Primeval (Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode)

Infobox Television episode
Title=Primeval


Series=Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season=4
Episode=21
Airdate=May 16 2000
Production=4ABB21
Writer=David Fury
Director=James A. Contner
Episode list=List of Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes
Prev=The Yoko Factor
Next=Restless

"Primeval" is the 21st episode of season 4 of the television show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Plot synopsis

ummary

Buffy and the original Scoobies finally manage to find out that Adam is hiding at one of the Initiative's secret labs. Buffy figures out that Spike played them and reunites with the original gang. They decide to finish this themselves without the help of Anya or Tara. After a disappointing idea by Xander, Giles comes up with a plan as he figures out a way to make Xander's idea work. Buffy, Xander, Giles, and Willow find a way into the Initiative, and stop at a room near area 314, where Adam and his people hide planning to build and release an army of hybrid cyborg monsters. Buffy leaves through a secret door while the rest prepare a spell the significance of which is still not clear.

Buffy finds Riley and leaves him fighting Forrest, now turned into a killer cyborg demonoid. Then she goes on to tackle Adam. Things don't look good for her at first, but then the significance of the spell is made clear: Giles, Willow and Xander invoke the powers of the primeval slayer and beg to be led with her into Buffy's body so they can defeat Adam together. It works, turning Buffy into an eerie version of herself with the powers of the primeval Slayer and the gang. After an intense fight in which she's able to use powers like creating an invisible wall to protect her from bullets and turning a small missile into doves, she manages to tear the uranium nucleus out of Adam's chest and kill him. After this, she falls down in the arms of a surprised Riley, who arrives just in time to hold her. Giving all of their strength and power to Buffy leaves the rest of the gang totally exhausted and vulnerable as a demon breaks through but Spike kills it and saves them so they decide not to stake him for his actions. Buffy, Riley, Xander, Giles, and Willow team up together with the Initiative's soldiers to stop the demon attacks saving most of them with only 40% casulties amongst the Initiative. The government decides to shut down the Initiative for good after this and fill up the base with concrete. Which is the last time the initiative base in Sunnydale is heard from in the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series.

Writing

The line "See what you get for taking "French" instead of Sumerian?" was changed from "See what you get for taking "Spanish"..." after Nicholas Brendon remembered established continuity.Or|date=November 2007

Acting

tarring

*Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
*Nicholas Brendon as Xander Harris
*Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
*Marc Blucas as Riley Finn
*James Marsters as Spike
*Anthony Stewart Head as Rupert Giles

Guest starring

*Emma Caulfield as Anya
*Leonard Roberts as Forrest Gates
*Amber Benson as Tara Maclay
*Bailey Chase as Graham Miller
*Jack Stehlin as Dr. Angleman
*Conor O'Farrell as Colonel McNamara
*George Hertzberg as Adam
*Lindsay Crouse as Maggie Walsh

Co-starring

*Bob Fimiani as Mr. Ward
*Jordi Vilasuso as Dixon

Production details

Continuity

Arc significance

* The invocation of the primeval slayer will have serious consequences in the next episode.

* Despite the orders given, the Initiative wasn't (yet) filled with concrete, and later features in the Season Seven episode "The Killer in Me", when Spike's chip is removed.

* Adam, this season's "Big Bad", is defeated and killed in this episode. In a variation unique to Season Four, the Big Bad is defeated in the penultimate episode and not the season finale.

Translations

* Italian title: "Forza primordiale" (Primeval Strength)

External links

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Reviews

* [http://www.soulfulspike.com/spikecentricity/PrimevalReview.htm Soulful Spike Society analysis of "Primeval"]