Actually. I'm going to start with Willow and Oz. Willow and Oz are happy and together and happy to be together but there are definite undercurrents going on. Willow wants to take magic to the next level while Oz, out of concern, doesn't want her to. Things get worse at the Halloween party where the fear demon plays on their fears and separates them. Oz is forced to face his fears (becoming a werewolf) and accidentally hurts Willow while he tries to protect her and she tries to help him. Willow does a spell to find Oz, which backfires and attacks her. Willow and Oz ending up in the same room snaps Oz out if his fear induced hallucination and he is able to help Willow with hers, but this foreshadows some definite trouble ahead. Oz fears his werewolf side and fears what he could do to Willow. Meanwhile Willow wants to help Oz with something she cannot help with. Then the introduction of Veruca ("Living Conditions") really doesn't bode well - and what is worse is Willow realizes this.
Buffy, meanwhile, is struggling with her breakup with Angel which leads to being played big time by Parker - who is just out to seduce and move on. So now Buffy is stuck struggling with two breakups - one from the love of her life and the other from a guy who played on her vulnerabilities and used her. Added to this mix is her demonic roommate, Kathy, who slowly steals her soul, causing Buffy to act psychotic which causes problems between herself and her friends, as well as cursed beer which causes Buffy to turn into a caveman. She really is not having a good time post-breakup - especially since even when she isn't having her soul sucked out or turning into a caveman she argues a lot with her friends. Xander even calls her out on pushing people away. Unfortunately it is while he is invisible, thanks to the fear demon, so Buffy doesn't actually have to acknowledge his accusation.
Speaking of Xander, then there is Giles and Xander, who are both having a really hard time finding their place in the world now that high school is over with and neither of them have a life with their friends at college. Add to that the fact that Giles is no longer a Watcher and Xander's parents have basically kicked him out of the house. Both of them are lacking direction and don't know where to find it. Add to that the fact that they both know this. For Xander it manifests in him becoming invisible. He fears his friends moving on without him now that their lives are going in completely different directions. As for Giles, he can't decide how involved in Buffy's life he wants to be or should be. He tries to find things to do outside of her (having a friend over, taking up running, car magazines, etc), pushes her away when she asks for help, then promptly decides he shouldn't do that and helps her. He can't figure out what his life is outside of being a Watcher and he can't decide how involved he should be in Buffy's life.
As for Spike and Harmony, I will touch base on them next time.
My favorite episode is definitely "Fear Itself." The episode itself is hilarious between Giles with a chain saw, Anya with her bunny costume, and the miniature demon. But I also like it because of how sad it is. As you see them going around the house together you see them falling apart. Buffy pushing her friends away. Xander's fear of becoming irrelevant to the people most important to him. And, worst of all, the beginning of the end of Willow and Oz. They survived Oz becoming a werewolf and Willow's infidelity - but they won't survive Oz's werewolf fears.
The episodes:
The Freshman - Season 4, Episode 1
Synopsis - Buffy finds college life confusing and hard - made worse by her friends' ease with it. She then discovers a group of vampires preying on struggling new students and becomes their target. This is Riley and Professor Maggie Walsh's first episodes.
Living Conditions - Season 4, Episode 2
Synopsis - Buffy becomes convinced her roommate is a demon. Meanwhile her friends are worried by her erratic behavior.
The Harsh Light of Day - Season 4, Episode 3
Synopsis - Spike returns to town in search of a fabled ring that allows vampires to walk in the sun. Anya returns to town.
Fear Itself - Season 4, Episode 4
Synopsis - Buffy and her friends go to a Halloween party, but those throwing the party have accidentally summoned the demon of fear.
Beer Bad - Season 4, Episode 5
Synopsis - Buffy still struggles to recover from Parker using her, and turns to beer to help her. The beer, however, is enchanted and turns Buffy and her new friends into cavemen.
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