Buffy Logo 'Fear Itself'
Story Code '4ABB04'

by David Fury
Buffy

Xander is trying desperately to get Willow and Buffy excited about Halloween, but feels left out when they mention a party that is to be held on campus. After Buffy leaves, Xander and Willow comment on how depressed she is over Parker. Buffy heads to Giles' place and is horrified to find him wearing a poncho and fringed sombrero; he tells Buffy that there is no need to patrol, because Halloween is the quietest night of the year for vampires and demons. Anya arrives at Xander’s; she is upset that he has not called her, so they agree to go to the party together. When Professor Walsh, Buffy’s psychology teacher, chastises her for missing classes, Riley, the teaching assistant instead encourages her. Xander helps Oz set up the sound system for the party, but Oz accidentally cuts himself; his blood drips onto a mystical symbol painted on the floor for the party and, unnoticed, a toy spider suddenly springs to life. Meanwhile, Joyce makes a Red Riding Hood costume for Buffy to wear to the party; they have a heart to heart about Buffy’s parents’ divorce, and Joyce reassures her that her friends will always be there for her. At the party, a girl sticks her hand into a bowl of peeled grapes intended to feel like eyeballs, but when she takes off her blindfold, she sees that they really are eyeballs! The Scooby gang meets up; Xander is dressed as James Bond, Willow as Joan of Arc, and Oz as God. After Xander mentions that Anya will be joining them they bump into the armed and camouflaged vampire hunters, believing that they are dressed for Halloween. At the party, things continue to go wrong, but when Buffy and her friends arrive, they find the ground floor deserted; a tarantula falls on Willow, Buffy finds real blood on the floor, they are attacked by a horde of bats, and then hear a voice shouting “Release me”. Anya arrives outside wearing a bunny costume, only to find that the door has been bricked up; she then sees a girl screaming at a window. Buffy and the others are unable to locate the exit, and then a fake skeleton comes to life and stabs Buffy, before reverting to plastic again. While Anya finds Giles and tells him what has happened, the gang become separated; Xander becomes invisible, Oz starts changing into a werewolf - even though it is not a full moon, Willow’s spell goes wrong, turning on her, and Buffy falls into the basement to be attacked by dead bodies. Anya arrives outside with Giles, who creates a door with the aid of a chainsaw. The gang are reunited in the room containing the symbol; when Xander finds a book with a picture of the symbol, Willow explains that a summoning spell must have been triggered, enabling a fear demon named Gachnar to attempt to manifest itself by feeding off of their fears. Having cut their way in, Giles and Anya arrive, only to find the walls closing up behind them; Giles shows Buffy a picture of the demon, and starts to read aloud how it can be destroyed - but the demon suddenly appears before them. However, he is no more than six inches tall, so Buffy squashes him.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Seth Green (Oz), Anthony Stewart Head (Rupert Giles), Emma Caulfield (Anya), Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers), Marc Blucas (Riley), Lindsay Crouse (Professor Maggie Walsh), Adam Kaufman (Parker Abrams ), Marc Rose (Josh), Sulo Williams (Chaz), Walter Emanuel Jones (Edward), Adam Bitterman (Gachnar), Aldis Hodge (Masked Teen), Darris Love (Hallmate), Michele Nordin (Rachel), Adam Grimes (Lobster Boy), Larissa Reynolds (Present Girl)
Directed by Tucker Gates

TX (US): 26th October 1999
TX (UK - Sky One): 28th January 2000
TX (UK - BBC): 26th October 2000

Notes:
*Featuring Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Oz and Reily