Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4x22 - "Restless" Reaction (Season Finale)

[@cassiemcguire8314]

I always feel like dream sequences in tv never feel like an actual dream I think this is one of the only truly realistic dream sequences in all of both movies and tv

[@laibrab1016]

You can watch Twin Peaks, they're some Easter eggs about Twin Peaks in this ep :)

[@bifa5414]

Check out dream sequences from Agents of Shield (episodes 2x08 and 3x21) - so fu**ing well done. And so much hidden meanings and foreshadowing in them...

[@sk70091]

Me too, that's why I love this episode! It captures the absurdity of dreams perfectly, and that's why it's absolutely hilarious.

[@xenomorphlover]

I've been saying this for years, this episode captures the essence of dreams and their random weirdness perfectly. No other tv episode comes close to this...

[@jajjaspson8001]

I think the sopranos does dream sequences really well, but not as well as this!

[@wribit]

Giles has a thick accent which makes it difficult for my French Canadian ears to pick up. Here's what I've got. Giles: "We're all at the house, asleep. Your friends are there... [here something about normal life?]... The creature can't hurt you." Xander: "What... go where?..." Giles: "Oh, come on! This isn't time for stupid games!" Anya: "Xander, you have to come with us right now. We're waiting for you." Giles: "That's what I'm trying to tell him." Xander: "Honey..." Anya: "It doesn't matter, we'll escort you." Giles: "Here we go..." And, fin. :)

[@AfterShowReactions]

Thank you :)

[@writingalias4401]

ooo! thank you for this!

[@christytrekkieone3120]

Wow That's Wow never knew that it wasn't just random french talk lol. Thanks for that.

[@laibrab1016]

Yeah, I'm from France and I approve this translation ^^, and I don't understand the beginning too :) Et @wribit, Allo ! j'adore ton pays et le Québec ! :D

[@katarinad1309]

I've watched this dozens of times and always wondered what they were saying thx lol its moments like this that I wish I could learn languages I've tried and failed rather spectacularly many times lol thx again.

[@datickywickygurl]

So here's my spoiler-free anaylsis of Restless. It would literally take a 10 pg essay to uncover all of the themes and symbolism in this episode, so I’ll only focus one of the central themes. the fears and insecurities of each member of the Sccobies’ *deep breath* Ok here we go... Willow’s dream is about her fear that she is still the nerdy wallfower she was in high school. We see this insecurity earlier in the season when Willow is so affected by Percy calling her a nerd in Doomed. The significance of Willow’s deep-rooted fear of reverting back to the nerdy helpless Willow we saw in season 1, will not become clear until later seasons. This fear is the catalyst for many of the choices she’ll make in the future. Xander's fear is that his friends are growing up and leaving him behind. He's afraid that no matter what he does he will always end up back in his parent's basement. It's been subtly implied throughout the series that Xander's home life is pretty dysfunctional. I.e. In Amends Cordelia says that Xander sleeps outside to avoid his family's drunken Christmas fights. It's not a stretch to assume that Xander uses humor as a coping mechanism for depression, and a mask for his hidden insecurities. It’s possible that Xander's biggest fear is that he might actually become his father. Interesting SN: Xander's dream is the longest because of course it takes him the longest to figure out what's going on. Giles’ dream is about his internal dilemma of whether he should continue to be a Watcher and father figure to Buffy or become an actual father and have a family with Olivia. This show spends so much time focusing on all the things Buffy gives up as a slayer that sometimes we forget the things Giles has given up to be a Watcher. And now that Giles’ is no longer Buffy’s Watcher it only makes this internal dilemma stronger. SN: Giles’s dream is the shortest because he’s the smartest. Buffy’s dream is loaded with so much foreshadowing it’s like stepping on a land mine of spoilers so I won’t say much. Buffy’s fear is that she will always be alone because she is the Slayer and that it will always cause a divide in her relationship with her friends and romantic interests. The loneliness and isolation that comes with being a slayer is a pivotal theme throughout the series. If you didn’t love this episode the first time you watched it, DO NOT feel bad. This episode is literally impossible for anyone to fully appreciate as a first-time viewer because it’s mostly about things that haven’t happened yet. I actually hated this episode the first time I watched it, but now it’s one of my faves 😊 If you want a more in depth spoiler-free analysis of Restless, I’d recommend listening to the “Tiny Fences “podcast for this episode.

[@jamesmcconnell8969]

i loved the episode too. i always felt that this episode was punishment from the 1st slayer for invoking her in the last episode "Primevil" They invoked the spirit of the first slayer to defeat Adam, and this is their punishment for doing so. The first slayer goes after Buffys friends first.......then tries to convince Buffy that she should have no friends

[@sk70091]

I loved this episode from the first time I saw it, but I've always been really fascinated by dreams. I didn't even care about any of the symbolism, I just loved the absurdity of the dreams because they were portrayed so much like how actual dreams feel. There's no logic and scenes jump from one thing to another, and yet the characters act like it's all normal. I love it. My favorite parts are everybody suddenly starting to speak French in Xander's dream, Spike hiring himself out as an attraction, and Riley and Adam planning to hide from the demons by building a pillow fort. And, of course, the legendary Cheese Guy. They are ridiculous moments, but also exactly the kind of things that happen in my dreams, and it just cracks me up so much.

[@randall-king]

Excellent summary!

