Update:

-Add input from Robert Gross. Added explanation as to why various people appeared in dreams (located at the bottom). (8.17.2)

-Added input from eliza4ever (sorry to anyone else who submitted things, my email’s changed off and on and is wonky, so if you want to add stuff, email me.). Also added translation of Giles and Anya from Xander’s Dream. (7.8.2)

-First update! Information from readers added, new information added from speculations. (1.17.2)

-Completed (forgot when- to lazy to look up.)

First off, Restless takes place directly after Primeval, which contains the destruction of Adam and the Initiative. It as well as Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Giles summoning some strange powers that turn the Slayer into somewhat of a Super Slayer (who can block bullets and turns missiles into birds, and is just incredibly strong) to kill Adam.

Also, Restless contains spoilers of seasons five and six (and if you don’t want to know about these events, don’t read them). This episode also had many levels, so each one will be explained and it may take awhile. There will be many quotes from various seasons as well. And I’m not entirely sure if this is all on the spot, but this is how I understand it.

Willow’s dream starts out in Tara’s room (which in Season Five becomes both Tara and Willow’s room), with the two of them in there, as well as their small kitten, which is playing with a small, red, ball of string.

Now, from the other cats that have appeared in BtVS, I have reason to believe that cats usually tie in with death (i.e.: Graduation Day Part II – when Buffy’s dreaming about Faith in her apartment, there’s a cat on the bed that momentarily flashes the vitally injured Faith. Intervention – Jungle cat leads Buffy to the Spirit Guide, who tells Buffy about her gift; death.). And red is something that appears throughout Restless as well (red is something concerning Joyce in Xander’s dream). You can tell the cat’s playing with the red ball of string, which could in fact be foreshadowing how Willow brings back Buffy in Season Six, and how many people think that’s toying with death. This could also tie in with Dawn attempting to bring her mom back after she dies (since in Graduation Day Part II, the cat represents something- that’s a she- that Buffy is suppose to take care of) and that Dawn’s toying with death. Also, in The Real Me (first Dawn-centric episode), some crazy guy who comes up to Dawn and mentions about cats, also mentions "Curds and Whey," which relates directly to Graduation Day Part II, when Faith first mentions "Little Miss Muffet" and "730" which relates to Buffy’s death, which is 730 days (2 years) after Faith mentions this (Season Three Season Finale – Season Five Season Finale).

From eliza4ever ([email protected]):

Tara: I think it’s strange. I mean, I think I should worry that we haven’t found her name.

Willow: Who? Miss Kitty?

Tara: You’d think she’d let us know her name by now.

Willow: She will. She’s not all grown yet.

On the basic level, both Willow and Tara are searching for a real name for their cat. On another level, it’s referring to the First Slayer. It’s stalking them in their dreams, yet it has yet to speak (and they’re waiting to hear her name). This could also, again, represent Dawn (since in Graduation Day Part II the cat represented something Buffy was suppose to take care of) and they’re waiting for her to arrive to know her name. Also seen in Real Me, there’s a link with Dawn to cats. The first crazy guy that we see meet Dawn mentions something about a cat being like a cat. This could prove that "Miss Kitty" is Restless is suppose to symbolize Dawn.

Tara: You don’t know everything about me.

It’s somewhat obvious that Tara’s keeping something from Willow In Goodbye Iowa, Tara disturbs Willow’s demon finding spell, which makes sense later in season five when Tara’s family claims that the women in her family have demon in them- which turns out to be a myth.

Willow is writing something on Tara’s back. It’s a Greek poem by a Greek lesbian poet named Sappho (called Deathless Aphrodite) that has many levels (to read the poem, go here: http://www.monadnock.net/translations/sappho_01.html) and it even mentions doing things against her will (this has to do with spells, I’m guessing). This deals with what’s going on in Season Six when Willow and Tara are fighting and Willow using a forgetting spell.

Tara: They will find, you know. About you.

Willow: I don’t have time to think about that.

This has many levels as well. On the level, that many people can understand if they’ve seen Season Four, is that Willow opens up to being gay, and that she may, on some level, still be nervous about coming out to some people. On another level, in Season Six, Willow goes overboard with magicks, and she tries to cover up everything. "I don’t have time to think about that" deals with the fact that Willow doesn’t think about how she’s using her magicks, she just uses them when idly for anything she wants.

Tara: You’ve never taken drama before…

Willow is taking drama in Season Five (Buffy had to drop it for some quality Slayer-Watcher time with Giles), and this could also make reference to Season Six. Basically, drama is acting and acting can be lying. So, she’s talking about how Willow lies in Season Six with the whole deal with magicks. Pretty much, drama in this case is an extravagant showcase of lying to everyone. And, in Season Six, Willow lies to Tara about the forgetting spell she puts on Tara.

