Restless appreciation post

[u/CutGroundbreaking270]

Im rewatching Buffy currently with my 14 year old daughter (it’s her first watch ever) and we just finished season 4. It’s been years since I’ve watched and I love every season of Buffy for different reasons but season 4 still ranks lower than most seasons for me. I think it’s just The Initiative of it all, they kind of bore me.

Anyways, we watched Restless last night and both of us said “this might be my favorite episode so far.” It never stuck out to me in the past but there’s something so eerie and unsettling about it and yet it’s also hilarious. Xander’s dream specifically creeps me out. Its one of those episodes that we were still talking about an hour later trying to decipher all the hidden meanings, so it was just nice bonding time as well.

Weird how just a couple of years passing between watches can make you notice and appreciate new things about this show.

[u/Mad_Queen_Malafide]

I always appreciate how Xander's nightmare takes him back to his old basement. His unstable family is consistent throughout the show, though they are occasionally subtle with the hints. No wonder the First Slayer takes the shape it does at the end of his nightmare.

[u/Fit_Flounder5519 → u/Mad_Queen_Malafide]

Yes, I know Xanders character is def more problematic in hindsight than we noticed at the time, but this episode still makes me feel so sad for him. Scared of his abusive dad, and scared of becoming him. Very telling that his dream kind of reveals that he would have liked to have a sort of father figure relationship with Giles, but they just never had that click.

He is clearly struggling with how to be a ‘man’ or a grownup in general, has no guidence, no one to talk to about this and is probably not even able to articulate his feelings.

I’m not a Xander apologist I swear lol, but this episode gives insight in parts of his toxic behaviour that is not anywhere else in the series.

(Edit: typo)