[@AngelLestat2]

​@@randall-king great summary, but some extra things: This is the best dream representation that I saw in TV history, the changes of scenery or the illogical arguments is something that happen all the time in dreams, but when we are dreaming it seem normal. Then you have xander´s search for sex as any teenager which can not close the deal and so many things more.

[@MattHillier]

As you said there's millions of things you could critically analyse in this episode. There's something about how the first slayer kills each person. She rips out xander's heart - he loves Buffy and received the animus tarot card (heart) in the enjoining spell. She sliced giles's head open - he's the smartest and received the sophus tarot card (mind). Willow aged rapidly / life drained out of her and received the spiritus card. So I guess it's to do with being Buffy's best friend? Buffy received back her Manus cards (hands) which I guess is a symbol for physical strength. Buffy didn't actually die but went out fighting and was very animated with her hands in the several seconds before she woke up.

[@dlweiss]

Eeee. I love this episode so much! In addition to the cool/scary First Slayer plot, it's also a wonderful exploration of how much each character's grown since the start of the show - and all the things that they still deeply fear, about the world and about themselves: - Willow is still afraid that everyone will suddenly realize she's just the same "nerdy" "uncool" and "weak" person she felt like at the start of the show. That's why people keep referring to her "costume," and when Buffy rips it off, Willow is left looking exactly the way she did at the start of season 1. Willow fears that all her growth and strength is secretly just a "character" she's pretending to be, and not her "true self" at all. - Xander is afraid of being viewed as un-masculine (or, alternately, being consumed and brainwashed by conventional violent ideas of masculinity), being confused and insecure about his own sexual urges, or being treated like a child/fragile little brother. He's also afraid that everyone else is growing and learning so much that he'll be left behind - which is why we have that scene where everyone's literally speaking another language, and getting mad that he can't keep up with them. And of course, above all else, he's afraid that no matter how hard he tries or how far he runs, he'll still end up stuck living his life in his parent's basement like a loser. - Giles cares deeply for Buffy, but sometimes feels like his own life and possibility is being lost amid his constant need to act as a parent/father figure to her and help her. His glorious "Exposition Song" is like a collision between the other, wilder parts of his personality and the bookish "helpful information" role he's often asked to fulfill in his work with Buffy. - And Buffy, as ever, is afraid that her Slayer role will force her to end up alone: leaving her mother waiting in the walls because she's been too busy to be a good daughter, losing Riley to the heartless military because she wasn't able to connect with him enough, even losing herself to the primal killer that lurks inside every Slayer (hence the weird moment with the mud inside her supply bag). Sorry to babble: I just realllly love all the layers to this weird little finale! :)

[@dlweiss]

A lot of the other weird stuff (like the ever-present Cheese Man) are mostly meant to just conjure up the disjointed, strange, and haunting feeling that dreams often create - even when you're NOT being hunted by the enraged spirit of the First Slayer. :) There are also a few major moments of foreshadowing for next season's plot, that may become clearer once you've watched it.

[@datickywickygurl]

Dammit! I wish I would've saw this comment before I spent nearly 2 hours typing my own analysis of this episode which just repeats nearly everything you've already stated here in a slightly less eloquent fashion! 😠

[@paddyw917]

Hindsight is a womderful thing. When I first saw this episode I didn't have a clue what t meant. Still loved it though, Joss and the team doing something different and making you think. Not many shows credit there audience with intelligence but Buffy always does. :)

[@paddyw917]

Still don't know what the cheese guy is though...... help!

[@grahamhaspassedaway4580]

@@paddyw917 The cheese guy isn't anything. Joss put him there because he thought that every dream should have some random nonsensical element that doesn't tie into anything or explain anything.

[@slayervision2484]

My all time favorite episode! "Be back before dawn".

[@claireeyles7560]

Miles to go, little miss muffet counting down from 7-30

[@agnesegll8606]

This show and foreshadowing, so good

[@jamesmcconnell8969]

the other no one ever mentions from this episode "i think i should worry, that we havent found her name. You think she'd let us know her name by now"

[@wendywhoisit1819]

@@jamesmcconnell8969 What did that mean?

[@jamesmcconnell8969]

@@wendywhoisit1819 to me it was another foreshadowing to Dawn. To me Tara and Willow werent talking about the cat. They were refering to Dawn, that they didnt know her name yet

[@mrvlgrl]

"I wear the cheese, it does not wear me." is one of my favorite lines of anything ever. also, SEASON 5!! yay!

[@evesapple]

Mine is 'honestly you meet the most appalling sorts of people '

[@awarriorstill]

Just be sure to remember the cheese guy, he's obviously the most important bit of foreshadowing in the entire episode.

[@zemoxian]

Ryan Reacts That was a joke. He’s literally there to be the one thing that’s literally meaningless. So, of course that’s probably where I’ve put the most effort into deciphering. 😂

[@Aoiichi]

@@zemoxian Actually.....that was about the cheese shortage of 2020....

[@zemoxian]

@@Aoiichi 😂😂😂

[@3Kings_Industries]

I feel like, everyone forget when Riley asked Willow for help understanding Buffy, she told him, "Buffy likes cheese".

[@Aoiichi]

OH SNAP !

[@andressotil4671]

This changes everything!

[@lorkac]

This is like a Lynch film. Watch it once, have no idea what just happened. Watch the rest of Buffy. Rewatch it again, then OMG how’d I miss all of this?

[@Milleniumlance]

lorkac yup

[@rogerlie4176]

The cheese guy will turn out to be the most important character in buffyverse. Honestly, on my scout's honour.

