For a horror show, there are few episodes of BtVS dedicated to Halloween. "Fear, Itself," is, for me, the most fun. It is the consummate "stand alone" episode, contributing virtually nothing to the Buffy canon save the show's best running gag, which involves Anya's choice of costume.
This episode does resolve some personal and er...personnel issues among the Scoobies. Thanks to a haunted frat house, each member of the gang has their worst fear brought to the fore, and by that confrontation they take big steps in addressing them.
But what "Fear, Itself" is about is scary laughs. From the frat boys interactions in setting up the house (college versions of preadolescent Halloween gags) to the Scoobie's costume choices (Willow and Oz team up for the best pairing since Jo...nope, not gonna tell). And the finale is a gag brilliantly set up by the entire episode; but true to Whedon/BtVS custom, with a huge (pun intended) moral.
Whedon used BtVS to create new versions of traditional stories. He consistently found a twist that made even the most over-worked tropes fresh and uniquely "Buffy." "Fear, Itself," is as great an example of this as any episode; a Haunted House story that surprises and provokes laughs.
This episode does resolve some personal and er...personnel issues among the Scoobies. Thanks to a haunted frat house, each member of the gang has their worst fear brought to the fore, and by that confrontation they take big steps in addressing them.
But what "Fear, Itself" is about is scary laughs. From the frat boys interactions in setting up the house (college versions of preadolescent Halloween gags) to the Scoobie's costume choices (Willow and Oz team up for the best pairing since Jo...nope, not gonna tell). And the finale is a gag brilliantly set up by the entire episode; but true to Whedon/BtVS custom, with a huge (pun intended) moral.
Whedon used BtVS to create new versions of traditional stories. He consistently found a twist that made even the most over-worked tropes fresh and uniquely "Buffy." "Fear, Itself," is as great an example of this as any episode; a Haunted House story that surprises and provokes laughs.