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Buffy 4x22 (Extended) - Restless (Patreon)

Published:
2021-12-20 18:01:03
Edited:
2024-07-12 13:46:11
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

I truly genuinely cannot tell you what I've just watched... Domi is CONFUSION. But hi Mr. Cheese Man?

It should be noted I decided to rewatch this episode yesterday. I felt like I had missed so much that I should try watching it again, so please ignore the stupid commentary on this video of somebody who was trying her damn best... And failing. After rewatching I think I understand a lot more now (which still leads me to about a 0.1% comprehension probably) haha, we'll discuss in the 5x01 intro... :)

Files

Buffy The Vampire Slayer 4x22 - The Breaking of Domi's Brain (AKA Restless) .mp4

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Comments

Todd Bolton

I think the cheese guy is the only thing that doesn’t make any sense. (Of course, as you said, most of it doesn’t make any sense until later. The cheese guy never does. Whedon just stuck him in there to mess with us.) You are right that *in some ways* it belongs at the beginning of season five but the reason it is primarily a season four episode, is because of Giles’s comment, or analysis, of what happened: “Somehow our joining with Buffy and invoking the essence of the, the Slayer's power was an affront to the source of that power.” This was not our first lesson but our first major lesson in the consequences of magic. All of season five through seven will continue to teach us that lesson. Not only that, but the beginning of season five has its own fish to fry. Great reaction – couldn’t have asked for better expressions of puzzlement.

Mattias Swing

Finally! I was getting a little... Restless... ;) (sorry, could not help myself!)

Steve Quast

Here we go. The most easily understood episode in the series. Let's see what happens....

Steve Quast

I understand thinking Riley might die, but why are you worried about it? 😈☠👻 We appreciate you, too. And if by "lame" you mean incredibly awesome, then sure....you're "lame."

Loves Bitca

Last video: Domi: "Seeing how this episode goes, I should have a much better understanding of what the next episode will be about". And now you know why I laughed so hard. It's not just that the last episode gave no clue what this would be, or that the last episode was so confusing in the fact that it appeared to be the finale, so what could come after, BUT mostly that there's NOTHING that could have made you expect this.

Bud Haven

I'm sure you can't wait for season 5 to begin and the confusion to end. lol

Ron Fehr

It definitely takes some rewatching to understand this episode better. One thing I can probably point out though was that the cheese guy was merely a device to let us know that what we were seeing was not real. Also, seeing him in each dream was meant to show that the dreams were meant to be connected.

Loves Bitca

I think the problem people have with season 4 is afterwards rather than while we were watching it, as we look back at the season and think of the Big Bad story rather than the individual episodes. I used to be one of the "Meh" critics, but have now come to appreciate it for being more about the characters than the mission or the big bad. Whether intentional or not, Giles puts a pin on it here with "I get it now, it's all about the journey".

Loves Bitca

5:28 "Hopefully get rid of some of the confusion in my brain right now". Nah we've got a lot more confusion to stuff in there.

Steve Quast

Domi's facial expressions throughout this episode.....

Preaching to the Horse's Mouth

*Michael Jackson eating popcorn gif* Seriously though, this one is...trippy...but much like a lot of the show's finer plot points it becomes more easily understood with repeated viewings. Weird, sure, but among other things kinda a masterclass in tv cinematography not unlike past episodes such as Hush. I suspect even the folks that don't care for it would probably admit that it's very well done and uses lots of different methods to change the tone of the episode to one that is so dreamlike. You're welcome🙂👍

Bri

Favourite cheese?

John

Your facial expressions while watching this episode were a perfect 10/10. Watching you alternate between confusion and disgust and horror and back again was almost as fascinating as the episode itself. A great reaction!

indaeo

The cheese man is my guy!!

Lonelyjesse

I love watching people react to this episode!! It's so much fun 🤣. The TPN guide explains / interprets this episode so well but I wouldn't recommend watching it before watching the entire show. Even the version "without spoilers" still feels too spoilery to me.

