Fear, Itself

This redirect is about the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode. For other uses, see Fear Itself.

"Fear, Itself"

"Fear, Itself" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the fantasy television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003). Written by David Fury and directed by Tucker Gates, the episode originally aired on the The WB Television Network in the United States on October 26, 1999.

The premise of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is that an adolescent girl, Buffy Summers, is chosen by mystical forces and given superhuman powers to kill vampires, demons, and other evil creatures in the fictional town of Sunnydale. She is supported by a close circle of family and friends, nicknamed the Scooby Gang. "Fear, Itself" explores the inner fears and insecurities of these characters, using the plot device that Gachnar, a demon with the ability to materialize terror, is accidentally conjured and wreaks havoc on a Halloween party.

Background

In the show, Buffy Summers is a teenager who, at the age of fifteen, was chosen by mystical forces to be the latest Slayer, a girl endowed with superhuman powers to fight and defeat vampires, demons, and other evil forces. After moving with her mother, Joyce (Kristine Sutherland), to the fictional town of Sunnydale, she befriends Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander Harris (Nicholas Brendon), who join her in the struggle against evil. They are guided by Buffy's "Watcher", Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), who is well-versed in demonology and is responsible for Buffy's training as a Slayer. During season two, Willow begins to experiment with magic, eventually becoming a formidable witch.

Buffy and Willow begin to attend college in the fourth season. They take a Psychology course taught by Dr. Maggie Walsh (Lindsay Crouse), who has a teaching assistant named Riley Finn (Marc Blucas). Buffy scholar Roz Kaveney has noted that episodes in the fourth season address authority, order, and the estrangement from the self and others as Buffy and her friends take on new roles after high school. An ongoing theme in the series is Buffy's complex relationship to her destiny as the current Slayer and how she uniquely expresses this role, and this plot element is further explored in season four in general.

Filming

The fraternity house in the episode is known as the Alfred Rosenheim mansion located in Los Angeles, California. The mansion is a registered Cultural Monument, and was used for the setting of the first season of FX series American Horror Story, which used a studio stage for interior scenes.

Plot

While carving jack-o'-lanterns in Xander's basement, the gang discusses plans for Halloween; however, Buffy continues to mope over her situation with Parker. They decide to go to the Alpha-Delta house for a party. The next day at school, Buffy and Oz both express their concerns for Willow and her use of magic. Buffy spots Parker and immediately runs away. Willow follows her, explaining that she should get over it and have fun at the party that night, but Buffy thinks that Giles will want her to patrol. When Buffy goes to visit Giles, she's surprised to find him embracing the Halloween spirit. He discourages her from patrolling and encourages her to go party.

At the Alpha-Delta house, the members are getting ready for the party. One finds a symbol in an old book to paint on the floor. Anya goes to see Xander, wanting to know where their relationship is heading. He agrees that they're somewhat dating, inviting her to the party. Buffy visits Maggie Walsh and asks for her assignment, but she receives a cold response from the teacher. Riley, however, gives her the assignment, telling her to have fun on Halloween. Oz and Xander carry a sound system to the Alpha-Delta house, and Oz installs it while one guy is painting the symbol. Oz cuts his hand, spilling drops of his blood, and activates the ritual to summon Gachnar.

Joyce sews one of Buffy's old costumes, Little Red Riding Hood, and talks with her about how things used to be. Buffy waits outside the house for her friends, and Xander shows up dressed as James Bond. They run into Willow, dressed as Joan of Arc, and Oz, going as God. Everything at the party goes awry as fears begin to materialize. The gang enters the house, but they encounter several obstacles. Later, Anya arrives at the party, dressed as a bunny, but she is unable to get inside. She sees a girl screaming at a window, and the window disappears from the house. Inside, Buffy tells the gang to find a way out and get help. A skeleton attacks her from behind, but after she attacks, it becomes fake again. Buffy and Willow fight over her giving orders, as well as whether Willow can safely do a guidance spell. Meanwhile, Anya goes to Giles for help.

Xander tries to talk to the gang but finds that he's become invisible to them. Willow and Oz find a staircase and head up. As they're walking, Oz begins to change into a werewolf and scratches Willow before running away from her. Xander approaches a mirror, and a head on the table behind him says that he can see him. Oz sits in a bathtub, chanting to himself that he isn't going to change. Willow conjures her spell. However, it gets out of control, and she screams for help as it attacks her. Buffy, hearing Willow's cries, tries to get to her, but she falls into the basement where bodies come up from the ground and grab at her. Giles and Anya are unable to find a way inside, so Giles cuts a door. In an attempt to escape the fears, the gang runs into the coat room and things seem back to normal. They determine the sign on the floor to be the Mark of Gachnar. Giles and Anya break into the room. Buffy destroys the symbol before Giles can tell her that destroying the symbol will bring Gachnar forth. But as the demon has manifested itself, it turns out to be merely a few inches in height. After a laugh, Buffy squashes him with her shoe. At Giles' place, the gang eats candy and Giles discovers his mistake.

External links

• "Fear, Itself" at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com episode