Initiate

Initiate is a television series, starring singer-songwriter Regina Harper, that premiered on ABC in the United States on September 15th 2013. The series follows an assassin gone rogue called Titania (portrayed by Harper) who plans on executing her superiors Matt (Misha Collins) and Ruth (Charisma Carpenter) and taking down the organisation once and for all.

Plot
The series revolves around an assassin called Titania (Harper), working for a secret organization run by Matt King (Misha Collins) and Ruth Benson (Charisma Carpenter), known as The Initiative, who send out assassins at the order of the US government. Titania has been working at the corporation for 2 years while disguising herself as a normal twenty-something year old, Ariel Fitzpatrick, when she's not at work. But when Titania is forced to kill a young girl after the girl discovers a dreaded secret the US government is holding, Titania makes it her mission to get revenge on everyone involved, while exposing those involved in this big "secret" not yet revealed.

Season One
Season one begins with "assassination of the week" themed episodes. As the second half of season 1 begins, the overall ark of Titania trying to take down the Initiative, and killing Ruth and Matt, takes over. In the season one finale, it is revealed (only to the audience) that Ruth Benson is rather low-ranking in the Initiative and works for a much higher power. In the same episode, Larissa is killed by an unknown gunman.

Season Two
Season 2 begins with a flash-forward showing Titania and Ruth in Tucson, Arizona. They are seen to be watching an abandoned house. After a few minutes, new character Cupid shows up and enters the house which, once she steps inside, explodes. The episode then goes back to "One Month Earlier", which is 14 months after the events of season 1.

The majority of the first 11 episodes of season two focus around Titania attempting to solve the mystery of Larissa's murder. At the very end of episode 11, it is revealed that Larissa was assassinated by Cupid under Ruth's orders. Episode 12, the winter finale, deals with Titania interrogating Cupid about her assassination of Larissa. The majority of the episode involves flashback's as Cupid explains herself. According to Cupid, she was working for the Initiative long before she joined Titania's team in Miami. She was assigned to Miami under Ruth's orders and her first assignment was to kill Larissa. Cupid reveals that Ruth knows about Titania's plans to take down the Initiative and ordered a hit on Larissa as a warning. After the interrogation, all the assassins are called into Ruth's office, where she introduces their latest recruit, Heath, a mysterious character seen frequently in season 2 and played by award-winning popstar Taylor. As the episode draws to a close, Ruth is seen speaking on the phone with her superior, an identity still unknown to the audience. She says to them: "I can assure you, timing is everything. We need to prepare every last detail before the attack. She's smarter than you think". In another room, Cupid is talking to someone called "Carter" online. Their conversation reveals Cupid to be a double-agent, working against the Initiative, much like Titania. She asks her source, who gives her all the information she needs to take down Ruth and Matt and their superiors, when she will learn of their identity. "Carter" replies: "When all of this is over". The camera shows "Carter" in a hotel room dressed in a black hoodie. "Carter" walks up to a mirror and from their reflection it is revealed that "Carter" is Colette McConnell, First Lady of the United States. She is working to take down the organisation that her husband relies on to keep the country safe.

According to the show's runners, Season 2B will deal with Titania trying to work with Heath and Cupid, but finds it difficult to trust them both. The explosion seen in at the beginning in episode 1 will come to light early in the season's second half. Cupid's alliance with The First Lady will be explored and Ruth's "attack" on Titania will be revealed in the lead up to the finale, which is promised to be "the most jaw-dropping episode of the entire series yet".

Cast and Characters

 * Notes
 * a - Tad Hilgenbrink was on recurring status for the first 7 episodes of season 2 before being promoted to series regular from episode 8 onwards.
 * b - Maisie Richardson-Sellers was on recurring status for the first 12 episodes of season 3 (3A) before being promoted to series regular from episode 13 onwards (3B).