Then, this is just something to note: If red does in fact mean "death" in this episode, then something might happen to Tara, since she’s under a red sheet. And if Willow’s writing a spell-ish sort of thing (it’s not specifically a spell, it’s a poem, but it’s a poem about the gods, and gods are used in spells in BtVS) then that may be the cause of the death of Tara. Or, the red could represent the fact that Tara is one of the four Scoobies who resurrect Buffy in Bargaining.

Willow: It’s so blinding… and there’s something out there…

Willow is seeing the first Slayer, and then it flashes to the cat, which is representing the Slayer (cause she has no name).

eliza4ever ([email protected], from BuffyGuide.com Forums) has some input on this first scene of Willow’s dream:

In the next scene, Willow walks into the hallway at her school (college) and it reveals Xander and Oz. Why are these two guys here? Xander and Oz are the other two loves of Willow’s life (along with Tara). What this act is doing is going back in time (from Tara, to Xander and Oz, and it will eventually lead all the way back to the first episode of BtVS).

Oz: Heard you’re taking drama.

Willow: Uh huh.

Oz: It’s a tough course.

Willow: You took it?

Oz: Oh, I’ve been here forever.

This is more or less explaining that Oz and Xander (the two men in her life) will forever be here in her heart. This also makes reference to High School, when Oz had to retake his senior year (w/ Buffy and co. so he was happy about that) and he’d taken many classes so he knew a lot of things. What this is really trying to say is that drama also being lying, just like when Tara was saying. Oz is saying that Willow will be lying (Season Six- as well, as in Season Three when Willow and Xander "made with the smoochies") and when he says it a "tough course," he’s implying that he’s taken it before (meaning that he’s lied before). This is referring to what happened in Wild at Heart when Oz lies about sleeping with Veruca.

Xander: So whatcha doing? Doing spells? (to Oz) She does spells with Tara.

Oz: Yeah I heard about that.

This is making reference to A New Moon Rising when Oz learns that Tara is involved with Willow. In Season Four, magicks and witches seems to be a parallel lesbians and being gay (i.e.: Willow’s gay).

Xander’s shirt is red. I seriously doubt he’s going to die, though it’s a possibility, but in Season Six, Xander’s one of the Scoobies who revives Buffy.

Xander: Sometimes I think about two women doing a spell, and I do a spell by myself.

Again, implying that spells and magicks refer to sex and lesbians.

In the next scene, Willow is backstage of a theater and everyone’s getting ready for a play (on the first day of drama). This represents when Willow was keeping her secret about being gay to herself, and how she was covering up ("acting"). This also could imply about magicks, and how she’s covering up with that in Season Six.

Willow’s the only one who dreams about Harmony (not entirely sure why- she probably had the most interaction with Harmony during the series during high school).

Riley’s costume (Cowboy Guy) represents how many people see Riley, just some guy. Or even Rebound Guy. Riley: I showed up on time, so I got to be "Cowboy Guy". This basically means, anyone could have shown up, and they would have gotten to be Buffy’s boyfriend.

Buffy: Your whole family’s in the front row, and they look really angry!

(later in the dream) Giles: Now everyone Willow has ever met is out there in the audience- including all of us.

This is about Willow coming out to everyone (that’s why everyone Willow’s ever met, including the people in the play, are out there). She apparently had some fear about coming out to her parents, and thinking they’d be mad (though, we never actually find out their reaction). Also, this can refer to Season Six, about how Willow’s hiding stuff about her magicks from the group, and "family" could represent the Scoobies and how they’re angry with Willow about her usage of magicks.

The play itself represents three things: In Nightmares, Willow deals with her fear of singing in an opera (that’s why she mentions Madame Butterfly- that’s the opera she had to sing). In The Puppet Show, Willow, Xander, and Buffy are forced into the school talent show, and Giles is in charge of it (he’s also in charge of this). And this could possibly be foreshadowing Once More With Feeling (their "especially on the musical numbers") or it could be a coincidence.

Willow: I just think it’s really early to be putting on a play. I don’t even know what-

Basically, if this is going in chronological order, then it’s talking about the fact that Willow doesn’t know how long she’s been gay or how long she’s been putting on an act. She doesn’t even know what she’s doing yet (this could go back to Vampire Willow being gay).

