This sounds like a bad case of sleep paralysis in which case my sleep paralysis demon is a cardboard cutout of Suraj talking in a British accent. What's yours?
Hey, you know whose analysis of this episode you would like to see- The Passion of Nerds. TPN has done a very thoroughly researched and intelligent analysis of a lot of Buffy episodes, but the one for restless is particularly brilliant. However it does contain a lot of spoilers, owing to the fact that apart from some excellent character studies, this episode has some spectacular foreshadowing, which must obviously be mentioned during analysis. Still, you might like to see it for yourself anyway after you finish season 5- its very good.
Yess and I think Suraj’s fixation on it is exactly the point…. Like when we dream some weird AF thing and try to make it make sense, even though it just doesn’t 😂😂
6:57 "Should have brought Cordelia back, that would make things perfect." She was supposed to be in that scene! Both her and Angel had scenes for this episode (Angel was the First Slayer's "voice," not Tara) but had to be changed when they were too needed on the set of the Angel finale. 13:40 "How do they keep doing that?" It is super clever! The answer is that the sets are genuinely just next to each other, and they actually do a great job hiding that most days. Here, just acknowledging that yes, Giles' house leads to the college dorm seems so dreamlike and trippy.
I think the bulk of Willow's dream is her worrying that everyone thinks the person she is now is just a front or costume, and that everyone really still sees her as the shy, insecure nerd from high school -- and on some level Willow worries that she really is just putting on an act now.
I love this episode, it also has one of the most interesting episode commentaries I’ve ever watched. Xander keeps ending up back in his basement because it feels like a prison that he can’t escape from. No matter how hard he tries he always ends up back where he started, under the warden like figure of his abusive father.
12:06 "its because of what we did, i know that" omg i just realized that could also be in reference to season 6 ep 1&2, looking back on this episode now, there are so many tiny references!
I am actually really impressed with how much this group picked up on the first watch and loved how much they enjoyed it. Some reactors are just lost trying to figure out what is going on, but they sit back and enjoy the crazy ride that is this episode.
The Normies' "yes, and"-ing reaction style, where they build off each other's theories and jokes, is a great fit for episodes like this, and for full-on comedies. If it's very serious and plot-dense, then they can sometimes get so wrapped up in their own discussions that they miss crucial plot points, but when the episode lines up well with their reaction style then they're probably my favourite Buffy reactors.
@notoriouslybratty- I watched it last week on Patreon and I was saying the same thing. Most reactors don't quite like it so much,just think it's weird but I was suprised and loved how much they enjoyed it. Hey, the first time I watched I didn't care for it but that was because I watched the series out of order so I didn't really know the characters that well, but after watching in order, I really loved it. Joss really had the random dream-like scenarios down, and the cheeseman was the cherry on top.
Yes! I love how much they realized it was a realistic dream representation and could draw conclusions based on standard dream tropes. And noticing the cards for each person. I think it helps having 6 of them. Each of them picks up on different aspects. I had a feeling I was going to really appreciate their reaction, more than I appreciate other reactors (though I love them all)
buffy is a good show for them. its frustrating to watch them try to follow shows with a denser plot, but buffy doesnt require you to remember that much from previous seasons.
This is my favorite episode of the series. The foreshadowing of the rest of the season is amazing especially on second watch. The transitioning from place to place without making any sense is so accurate to how locations change in dreams. It is very well done. I have always loved when Buffy says “Wait! I have weapons” and then the bag is just full of face paint insinuating that she is indeed the weapon.
This is hands down the best Buffy episode and one of the best episodes EVER shown on TV. The cinematography, complexity of characters/metaphors/foreshadowing and the music in this one are mind-blowing. No other show comes even close to this one!
In movies dream sequences are an excuse to showcase flashy, improbably special effects sequences, but in reality most dreams are like, "I'm late for class, and the classroom is inside this supply closet I've lost the key to." This episode nails what most dreams are like.
Yes! when Nick reacted to this, I commented that "Restless" is what happens when David Lynch makes a Buffy episode. The Normies might need another week to continue commenting on this.😅
Suraj, I like what you said about Buffy's "sandbox" getting bigger, symbolic of the larger things ahead for her and the things she will have to face. That was a really interesting point.
I like to think Tara was the dream guide/translator in Buffy’s sequence because Buffy sees her as a kind, calm, and intuitive person, and recognizes some power in all of that, even though she doesn’t know her very well (that might also be part of it though). But more accurately… I’m pretty sure Angel was supposed to have Tara’s role but Boreanaz couldn’t make it. I love love love this episode. Thanks for another great reaction ❤❤❤
This is about to get wild. And please normies when you watch the 5th season remember Buffy's dream and what "Tara" said to Buffy. It's actually quite mindblowing when you rewatch this episode. I got chills when Giles said "you couldn't know, you never had a watcher".