Khanach

Fun fact: in May 2000 Joss Whedon invented time travel, went to the future, saw that Buffy reactors were a thing, went back, and designed the perfect episode to mess with them and watch their faces whenever he was bored XD

Steve Quast

"This episode better make sense at some point." I'll let you know when that happens.

Loves Bitca

There is a lot in this episode. It becomes very iconic. This is an episode that you need to return to over and over, at least every season. There are more things that you will catch, but also things that are foreshadowed that you will realize after they happen. The main theme explores the power of the Slayer and what that means, along with the connection to the Watcher and the enjoining spell they cast last episode (one reason this is a season 4 finale, rather than a season 5 prologue). But there are also a lot of metaphors and foreshadowing for future episodes, not just for Season 5, but beyond. We won't go into those, but that's why you'll want to rewatch several times as each season unfolds. But mostly it is a character study of who the characters are where they are now. Willow suffers from Imposter Syndrome. She's doing well now, but does she really deserve it. She still sees herself as the nerd in high school. Even her best friend mocks her. Her 2 lovers laugh at her, because she wonders how she could really attract such great people. It couldn't be real, at least not if they saw the real her (this is of course in her mind, not my real thinking). Xander can't escape the basement. He's trapped in his life. Lost and without purpose. Everytime he tries to get anywhere, he's back in the basement. Xander sexualizes Joyce and Willow and Tara, but in his dream Buffy calls him brother. And she's not sexualized. So it seems maybe he's finally getting over his infatuation with her in that way. He also doesn't sexualize Anya, so I think that's not that he doesn't find her attractive, but that she means so much more to him than that. That connects to the line about being a conquistador or a comfortador. Anya is more about comfort in life rather than being a conquest. Giles of course sees Buffy like a daughter. Olivia crying over the tipped over empty pram, is the life that Giles turned his back on in dedicating to be a Watcher. Spike says "You have to make a choice Rupert". Olivia saw the supernatural side, and Giles asked if she could handle it in Hush. She said she wasn't sure, and we have not seen her since. The possibility of a wife and kids Giles put behind him, when he made a choice between the 2 lives. They've often covered the struggle Buffy had to be a Slayer AND lead a normal life. Giles has faced the same issue.

Dave Ford

Well, obviously this is going to take some explaining - but that should probably all wait till after season 5 - or even season 7... No - this one is sooo deep and stuffed full of lovely chocolatey metaphor you can pick through a lot of it line-by-line - and for every moment of foreshadowing, there's probably two or three moments you can work out - but picking them out may be tricky. Don't worry - your initial instinct to re-watch it to take notes isn't wrong - this is one you'll probably revisit many times and always work out something new from it.

Anitusar

This episode perfectly captured my state of mind during the first time i took the theoretical physic - quantum mechanics lectures. I was utterly facinated, did not understand a single thing.

zerofk

I love this episode. I get that it's confusing at first viewing, but that's part of why I love it. I love thinking about it all, about what it might mean - and most of all I love when, in later seasons or on rewatches, some small puzzle piece falls into place and for just a moment everything makes sense. That sense of revelation is _amazing_, when it comes. There are many parts that can be understood already. In Willow's dream she's obviously insecure about her "new image" as a wicca, lesbian, college student. She wonders whether deep down she is still the same insecure nerdy girl from season 1. Xander's dream is all about his friends moving on and him trying to catch up, but always ending up back in the basement. But I find it notable that he also has some good insights into what's going on: he knows something is happening to Willow and his dream-Buffy calls her a "big faker", indicating he somehow knows what Willow's dream is about. It is important to know that - most of the time anyway - the characters in the dreams are not themselves, but projectecions of the dreamer. Giles sees Buffy as his protégé, slayer, and daughter all at once, while at the same time lamenting lost opportunities: the relationship with Olivia that never was, the mellow rock carreer that didn't happen. He's also the first to figure out what is happening - albeing just a tad too late. Buffy's dream is the most confounding of all - maybe because of her connection to the slayer line. There are callbacks to earlier dreams she had (e.g. Faith and her making the bed). There is Joyce being sidelined once her daughter goes off to college. There is the boyfriend being part of the nebulous and vaguely threatening government. There is the bag of mud that is her weapon. And there is Tara who, as you said, is not an obvious choice to be in Buffy's dream. "You're not in my dream." "I was borrowed."