[@Schornforce]

He's the big bad of season 12. Shhhhh!

[@dannybolton6065]

Schornforce LoL. 😂

[@CarrotFlowers421]

You were a boyscout?

[@Mortigantoj]

@@CarrotFlowers421 Parts of him

[@Aoiichi]

important question : is that Cheddar or American cheese ?

[@hannemanart]

To this day the Cheese Man is my favourite underrated character of all time!!! That cheese wearing weirdo!!

[@antonbrakhage490]

"Honestly, you meet the most appalling people."

[@bwzes03]

Janis70 I wear the cheese, it doesn't wear me!

[@Elisheval]

I used to hate this episode, but I now LOVE it.... so much foreshadowing and double meanings! Here's one that's not a spoiler - Willow's book report - the lion (oz) the witch (tara) and the wardrobe (wilow being gay - like a closet)

[@darkblue9314]

I thought the lion was Miss Kitty-Fantastico. Lol

[@jonaskoelker]

Maybe it's an unusually canine lion. Or feline wolf.

[@danwiesdamageinc]

The writing on Tara's back is a Greek poem to Aphrodite. Did you notice the outfit Willow is wearing after Buffy tears off her "costume"? It's the same outfit Willow was wearing in her 1st scene in episode 1. A little "hidden detail" : The band at The Bronze in Giles' dream is the band that wrote and performed the music of Dingoes Ate My Baby, and the piano player is Christophe Beck - the guy who wrote the music since the start of season 2 (music upgrade from the cheap synth).

[@myeckwaters]

Another fun fact: the song Giles sings is literally called "exposition song".

[@sokar_rostau]

More to the point, that poem was written by Sappho of Lesbos. Can you guess where the word lesbian came from?

[@SK-uj1hz]

@@sokar_rostau Sappho is also the root of the word sapphic meaning relating to lesbians or lesbianism. eg. "sapphic lovers"

[@goeltrolden]

I'm really impressed by you catching that the wild lady is a slayer straight off the bat btw! Once you finish this show, revisit this episode and so many things you were confused about will just go "pling"

[@ChristmasPterodactyl]

The cheese metaphor is my favorite!

[@spangelicious837]

The cheese man is the best. Once you understand him, you understand life. ;)

[@kyosgirl106]

Oh my god! I have seen this show countless times and I've only just realised the significance of the way each of them is killed in their dream! :O After 16 years of watching Buffy I'm still finding new things :) Also, you're about to start my favourite season! So excited for your reactions!

[@jessicagreen1478]

kyosgirl106 good point! I never noticed either !

[@spangelicious837]

They were killed depending on their role in making super!Buffy. Xander was the heart, so he has his heart ripped out, Giles was the mind so the Primitive goes for his brain, and Willow the spirit so she gets her soul sucked out. Buffy was the vessel, the hands, so the Primitive wanted to fight her.

[@danwiesdamageinc]

I didn't pick up on that until my 3rd watching of the episode.

[@Monkeygrrrl79]

I've watched this show and episode numerous times, and I also didn't click on that until viewing it today. I wonder what I will pick up 10 years from now.

[@Blakblooded]

This is the single episode of TV that made Lost and Twin Peaks ask "what the **** is actually happening???" 😳

[@AngelLestat2]

Why most people reacting to this episode does not acknowledge that this is the best representation of dreams in TV history? Those unlogical changes of scenery or arguments happen all the time in dreams, but when we are dreaming seems normal.

[@lucas.2.3.9.4]

A watcher scoffs at gravity

[@jennrose92]

This is the most confused I have ever seen you and it was priceless xD

[@wolfgirl8282]

As most have said it's lots of foreshadowing that you won't realise yet and for that reason it's a bit of a fan favourite despite being light on the action. You're gonna love season 5. Ooooh... and can I just throw in how hot the actor is who plays Adam?! Dayummmm!

[@dark.cheshire.1065]

"Sweet dreams are made of cheese. Who am I to dis a brie? I cheddar the world and the feta cheese. Everybody's looking for Stilton." But seriously... Sweet Cheeses! That was nacho average reaction. It was grate any way you slice it. Gouda-n you for figuring out the muenster stalking the gang. You better brie-lieve I gave this video a like. . . . . Ok, I'll stop. Apologies. In my defense, the cheese man haunts my dreams. He made me do it. XD

[@AfterShowReactions]

Hahaha! So funny, we actually talked about that song in the Discord! This was our version sweet dreams are made of cheese. They're made of this not cheese! Who am I to disagree? I travel the world for the seven bries

[@RitsychServare]

The Cheese Man is there only because of Buffy's love for cheese... right? lol Like it's there to distract her from what she's trying to figure out... same with the others' dreams... the Cheese Man came in because of the First Slayer invading their dreams, which is really like what's being leaked from Buffy's subconscious... the whole gang is having this 'Inception' like situation, hence the Cheese Man and the First Slayer... get it? lol

[@christytrekkieone3120]

OH MY GODDESS! ROTFLMAO

[@willscorner8423]

Perfect! Love it! I'm gonna sing that in the grocery store tomorrow when I buy some food. Thats going to be fun :D

[@ps_itsjordan]

Spike being in black and white in Giles' dream is because Giles sees certain things in black and white. You're either good or evil.

[@kevindean0000]

Plus Spike poses like a black & white movie vampire.

