffy is telling the other women that she's hooked and it's too late to find another boyfriend, when Xander rushes downstairs and tells them to turn on the TV. The on-screen reporter tells them of the death of the little boy and, from the description of his wounds, Buffy assumes that Walsh released the Polgara demon, that Buffy and the Initiative captured. Once again, Buffy is reminded that the Slayer's job is to prevent or avenge attacks like these. With a renewed sense of purpose, she dispatches her friends to research and she will begin the hunt... as soon as she changes out of her pajamas. Riley returns to his dorm and his friend, Forrest congratulates him on being out all night with Buffy. But Riley tells him that he has been thinking all night. Forrest is concerned, so Riley tells him of Walsh's plot against Buffy. Riley now believes it happened just like Buffy said, but Forrest is quick to blame Buffy. Forrest's increasing irritation at Buffy and his loyalty to the Initiative, allows him to consider the possibility that Walsh knows something that they don't and that Buffy should be killed. Graham arrives and tells them that Walsh is dead. Riley and Forrest reach the murder scene and Forrest instantly assumes that Buffy staked Walsh. Riley protests that the Polgara demon could inflict a similar wound. They almost come to blows, before Dr. Angleman intercedes. Angleman agrees that the Polgara demon probably killed Walsh, as it made its escape. He doesn't tell them, that earlier, he transplanted the demon's left arm onto Adam. Instead, he says that they are under orders from Washington to await an investigation. After Angleman leaves, Riley uses his authority to order his teams to prepare to hunt the Polgara to the death. Ending all pretenses at secrecy, the Initiative teams use Humvees and swoop down in broad daylight, to search the cemeteries. Forrest and Graham find Spike's crypt. It's obvious someone lives there, but there are no clues as to who or what. Forrest doesn't care; he just wants to kill something. When Graham notices that the TV is still warm, they search the only hiding place in the crypt. They move the heavy lid off the stone sarcophagus, but they only find the skeleton of a woman. Forrest busts the TV screen as they leave. Spike then, emerges from underneath the dress of the ancient corpse. Buffy runs into Riley at the little boy's murder scene. She tries to reach out to him, by apologizing for hiding Spike, but he is cold to her. He tells her of Walsh's death and she also assumes that the Polgara demon killed Walsh and escaped. His curt remark, that she must be glad Walsh is dead, drives another painful wedge between them. He almost calls after her as she leaves, but doesn't. Willow arrives at Tara's. Willow doesn't want Tara to get the idea that she is just using Tara, to help with spells, but she does need another spell to try and track the Polgara. Tara, as always, is eager to spend time with Willow, but she suggests that they are getting ambitious with their spells. Willow assures her that together they are a powerful team. Buffy checks out Willy's Place for information. Willy, the snitch, runs a bar that caters to a wide variety of humanoids and he helped Buffy and friends several times during the High School days. Sometimes he is paid, but often he allows Buffy to take the information from him - a cooperative, but nervous snitch mostly on the side of good. He tells Buffy that he is trying to erase his image as a squealer, so he insists that she hit him once, before he can help her. After a little awkwardness in their co-ordination, she pokes him in the nose and he tells her that all he knows about the Polgara demons is that Buffy and the "Army guys" bagged one last week. Riley enters the bar, following Buffy in her search, and is surprised to find her in a bar that caters to an inhuman clientele. He doesn't understand that there are different levels of evil in demons and it raises more suspicion in him about Buffy's methods. When Willy tries to play peacemaker, Riley threatens him with detention. Wet with sweat and shaking with rage, Riley grabs Buffy and demands answers. When an, apparently, unassuming middle-aged woman tries to sneak out of the bar, Riley aims his pistol at her, with an unsteady hand. He doesn't know if she is a demon, a vampire or an innocent woman, and his uncertainty about that and the other things in his life, is taking its toll. For several tense seconds, he holds his weapon on her, and she begins to sob in fear. Then he slams his gun hand down on the bar, breaking several glasses, as the scared woman flees. At Xander's, Buffy tries to comfort Riley, but he is having an increasingly difficult time controlling himself, even scratching at the cuts on the back of his hand, ignoring the bleeding. Buffy carefully wraps her red scarf around his injured hand. He is confused in body and mind, unsure even if he is a force for good or evil. The certain, stable world he lived in just a few days ago is gone and sorting good from evil has become a lot more difficult. She convinces him to lie down and he curls up, at first shivering, but settling into sleep. Buffy discusses her fears for Riley's well-being with Giles, Xander and Anya. Buffy wonders if Walsh did something to him and she hatches a plan for Xander and her to sneak into the Initiative complex to find any evidence of Walsh's work. Anya and Xander share a couple's moment, but he assures her that he is ready to face the danger. Buffy intends to use her new security pass to enter the complex. Giles tells her, so far, they haven't found any leads to the location of the Polgara demon. Willow is