Milan W.

In trying to understand this episode, I wouldn't go off on the assumption that it exists to set up the future IMO. Is there foreshadowing? Certainly, but the bulk of the episode pertains to the story and themes of the season it wraps up. I'd define it as much more of an epilogue than a prologue.

Dave Ford

Oh, and btw - a bunch of people - which, I expect, includes Patrons, will be dropping a bunch of comments at the end of S5E1 which are kinda spoilers because everyone else does it too. I'd advise avoiding reading comments on episode 1 till you've reached the end of episode 2. Perhaps just make sure you've seen ep2 before you post episode 1.

Dave Ford

Also - glad it's not just me who finds american cheese deeply suspicious.

FernWithy

This is actually one of my favorite hours of television. Like, ever, not just in Buffy. It's so trippy and weird and you can analyze the hell out of it from every angle, as predictions as examinations of what's already happened, as character pieces... And it's seriously dream-like, not like a dream as needed by a writer. It's nonsensical and poetic and weird. And it gets better with every subsequent viewing.

Mattias Swing

The good news here is that pretty much every moment of the entire episode makes for a great reaction face thumbnail for Youtube!

Jeff V

It's only been 3 hours since you posted this video, and you already have 20 likes and 29 comments. That should give you a pretty good idea how we feel about you!

Svetlana Grabar

There's a breakdown video of this episode, one version with spoilers and one without spoilers so if you watch it, make sure to watch the right one :) Just in case you're interested, I thought I'd mention it, cause the video is super cool and I would love to see your reaction to it if you decide to watch it.

Raven Dark

I agree with this! Domi, The creator of the videos, Passion of the Nerd, is a reactor. If you want to react to it, you could probably contact him and ask him if you can show the whole video. He'd probably love it and say yes. This way, no copyright issues.

Milan W.

Big disagree. Like LonelyJesse said, the "non spoiler" version still is spoilery. It directly identifies which parts of the episode are foreshadowing and alludes to some future plot points more overtly than the episode itself does.

loopkill

No judgement at all for not understanding what's going on. This is an iconic episode, but it'll only make sense when you rewatch it later on. There's a lot of foreshadowing that we obviously can't get into yet. I CAN say that the Cheese Man has no deeper significance--Joss Whedon has said that he represents the random, nonsensical parts of people's dreams. Another think worth pointing out is that Willow, Xander and Giles all got attacked with what they represented in the conjoining spell in Primeval. Willow got her spirit removed, Xander got his heart removed, and Giles got his mind removed.