[@Richard_Ashton]

Have you ever thought that you might have just accidentally taken a bunch of drugs and be hallucinating a Buffy episode?

[@AfterShowReactions]

Honestly felt like it.

[@Richard_Ashton]

Almost every single line, every single scene will resonate throughout the following seasons. I'm sure that everyone here would like to explain it, but it's going to be a hell of a ride when it all clicks. Apart from the cheese - that's nonsense. However, just to not give anything away, the red curtains Willow was pushing through were symbolic of her physical love for Tara. Joss Whedon dug really deep to get the angles, colours perspective absolutely spot on.

[@kathyp1754]

You're right: "Primeval" was the season finale. "Restless" is the series premiere/thesis statement for the final three seasons.

[@2323stickboy]

Totally. In my mind there is pre-Restless Buffy and post-Restless Buffy. It's almost like a different show but still very much BtVS.

[@trollingmermaids]

I remember my first time watching the show I felt that Primeval was very season-finale ish. Then i watched Restless and was kinda confused but enjoyed it. By the time I finished 5x01 I was like... "this show is DOING SOMETHING" lol

[@reneepope-munro8115]

Yes. Perfect descriptor. This is the brilliantly dense mission statement of the back half of the series.

[@dontgiveinfo]

I m curious of the three seasons ( you can say now, since our favorite Australian has seen them all) I know the foreshadowing about Dawn, but what about the other two or your take

[@hadesshivabuddhachrist8573]

@@dontgiveinfo it's been awhile since I've watched BtVS, so I'll refer to the clips shown here: The Spike as watcher bit would have dual meanings, alluding to the watchers dying and Spikes role as Buffys closest confidant and the wedge that creates between her and Giles. There's Anya talking about becoming a vengeance demon again and her standup being referred to as her big day (euphemism for wedding day) her bombing and everyone acting like everything went well could speak to her and Xanders unspoken fears leading up to the wedding and there's the open wound in Xander chest, spoken of metaphorically when the wedding doesn't happen. Xander was also the element of heart in the spell casting circle in the prior episode and is referred to as such, embodies that in the final season. Him being the one that sees more than most could also be referenced as he's the only one who has the dialog happen without speaking in his dream. The greek tragedy line about Willow from Anya could allude to the death of Tara and Willows subsequent turn to the darkside. Her early social awkwardness being exploited by Amy leading to her using darker magics that threatened to consume her could also be foreshadowed by that scene. The Oz "I've been here forever" bit could even speak to the reality altering magics that put Dawn in their lives, when that doesn't match up with the previous history. The "You think you know, what you are, what you've done? You haven't even begun!" could speak to Buffy activating all the potentials and redefining the slayer line (as well as speaking to her resurrection creating the imbalance that empowered the Firsts attack on the Slayer line in the first place. How Riley kept calling her killer could refer to her being duped into thinking she killed Katrina and also the distinction she makes with dark Willow that a slayer is not just a killer. Maybe some of those are stretches.

[@fenhorn]

Best buffy episode ever. There are a lot of references to movies, tv-shows and yes something about season 5.

[@chettterbob]

This episode, like most written and directed by joss, has a great commentary track, worth a listen if your curious, he does into good detail on all the imagery and symbolism :)

[@AuntySocialQueen]

Absolutely loving these reactions, I cannot wait until you get to season 6, I'm so excited.

[@amidreaming662]

This episode is absolutely brilliant! You will need to watch it again. Xmas last year, we had family over to my mom's for dinner & she ask me to set the table. I looked at her straight-faced & said, "I'll make a place for the cheese slices." It came out of my mouth before I could recognize that no one in that room had ever watched Buffy & had no clue what I was talking about. Mom took a minute, looked at me confused & said ' We don't have any cheese slices". I then burst into uncontrollable laughter. My fam thinks i'm crazy! But, I will never NOT quote cheese guy if given the chance. Lmao!

[@reneepope-munro8115]

I love every sequence, but the foreshadowing in Buffy’s dream is so deeply fascinating. One part I don’t think people pick up on is why Joyce is living behind the wall. When I finally got that on my 3rd watch I was like WOAH.

[@Palpad100]

it's because of a certain episode later on season 5, right?

[@MyFeuerFrey]

According to Joss Whedon the only thing in this episode that does not mean ANYTHING is the Cheese Man. Restless is a brilliant work of film making that makes a whole lot more sense upon rewatching after completing the show. The show has always used dreamworld setting for prophecies - for example the Surprise and Innocence episodes of Season 2 or the one with Faith in Season 3 finale. While we already had some rules beforehand(like the fact that those having prophetic dreams can interact with each other like Drusilla and Buffy did in Season 2), Restless is the biggest one yet. It establishes continuity with other prophetic dreams - Buffy references the dream with Faith from earlier in the season and then the clock scene from the dream with Faith in Season 3 finale, where Faith mentions counting down from 7 3 0, which as NotTara notes is no longer correct since a whole year has passed since that episode. And on top of that Restless also is packed full with foreshadowing for what's to come, for seasons upon seasons. Also fun fact to look forward to - the countdown Faith references in season three finale dream and that is brought up in this episode? 730? That's number of days from that Season 3 episode till Fifth season finale.

