Buffy for Beginners 4.14: Goodbye Iowa

Tagged with: Buffy The Vampire Slayer

By Sabrina Boyer
This episode picks up where “The I in Team” left off; if you recall, good ‘ole Maggie Walsh tried to kill Buffy, who, in turn, was killed by her own creation, Adam. It is not a far leap to suggest that we are to see Maggie as Dr. Frankenstein. A classic example of “just because we can doesn’t mean we should” lesson for us gentle viewers, and a heavy critique in my opinion of Western science and military secrecy.

Buffy is at Giles’ with the gang and explains what happened. Spike brings up the fact that Riley could’ve been involved in her little one-way recon. “That’s why they call it ‘The Secret Forces’ Will; they kinda keep the whole lying thing to themselves,” Xander explains. So what provoked Walsh to try and kill Buffy? She was asking a lot of questions, and Adam is what she was trying to hide. And then, Adam is born into the world, or, the wild.

The gang plans to grab weapons and hide; they are all in danger and Buffy thinks they should relocate to make a plan, and that relocation happens to be Xander’s dank basement; Giles, however, does not want to squat in that dank hole. But, disco ball! Riley busts in and asks for an explanation and recognizes Spike as Hostile 17. In denial, Riley thinks that something is controlling Walsh, making her act like a looney tune. “What about 314?” Buffy asks. Riley thinks that she was just testing Buffy; but Giles has heard that The Initiative has been working toward some darker purpose.

In traditional Mary Shelley fashion, Adam comes across a young boy playing in the woods. “What am I?” Adam asks. “You’re a monster,” the boy responds. “What are you?” Adam asks. “Me? I’m a boy.” Adam asks, “How do you work?” “I don’t know; I just do,” the boy responds. The boy then asks about his Polgara demon arm part, and Adam smiles all eerily. Finally, Walsh is found dead by her partner in a white coat and realizes that Adam has flown the coup. Meanwhile, at disco ball central, Giles tries to sleep on a bean bag chair while the gang watches cartoons in a fold out couch bed. Oh, and Buffy has on sushi pajamas. (I want those pajamas).

Will, Anya and Buffy lament over Riley’s “supposed to be Average Joe guy” as they find out that a young boy was skewered and mutilated in the woods. Buffy takes charge and does her Commando routine but she isn’t as strong in her yummy sushi pajamas; that morning Riley tells Forest that Walsh tried to kill Buffy. He doesn’t believe it. He thinks Buffy is a spy. “If she tried to kill Buffy maybe Buffy needed killing.” Then the news breaks: Walsh is dead. Her boys are freaked. Forest thinks Walsh was staked. Riley and his merry head out in full on commando gear looking for the Polgara demon they think killed Walsh. Riley runs into Buffy at the boy crime scene and Riley asks her if she’s happy now that Walsh is dead. Ouch.

Amidst all this death, Will heads over to see Tara to see if they can do a spell to locate demon energy; it’s becoming obvious that they’re into each other. Buffy Sherlock Holmes her way to Willy the snitch and Riley followed her. He looks sick, and he’s getting testy. He accuses Buffy of harboring demons and socializing with them instead of getting to the killing. He pulls a gun on an older woman (demon? We’re not sure) and freaks. There’s something happening to him, and we don’t know what it is. He’s itching at a rash on his hand, he’s sweating, he’s acting all Linda Blair. Who are the good guys? The bad guys? His whole belief system is being called into question as he learns the world isn’t so black and white.

Buffy plans to get into the Initiative with Xander backing her up to find out what’s going on; with Riley, with the demon, with everything. Meanwhile, Tara and Willow attempt to call Thespia to find the demons in Sunnydale. However, Tara doesn’t blow her dust and instead, hides it under her bed. Xander and Buffy get into the Initiative and Xander gets it; “can I have sex with Riley too?” he asks. Buffy finds out that the Initiative commando boys have been getting meds through their food. Riley is having withdrawal symptoms for some medicine that Walsh and company were secretly feeding to them through their food. Yeah, can’t say I’m surprised that a secret military compound is treating its members like experiments.

Buffy takes doctor partner of Walsh’s under interrogation and Riley comes upon them and accuses Buffy of killing Walsh and causing his symptoms. And then they find out what was in 314. “Me,” Adam says as he throws a body down from above. He wants to learn about the world; the inside of that boy was beautiful, but didn’t teach him about himself or what he is. Walsh made Riley too, shaping his basic operating system of thinking and feeling. She fed him chemicals to make him stronger and smarter; they were her art. Then we learn that not even Buffy is a match for Adam.

Uh oh.

Then Riley is taken away by his men to seek military medical attention and Buffy is not allowed to go with; Buffy is worried about him, that he has nothing to hold on to. Yet, he has her scarf wrapped around his rash, and as he lies in bed, it’s obvious he’s thinking of her.

But how is this going to end with Adam?

About Sabrina Boyer: As a kid my dad would sneak scary movies past my mom and let me indulge in his horror movie fetish. I grew up watching V, Alien Nation, The Thing, The Fog (all originals) and then, in 1992 when Buffy the movie came out, I became obsessed with vampires, girl power, and all things gothic. I once stayed home from school, faked sick, and watched BTVS: the movie 6 times in a row. I know the beginning cheerleading dance by heart (still). Currently, I’m obsessing over Laurell K. Hamilton novels, and dream about Anita Blake being my best friend.