Fear, Itself: Part One

Everything I’ve ever done was out of fear of being mediocre – Chet Atkins

Happy Halloween! Fear, Itself was the second Halloween-themed episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, advertising each character’s worst nightmare like a Walmart circular. An entire show devoted to black moments. For writers, it doesn’t get any better than this.

Situated in season four, the Scooby gang has graduated from high school and moved on. The newly single slayer and blossoming witch Willow now attend Sunnydale U. Endearingly insecure Xander is living in his parents’ basement, working odd jobs and trying to shed the self-adhered label of loser. Angel, Buffy’s vampire love interest, has moved to LA to start his own show. Business. I mean business. The hilariously vain Cordelia has followed in his footsteps.

Giles, Buffy’s watcher and former school librarian, wrestles with unemployment now that Sunnydale High is history. In a tradition all students should experience, the last graduating class attacked their keynote speaker who schemed to use graduation as a launching pad for demon ascension. Thus transformed, he planned to eat the entire senior class. But these forewarned, future captains of industry thwarted his plans. They cornered him/it in the school, blew the place to smithereens, and saved the world.

New cast members Anya and Oz fill in the gaps. Oz is a newly minted werewolf and Willow’s love puppy. Anya is a former vengeance demon reacquainting herself with mortal life. She’s been a demon for centuries thus oblivious to the finer points of congeniality. To call her socially inept would be talking it up.

The night before Halloween, Buffy, Willow and Oz lounge at Xander’s, but the reliably perky Buffy is decidedly perkless. Fresh from her breakup with Angel, she took a gamble with Parker Abrams, an unscrupulous womanizer who discarded Buffy with nary a Dear Jane warning. Buffy is drowning in rejection. To cheer her up, Xander holds up the scary movie he has planned for tomorrow night - Fantasia. Head slap. It was supposed to be Phantasm. Willow reminds them they’ve been asked to the Alpha Delt Halloween bash.

This is news to Xander. Already sensitive about his non-matriculating status, he feigns indifference. Willow issues a belated invite and he lunges for it like a dingy in a sea of sharks. Buffy exits early to the dismay of her friends who conclude she’s still suffering post-Parker depression. Buffy slogs home, droopy and despondent. She reacts on instinct when a demon approaches, slapping him to the ground. He cries in pain and rips off his mask, revealing an aggrieved human teenager. What the hell is wrong with you? Buffy wonders the same thing.

The next afternoon at the college cafe, Willow chats with Buffy about her budding witchcraft skills. She’s got the basics down, but moving into the next level intimidates her. She should be ready. She wants to be ready. But she’s kind of . . . not. Oz joins them, hoping Buffy isn’t encouraging Willow. He lays out his concerns. As a werewolf, he knows what it’s like to get in touch with dark forces. He can’t control the furry side once it emerges. It’s worrisome. He’s concerned for her, but he’ll back whatever decision she makes regarding her steps toward magical mastery.

A burst of laughter draws Buffy’s attention to a table where Parker is enjoying a conscience-free lunch with a pretty co-ed. Buffy abandons her food and rushes off. Willow catches her in the hall. Don’t let jerky Parker chase you away. He’s not. Buffy just doesn’t want to deal right now. Nor does she want to meet anyone at the party. She’ll probably patrol tonight instead. But it’s Halloween, Willow reminds her. The one evening vampires and their ilk go on holiday. Buffy will touch base with Giles, but she’s pretty sure he doesn’t hold with the whole Halloween thing.

On the contrary. Candy bowl in hand, Giles enthusiastically greets Buffy dressed in a festive sombrero and matching poncho. She apprises him of her plans. She doesn’t want to be caught off guard - like one Halloween, when Ethan Rayne turned everyone into their costumes (see the GMC&D of Trick or Treat). Giles reassures her. That was a rare exception. I promise you, there’s little chance of any supernatural activity tonight.

Giles, Giles, Giles. Such guarantees should never be voiced aloud in Sunnydale. To prove it, the Alpha Delts are feverishly decorating their hallways. One brother has found a fearsome image to paint on the floor. He holds a book open to a page with a satanic symbol. Great! The portents just keep on a’coming.

Xander is on his way out when Anya appears. You haven’t called, she complains. Xander’s eyes widen. You said you were over me. She only said that because she thought it’s what he wanted to hear. It’s been one week since they copulated and she hoped they could celebrate that anniversary. Xander already has plans. Anya doesn’t understand why he persists on associating with them. They go to college, you don’t. They no longer live at home, you do…. Xander’s mediocrity meter shoots into the red and he switches subjects by inviting her along. Like a date? He admits there are date-like qualities to his request. This pleases her until he tells her to wear a costume. What kind of costume? She’s an ex-demon who terrorized men for millennia. He’s sure she’ll come up with something.