Worth remembering that Buffys dreams can be prophetic and in this episode they are all connected due to the spell, so a chance the others dreams could have prophetic elements also.
I LOVE this episode one of the best of Buffyverse and TV period. So much foreshadowing for future seasons. Also Riley isn't in Xander or Giles dreams and how he's interpreted in Buffy and Willow's is telling.
I've been saying this for two decades now....this is not only the best Buffy episode but the best episode of a TV show EVER aired on TV. No other show comes even close in terms of complexity/cinematography or music.
This episode is amazing. And a lot of stuff will make sense later on. Yes, that clock 7:30 is completely wrong. A lot of time has passed since we last heard about it.
The amount of stuff in this ep is crazy. The foreshadowing is for up coming events is insane. Btw just so you guys know Willow is the Spirit, Xander is the Heart, Giles is the Brain and Buffy is the strenght. Also every slayer up till buffy has fought and died alone, Slayers do not have long life spans.
One of the best ways to understand this episode is watch Restless again after finishing Season 5 and Episode 22 of Season 3 with the Faith and Buffy shared dream. So much will be revealed. And finally, watch again after Season 6 ends and even more is explained. After doing this process I was impressed that the themes and story lines were completed 2-3 years ahead. Truly remarkable. Finally, get ready to enjoy a great season 5 and put this episode out of your mind. The next two seasons are like no other entertainment shows and push Buffy to the heights of television.
Restless is potentially one of the best episodes of the show, and definitely one of the most important. One thing to note is that when Buffy says she and Faith just made that bed, she is of course referencing the dream sequence in the seaosn 3 finale (which was revisited "This Year's Girl"). IN that episode Faith says "Little Miss Muffet counting down from 7-3-0, and in this episode the clock next to that bed says 7:30. What does it mean??? I know Joss Whedon is a prick, but it's impossible to talk about Buffy, especially this episode, without singing his praises as a writer and director. No one, and I mean no one, does a dream sequence like Whedon. There are so many visually compelling shots, bizarre shots, uneasy shots, throughout this episode that just scratch at your brain. And god the writing. We can't even get into that yet. Finally the score. It's immaculate, what can I say. There's a reason the Restless Suite and the Gentlemen suite receive special recognition from the show itself. An absolutely perfect episode. (Side note for those that have seen Person of Interest. When Joyce is laughing in the wall, did she give anyone else major Amy Acker as Root vibes? Their faces were so similar I would have mistaken them for related if I didn't know better.)
Props for the Twin Peaks intro, love it! The stuff Willow was painting on Tara's back was Ancient Greek. Specifically, it was a poem by the erotic poet Sappho of Lesbos, from whom we get both the words "sapphic" and "lesbian."
I always look at this episode as the Buffy version of Twin Peaks. If you guys have never watched that show, it evokes the feeling of dreaming very very well, even though the show itself isn’t about dreams. It’s such a surreal and disorienting show, and it’s fantastic.
"I want more." Anthony Stewart Head (Giles) is an actual singer, he's got some albums out I think. Google says "Music for Elevators" and "Staring at the Sun".
Definitely don't look up stuff bout this ep, it will lead to being unintentionally spoiled, since this has some serious foreshadowing. It will make sense eventually 🤯
6:12 What is Rana's obsession w/ Tara traveling back in time? 34:30 Sleep paralysis is the most stressful thing for me. Trying so hard to wake up, finally doing so, only to realize that I'm still asleep. At a certain point, I just give up and do a sleepception, which actually does tend to wake me. But in a dream, that's often not my first thought.
You all are about to experience the best season of Buffy ever. Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Oh, wait . . . you're already into it on Patreon. Never mind.
This is one of my favorite episodes. There's a lot of analyze and some foreshadowing too. After you get through the end of Buffy, you should revisit this.
Originally Angel and Cordelia were going to be in the episode, with Cordelia being part of Willow’s dream and Angel being the one speaking for the first slayer in buffy’s dream. They also considered Faith for Buffy’s But they were all busy
In a later commentary, Xander said the cut of the take where they are holding up the lighters as they search The Books while Giles sings is so short because Willow (Alyson Hannigan) was laughing so hard they couldn’t get a longer cut..I love Buffy as the best TV for lots of reasons, but mostly because there is honest, believable real change and real development. The Buffyverse is constantly evolving and adapting to their lives and events. As you go to season 5, there is now “less” of the Buffyverse to go in terms of numbers of episodes to watch...cherish it..! Season five is a real barn burner, get ready and strap in for a bumpy ride!
This was GREAT! Everybody understanding what was going on in the episode so early into it - that really doesn't happen all the time, so, nice job! Suraj was down with the psychoanalysis. Marketa, Rana, and Spidey all with great observations and reactions. And Mickey picking up on things so fast, over and over again. Everyone was excellent in this reaction. And I loved the intro and outro, too! As we move into my favorite season, thank you for ending this one on such a high note!
