Initiate

Initiate
Background information
Format	Political Thriller/Action/Drama
Developed by	ABC
Starring	Regina Harper Misha Collins Charisma Carpenter Drew Van Acker Christa B. Allen Shay Mitchell Tad Hilgenbrink Vanessa Ray Taylor Wolfe Maisie Richardson-Sellers Matt Frewer Vera Farmiga
Opening theme	None
Country of origin	United States
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	73
Executive producers	Regina Harper, Mike Kelley
Location	Miami, Florida, United States
Running time	45 Minutes Approx.
Original run	15th September 2013 - TBA

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.

The second half of season two deals with Titania trying to work with Heath and Cupid, but finds it difficult to trust them both. The explosion seen at the beginning of episode 1 was explored in episode 16. The plan, set up by Cupid and Colette McConnell, was to have Ruth enter the abandoned house by texting her anonymously asking to her to meet there and blow it up with Ruth inside. Ruth was suspicious and did not enter the house, as seen in episode 1. She instead kidnapped a street prostitute and tied her to a bed inside. The prostitute cries out for help not long before the bomb goes off, which is what causes Cupid to enter the house, to rescue her. Heath was outside and realized they had been double-crossed and quickly rescued Cupid before the bomb could kill him and her. Titania becomes even more annoyed at Heath and Cupid after this failed plan as they almost put everything she'd worked so hard for in jeopardy. Cupid refrains from telling Titania the plan was thought up with the help of the First Lady.

It is revealed in the penultimate episode of the season that Cupid is the niece of the First Lady and her mother (Colette's sister) was killed by The Initiative years prior and their alliance is an act of revenge on The Initiative and Ruth. Cupid asks Colette why they aren't targeting Matt. She smiles and then Matt walks into the room. He is revealed as a double agent working against Ruth as opposed to with her. Cupid tells Titania everything. Together Titania, Cupid, Heath, Matt, Colette, Romeo and Triton brainstorm for a plan to expose Ruth publicly and have The Initiative destroyed.

In the finale, Ruth is revealed to be working with a man called Nick Brooks. Together, they are part of an elitist secret society set on introducing a New World Order, with The Initiative acting as a cover for their operations. Ruth kills Colette by shooting her in the head when she discover's their plan and tries to run and warn the others. Ruth and Nick's plan is revealed at the end of the episode: They have planted numerous bombs all over the world which, when they explode, will obliterate everything within large proximity to them. This expensive terrorist attack was part-funded by Ruth's keeping-hostage of ex-assassin Pandora. Pandora's father, a multi-billionaire paid Ruth a lump sum for her release, although Ruth did not release her and instead killed him. When Titania and the gang, now including Matt, hear of Ruth and Nick's plan, they alert the U.S. President who makes an official announcement regarding the imminent terrorist attack and encourages people to seek shelter and safety. The season ends with clips of numerous locations around the world being bombed. Ruth and Nick are seen in a sleek, expensive building on an isolated island watching their terror from a projector screen.

Season Three

The third season of Initiate begins four months after the

Cast and Characters

Regular cast

Actor	Character	Season
		1	2	3	4	5
Regina Harper	Titania	Main
Misha Collins	Matt King	Main
Charisma Carpenter	Ruth Benson	Main
Drew Van Acker	Romeo	Main		Recurring
Christa B. Allen	Larissa	Main	Guest		Guest	Main
Shay Mitchell	Nicola Parker	Main	Recurring		Guest
Tad Hilgenbrink	Triton	Recurring	Main [a]
Vanessa Ray	Cupid		Main
Taylor Wolfe	Heath		Recurring	Main
Maisie Richardson-Sellers	Genevieve Harriett			Main [b]
Matt Frewer	Nick Brooks		Guest	Recurring	Main
Vera Farmiga	President Gwyneth McKenna				Recurring	Main

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.