On the top floor where creeped out corridors lead to the party room, the two frat brothers, Chaz and Josh, put the finishing touches on the supernatural symbol. Xander and Oz haul in sound equipment. After helping Oz set it in place, Xander wanders over and admires their diabolical design. What’s it mean? No idea, Chaz replies. Just copped it from some old tome. Josh tells Xander to consider pledging to the house. Oz informs them Xander isn’t a student. Oh. A townie. He looks so normal.

Xander takes that jab with a brittle laugh while Oz tests the speakers. His super wolf senses detect a sputter in one of the speakers. With a pocket knife, he trims a wire but nicks his finger in the process. It’s nothing, he says, and walks toward the circle, shaking it off. Flecks of his blood dapple the demon symbol. And doesn’t it just figure, the symbol on the floor starts to waver and glow? And a plastic tarantula lying within the perimeter suddenly quivers to life and scurries off? And doesn’t it escape the notice of every male in the room? Typical.

Back home, Buffy’s mom, Joyce, alters a red cape from a childhood costume to fit the grown-up Buffy. They reminisce about Halloweens past when Buffy’s dad insisted on escorting her, even when she was twelve. Your father loved spending time with you. The cheery mood evaporates when Buffy ponders this. Not enough, I guess. Buffy’s absentee dad has been a constant source of conflict, especially since his disappearing act coincided with her new occupation as vampire slayer. She harbors considerable guilt about the breakup of her parents’ marriage, even though her mother insists the divorce had nothing to do with her. I don’t know…there’s a pattern here. Open your heart to someone and he...he bails on you. Maybe it’s easier to not let anyone in anymore.

Joyce admits she felt that way too, but she has a nice circle of friends now. She squeezes Buffy’s hand. I’ll always be here for you. And you’ve got Mr. Giles. And your friends. Believe me, there’s nothing to be afraid of. She didn’t just say that, did she? Does no one in this town have a memory? As they speak, Josh leads his blindfolded girlfriend into the frat party room. He tells her to stick her hand in a bowl of eyeballs, which are actually peeled grapes. The joke’s on him. When she lifts the blindfold and peeks down, what she’s holding is genuine eyeballs. Bwaaa-ha-ha-ha-haaa!

Currently unaware, the gang assembles in front of the frat house. Buffy is Little Red Riding Hood with a twist – she has weapons in her basket, just in case. Xander is suited and suave secret agent man – insurance, in case he gets turned into his costume again. Willow is medievally garbed Joan of Arc – on account of her being almost burned at the stake (for being a witch, in the previous season’s Gingerbread episode) and because of her close personal relationship with God. Oz is dressed like everyday Oz, until he lifts his outer shirt to reveal a name tag that announces: Hi. My name is God.

Xander explains Anya is having trouble deciding on a costume so she’s going to meet them here later. Buffy grimaces. Everyone has a date but her. Third-wheel Buffy. Willow denies that and takes Buffy’s arm. We’re gonna have the best time.

Inside the house, panic reigns. Strobe lights flash. Students scream. Doors slam and lock inexplicably. Josh races toward the steps then plummets down, breaking his neck. A malevolent voice demands to be free. However, when the gang enters the front door, silence is their host. The utter lack of noise and people is unsettling. They follow signs, passing spider webs and various standard spooky props. A skeleton shoots out of a closet, wielding a toy knife. But a live spider drops onto Willow’s shoulder and rattles everyone.

Oz frowns at a wall where a corridor used to be. Buffy kneels down to touch something on the carpet. Blood. She sniffs. Real blood. Then they’re swarmed by bats. Real bats. One snags in Buffy’s hair. She yanks it free and tosses it while the rest fly off. When Oz picks it up, it’s just a rubber toy. What is going on? The malevolent voice demands to be released again. They’ve been around the block before. This is not some simple frat house prank. It’s the real deal.

Outside, Anya clops up the front walk dressed as a giant bunny. Terrifying. She halts on the porch and realizes there’s no door. Just a wall and a “hellcome” mat. Strange. She backtracks and peers up at the second story. A shrieking girl stands in a window, pounding on glass smeared with blood. The window is suddenly swallowed by the cement edifice. Anya’s only thought is Xander and she hurries off.

The gang retraces their steps to the front door but it’s vanished. They hear someone whimpering and find Chaz huddled in the closet, mumbling to himself: I’m sorry, I didn’t know…I didn’t know… Didn’t know what? It’s alive. We pan to a nearby hallway where the skeleton dangles, knife in hand. But it’s no longer a harmless collection of plastic. It’s sinewy and sinister and armed with a homicidal agenda. And a butcher blade.

Who will be its first target? Find out in the conclusion of Fear, Itself.