Raven Dark

Oh my word, this is such a fun watch. Hahaha. The look on your face throughout this entire reaction will never get old. Here are a few insights I have on it that even Passion of the Nerd doesn't mention in his videos, or if he does, I don't remember them. They are completely non-spoilery. But first, I'll confess something. When I first saw this episode, I hated it. I mean, I HATED it. I didn't understand any of it, and I was so confused that I spent the entire time thinking it was pointless. on the hundreds of rewatches of the show I've done, up until about a year ago (I saw this show when it first aired) I used to skip this episode. Now, I understand it, and I adore it. It's a masterpiece in storytelling, and infinitely rewatchable, because no matter how many times you see it, you will always see something new. I still see things I never noticed before. But as wonderful as the revelations will feel when they hit, there is something to be said for a mystery, and there will come a time when that will be gone. Enjoy it while it is there, my friend, because remember, you will only feel this way once. On with my thoughts. Buckle up. This is gonna take a while. Let's get the Cheese Man out of the way first. Two things are widely known about him in the Buffy fandom. One, he is, as others have said, a device to show the connected state of the dreams. Two, he was inserted because Joss wanted one thing in all the dreams to make no sense, as dreams often do. Wanna hear my theory? I believe there are no coincidences, that nothing happens without some meaning. Remember that in an episode of this season, Willow told Riley that Buffy likes cheese. I believe that the Cheese Man represent's Buffy's thoughts, her presence within the dreams. I think Joss did that without being aware of it. When the Cheese Man told Buffy, "These will not protect you," he was speaking of her fear that she will not be able to protect others when she will need to the most. Regarding Joyce. Others have stated their reasons why Xander sexualizes her, and I don't think they are necessarily wrong, but I also think there is another simpler reason for this. In season two's Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered, when every woman in Sunnydale wanted Xander, Joyce made a pass at him. I think his subconscious wrapped that into the dream. The part of Xander's dream that is in French. It's a standard trope that in a dream, someone is about to tell you the answer to something critical, something life-changing, and just before they say it, they suddenly can't speak, you can't hear them, or you wake up. Everyone suddenly speaking Freinch, ie, a language Xander can't understand, is a twist on this trope. You mentioned that it wasn't the actors's voices when they were speaking in French. Notice that those parts sounded a lot like what a movie or a show sounds like on TV when it's been dubbed. It has a very peculiar, fake sound. That part of the scene was done that way because someone like Xander, who has a great love for movies and TV, might dream about the whole suddenly not understanding someone at the worst possible moment thing that way. It's essentially putting a "Xanderish" twist on the trope. Spike in black and white scope. I've always seen it that Spike feels lost, aimless, without purpose beyond killing demons because of his inability to feed. Giles sees him as having taken a job as a television vampire because he sees him as being somewhat pathetic or fake, the way a television role is. He doesn't take him seriously, much like a vamp in a B movie. He also thinks that Spike playing hero and helping the gang out is a mask, something he does because he can't do anything else, and, given the chance, he'd turn on them. It's a mask, much as an actor's role in a show is. Joyce in the walls. I believe that, as many others think, Joyce is in the walls to represent Buffy's guilt for pushing her aside, for making her less a part of her life, the way Faith suggested in This Year's Girl. But I also think the mention of a mouse playing with her knees is a simple concept of Buffy's brain rolling the fact that she turned into a rodent is season three into the dream. It's a callback to the Buffyrat. It may or may not also be a subtle reference to Amy. Amy The Rat snuck into her subconscious as a small part of her life. Such a great reaction. So much fun. And OMG, season five. So excited for this.

Svetlana Grabar

Fair enough, thanks for pointing that out!

Martin Waits

Don't worry. When I first went through the show, my girlfriend told me that this was an episode I needed to pay attention to, but I didn't understand any of it. It was one of the first episodes I re-watched after I finished the show. It is probably the episode with the biggest gap in perception between your first viewing and watching it after you are done with the series.

Bud Haven

What can I expect from a bunch of low rent, no account hoodlums like you. Hoodlums yes! I mean you and your friends. Your whole sex! Throw them in the sea for all I care. Throw them in and wait for the bubbles. Men with your groping and spitting, all groin no brain. 3 billion of you passing around the same worn-out urge. Men with your...sales. My take is pretty simple (because I'm simple like that). It's about vaulting an OP spell. With a bunch of ice cream and cake on top.

G.Un.

