Buffy the Vampire Slayer/The I in Team

The I in Team
Season 4, Episode 13
Airdate	February 8, 2000
Production Number	4ABB13
Written by	David Fury
Directed by	James A. Contner
← 4x12 A New Man	4x14 → Goodbye, Iowa
Buffy the Vampire Slayer — Season Four

The I in Team is the thirteenth episode of the fourth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the sixty-ninth episode overall.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Marc Blucas (Riley Finn), James Marsters (Spike)

and Anthony Stewart Head (Giles)

Guest Starring: Amber Benson (Tara Maclay), George Hertzberg (Adam), Leonard Roberts (Forrest Gates), Bailey Chase (Graham Miller), Jack Stehlin (Dr. Angleman), Emma Caulfield (Anyanka)

and Lindsay Crouse (Maggie Walsh)

Co-Starring: Neil Daly (Mason)

Plot Overview

Buffy is introduced to the Initiative, which preoccupies her from her friends, leading Willow to begin spending more time with Tara. Buffy's introduction into the Initiative is not given a warm welcome by all with Professor Walsh seeing the Slayer as a threat.

Meanwhile, Spike is desperate to be rid of a tracer.

Notes

Monster of the Week

At last, the Big Bad of the season is revealed. Adam is a piecemeal monster stitched together out of parts of demons captured by The Initiative. A Polgara demon is captured for its forearm spears, for instance, which it uses to kill Maggie Walsh. Its other abilities are not yet known, but it's made up of at least four other demons, judging from the scarring.

Body Count

#	Whom	By Whom	How	Where
1	Demon	Other Demon	Axed	Sewer
2	Demon	Buffy	Electrocuted	Sewer
3	Maggie Walsh	Adam	Skewered	Room 314

Music

• "Window to Your Soul" by Delerium: The song that plays during the montage of Riley and Buffy fighting and (later) having sex is "Window to Your Soul" by Vancouver electronica band Delerium. The song appears on later versions of the band's 1997 album Karma. The band was unable to secure clearance for a sample used in "Koran" and was forced to change the songs or else face legal ramifications.

• Black Lab - "Keep Myself Awake"

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The Initiative: Buffy is granted access to the Initiative's base and allowed within their folds, but their nefariousness becomes completely clear when Walsh sends two demons after her and their Frankenstein creation, Adam, becomes unhinged and kills Walsh. It's made clear that the Initiative's main purpose is to capture demons and use their parts in the production of the Adam project.

• Big Bad: Adam awakens and kills Professor Walsh, cementing his position as the Big Bad of the season.

Referbacks

• 4x06 - The Initiative: Professor Walsh did tell Riley that she liked Buffy after Buffy stood up to her on Willow's behalf. Buffy felt the need to defend her friend after Willow was chewed out for saying that Oz wasn't gone for good and would surely be back soon.

Riley: In fact she liked you before I did.

• 2x14 - Innocence (2): The first few moments of Buffy waking up after a night having sex with Riley mirror similar scenes with Angel and Parker. In the first, she woke up completely alone and in the second, she woke up alone but only because Parker was already up and about.

Riley: What's the matter, didn't expect to see me?

• 2x06 - Halloween: Once again, Xander delves into the knowledge he obtained as a soldier during Ethan Rayne's attempt to cause chaos on Halloween two years ago. Although the spell was broken and Xander was turned from his costume representation back into a regular guy, he has occasionally pulled out military knowledge to aid the gang.

Xander: My pseudo-soldier memory bank's telling me it's a tracer.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• International: Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been dubbed into many different languages and the title translated for each different international version. Some international translations of this episode's title are:
  • French: "Piégée" ("Trapped")
  • Italian: "Il tranello" ("The Trap")
  • German: "Schein und Sein" ("Appearance and reality")
  • Spanish: "Trabajo en equipo" ("Team Work")

Quotes

• Willow: I implore you Neisa, blessed goddess of chance and fortune. Heed my call. Send to me the heart I desire.

Xander: You know magic at the poker table qualifies as cheating.

Willow: That wasn't magic. I was praying. Two, please.

• Willow: Guess she's out with Riley. You know how it is with a spanking new boyfriend.

Anya: Yes, we've enjoyed spanking.

• Buffy: A twinkie? That's his lunch? Oh, he is so going to be punished.

Willow: Everyone's getting spanked but me.

• Spike: Wipe your feet when you enter a person's home.

Giles: Ah, yes. Careless of me, tracking mud all over your, uh, mud.

• Xander: Well, try one! Check these flavors. Cherry-berry. Maple walnut. Ooh, almond licorice.

Anya: Ew.

Xander: Anya, we don't say "ew" in front of potential customers.

Anya: Just skip this part and tell him you want money to buy me pretty things. He'll understand.

Giles: Very well. Um, maple walnut.

Xander: An excellent choice.

(Giles takes a bite, chews, then stops)

Giles: Please leave my home now.