[@randallmartin8149]

Looked it up and found a translation for the french part. My knowledge of french is extremely limited but from what little I do know it sounds pretty accurate. GILES: La maison où nous tous dormant (the house where we all sleeping) Tes copains sont tous là , avons tape ma vieux et rentrant à la vie normale. (your buddies are all there.. *something* we have hit my old person and go back to normal life.) La créature ne peut pas te faire de mal (the creature can't harm you) XANDER: What? Go where? I don't understand. GILES: Ha dit donc, ce n'est pas le temps pour des jeux idiotes. (It is not time for stupid games) ANYA: Il faut que tu viens avec nous maintenant. On t'attends. (You has to come with us now. We're waiting for you / you're awaited) GILES: C'est que j'essayai de lui dire. (That's what I've been trying to tell him) XANDER: Honey, I don't... I can't hear you. ANYA: C'est pas importante. Je t'escorte. (It doesn't matters. I'll come with you) GILES: On y va (let's go) source --- buffy-boards.com/threads/translate-french-restless-dialogue-please.27847/

[@glygriffe]

With the heavy accents and the slang from two different countries (Yes, French is like English, different words are used in different country to say the same thing), I had a lot of trouble understanding any of it at first, even if French is my first language. The translation you found is OK, except for this sentence: 'Tes copains sont tous là alors tape-là mon vieux et reviens à la vie normale' is more 'Your buddies are all there. So, high five, man, and go back to a normal life.'

[@claireeyles7560]

The poem being written on Willow's back is a Sappho love poem (Sappho was an ancient greek poet from the isle of Lesbos, so there's lesbian connotations to having Willow writing a Sappho poem on Tara's back). It reads: Deathless Aphrodite on your lavish throne, Enchantress, daughter of Zeus: I beg you, queen, Do not overpower my soul with heartaches , and hard troubles, But come here, if ever at another time Having heard my voice you paid me attention And leaving the golden house of your father you came to me, Yoking your horse and chariot: gorgeous swift Sparrows carried you over the coal-black earth, Thickly whirling their feathers through the midst of heaven's ether. Swiftly they arrived, and you, O blessed one, Smiling with your immortal face, you asked for What I suffered, and why again I call you And what in my maddened soul I desire most To happen to me: what dearest one shall I now Persuade to lead you back to her - who, O Sappho, wronged you this time? For even if she flees, swiftly she will pursue; And if she does not receive my gifts, she will give; And if she does not love me, swiftly she will love, Even against her will. So come to my aid now, Release me from my grievous cares, fulfill as much As my heart yearns to be fulfilled: come, be my fellow-fighter. (I don't think this is actually spoilery, it just happens to be the only known complete piece of Sapphic poetry which I think is why they used it)

[@andrewthezeppo]

Thanks

[@paulidjit]

So many people will be twitching to explain things. I wouldn't dare for fear of spoiling. You can trust we will be falling over each other to tell you as each prophecy, large and small, are revealed to be true in future episodes.

[@ToShanshuinFiction]

Restless has always been one of my favorite episodes in the whole show for the kind of deep dive into the psyche of each of the main characters. It's definitely a statement about how the core of each of them will continue to influence the paths they take in the next 3 seasons. Also my favorite use of the dream sequence trope. Also I like how they hint that Sineya, the First Slayer, (not really a spoiler cause they never bring up her name in the show) never got to be anything but The Slayer and how its such a contrast with Buffy and how she sees herself.

[@angelicatays1556]

Your expressions are priceless. And sometimes i talk to you and answer your questions... it's, this is fun, thank you for bringing me to your journey in the buffyverse

[@ammunproxy2328]

Hi loved your reaction! Totaly understand your confusion. What i always take away from this episode in a nutshell is ( no spoilers i promise ) Willows fear of still beeing the "little gray mouse", Xanders Problems with his father and that all his friends seem to move foward in life while he is left behind (them going to college "the frenchpart and him not understanding" ), Giles fatherly feelings for Buffy, that conflict with his role as watcher and Buffys part with her mother seems to me like the typical think that children think, that their parents live in this past time and dont really connect maybe? The times where they speak but no mouth movement is seen, is to emphasize this dream state they are in where thinks often are disconected or dont make any sense. Sorry for my bad spelling English is not my nativ tongue.

[@mrspidey80]

I think you pretty much nailed it. The cheese guy is just that, though: random. Joss Whedon said it himself. He's not supposed to mean anything. Whedon just wanted a bit more weirdness because that's what dreams are.

[@reneepope-munro8115]

Also the use of an original Sapphic poem in the opening scene with Willow and Tara is just beautiful.

[@izzardclips9350]

I always thought Buffy's mom living inside the wall could also be a sign of her subconscious guilt about moving on with her life and leaving her mother behind (I don't mean she is guilty of that - just that she might feel that way)

[@reneepope-munro8115]

While I can see that, I personally (being very careful here about spoilers) think it has to do with foreshadowing of Joyce's arc in S5, and that being beyond the wall is very much symbolic of that.

[@syrtyr125]

The cheese guy is the fact that she likes cheese. Remember what Willow told Riley about Buffy when asked her what she likes? Random but fits the character.

[@Mesjoukje]

This is such a confusing yet brilliant episode. It's rated as the third best buffy episode ever in my buffy guide, not sure I would place it there, but critics did ^^. Giles singing again is just the best! I know the lyrics by heart btw... not embarrased. Anyway, good luck with Season 5. I can't wait, so many good amazing episodes.

[@sk70091]

It's number 2 in my top 3 :)

[@Sparkles.Deluxe]

“The cheese stands alone.”