What's this episode? In really simple terms, at least for Willow, Xander and Giles is just a character analysis in an artistic form, nothing else. As for the Buffy's section … it's a little more complicated, remember the peculiar connection that the slayers have with the dream world. Domi, for your peace of mind I want to tell you immediately that understanding this episode it is not at all required to understand what will happen in the fifth season, the writers were not so crazy. Anyway, in general, no, this episode doesn't set up anything for the next season if not let us know more in depth our beloved characters, their fears, insecurities and regrets, that we will obviously continue to follow throughout the fifth season. There are just a couple of foreshadows for events in the next season, I leave it to you to imagine in whose dream. But again, if you miss them won't change anything, like missing the scene in which Snyder calls the Mayor at the end of season two for example. This is a good thing because, from what I get from your comments, and I can't stress enough this is in no way shape or form a criticism of you, all your conclusions, previsions or ideas are twisted, overthought, convoluted and, in general, wrong. Actually everything in this episode is more straightforward than you seem to think. I love this episode. I rewatched it dozens of times, but, nontheless I have a couple of criticisms to make. One. The choice of Tara to give voice to the first slayer (for Domi - because she belongs to a time before the villages, the roads, the writing and even the language.) is perfect. She is the most sweet, pure and innocent between all the cast and so kinda the total opposite of the power of the slayers (the first slayer is the embodiment of such power in it's purest form, not the actual first slayer). Anyway I find the idea to let the first slayer speak at the end, especially in that way, completely clunky, embarrassing and stupid. I would have let Tara do the talking from start to finish. Two. The fight between Buffy and the first slayer … the camera, the framing, the hard cut between the fighting score and the complete silence … absolutely beautiful. Anyway I've always felt the lack of a third sequence, a few seconds, between the first and the last to make the scene perfect. Three. Snyder quoting Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. Quotes used in this way are always tricky. If the viewer has seen the movie great, but if he didn't you make it very difficult, if not impossible, for him to understand the concept you want to communicate. I know that a lot of people know Apocalypse Now, but not so many have actually seen, or remember, the movie. This denotes a certain arrogance on the part of the writer (Joss Whedon) which I don't like. This is not the only time they quoted a movie in a dream sequence. In Faith's dream in “this year's girl” the end with her under the rain is a direct quote of the Tim Robbins' scene in The Shawshank Redemption. In that case though you don't need to get the quote to understand the scene. Domi, as I said you don't need to understand this episode in any way to enjoy the future episodes so, if you let me, I would suggest you to avoid any prevision for the next season that, if incorrect, will generate only confusion in the future. Like anxiously waiting for Faith only because you heard her name (it was actually a reference to the very first scene in “this year's girl”, and I'm not saying that Faith won't come … or that she will). You did the same when you were convinced that the little girl in “hush” was young Buffy … why? Of course if you decide to carefully rewatch it a couple of time taking notes to then, maybe, make another video with a reasoned analyses of this episode, please do it. You could also add your professional opinion as a future screen writer, it would be really interesting. I know this episode inside out, I've read the critics and listened the interviews, but I always like the impressions and comments of a new pair of eyes. Technically the fourth season ends with episode 21, this is more like an extra, like the Christmas Specials in Doctor Who, if you want. But why doing it? Well … I think that there are two main reasons for the peculiar format of this season finale. One, they really wanted to do it … great. Two, and probably the real reason, for the first and, as far as I know, the last time, before the end of season 4 they had the official confirmation that the series would be renewed for at least another season. See, the reason why the season finals in Buffy are so great and memorable is that they were never sure if the series would be renewed or not, so they wanted the season finals to work, kinda, as big final for the entire show. Now, instead, with the confirmation of season 5 in the pocket, they felt free to try something different.

CeNedra

I was literally about to post this.. so thank you 😂

Milan W.

