BTVS Season 4, Episode 4: "Fear, Itself"

On Season 4, Episode 4: "Fear, itself" of the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Buffy and her friends get trapped in a fraternity house on Halloween that feeds off the fear of its occupants.

This picture is a collage of different scenes in the episode "Fear, Itself" 

This episode "Fear, itself" consisted of many different types of monsters, considering the episode took place on Halloween evening. There was a demon possessed skeleton that went from being plastic to a real-life skeleton with one eye with a knife and it managed to attack Buffy, talking zombie heads that frightens Xander when he realizes no one can see him, dead people are ordered by Josh, a party-goer who fell down the stairs and broke his neck while trying to escape, to physically and mentally attack Buffy, OZ transforms into a werewolf and scratches Willow, and a demon named Gachnar who is responsible for everything in this episode.

Xander, Buffy, Giles, Willow and Oz stand hovering over the demon Gachnar.

Dictionary.com defines “monstrous” as “frightful or hideous, especially in appearance; extremely ugly. Deviating grotesquely from the natural or normal form or type”. The characters in episode 4: "Fear, itself" show characteristics of being a monstrous in their own individual way. The demon possessed skeleton is monstrous because it was able to transform from a plastic skeleton into a real live skeleton and it was able to use its weapon for evil against Buffy. This skeleton symbolizes that nobody is safe and triggers everyone to start thinking of a plan and what to do next. Xander is transformed into an invisible person, this has monstrous because he cannot be seen and is technically becomes a temporary ghost. Xander becoming a ghost symbolizes his insecurities and how he feels invisible and less than because he isn’t in college like his peers. The zombies that come through the ground and physically attack Buffy are monstrous because they aren’t living and they are coming through the floor. Which probably means they were previously buried before being summoned. Also, Josh, the guy with the broken neck that tells Buffy that she “will keep fighting but always end up in the same place” is monstrous because he should be dead considering his neck injury but he is still able to talk and orders the zombies to attack Buffy. Josh saying that Buffy “will keep fighting but always end up in the same place” symbolizes that Josh is trying to play on her fears and Buffy is having trouble with overcoming situations. For example, overcoming her situation with Parker.

OZ transforming into a werewolf is monstrous because he unwillingly transforms into a beast and has no control over his actions. OZ fears that he will hurt someone when he transforms and the fact that his transformation happens when he is alone with his girlfriend Willow shows his true fear of him not wanting to ever harm her but being put in the situation where he may not be able to control himself. OZ manages to only scratch Willow and he is able to escape without fully transforming or seriously harming anyone else. Lastly, Gachnar, the demon responsible for all of the bad things that happen in this episode, is monstrous because is able to manipulate everything around him and manifest itself into the heads of all of the characters in episode 4: "Fear, itself". Gachnar symbolizes the root of everyone’s problems being brought to real life and forces the characters to deal with their fears/issues.

Xander and Buffy stare at other cast members as they realize they were are all lead to the same room.

            All of the monsters and characters from episode 4: "Fear, itself" of Buffy The Vampire Slayer are relate to a larger social or cultural issue in many different ways. Each monster is derived from the characters personal fears and feeds off their weaknesses/fears. The demon Gachnar manipulates the characters and is able to attack them where they are the weakest. As previously stated, each monster symbolizes different things and plays on the fear of said character it attacks.

Buffy hovers over the demon Gachnar.

Season 4, Episode 4: "Fear, itself" of the television show Buffy The Vampire Slayer offers new perspective able being monstrous. This episode knowledge the fact that fear is a monster on its own. A person’s fear can dictate and regulate one’s life. If said fear isn’t knowledge or brought to the light it can haunt someone terrible. Facing your fears is the only way to free yourself from the “monster” fear.

Xander, Buffy, Willow and Oz smiling after defeating the demon.