For all intents and purposes, "Primeval" is the real end to season four. "Restless" is technically the last episode of the season, but it's more like a preview of season five. It deals with the Scoobie's after the final battle at the Initative and warns of the darkness to come. In the years to come, I always think that the Scoobies must look back on this victory with bittersweet nostalgia. In retrospect, fighting the Initataive, and Adam must seem like simpler times to them. In seasons five, six and seven they will be faced with the more complex problems, their relationships will be threatened and they will confront real hardships and loss. Season four isn't the best season and "Primeval" isn't the show's best season finale. But, this is still an entertaining episode, which wraps up the Initative storyline, brings about the end of Adam and shows the Scoobies at their best. You shouldn't miss it.
"Primeval" finally lets us in on the full scope of Adam's plan. It seems that he's been filling the Initataive with demons as a Trojan Horse tactic. He's waiting until the right moment, then he will open the cages, let the demons out so the can kill the commando guys. He wants Buffy there to kill the demons and at the end of the day, he expects to have a nice pile of body parts that he can use to build his demon/human/robot army. It's a confusing and complicated plan with a lot of loose ends, but he seems to like it. Also, it turns out that Riley has a chip in him that allow Adam to control him movements. Riley is soon captured in a underground lab with Maggie's zombie and a reanimated, part-demon, mutant Forrest.
The Scoobies are still split up, thanks to Spike's mind games. He's feeling pretty smug... Until Adam tell him that he was too successful. See Adam wanted Buffy to decode computer discs, and she can't do that without Willow, and if they're not speaking... Well, you get the idea. (Adam blames Spike for the mix-up, but really it's his fault. He should have explained the step-two part of it better.) Anyway, Spike goes to Buffy and loudly hints that she should talk to Willow again. Suspicious, Buffy calls the Scoobies together and they all realize that it was Spike who caused their fight... sort of. All their hurt feelings and conflicts continue to bother them. As they head for the Initative to fight Adam, they finally apologize to each other and recommit to their friendships.
The four of them decide to stop Adam by pulling their individual strengths and joining them with Buffy. Meanwhile, Spike and Adam have a falling out, Riley rips the chip out of his chest just in time to save Buffy, the demons at the Initataive escape and start killing the commandos and Buffy and Adam face off.
There are a lot of good parts to this episode. I love Spike and his redemption a the end is pretty funny. He kills a demon as it tries to attack the Scoobies and suddenly its "Good job, team!" Also, I'm glad that the Scoobies come back together. They have grown apart this season and it's nice that they remember how much they need each other in the end. And it's hard not to laugh when the army guy captures them and tries to determine what their weapons are. "It's a magic gourd." And I like Giles hung over and wincing as he tries to move around his apartment. He seems to recover, but I imagine he still has a massive headache and would rather be back in bed. Poor Giles.
On the downside, Buffy lecturing the army guys is a little silly. Anytime the phrase "the boys at the Pentagon" is uttered I just roll my eyes. Also the zombie Maggie and Doctor Whoever-he-is seem pointless and lame. I guess they're suppose to show scientists being corrupted by their work. In this case killed and turned into the walking dead. But metaphorically, people have been so consumed with their own creations and sense of power that they've let themselves be lead down dark roads. Now, they are helpless to stop what they've put into motion. Still, we have the destruction of the Initative to show that, so I don't see the point in the zombies. Also, since the super-Buffy thing worked so well, you'd think that the Scoobies would try it again in other battles. I assume that the repercussions of their actions, in "Restless," must stop them, but you'd think one of them would at least suggest it when they're trying to fight Glory next season. Also, (and I guess that isn't really "Primeval"'s fault, but I'm going to bring it up anyway because it bugs me) since the army general person at the end says that the Initataive labs will be covered over and filled with cement, why is it the whole place still around in season seven? Buffy and Spike just walk back in. Finally, why to the Scoobies go down the elevator shaft like that? They know about the hidden back entrances to the Initataive. Why would they risk getting caught by going through the front door?
