Restless, Episode 22

[LyteHouse]

Restless is a truly magnificent achievement for a prime-time TV series.

It really is one of the most mesmorising pieces of TV I've ever seen. Such a ballsy move for a show to attempt at ANY point, let alone a season finale.

Its an episode that is true art.

It also has one of my favourite tracking frame shots of the entire series. It actually makes Riley COOL! For about two seconds:

C'mon... that would have been a winsome spin-off series. 😛

 

[Summerlilly]

I love restless. Sometimes I credit it as being my favorite episode of the entire series. IMO, it's perfect. From the music to the imagery to the words spoken. It's clever, meaningful, and beautiful. I could watch it over and over again.

I really hadn't seen this episode in a really long time and maybe only once....I think I might have to list it now as my favorite. The way they transitioned in between scenes and places to me was very representative of how dreams really are.

I especially loved the shot of Ms. Kitty Fantastico walking towards the camera in slow motion. Actually, the whole discussion about what her name should be between Willow and Tara was so symbolic of their relationship. This episode elevated and solidified Twillow even more. I loved how Tara was sort of the guide from the outside for both Willow and Buffy. It really made me understand her role on the show even better and I love her even more now.

I love this episode and it's strange dream sequences, my favorite part is the Cheese man though. Always cracks me up 🙂

So what exactly did the cheese man represent besides connecting the dreams? That sort of went right over my head! lol

 

[FetalPig]

one of my favorites, too. Especially the Xander sequence going all through the different rooms.

Is that Dawn standing at the ice-cream van?

"Do you mind? I'm talking to my Demon!"

"quiet! you'll miss the humorous conclusion!"

Oh! and it's Anya waking up Buffy.

 

[Daniel Osbourne]

It would take several pages for me to properly discuss Restless and my feelings on it. Rest assured that I consider it to be one of the top 3 best episodes of the series, however.

One question for the moment: During Willow's dream, is Anya supposed to be a stand-in for Cordelia? Her lines are much snarkier than in real life, where's she usually cruel without intending to be. In the dream, though, she's clearly got malicious intent. Plus, Anya wasn't around in tenth grade, and Cordelia was.

I think this is supposed to reflect how, in many ways, Anya is a Cordelia replacement. She's the one who "always tells everyone how dumb they are". Then again, this is a role that was intended for and is often played by Spike, which James Marsters comments on ALL the time. Then again, Anya is Xander's girlfriend, has an antagonistic relationship with Willow, is very blunt, is not part of the Scooby inner circle, etc.

But why would Willow not just have Cordy in her dream, then? I can't help but think every time I watch the classroom scene that Charisma had a scheduling conflict or something and that they just had Emma say the lines intended for Cordelia.

 

[Goby]

Holy Moly... I HATE this episode!!!

I watched it once, then finished the series. I'm going to watch it again (probably tonight or tomorrow) and it will be interesting to see if I like it. It's really great reading all these posts about how amazing this episode is.

I have a good feeling that my opinion will change.

 

[Hale Caesar]

To be honest I didn't like it, it is very cryptic and sometimes I got confused and found myself rewinding certain parts to understand them better

 

[Thamior]

The one line I always wonder about is when Buffy is talking to the First Slayer, and she says (among other things) "I'm gonna be a fireman when the floods roll back." Although I still don't know what this means, it seems like it has a lot of different messages. Someone before mentioned that it might be a reference to OMWF, but that seems unlikely. I mean, this is basically the climax of the episode, and the season. This is the line that causes Buffy to be able to beat the First Slayer. I doubt it's foreshadowing one scene in one episode 2 seasons later.

I think this statement needs to be broken up into 2 parts: One, Buffy is going to be a fireman, and two, the floods rolling back. It seems like that's a weird connection to draw. Obviously it's hard to be a fireman if there's a flood, but what are the floods she's talking about? Maybe the floods refer to the hardships that are taking place, and saying that once they're gone, Buffy will be able to move on with her life, and be normal (being a fireman is a very typical thing for kids to aspire to). This, of course, doesn't happen, so I doubt it's foreshadowing, but it is still relevant. The struggle between her slayer self (the floods) and her human desires (being a fireman) is something that Buffy fights with throughout the whole series.

Anyways, does anyone have any other ideas about this line?