[@blankbitofpaper]

Over 15 years later and I'm still wrapping my head around all the subtext in this episode.

[@Swenglish]

Everything except the cheese man has some sort of meaning. Some of it metaphorical, some of it overly literal, some of it looking back, some of it looking forward, and most of it looking inward. It's main purpose is to check in on where each character is in their character arc. Willow fears that people think she's still the person she was in the first episode and everything else is a performance, Xander fears that everyone else is far ahead of him and he can't get out of his parents' basement, Giles isn't sure who he's supposed to be now that he's not a watcher (A father figure? A musician?) and Buffy is having complex feelings around her relationship with the slayer line and her own identity as a person. Those are the broad strokes. The details don't all directly relate to those specific things. Willow's writing on Tara's back is a love poem by Sappho, I believe.

[@sagov9]

I hope you saw Apocalypse Now, the scene with Snyder was a brilliant reference. I like the way they did that, having the film they were watching show up in Xander's dream. There were callbacks to the shared dream between Faith and Buffy from graduation day, as well. The bed they made and 7:30 showing on the clock. There are loads of subtle hints, but we really can't explain what they are refering to without spoiling. I don't think you are meant to understand any of it (at least on the first watch), just try to remember some of Tara's lines from this episode and they might make sense later on. What I think I can say without spoiling anything is that Willow's dream is about her insecurity, and Xander's dream is about his aimlessness. I think Giles' dream is about him feeling that he does not have a purpose in life now that Buffy does not seem to need him anymore.

[@4Tom4lepus4]

Season 5 hype

[@DogmaBeoulve]

I really loved a lot about this episode when I saw it - and have only come to love it a bit more over time. I thought that they captured the bizarre, juxtaposing & dynamic nature of dreams extraordinarily well - particularly shifting perspective and language. All in all, I find this episode very beautiful... and it also contains one of my favorite shots/scenes - where Buffy is smiling and laughing during Giles' dream sequence.

[@lkw7482]

The main memory that I have of my first watching of Restless was how much I loved its depiction of dreams. I hadn't - and still haven't - ever seen such an accurate presentation of them. I think that I may have felt much of the confusion you did (though I also saw it somewhere out of order, catching up on reruns of earlier seasons on the FX channel as new episodes of seasons 5 & 6 were coming out). I do remember, though, that I definitely did NOT pick up on Giles' "You never had... a Watcher" = a Slayer?, or that the "government guy" with Riley was Adam, NEARLY as fast as you, so, I think you did all right navigating through the weirdness despite how you felt it went at the time. Thank you for another really good reaction ep!

[@phousefilms]

Fun fact(not a spoiler now that you're caught up in later seasons!):Tara and Willow try to discuss "names"for "her". However, it is not the cat(Miss Kitty Fantastico), but foreshadowing for Dawn(Tara opens the curtains to reveal the sunlight.)

[@Idanuboy]

This is my favorite episode, but only after i've finished the show, since it's riddled with foreshadowing and hints that you don't really noticed before you've seen what happens next. also, do you never notice the credits that spoil the surprise guests in the episodes? like this episode it clearly shows Oz and Snyder in the credits (00:50 - 00:53), or in 'The Yoko Factor' it clearly showed "David Boreanaz as Angel" and also Sarah Michelle Gellar in "Sanctuary".

[@randomlibra]

OMG Watching the reactions, I caught soooo many things I had missed before. Aftershowreacts, come back and watch this episode and react AGAIN when you finish the series. I bet it will blow your mind. It did mine!

[@neestle]

Each sequence explores a different character's fears, hopes, and subconscious. There's lots of symbolism, foreshadowing, and metaphors for the characters' arcs. Willow is unsure of her identity; Xander keeps ending up alone in his parents' basement no matter what he does; Giles acts as a father to Buffy; Buffy's mom is walled off from her life and Buffy is still unsure about Riley's real motivations. Plus a hundred other things. They also added weird, dreamlike non-sequiturs. Some of them are meaningless, some reference the past, and some are prophetic. For me, the weirdest one is when Buffy says, "Faith and I just made that bed." Which is a reference to a previous dream... that Faith had in her coma.

[@tedkord1968]

Love, love, love this episode. It's brilliant on many levels - foreshadowing, the insecurities of each character...Oz and Snyder. Just a great episode.

[@kingbrutusxxvi]

I love how she leans forward, toward the camera, to whisper that she doesn't know what's happening. I'll say it again, how does this channel only have 7,800 subscribers? That's just criminal!

[@mando8469]

It was a by product of the spell they cast to defeat Adam. They invoked the primal energy of the first slayer and a consequence of such was that the first slayer manifested in their dreams to kill them, but the gang won out in the end. If you are confused now....Just wait till the start of Season 5 :) Good luck! Mwahahahahaha!!!

[@stevendavis9655]

Oh, and I would so go see Giles in concert. That man is talented.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

Welcome to the episode of the best absurd theater ever! Theater of the absurd is something I had to learn in drama class. It's a weird episode, but I really like Restless!

[@spangelicious837]

A couple of non-spoiler things from the commentary: This was the only time Joss was certain they would get picked up for another season, so he felt he could be a little more free to do something different with the finale, and this was it. It sets up things for the rest of the show. Willow is writing a Greek poem by Sappho on Tara's back. Sappho was from the island of Lesbos. The one-er when Xander's moving through all the sets was done by putting those sets side by side. The only cut was when he was going through the wardrobe back into his basement. The Initiative watching Xander pee was Joss's favorite use of the Initiative all season. The piano player on stage while Giles is singing is the show's composer, Chris Beck. The empty crib in Giles's dream is meant to symbolize his unfulfilled desire to have a family.