This is probably one of the best dream episodes on a tv series. Such imagination and creativity. The quick glimpses of the First Slayer, but not seen clearly as the mind trys to protect the dreamer from a threat It was a bold move to make this episode a season finale, but it works. I loved the the old school technique of a background screen while Xander and Anya were in the van. Consuming cheese close to a sleep cycle is said to induce weirds dreams and nightmares, but I didn't see any of the gang eat cheese. It may have just been a fun red herring and maybe a Twin Peaks ned curtain type of homage. Roll on Season 5 !!
I love this episode for two reasons: 1) it's the most realist portrayal of dreams I've ever seen in a TV episode; and 2) it's this one, not the big action climax we got last time, that functions as the culmination of all the character arcs for the Scoobies this season.
The Willow part is not about her sexuality, notice that the clothes that she wore at the end where the same she wore in season 1, should be a small hint om what she fears that people will discover about her.
Willow suffers stage fright. In the nightmare episode her nightmare is having to perform in La Boheme, and in the talent show episode, at the end she just bolts from their dramatic scene. The other stuff… about the book report and taking off her costume… she has come so far and gained so much confidence, but she still fears that underneath it all she is still the same mousy push over. She really spends a lot of energy trying to get away from that person in season 4 and beyond. This and MASH have the most realistic dream representations I’ve ever seen in TV.
And of course, back in the 2nd season, _La Bohème_ was the opera playing on Giles' stereo when he found Jenny Calendar's corpse in his bed. Coincidence? maybe, one gets the impression that it's Whedon's go-to opera for traumatic things...
I don’t want to post any spoilers, but season five is so..epic, just literally epic..Buffy, what is power, empowerment, love and sacrifice, so many reasons to love the series!
Yes, those shows where characters come and go at random, or changes make no sense, or go 15 seasons with absolutely nothing changing, or worst of all “it was all a dream” or “they were all already dead” just really grate my cheese..lol…@@AnatoleVGC
Now you have seen my fave Buffy episode; and my favourite thing ever filmed! It is so layered for the show, but also is one of the best dream things ever done! And dreams are my thing.
I recommend you to read Why Buffy Matters. It explains all subtexts and foreshadows in the show and sooo much more. It's mindblowing to discover the masterpiece that is Buffy The Vampire Slayer❤
I had a dream during maybe junior high school years (I think - it was a long time ago) and it always stuck with me, and this episode reminds me of it. I dreamed that the walls in the rooms and hallway I walked through were made of dark red curtains (instead of solid walls), very much like all the curtains in Willow's dream. I went all the way to the very top of this building and the curtains were moving and I was afraid someone was hiding in the curtains, waiting to get me. And there was this super tall set of open windows (with the night sky beyond), dark red curtains waving in the wind, and I didn't want to go near them. And all of a sudden I was pushed through the window and I was falling... and then, obviously (lol), I woke up. Scary! I still remember that sensation of falling and falling, with my stomach dipping like I was on a roller coaster. It scared me! No idea what I was struggling with at the time that my mind was trying to sort through, but I've never forgotten that dream.
Haha. Whedon actually brings up Twin Peaks on the commentary. He says something like, "Some people have asked me if Willow going through the red curtains is a Twin Peaks homage. I was thinking more bluntly about a girl who likes girls walking down a narrow, pink-red hallway."
Some people theorize that both shows take place in the same universe. There's even a potential slayer who gets activated in season 2 right when she becomes a cheerleader, iykyk
Giles, Willow and Xander are each meant to represent an aspect of Buffy. Even during the spell they did in the prior episode. Animus - Heart. Aka. Xander, he is the representation of Buffy's Heart. Spiritus - Spirit. That's Willow, Buffy's metaphorical Spirit. Surfus - Mind. And that's Giles, Buffy's Mind. The Primeval Being (aka. The First Slayer) came to claim what was used as part of the spell.
The best interpretation of the Cheese Man I've found online is that he represents Joss Whedon, trying to insert silly, "cheesy" comedy into the show to lighten the serious moments.
I see the cheese guy as one of those weird random things that pops up in your dreams and when you wake up, you're like, what the hell was that all about? 😄 I like the surreal nature of this episode. I remember thinking it was insane when I first saw it, but I do love the notion that there's so much more to the Slayer than we know. The origins of her, where her power and strength came from, and how she has endured over time. Especially when she attacks Giles and he says, "You never had a watcher..." That really intrigued me. Imagine being the first Slayer, not having anyone to back you up, and having to go it alone and figure things out yourself. Meanwhile, Buffy has her friends; she doesn't need to go it alone like the first Slayer did. Together they make up the whole power of the Slayer - mind, spirit, heart and body/strength. So I felt for the first Slayer in the dream. She was this amazing warrior and hunter but she was all alone.
