Uncanny Valley and "Hush"

Can't even shout, can't even cry
The Gentlemen are coming by
Looking in windows, knocking on doors
They need to take seven and they might take yours
Can't call to mom, can't say a word
You're gonna die screaming but you won't be heard.

This rhyme sets the stage and mood for “Hush,” one of the most highly regarded episodes of BtVS, and the only one to receive and Emmy nomination. Most of my friends that are involved with the cult of Buffy think of this one as their favorite episodes. The nightmarish creatures that Buffy encounters in this episode, The Gentlemen, bring a level of creepy that the show had not displayed before or after. The reason the basically-human-looking Gentlemen are so disturbing is their closeness to humanity they fall squarely into uncanny valley.

For the uninitiated, uncanny valley is the name of a phenomenon in appearance from the entertainment business. The rule is that the closer something appears to being human, the less relateable and the more disturbing the character's appearance. The reason for this is that we, the audience, pick up on small discrepancies in movement or any number of other things and know that the image is wrong. The Gentlemen, with their rictus grins of metal teeth, pale corpse visages, and silent, miming communication, fall squarely in at the bottom off uncanny valley. 

I don't own the image, and this article about uncanny valley is at http://www.sarahangliss.com/spotted/uncannyvids