You've been . . . initiative-ed?

4.7: "The Initiative"

4.10: "Hush"

4.11: "Doomed"

4.13: "The 'I' in Team"

Many peoples' greatest fear in life is being used. Being taken advantage of is so prevalent in society at large, in everyday dealings with other people, that it is practically inescapable. It always tears down one's pride, only to rebuilds shame in its place. For Buffy, not only did Parker hurt her feelings, he also dealt a major blow to her pride. As Willow points out in "Beer Bad," Buffy shared something very intimate with him—and now that he has shared that with her and thrown her aside, she is not only suffering the pain of rejection but also the shame that everyone experiences after the realization that one has made a mistake. Though she is the Slayer and in many ways superhuman, her weaknesses are "nothing that is not common to man."

Going further into the concept of "being had," as people say, the entire "Initiative" organization is operating with a purpose that is hidden even from Riley, their main team leader. While Riley's refusal to question his orders at first causes Buffy (and everyone else) to admire his loyalty, it is the ignorance underpinning his trust that ultimately betrays him. He had been a member of the Initiative for quite a while without being too curious about its behind-the-scenes goings-on without any good reason to be suspicious about its (or even his own) activities, but he had also by definition had his eyes shut quite tightly.

Buffy has really been able to reflect on her history with Angel, especially in the wan light of the Parker episode. She was hoping for her relationship with Parker to be more similar to her previous one with Angel—and clearly, what became of that was less than what she was expecting. One of the interesting twists that the writers always include in the episodes that I particularly enjoy is wordplay between episodes and their titles. For example, in "Doomed," the word applies not only to the impending apocalypse but also to Buffy's ideas about the future of her relationship with Riley.

Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible) says that he "makes it a point to know who he's working for," and perhaps that would have been helpful for everyone involved in The Initiative. Of course, here we have yet another case of adults/authority figures who are, in fact, in error: Professor Walsh is A) a well-respected, published physcology teacher and B) in charge of the Initiative's underground base and operations. However, the trappings of "helping" or "protecting" people by capturing these creatures of darkness are eclipsed by the "314" unknown project she has going simultaneously. Also, her plot to trap and kill Buffy (even though it was a failure) is egregious and complete anathema to the outer shell of the organization. Interestingly, she even seems to have either a mother or, possibly, a romantic complex with Riley: she calls him by his first name on a regular basis and corrects herself, referring to him instead as "Agent Finn." She is convinced that, given time, he will come to see things from her point of view—in very much the same way that Parker is convinced that Buffy is overreacting and ought to come view what they had as plain old "casual sex."