This episode is makes a fantastic rewatch after finishing the series. There are so many hidden meanings, every scene is constructed quite deliberately. Joss has gone on record saying the cheese man is the only noticeable part of the dreams that is actually nonsense, and that he represents the parts of dreams which mean nothing. However, years ago I read a fascinating analysis about him which made a lot of sense! This is roughly what is was: So... Buffy is the cheese. It's her. (There are some other bits in the series where this metaphor also works btw!) When the cheese appears in each dream, it's about each character's personal relationship with her. Willow: "I made a place for the cheese slices". This is about how Buffy and Willow's friendship has suffered over the year. They have drifted apart, and in order to become close again they have to learn to make space for each other. Xander: "These will not protect you". Xander is questioning his importance in Buffy's life and likewise is finding himself as a man. As he grows, his problems are no longer of the supernatural kind, and more of the scary scary life kind. He's growing into his own person, and while Buffy can protect him from monsters, she can't protect him from life. Giles: "I wear the cheese. It does not wear me". Clearly about Giles questioning his authority in Buffy's life. He is no longer her official watcher, but he's not officially her father either, although he loves her like a daughter. In this time of his life, he's questioning how his actions are determined. Are his choices in life of his own volition, or they are all dictated by his love for Buffy? Who is he without Buffy is his life? Buffy: "JINGLE JINGLE!" Buffy being shown Buffy! This is a reminder for her to embrace her strength, to remember who she is and her power. This moment also snaps her out of the influence of the dream, she remembers herself and decided to fight... or 'wake up'. So good!
I never clocked that the shot of Xander getting spun upside down is almost identical to a shot from Apocalypse Now, which was the movie he wanted to watch at the beginning of the episode. They weren’t playing when they made this episode.
I have faith they will work out the deeper meaning of the Cheese Man. Perhaps they just need the start of another day to figure it out . . .Let's go Season 5!
I would love for you guys to read an analysis on this episode. The problem is they're spoilers in this episode for what's coming. Don't go back and look at this episode until the end of season 5.
One of my favourite episodes of the whole show. The music kills it. Now on to my favourite season which I think is the best written of them all and takes some bold swings but that I think absolutely pay off. S5 is gonna be a wild ride so buckle up. It also has one of the best episodes of TV ever made and the best of the show. Been waiting 4 seasons to get here!
So, let's break down Xander's dream: mostly because I know nobody else will. Just the important stuff though. The park: it's usually accepted that X's "I was into that for a while" comment is in response to Spike (about being a watcher). But why? What about Xander has ever given the impression he wants to be a watcher? It seems far more likely it's in response to Giles's "Spike's like a son to me." Xander sees how fatherly Giles is toward Buffy and wants that for himself. Hence all the time spent at Giles's all season. But, Giles never picked up on Xander needing him as a father figure so he's not into that anymore. And Buffy calling him big brother? I interpret that as his subconscious acknowledging how his feelings toward her have changed now that he is in love with Anya. The Apocalypse Now section. While based on the scene from the movie, the dialogue is altered to apply specifically to Xander. Snyder is vocalizing how Xander sees himself. "You're a whipping boy." Xander is the whipping boy of his family, the Scoobies and saddest of all this entire fandom. "Raised by mongrels." Self explanatory: it expresses exactly how he feels about his parents. And it ain't good. "And set on a sacrificial stone." This one's deep. Ever notice how often Xander goes toward the danger? As if he has no concern for himself? That only in the sacrificing of himself to save someone whose life he does think is valuable, will his own life gain value/worth/meaning. And the most meaningful moment of all. That last bit in the basement. When he sees his Dad at the top of the stairs, his first instinct is to duck his head. An action I would expect from someone who has been abused when confronted with their abuser. It's like he's trying to make himself small/unseen. So, maybe we should cut Xander some slack. He's a lot more broken than he let's on.
Funny thing this episode made me a fan... even tho I didn't understand a thing lol. Thats an episode that grows on you after rewatching I like when people have different ideas about the dreams sequences.
I really enjoyed this episode when I first saw it in syndication, a few months after it aired. It told me the writers and production team had truly found their footing and felt confident enough to move in some wildly unexpected directions. Then Season 5 started, and it turns out I was right. 😁
When it comes to the Cheese Man, Joss Whedon mentioned in an interview that dreams always have aspects that are meaningless and just don’t make any sense at all, and that was what the figure that has become known as the Cheese Man was supposed to represent, just a meaningless aspect of their dreams. He also pointed out that funny enough, the extreme meaninglessness of the character when it comes to the shows fandom, has actually given the character meaning.