[@kingcrimson2643]

I heard the end of Season 6 was the only time he felt like it would get renewed but I guess that it makes sense here too.

[@spangelicious837]

Edward West-Summers a.k.a. CrimsonWitch26 IIRC, UPN picked up the show for two seasons after WB cancelled it. So it's probably more accurate to say S4/S5 was the first time he was sure they'd get another season.

[@LittleMissDivine]

omg i forgot how dope this episode is there are soooooo many metaphores in this!! Like when Willow is choking and everyone ignores her, I was thinking about how we watch peoples pain as entertainment (thought of tht when they were watching the movie)... buffy always got me thinking about society well well well done JOSS WHEDON!!!

[@Liesmith424]

I love this episode; each character's dream is "realistically" dreamlike, and does a great job of getting into the character's psyche. Willow feels like her entire persona is a lie, and she's really just the same frumpy nerd she saw herself as in her childhood.

[@wobaguk]

I love your confusion, it the best kind. Dreams are mostly characters own insecurities with some foreshadowing of things to come (and a bunch of random stuff) . The empty bed that Faith mentioned, certainly seems to be symbolic of something...

[@dusk78]

After watching the series it would be a good idea to give this episode a couple more rewatches because there are SO many Easter eggs about the series both before and certainly after this episode. Even rewatch the 3rd season episode when Buffy is making the bed with faith in the dream. It's one of the very first references to Dawn.

[@JusticeGamingChannel]

"Be back before dawn". My favorite line from this episode.

[@katarzynazlasu1400]

That scene with Buffy (and Tara) and the bed, ties with a certain scene earlier in the season, that also happeed during a dream-state (big hint - Faith). But certain things will only make sense later on, so I won't spoil anything. Btw, I love this episode so much. There was certain (sometimes very amusing) randomness about it, mimicking, I think, how dreams can be, but there was a lot substance there, and a lot of foreshadowing.

[@TheDarkknightrules92]

Lol I love your reaction! Such a beautiful episode with such amazing Imagery!! Especially the scene when Buffy enters the desert!!

[@ilsignorlanterna9008]

This episode is truly a masterpiece, everything (well, maybe not actually everything) will eventually make sense after a rewatch or two. Often when people talk about Buffy having some of the best episodes ever made for television they only mention Hush, The Body (from season 5) and Once More, With Feeling (from season 6) but this one (and possibly a few others) definitely deserves to be on that list as well.

[@alexh8613]

Wow, I've always noticed that in Tabula Rasa, Spike is Giles son and he is wearing the same suit. What I didn't notice, is that while Spike (in the suit) and Giles are on the swing set, Xander warns Buffy about Sharks. In Tabula Rasa, the loan shark is an actual Shark.

[@slivertoe]

This is one of my favorite Buffy episodes. Audacious in its absurdity! Pro tip: the music from this episode is one of the bonuses on the Once More, With Feeling soundtrack. I listen to it to this day.

[@stephennewton2223]

'Be back before Dawn.'

[@mediablindspots]

Fun fact: the warehouse where they shot a lot of scenes in Buffy had adjoining stage doors that led from one set to another, and they used this to full advantage in the steady cam transitions. In some scenes, there is no cut when going between discrete indoor locations in Sunnydale (Bronze, high school, etc).

[@elizabethdicewielder7689]

“Be back before Dawn.” Aaaaaaah, the foreshadowing!!!

[@kalandkarazor-el3088]

This is one of my favorite episodes. There is so much symbolism in this it's amazing. A great lesson in show don't tell film making (or TV) Edit: And the cheese man, how f'ing random and funny is that

[@catherinethurmond4776]

This episode is confusing but oh so beautiful. I loved your reaction to this episode it's one of my favorites. I believe I read somewhere that all Giles and Anya are trying to tell Xander to follow them to get away from what's following them and to stop playing stupid games or something like that.💜

[@marceline_mal]

I love the foreshadowing! ‘Be back before Dawn.’ 😱

[@lvis11tj7]

I find it best to think of this episode as a video game. Last episode Buffy Leveled up. This was the in-between scene to tell you what the new narrative of Buffy is. In reality, it was so strange because it may carry Easter Eggs of things to come.......make sure to be adamant about spoilers, people will think they are helping.

[@renoidu76]

The cheese guy, people. Just... The cheese guy!

[@waldolumberjack3169]

Without going into spoilers All the dreams they had represented an aspect of their internal struggle that has kinda being built this season. Willow:She feels she is wearing a disguise, every bit of confidence she has gain it’s just a lie she is telling everyone. Xander: He feels he needs to grow up...but that is just the way he thinks that in many ways will separate him from his father Giles: ....More spoilerific than the others, it will be clear by the end of S5E1 Buffy:What being a slayer actually implies

[@TheTurbanator123]

Giles is teaching me to become a watcher

[@jessiejlp1987]

"Be back before dawn." Gives me chills.

[@reneepope-munro8115]

All I will say is that Restless (my No. 2 pick for finales) sets up and crafts story for things you haven’t seen and won’t understand until you’ve seen everything. The depth of writing in this is a freaking masterpiece. On top of that, it telegraphs the two core premises of S5, and lays out the story arcs of every one of the Scoobies. God, I love this ep. Problematic writing of the First Slayer aside, it’s perfect.