explaining the spell, to summon the Goddess Thespia, to Tara. They set up a square of strings with crystals anchoring the corners, to represent the town. They will each take a powdery portion of a potion from a vessel with a pestle into their hands and blow it over the square. Where the two dust clouds combine and congeal, will indicate the location of demons, it's even color-coded. Willow does the incantation with her eyes closed, but Tara only mimics performing the spell - hiding the magic crystals, instead. Willow is confused when the spell fails to find any trace of demons in Sunnydale, due to Tara's clandestine sabotage. A nervous Xander, in commando garb, accompanies Buffy, with tied back hair, glasses and lab coat, into the Initiative dorm. Buffy passes the retinal scan and they take the elevator down to the complex. Xander is impressed by the size of the facility. When two commandos approach, Buffy is horrified by Xander's attempt to kiss her to avoid drawing attention to themselves, ala James Bond. After the soldiers pass, the two go further into the complex. Willow is complaining to Anya and Giles about the unexpected failure of her spell. They tell her that only thing that research has turned up, is that the Polgara should be feeding more often instead of hiding and that the mutilation of the little boy's body is uncharacteristic for this demon. Riley is up, but he appears more agitated than ever. They tell him that Buffy has gone to the Initiative and he knocks Willow down, when she tries to keep him from leaving. At the Initiative, Buffy and Xander almost walk right into Dr. Angleman and another doctor. They overhear Angleman's concern over how much damage the Initiative commandos can do, since they have not gotten their scheduled drug doses - drugs that have been secretly slipped into their food by the doctors. His biggest concern is for Riley Finn, who, based on their experience with the others, should be suffering from a dangerous level of withdrawal. Spike arrives at Willy's Place and after ordering some fine O-negative, quickly attracts unwanted attention in the form of a demon's fist to his face. Buffy and Xander follow Dr. Angleman into an unoccupied room and she confronts him. When Angleman threatens her with discovery by the monitoring cameras, Riley turns the corner and reports that the camera system is disabled for some unknown reason. Angleman tries to order Finn to confine Buffy, but Riley doesn't move. Angleman admits that Walsh tried to kill Buffy, but he covers by saying it was for her own personal reasons. Then he tells them that the "Project" in Room 314 escaped. Riley is upset at the idea of Walsh's name being smeared. Buffy tells Riley about the drugs he has been given, but, in his confusion, he blames her for everything. The body of a commando falls from above and all of the arguing stops. They look up, at an overhead catwalk, and see Adam. Adam delivers a monologue about the voyage of discovery he started when he escaped the Initiative, saying that the boy's mutilation was a thing of beauty, and explains that his search eventually led him back home, to learn more about himself. He jumps down, removes a computer disk from his pocket and inserts it into a disk drive in his left breast. He than begins to recite details about his creation. Buffy realizes that he is a mishmash of demons... as well as soldier and machine parts, Adam volunteers. When Adam begins to talk of Prof. Walsh affectionately, Riley begins to get angry. Riley seems jealous of the motherly attention that Adam felt Walsh showered on him. Adam inserts a disk of Riley Finn's file into his chest and tells them that Riley also was "created" by Walsh. She used chemical and behavioral techniques to change Riley to suit her. Again, Adam almost gets sentimental and he calls Riley his brother. Riley rejects the idea. Adam suggests that Riley's agitation is due to drug withdrawal or, perhaps, his feelings for Walsh. Adam offers to share what Walsh had planned for both of them, but Riley finally draws his weapon. Adam disarms Riley and when Buffy tries to help, the battle begins. None of them are a match for Adam and he manages to spear both Angleman and Riley with his retractable lance. With everyone down, Adam calmly leaves the way he came in, before Initiative soldiers can shoot their way into the room. Buffy goes to Riley's side. He is not dead, but he has been stabbed in the belly. The door gives and commandos storm the room. Forrest is suspicious of Buffy's story about a hybrid man-demon, but Riley backs her up. Forrest and Buffy argue over who will take care of Riley. When they threaten Buffy with guns, she is forced to back off. A bloodied Spike is thrown out of Willy's Place. The attacking demon says that everyone thinks Spike has thrown in with the Slayer. Spike is a known demon-killer and even though they have a live-and-let-live philosophy, this demon might come after Spike again, if he continues to attack other demons. The next day, Buffy and Willow walk the campus, as Buffy explains that she has heard nothing from Riley, she doesn't know how to reach him and she doesn't know how to fight the Initiative. She also has to deal with the threat of Adam, which is a very formidable one. Her thoughts quickly return to Riley, especially her concern for his psyche. He's lost everything he believed in, almost overnight, and he may be lost, as well, without something to hold on to. In a hospital bed at the Initiative, Riley lies quiet. He looks at the scarf that Buffy lovingly wrapped about his paw and he thinks. Summary by: OBCooke at EpisodeGuides.com |
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