My favorite part of the episode: The fight scene at the Initative, with the demons and army guys fighting each other, stuff exploding, people screaming, the Scoobies trying to race through the chaos so they can fight Adam, and Spike, after all his protestations of evilness, killing demons right and left. It's big and splashy and one of the most unique sequences in the whole series. I find it really interesting and fun to watch.
"Primeval" finally lets us in on the full scope of Adam's plan. It seems that he's been filling the Initataive with demons as a Trojan Horse tactic. He's waiting until the right moment, then he will open the cages, let the demons out so the can kill the commando guys. He wants Buffy there to kill the demons and at the end of the day, he expects to have a nice pile of body parts that he can use to build his demon/human/robot army. It's a confusing and complicated plan with a lot of loose ends, but he seems to like it. Also, it turns out that Riley has a chip in him that allow Adam to control him movements. Riley is soon captured in a underground lab with Maggie's zombie and a reanimated, part-demon, mutant Forrest.
The Scoobies are still split up, thanks to Spike's mind games. He's feeling pretty smug... Until Adam tell him that he was too successful. See Adam wanted Buffy to decode computer discs, and she can't do that without Willow, and if they're not speaking... Well, you get the idea. (Adam blames Spike for the mix-up, but really it's his fault. He should have explained the step-two part of it better.) Anyway, Spike goes to Buffy and loudly hints that she should talk to Willow again. Suspicious, Buffy calls the Scoobies together and they all realize that it was Spike who caused their fight... sort of. All their hurt feelings and conflicts continue to bother them. As they head for the Initative to fight Adam, they finally apologize to each other and recommit to their friendships.
The four of them decide to stop Adam by pulling their individual strengths and joining them with Buffy. Meanwhile, Spike and Adam have a falling out, Riley rips the chip out of his chest just in time to save Buffy, the demons at the Initataive escape and start killing the commandos and Buffy and Adam face off.
There are a lot of good parts to this episode. I love Spike and his redemption a the end is pretty funny. He kills a demon as it tries to attack the Scoobies and suddenly its "Good job, team!" Also, I'm glad that the Scoobies come back together. They have grown apart this season and it's nice that they remember how much they need each other in the end. And it's hard not to laugh when the army guy captures them and tries to determine what their weapons are. "It's a magic gourd." And I like Giles hung over and wincing as he tries to move around his apartment. He seems to recover, but I imagine he still has a massive headache and would rather be back in bed. Poor Giles.
On the downside, Buffy lecturing the army guys is a little silly. Anytime the phrase "the boys at the Pentagon" is uttered I just roll my eyes. Also the zombie Maggie and Doctor Whoever-he-is seem pointless and lame. I guess they're suppose to show scientists being corrupted by their work. In this case killed and turned into the walking dead. But metaphorically, people have been so consumed with their own creations and sense of power that they've let themselves be lead down dark roads. Now, they are helpless to stop what they've put into motion. Still, we have the destruction of the Initative to show that, so I don't see the point in the zombies. Also, since the super-Buffy thing worked so well, you'd think that the Scoobies would try it again in other battles. I assume that the repercussions of their actions, in "Restless," must stop them, but you'd think one of them would at least suggest it when they're trying to fight Glory next season. Also, (and I guess that isn't really "Primeval"'s fault, but I'm going to bring it up anyway because it bugs me) since the army general person at the end says that the Initataive labs will be covered over and filled with cement, why is it the whole place still around in season seven? Buffy and Spike just walk back in. Finally, why to the Scoobies go down the elevator shaft like that? They know about the hidden back entrances to the Initataive. Why would they risk getting caught by going through the front door?
My favorite part of the episode: The fight scene at the Initative, with the demons and army guys fighting each other, stuff exploding, people screaming, the Scoobies trying to race through the chaos so they can fight Adam, and Spike, after all his protestations of evilness, killing demons right and left. It's big and splashy and one of the most unique sequences in the whole series. I find it really interesting and fun to watch.