The "I"
in Team
Critic's Choice higlights
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The I in Team
Tuesday, Channel 7, 10:40pm ***
You could puzzle over theis episode's title and come to the correct
conclusion that there's no "I" in team. In an oblique
way, that's the point of this instalment of Joss Whedon's consistently
entertaining horror/comedy/teen melodrama series. His smart and
spirited heroine in necessarily a loner, an individual, not a
good and unquestioning soldier like her new love, Riley. Sure,
she needs the support and friendship of her pals, and the advice
of her Watcher, and, like any gal, she wants someone to love her.
But when it comes to the business of fighting vampires, this slayer
must stand alone and trust no-one beyond the loyal group, which
has long proven its reliability. Certainly, Maggie Walsh (Lindsay
Crouse) and her well-equipped team at The Initiative, a para-military
group apparently intent on vampire-busting, are looking suspect
with thier "zap and trap" operations and secret room
housing something cryptically called "the project".
I just wish Channel 7 could cater better to Buffy's legion of
devoted fans and find a more suitable timeslot than 10:40pm on
a school night.
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Spoiler:
(Whole episode)
(taken from Girls On where I could find
nothing telling me it couldn't be copywritted. If you want to
get in contact with Wendelicious I can send a msg to her)
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"Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
"The “I” In Team"
Original Air Date
2/8/00
by wendelicious WB, Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. EST
Okay, “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” is going into super-duper
sci-fi superhero mode, with plot taking precedence over character.
But here’s what happened this week.
Buffy gets full-on access to the Initiative. After she fights
off the commando troops and impresses Professor Walsh, Riley gives
her a tour of the facilities (it’s just like Superman bringing
Lois Lane to that ice mansion-thing he had in Superman II). Naturally,
Buffy tries to snoop around a bit. But Walsh gives her an Initiative
beeper, and Buffy couldn’t be more psyched if she’d
received an Initiative Palm Pilot.
While Buffy is off fighting demons and making sweet
love to macho man Riley--apparently at the same time--she’s
doing the classic Summers “Dis’ the Friends ‘Cause
I Have a New Boy Toy” routine. Xander’s managing to
keep busy with Anya and his new power bar business, but Willow’s
feeling the pain. It’s sending her right into the arms of
her stutter match, Tara. She even, ahem, spends the night at Tara’s
dorm room. Guess they were doing some “spells.”
Buffy has a post-coital convo with Riley. She can’t
believe how consistently he follows orders. He’s so regimented
that he even takes vitamins when an alarm goes off. Hmm, vitamins…
Spike tries to blow off the Scooby Gang, but needs
their help once the Initiative tags him with a tracing device.
Giles manages to pull an “E/R” and get the thing out
of Spike’s body.
Back at the Initiative lab, we find out what’s
in Room 314: Walsh is going Dr. Frankenstein on us. Seems she’s
busy creating some sort of half-man/half-demon dude whom she nicknames
“Adam.” She’s worried Buffy will discover what
she’s up to, so she sets Buffy up to get killed in a trap.
Ha ha ha, Buffy kicks demon ass and is ready to turn on the Initiative.
Walsh makes excuses to Riley when he discovers the trap, but Riley
gives his mentor the big diss.
Walsh sadly returns to Room 314 to perform the traditional
villain “I’ll Get Her and Her Little Dog Too” monologue
to her monster creation. But Adam lances her with a bony arm and
Walsh falls to the floor…dead?
So, a few thoughts. Everything’s going a little
too fast here: Buffy and Riley already hit the sack? Walsh is
already bad? Hell, she’s already dead? I wanted her and Giles
to get it on. Plus, all this Initiative stuff is pushing my favorite
characters to the background. Xander always seems like a hanger-on.
P.S. I could do without Anya and her “What is this human
item?” talk. Sure, she was a demon, but she went to high
school. Get with the program. And where the heck is Oz already?
And hey, how come Walsh is the only girl in the Initiative?
All of the commandos are boys. Girls can bust a move in camouflage,
too (see Scary Spice for proof). Of course, Buffy makes it quite
clear in this episode that she prefers to battle evil in a halter
top.