Main Cast

 * Titania/Ariel Fitzpatrick (Regina Harper) (Season 1 - present) has been working at The Initiative for 2 years, when one late night she is called to take out someone her boss Ruth deems to be a 'huge threat', capable of leaking something that someone higher up is demanding be kept quiet. When Titania arrives to the scene she is disgusted to find out she is being ordered to kill a five year old girl, as well as her mother. The series is set up from here as Titania plans on 'keeping her cool' at work, but is secretly planning on taking taking down the Initiative from the inside, while also planning on executing her superiors after she becomes consumed with guilt for that she was ordered to do.
 * Larissa/Jennifer Montgomery (Christa B. Allen) (Main character seasons 1 & 5, guest starring season 2 & 4) was hired to work at the initiative when she was only 17 years old. Now 22 years old, she's considered one of their top assassins and has carried out tasks those working in the business for decades could only dream of. In the season one finale, Larissa is shot and killed by an unknown assassin, revealed to be Cupid (under Ruth's orders) in the season two winter finale. Christa B. Allen reprised her role as Larissa for a series of flashbacks in season 2. She does not appear at all in season 3. Larissa appears in the season 4 finale, alive and well. Christa B. Allen was re-added to the main cast for season 5 when it is revealed that Larissa's death was faked with the help of Nick and Ruth (her biological mother). Larissa was in on the conspiracy the whole time. This plot twist sparked a negative reaction from fans.
 * Matt King (Misha Collins) (Season 1 - present) is a big guy at The Initiative. Most people there call him 'Boss'. He makes decisions. He fires people. He kills people. He even swoons people... Matt is quiet and doesn't talk much. And he's on Titania's hit list. In Season 2, it is revealed that Matt despises working for Ruth and plans on joining forces with Titania and taking Ruth, and the Initiative, down.
 * Ruth Benson (Charisma Carpenter) (Season 1 - present) is the big boss. She owns everything. She makes final decisions. She has the power, the control. You mess with Ruth, you lose an arm. Mess with her twice? Better hide your wife and kids. A cold, heartless bitch whose motto is "My way or the die way", she is greatly feared at The Initiative. She doesn't disguise the fact that she finds most of her assassins to be weak and utterly useless. It was revealed in the Season 2 winter finale that Ruth hired an assassin (revealed to be Cupid) to kill Larissa in the season 1 finale. In the final minutes of the season 2 finale, it is revealed that Ruth and the President of the United States are part of a secret society, responsible for numerous terrorist attacks solely for the purpose of profit. As the episode draws to a close, Ruth has orchestrated numerous bomb attacks around the world and one in the Initiative's base in Miami...
 * Triton/Blaine Patterson (Tad Hilgenbrink) (Recurring season 1, season 2 - present) is the Initiative's biggest jerk. You know that jock that always takes gym class too seriously? Yeah, that's him. Triton thinks he's the best out of all the assassins and straight away begins picking on the newcomer, Romeo. The character of Triton becomes a main character in season 2. Triton is killed by Nick in the season 4 finale. Due to scheduling conflicts, the character did not appear in season 5 for any flashback scenes.
 * Cupid/Miranda Jean Osbourne (Vanessa Ray) (Season 2 - present) is new to the Initiative in season two as a replacement for Larissa. Initially she does not see eye to eye with Titania, but the pair quickly put their differences aside when Titania discovers in the Season 2 mid-season finale that Cupid is playing double-agent and is also planning on taking down the organisation, with a little help from someone on the inside, revealed to be Colette McConnell, First Lady of the United States.
 * Heath (Taylor Wolfe) (Supporting season 2, season 3 - present), Introduced in episode 6 of season 2 as an ex-lover of Titania and is eventually revealed in episode 11 of season 2 as the Initiative's latest recruit. The character of Heath became a series regular from season 3 onwards.
 * Genevieve Harriett (Maisie Richardson-Sellers) (Season 3 - present) is a young woman originally from wealthy family in South Carolina. Her entire family was killed in the terrorist attack seen in season 2's finale and she makes her way to Washington for refuge. She is taken in by Ruth, who has ulterior motives, but Genevieve begins to see Ruth as something of a motherly figure. Genevieve is trained by Titania in becoming an assassin in season 4 and joins forces with Titania, Triton, Cupid and Matt.
 * Nicholas "Nick" Brooks (Matt Frewer) (Guest starring season 2, season 3 recurring, seasons 4 & 5), CEO of Electrolyte-Imbalance, a secret society disguised as a technology company, set on introducing a New World Order. Nick runs this society with Ruth Benson, who has been using her position in the Initiative as a cover-up of her work with E.I. The character of Nick becomes more prominent in seasons 4 and 5.
 * President Gwyneth McKenna (Vera Farmiga) (Season 4 recurring, Season 5) is introduced in season 4 as Vice President of the United States. She takes over the role of the president in season 5, after President Alexander McConnell is killed in the season 4 finale. Gwyneth wants nothing to do with the E.I. conspiracy, or have any role in taking it down but eventually joins forces with Titania and uses her position of power to bring down the organisation. Vera Farmiga won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the Television Series for her role as Gwyneth in the season 5 episode 'Red, White & Blue'.