Just realized, Domi being confused for an entire episode and not pausing once to collect her thoughts is how you know the shock was real 🤣

UTU49

Thoughts about Restless: 1. I enjoy this episode BECAUSE I’m not sure what a lot of it means. It’s a mental adventure. Things don’t have usual clear-cut meanings necessarily, and you are therefore required to decide for yourself what some of these things mean. 2. This episode does not have “dream sequences” in the usual sense. We’ve all seen dozens of “dream sequences” in movies and TV shows. In this episode, however, they do not feel like “dream sequences” IMO. To me, these dreams feel much more like real dreams than like “dream sequences”. By throwing us around from weird scene to weird scene, the script puts us in the mental space of the characters – of not knowing what the dreams mean. Try not to feel like the episode is an IQ test. 3. “The Cheese Man” clearly symbolizes… cheese… and men. :P 4. Every reactor has been flummoxed by this episode. 5. A major part of this episode is simply an exploration of the mental states of our 4 main characters: their anxieties, etc. 6. if anyone is laughing at you, then I don’t think it’s in a bad way. It would more just be like: “Haha. I remember what that feels like! Welcome to the club, Domi.” 7. You might be overthinking this episode a LITTLE bit. On the surface, it’s a glimpse into the subconscious minds of our main characters, which is also a golden opportunity to depict dreams in a different way than we’ve previously seen in film and TV. And then you can analyze dozens of details if you WANT to, but I don’t think it does you any good to expect yourself to understand all those details. Especially when it might not even be possible to understand all of those details. This could use some editing. (But it’s not gonna get it! :P)

madfem

i love everything about this ep but man the music... incredible, showstopping, fantastic

Ariel17

Domi’s expressions: 👁 👁 👁 👁 👁 👁 👁👄👁

madfem

very cool afterthoughts.. you did good domi you did good

Loves Bitca

Passion of the Nerds breakdowns are great, but should only be watched after watching the entire series. As stated, even the non-spoiler version is still pretty spoilery, for reactors.

Loves Bitca

I think Xander sexualizing Joyce in her dreams is even more simple than that. Joyce is an attractive woman. It's unlikely that Xander hasn't thought about her in that way at some point. Not that he would seriously consider it, but that he recognizes she's hot. If my friends had an attractive decently young mother, I definitely would have fantasized about her.

Raven Dark

I never found the non-spoilery one spoilery, but I guess I get it.

Antonio

I wish my edited comments were as good as your drafts :o) I pretty much resembled a nodding dog reading your post.

Veronika

You did such a great job, Domi! The confusion is very real and understandable. When I first watched this episode I had no freaking idea what I've just seen...So please don't overthink this and don't feel pressured to get everything right...You got so much just from your first watch! I can't believe we're already at season 5! I remember how excited you were and you couldn't wait to reach this point and now...you're here! I'm so happy for you! But when you mentioned the title of the first episode and that you will analyze it later...I would recommend that you avoid reading the title before you watch the episode. It is kind of spoilery and I think it is even hidden in the slayalive guide. Regarding this episode, I've read some bts info and I was not sure if I should mention it here but you said her name and now I feel like I have to...Jenny was apparently really supposed to be in this episode in Giles' dream but Robia was either not available or she did not want to reprise her role (I'm not sure about the reasoning or if it's even true). But I'm kind of glad they didn't do it because that would be just too painful. Also David Boreanaz and Charisma Carpenter were supposed to be in this episode but they were too busy filming the Angel finale. Cordelia was supposed to be among the group in the classroom in Willow's dream instead of Anya. And Angel was supposed to be the voice of the First Slayer in Buffy's dream instead of Tara...

UTU49

*Drinks*

UTU49

Well... that's the nicest thing someone has said to me in quite a while. :)

UTU49

Totally agree. Reactors often feel that they haven't done a good job if they are confused or don't know what to say. I never expect a reactor to be brilliant or anything. I just want to share in the experience of another person who loves the characters. Mission accomplished!

