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All Shows > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > Season 4

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - 4x04 - Fear Itself

Synopsis: The Scooby gang is haunted by a haunted house.

Review: Two words: "Giles" and "chainsaw." And Anya, a former demon, in a bunny outfit was a bonus. Fear Itself, intentionally penned as a follow-up to season two's Halloween, was a great addition to series continuity as well as a strong standalone episode about fear. I am tempted to watch this episode around Halloween every year.

Fear Itself is more comedy than drama or even scariness. David Fury expertly uses the comedy to deliver a hard-hitting message about overcoming fear. The climax of this episode deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame of Ironic Endings (if such a Hall of Fame existed).

This episode was not all that consequential to the rest of the season or series nor did it stand out as an award winning episode (other than an award for its ironic ending), but it had an appeal to it--especially to Buffy fans. It was jam packed of comedic moments with our favorite characters. Fear Itself is a joy to watch again and again coming in at a 7 out of 10.

Rating: 7 out of 10 (Reviewed by: Matthew Miller)

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Comments

I think the central message of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is "frats are bad." This is the second of four or five episodes featuring evil frat houses.

--Matt Pickle (Agrees: yes)