Recurring Cast

 * Romeo (Drew Van Acker) (Main character season 1 - 2, recurring season 3 - present) is the new guy at The Initiatve. Tall, dark and handsome, he's straight away a hit with the ladies. Especially Larissa... She sets her eyes on the 21 year old newbie straight away and becomes a terrible flirt. Despite being a main character in season two, the character of Romeo only appears in 11 out of 24 episodes due to Drew Van Acker being unavailable for filming. In season 3, the character of Romeo is only recurring status and appears in 6 out of 25 episodes. In season 4, Romeo appears in 4 out of 23 episodes. Romeo is given a more prominent role in season 5, appearing in 16 out of 24 episodes.
 * Nicola Parker (Shay Mitchell) (Season 1 - present) is Titania's best friend when she isn't working and goes by the name of Ariel Fitzpatrick. Nicola isn't aware of Ariel's job, thinking she works as a company manager for a firm located at the heart of Miami. Nicola is also Emma's (Ariel's daughter) babysitter. The character of Nicola only appears in 3 episodes of season 2 and is thus Shay Mitchell is given the title of "Special Guest Star" in these episodes.
 * Dr. Declan White (Mark Harmon) (Season 1 - present) is a medical doctor working at the Initiative, who cares for the assassins when they return from an engagement and suffer an injury.
 * Europa (Amy Acker) (Season 1) is another assassin. She is very quiet and keeps to herself. But rather can coming across as shy, she comes across as being a bit stuck-up. Her character is absent without explanation in season 2. According to Mike Kelley, Amy Acker was unavailable for filming throughout season two and so the character was dropped from the series.
 * Alexander McConnell (Doug Savant) (Season 1 - 4), President of the United States. Killed in the season 4 finale by Larissa.
 * Cassandra Blake (Lucy DeVitto) (Seasons 2 & 3) is a lawyer working to help Titania bring down the Initiative. Killed by Ruth in the season 3 mid-season finale.
 * Senator Emerson Blake (Joe Morton) (Seasons 2 & 3), husband of Cassandra. Works with Titania in season 3 (part B) after his wife's death. Does not appear in seasons 4 and 5.
 * Colette McConnell (Andrea Parker) (Season 2), First Lady of the United States. Revealed in Season 2's winter finale as "Carter", an anonymous mole working with Cupid to destroy the Initiative. She is killed by Ruth in the season 2 finale.
 * Desiree Lung (Jada Pinkett Smith) (Season 2 - present), ex-assassin currently being held hostage by the Initiative. Was known as Pandora during her days employed at the Initiative. Constantly mentioned throughout season 1 and referred to as a "myth" by assassins at the Initiative due to nobody being able to prove she ever existed. She is being held captive as a ransom by Ruth. The money used by her father for her recovery was used to part-finance Ruth and Nick's terrorist attack. Remains in the show till it's end and eventually becomes President Gwyneth McKenna's Chief of Staff.

Casting
Regina Harper was the first to be cast in the role in 2012, in a role that had been written specifically for her.

Luke Mitchell was originally cast as Romeo and played him in the original pilot but had to drop out of the role when it clashed with filming for The Tomorrow People. Drew Van Acker was then cast as Romeo and re-shot all of Mitchell's scenes from the pilot. Christa B. Allen was cast as Larissa in early 2013. In February 2013, it was announced that Misha Collins and Charisma Carpenter would play Matt King and Ruth Benson respectively.

Tad Hilgenbrink was cast for a recurring role as Triton in season 1. His character was promoted to series regular from episode 8 of season 2 onward. Vanessa Ray joined the main cast in season 2 as Cupid, a new recruit.

On October 5, 2014 it was announced that Academy Award winning actor & singer Taylor would join the cast for a special guest arc in season 2. His character was promoted to series regular at the beginning of season 3.

Drew Van Acker's character of Romeo was demoted to recurring status for season 3 due to Van Acker's commitments with Pretty Little Liars and Devious Maids, making him largely unavailable for filming.

In May 2015, it was announced that Maisie Richardson-Sellers was joining the show for a recurring role in season 3. Her character, Genevieve Harriett, was promoted to series regular from episode 12 of season 3 onward.

In July 2016, it was announced that season 3 recurring star Matt Frewer would join the main cast of Initiate for season 4. The same month it was announced that Vera Farmiga would be joining the show for a recurring role in season 4 as vice president of the United States. Vera Farmiga was promoted to series regular for the fifth and final season.

In May 2017, it was announced that Christa B. Allen was to be welcomed back to the main cast for the show's fifth and final season after her character, Larissa, was revealed to be alive (and a major villain) in the season 4 finale. The reveal of Larissa as a false protagonist sparked a negative reaction from fans, with the season 4 finale having a rating of 6.8 stars on IMDB as a result. Despite this, the season 5 premiere was rated highly (9.6) and the backlash from the reveal was soon forgotten about as the season went on.

Seasons
ABC ordered a total of 24 episodes for season one of 'Initiative' to air in two 12-part stints. The first 12 episodes of season one will air from September - November. The show will take a winter hiatus and air the second half of the season from March 10th until May 26th.

In December 2013, the show was renewed for a full second season of 24 episodes, despite the second half of season one having yet to air. The show averaged ratings of 7.4 million viewers per episode for the first twelve episodes.

After the Season 2 mid-season finale aired, which drew in 13.07 million viewers, it was announced that 'Initiate' would be renewed for a 25 episode third season, due to air in the 2015-2016 season. The episodes will air in two 12-parters like previous seasons, and the season 3 finale will be a two-part episode (aired as one).

Two weeks after the Season 3 mid-season finale, which managed a series high of 14.46 million viewers, 'Initiate' was renewed for a 23 episode fourth season. Mike Kelley, the series creator, and lead star Regina Harper confirmed that the fourth season of the show will begin with a four year time-jump after the "world-changing events" of the season 3 finale, airing in May 2016.

Ratings
Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of Initiate on ABC.

Taglines

 * "There's nothing she does better than revenge." - (Season 1)
 * "Better Watch Out." - (Season 2)
 * "New Truth. New Enemy. New World." - (Season 3)
 * "You can't change the past." - (Season 4)
 * "Game On." - (Season 5)