Season	Timeslot	# Ep.	Premiered		Ended		TV Season	Rank	Viewers (in millions)
			Date	Premiere Viewers (in millions)	Date	Finale Viewers (in millions)
Season 1	Sunday 09:00PM (Sept. 15th 2013 - Dec. 1st 2013) Monday 10:00PM (March 10th 2014 - May 26th 2014)	24	15 September 2013	11.25	26 May 2014	9.68	2013-2014	#57	10.8
Season 2	Monday 10:00PM	24	22 September 2014	12.33	18 May 2015	13.62	2014-2015	#40	12.2
Season 3	Monday 10:00PM	25	21 September 2015	14.46	30 May 2016	10.74	2015-2016	#45	11.1
Season 4	Monday 10:00PM	23	12 September 2016	11.79	22 May 2017	10.45	2016-2017	#53	9.3
Season 5	Monday 10:00PM	24	11 September 2017	7.68	14 May 2018	6.85	2017-2018	#60	6.7

Episodes

Season 1

• 1A

01. Pilot
02. Out of Character
03. Red Flag
04. Letting Go
05. Shut The Side Door
06. Crisis
07. Gotta Be Serious
08. Lament
09. Body Walk
10. Pledge Allegiance
11. The Winding Road
12. Twilight

• 1B

13. Hush, Hush
14. Execute
15. She's No Lady
16. Prehistoric
17. For The Last Time
18. Replicate
19. Spark
20. Revolving
21. All This
22. Can We Just Start Over
23. Incoming
24. Russian Roulette

Season 2

• 2A

01. Explosions
02. The New Girl
03. Worth The Fight
04. Shock
05. Leverage
06. Thinking of the Impossible
07. Daddy's Girl
08. Yesterday's News
09. Closer
10. Nine, Eight, Seven
11. Aim & Fire
12. Fortune's Favor

• 2B

13. Dignity
14. Puppet Strings
15. Steam
16. Bombs
17. First Lady
18. Time Is Ticking
19. Running Water
20. Don't Move A Muscle
21. Electrocute
22. Happiness
23. Penultimate
24. Boom

Season 3

• 3A

01. Begin Again
02. Hunters & Gatherers
03. Love In The Time of War
04. Cupid
05. I've Lost Too Many
06. Happy Birthday
07. Purity
08. Keep On Running
09. Honesty Is Overrated
10. Kiss The Pain Away
11. The Battle of Washington
12. It's Time

• 3B

13. Consider This
14. All The King's Horses
15. And All The King's Men
16. Jealous
17. Promise Me
18. Let Her Guide You
19. Heath
20. Nothing Left to Give
21. The I In Team
22. Break The Rules
23. The Last Supper
24. Titanium (Part 1)
25. Titanium (Part 2)

Season 4

• 4A

01. Days of Future Passed
02. Bad Habits
03. Hold Back the River
04. Like A Moth to a Burning Flame
05. Hell In a Hand-basket
06. Bedlam
07. She's Just Trying Her Best
08. South Carolina
09. The Conspiracy
10. Even Though We're Far Apart
11. I Hold You Dearly In My Heart

• 4B

12. Entrapment
13. Thunder
14. Getting Closer
15. Look At What You've Done
16. I Need You
17. Ground Control
18. Alpha & Omega
19. Power
20. Karma
21. Loss
22. What Goes Around (Part 1 of 2)
23. Comes Around (Part 2 of 2)

Season 5

• 5A

01. Beginning of the End
02. Get Out
03. Gravediggers
04. For the Devil Tells Me So
05. She's Captivating
06. Handle With Care
07. Aquarius
08. Suit & Tie
09. Red, White and Blue
10. Election Day

• 5B

11. The Chase
12. No Looking Back
13. Put It To Bed
14. Exit
15. Disaster Strike
16. Wrecking Ball
17. It Only Gets Much Worse
18. Eliminate the Threat
19. Curiosity
20. Designer Crimes
21. Scorpio
22. Bad Blood
23. Nebula
24. Initiative

Taglines

• "There's nothing she does better than revenge." - (Season 1)
• "Better Watch Out." - (Season 2)
• "New Truth. New Enemy. New World." - (Season 3)
• "The only way forward is to go back." - (Season 4)
• "Game On." - (Season 5)

Promotional Posters

Season One

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Season Two

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Season Three

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Season Four

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