Meredith

Wonderful breakdown- you verbalized my thoughts on each dream 100%

Jordan Haddow

Great reaction to one of the most difficult to react to episodes. I view the confusion you feel as the intended result of this episode. It is a great one, full of speculation as to the many meanings. Probably what makes this episode great, is it makes the rest of the show a journey. You've already noted that some elements of it seemed to be familiar and how they probably had deeper meaning. This is true, but a lot of the fun of the episode is that much of it won't make sense until you've probably watched the entire series a couple times through. Honestly, without looking up some spoiler article that cheats by looking at production notes or interviews with Joss or something, elements of this episode will probably always be a mystery. I kind of like it like that myself. I find each time I rewatch it, some new element crystalizes or at least I have a new line of speculation as to what it means. I did ask for help on the cheese bit. Someone mentioned something to me about it, and it's not spoilery, so I thought I would mention it. The guy with the cheese. Remember, cheese was mentioned before in this season with relation to a character. I won't say any more than what I was told. It certainly doesn't answer the question, but is maybe the first stepping stone towards trying to understand that nutball. I am so excited for you to watch next season. It is in my opinion, amazing. Of course, I say that about all the seasons. I don't like having favorites myself. I find each season to be so different from each other, it's kind of like saying your favorite apple is an orange to me. I agree with you that while many poopy heads dislike season 4, it was awesome. Especially considering characters like Walsh, Oz, and Doyle all unexpectedly had to leave their shows this last season and all the havoc that must have wrought with the production company.

Domi E

LMAOOO haha you really went there huh? and awww ❤️❤️❤️

Domi E

Hahaha not at all!! I was completely shocked!

Domi E

Cool cool cool, very interesting!

Domi E

That actually makes so much sense!

Domi E

That’s so true, the cinematography of it was so interesting to observe!

Domi E

Then can you please ask him WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!!

Domi E

Thats a great tip, thank you! I’ll have to watch when I’m done with the show 😄

Domi E

Haha DAMN YOU JOSS!!

Domi E

That’s such a fascinating perspective, thank you!!

Domi E

So excited to keep rewatching and hopefully understand it ahha

Domi E

Thanks for the tips you all! I might wanna wait then if there’s any possibility the non-spoilery would be leading me towards any type of specific mindsets!

Domi E

ah im so gonna have to pay more attention to the music when i rewatch it!!

Domi E

aw thank you guys!!

ADDButterfly

This episode is my top 3 favorites. This might be my number 1. It's so quirky and so many emotions run through it. Also, the Xander sequence of him going through the ice cream truck to his basement, is how my dreams are sometimes. Like, walking through a passage and ending up some place that is definitely not supposed to be connected. It's awesome and I never get over how this is one of the best dream episodes of any show.

SK Elkins

If that's true, then I'm very glad they couldn't get Boreanaz. That casting would have been a disaster! It would have completely messed up everything that this episode (and this season!) was doing with gender. I could imagine him working in Adam's place in the scene with Riley (although then we would have lost the wonderful "giving names to things" wordplay). But as the voice of the First Slayer? Oh, HELL no!

Cool Engines

This ep takes a few rewatches to even kinda get the meaning of it. I still watch now and catch things I didn't before.

Cool Engines

I always took the cheese guy as a representation of all the Cheesy monster of the week episodes that the show put in between all of the drama episodes. My theory lol

Eric Haefele

The most bizarre episode in the entire Buffyverse. Joss is the Picasso of television.

Girl4Music

“WHAT. THE. FUCK?!” “I DON’T UNDERSTAND!” “I’m so confused!” Yep, that is the general reaction from anyone watching ‘Restless’ for the first time. But it’s an episode that only really makes any sense after you’ve watched the entire show and you go back to rewatch it: so I would say don’t worry about making sense of what it means for now. Just enjoy it for what it is. An interesting, unconventional ending to a season. Or as you say - a setup for next season. One of the most interesting things for me about this episode is Tara’s use and significance in it. I could tell you my interpretation of that but I’m worried it might contain spoilers. So I will refrain from doing so for now. At least until you’ve seen all of Season 5. ‘Restless’ is my favourite ‘BtVS’ episode and it’s really all down to what it reveals about the core four.