Buffy - S4E14

Goodbye Iowa
First Aired: Tuesday February 15, 2000

As the Scoobies regroup after finding about the attempted assassination of Buffy by Professor Walsh, Riley has to come to grips with her death and her creation; Adam.

The Scoobies and Spike listen to Buffy tell her story about the attack on Buffy's life by Walsh. Riley shows up shortly afterward to find out what Buffy knows. He becomes angry when he notices they are "friends" with Hostile-17 (Spike). The Scoobies then retreat to Xander's basement to hide from the commandos and the next day they see news of a child being killed. Thinking it is the previously captured demon, Buffy begins her search for it. The Initiative does the same when Riley finds out Walsh has been killed. Buffy and Riley encounter each other throughout the day, but he finally loses it in Willie's Place. It turns out he is getting sick and Buffy thinks it is tied to the Initiative, so she and Xander decide to infiltrate it. Upon confronting Walsh's second-in-command, Riley shows up and they are all ambushed by ADAM. He reveals that he was created by Walsh, that he killed her, and that Riley is her other "creation" through pills and genetics. ADAM is trying to find his purpose, but that includes death and destruction. Buffy tries to fight it, but nothing seems to help. ADAM finally gets away as the Initiative comes in and takes Riley away to be helped. The episode ends with Buffy and Willow musing about where he is and what is going on while the closing shot is of Riley in a hospital bed.

This was a very good episode after the previous. The opening sequence in Giles' place was very dramatic and also fun, thank to Spike. I think it was interesting to watch what was going on with the Initiative and with Riley as Walsh's death came to light. It was also funny when the Scoobies were hiding in Xander's basement. I forgot how cold and calculating a Big Bad ADAM was and I like him even more now. I am not to keen on the self-destructive Riley, but his acting was top-notch. This was a good episode to really present the Big Bad of this season and I am sure I remember the rest of the season being just as good.

Score: 8.6 / 10