[@ffuturehopes]

The amount of clever foreshadowings in this episode amazes me every time.

[@Logan_Baron]

Restless is the episode that needs to be rewatched, again and again and again....... there are so many layers of metaphors and foreshadowing. It needs to be rewatched to catch all the metaphors and rewatched after viewing later episodes again to see the foreshadowing.

[@jzchillin]

great reaction to what was a big WTF? head scratcher of an ep for me back in the day (and obviously for you....lol) but looking back now knowing some of the things that are to come were foreshadowed in the dreams, but much of the ep still has me scratching my head.... lol Great stuff as always girl!

[@danwiesdamageinc]

Read this. www.whedonstudies.tv/uploads/2/6/2/8/26288593/kessenich.pdf

[@markfudge5642]

One of my top 5 Buffy episodes.

[@claireeyles7560]

Willow's dream, without the foreshadowing spoiler bits, is related to how she feels about herself, her place in the group, and the recent changes and growth in her life. Remember in 'Fear Itself' when she says (paraphrased) "I'm not some side kick", and in that episode and others when she gets upset when someone challenges her on her magical ability? Her dream represents this deep seated notion that she carries that she isn't useful to the group, all of the growth and changes in her life don't mean anything because deep down she's still that same mousey little girl that everyone picks on. She's scared that nobody takes her seriously, not even Oz or Tara, and she's just walking around in a disguise of confidence that everyone can see through no matter how hard she tries to move away from what she was in high school.

[@jmwild1]

Lots of foreshadowing in this one. So moody and Chris Beck's score is amazing.

[@menachemsalomon]

When you see "Written and Directed by Joss Whedon" you know you're in for a doozy of a treat. He really does know how to capture the disjointedness of dreams. (BTW, _read the opening credits!_ For real surprises, they kept the name for the end credits.) Nearly everything is symbolic, back references or foreshadowing. Except supposedly the Cheese Man, who's there just to throw you. Watch this episode again after Season 5, and see if any parts make more sense to you. The only teaser I'll leave you with is Tara and Buffy making the bed that Buffy and Faith had previously prepared - What did Faith say about it in 3x22, and what were Tara's last words about it?

[@iokcs]

I just found your channel and your reaction to this episode is fantastic! I hope the full episode is still on your patreon :D

[@imcompitentfool]

Have to comment, this episode is extremely well thought out, there are so many references and foreshadowing, the only dream sequences that are realistic. Best of TV

[@elizabethdicewielder7689]

“You know I never got the chance to tell you how glad I was you were eaten by a snake.”

[@GrumpyOldGuyPlaysGames]

"Be back before dawn." And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what you call "foreshadowing." EVERYTHING in this episode is foreshadowing.

[@zenithquasar9623]

I love everything about this episode! It is literally the most perfect thing Whedon ever created! My favourite Buffy episode!

[@ryanthompson9541]

The episode was so confusing the first time around but when you rewatch it’s amazing how much foreshadowing there is in it, it was beautifully written

[@emmag3783]

Great reaction. This was a weird eps. After watching it now with you there was so many easter eggs in there. The cheese guy, he always makes me laugh, no matter how many times I've watched it. Yes, when Giles and Anya was talking French, I have no idea what they were saying. See u in the next season, can't wait. Love season 5!

[@bethod5191]

I really like this episode, but I think it takes seeing it several times and watching the entire show to really enjoy it :) oh and I enjoyed watching your confusion :D its pretty much how we all felt watching this for the first time.

[@zenithquasar9623]

"Be back before dawn"...always gives me the chills!

[@PsychoElou666]

The cheese man was Joss Whedon's element of choice to use for the fact that there are often weird ass stuff we can't explain that we see in dreams

[@DogmaBeoulve]

P.S. Most of the dreams dealt with self-perception (namely Willow, Xander and Giles), that character's perception of others and had premonition-stuff sprinkled in with it - Buffy's was the most different in that it mostly had to do with premonition & exposition/episode-explainey-stuff. Fascinating looks into each of the characters, really.

[@Windupchronic]

FYI, Sarah’s laugh at at 16:12 is genuine. Joss was off camera being silly and made her laugh to get the shot. As for why is Buffy looking at the bed: 21:30. Also reference the dream Buffy has with Faith where they make the bed in a previous episode.

[@BNILES41]

This finale was basically a set-up for season 5. But it does also play on more of the Slayer Mythology. And yes the cheese guy is just there.

[@matth1589]

Don't worry, you were not alone in your reaction. This was very definitely the Twin Peaks episode of Buffy.

[@dancingjoy0788]

This episode definitely gets more enjoyable with each re-watch. There's A LOT of foreshadowing about upcoming storylines. A lot of the references here won't make sense until after you've watched the whole series.

[@CarlosHuiskens]

This episode was actually a lovely twist when i watched Buffy. basically the previous episode was sort of the finale and this episode acts as a prelude to certain things going down in Season 5. For example the bed , the clock and something that Tara says and also Faith in a previous episode provides a hint to something next season but I'm not going to say what it is. Lets get on with S5 which is in my opinion Buffy's best season.

[@Liesmith424]

The answer to literally every question you had is "it's a dream".

[@GhostGardens]

I'm so excited for you to get into season 5, it's such an intense seasons and imo the best.