Something to note is all the characters that appear in "drama class": Willow, Buffy, Riley, Harmony and Giles. As already addressed, "drama," is relating to acting or lying. All of these characters lie at some point in the future. Willow’s lies have already been noted, but Buffy has been lying for sometime now (ever since pre-Season One, to her mom). Buffy lies in order to protect Dawn in Season Five, in a way she’s lying (not really I suppose) since she holds back with Riley, and in Season Six, she lies about where she was when she died, and about her relationship with Spike. Riley’s lying is mainly about him "cheating" (I guess it’s cheating) on Buffy with druggy-whore vamp midway in Season Five, before his departure. Giles lies off and on, but mostly holds back and puts up a mask about his true feelings. For instance, he puts up a mask about how things are in life (Season Four and Five) and he holds back from everyone except Willow about his leaving. Then, when Buffy comes back, in Season Six, he holds back on Buffy about wanting to leave. Harmony lies to herself during Season Five, thinking that Spike loves her, that she’s the new Big Bad, and she also lies to herself about being good (or does she?) in Disharmony (Angel episode) and lies to Angel and co. about the vamps.

Harmony: Props?

Giles: No!

Riley: Props?

Giles: Yes!

I think this brief scene shows how many people doubt Harmony’s intelligence, but really she’s vastly improved since the Cordette from High School. If Harmony does return in either Buffy or Angel, she said that she’ll be the leader of an occult (a scene cut out of the Disharmony episode). So, many people seem to be underminding her when she does realize what she’s doing (also seen in the first Dawn-centered episode, The Real Me).

Cheese Guy: I’ve made a little space for the cheese slices.

The Cheese Guy apparently has no point (just something fun to add in) but I’m putting up something briefly anyways. The only thing to note is that the Cheese Guy has twelve slices of cheese in a nice straight line.

After looking at bcb83’s input on the Cheese Guy (see end of post), I’ve made little speculations of my own- except I can only think of something solid for everyone except Willow. But (small) speculation for Willow is that she keeps many things hidden away (meaning there’s little room left- in this case for cheese), and in S6, it’s possible that magick is distancing herself from Tara, making little space for her.

(NEW!!) Also, Robert Gross pointed out that "…At the beginning of Death of a Salesman Willie Loman and his wife have a rather inane conversation about cheese"

When Willow moves between the red curtains (red having something to do with death) could be the fact that Willow is surrounded by death. In Season Two, the whole Angel thing resulted in death and her first spell (the Restoration spell) and the ends in his death (more traumatic for Buffy). Season Six, it would deal with the fact that she’s surrounded by death since Buffy’s gone, and she uses her magicks to revive Buffy (toying with death) and that ends up being traumatic for Buffy.

Willow: Is there something following me?

Tara: Yes.

In the dream, the First Slayer is following her (stalking her), and then consequences are stalking Willow throughout Season Six due to her magicks.

(NEW!!) From Robert Gross ([email protected]) about the Death of a Salesmen scene:

In the scene of the scene with Riley (Cowboy Guy) talking to Harmony, she’s asking why Riley’s is in that small town that has very few exports, and he answers with "A man; a salesman" this is foreshadowing when Riley’s talking to Graham in Season Five. Graham asks why Riley’s still in Sunnydale, what’s holding him there, and what’s holding him there is Buffy. That’s what that scene’s suppose to represent.

In the next scene when Buffy’s yelling at Riley, this is suppose to represent the fight Buffy and Riley will have in Into the Woods in Season Five (this is Buffy shunning men).

(NEW!!) Tara: They’ll punish. I can’t help you with that.

According to Robert Gross, "Tara's line "They'll punish you. I can't help you with that" foreshadows Tara's own death, as she will be dead by the time "Evil Willow" is confronted by Buffy and Giles at the end of Season Six."

Tara disappears after that scene, which could possibly be foreshadowing Tara leaving Willow, after she toys with the magicks on Season Six.

After Buffy saves Willow from the First Slayer (who’s clawing at her and attempting to stab her through the red curtains), they’re in the classroom back at Sunnydale High (thus, bring us towards the conclusion of the dream). Note that all of the chairs are red (instead of blue, I believe) in the classroom, because a lot of people died there.

Buffy: The play is long over. Why are you still in custom?

Willow: Okay, still having to explain that this is just my outfit.

Buffy: Willow, everybody already knows. Take it off.

Willow: No… I need it.

Buffy: For God’s sake, just take it off. (rips off Willow’s clothes to reveal her in the clothes that Willow wore on the first episode of BtVS).

When Willow is standing up, Buffy rips off her clothes (or her custom) to reveal her in her old school clothes. Basically, it’s the start of her journey, which represents who she really is (just the same old nerdy Willow, and everything else is just a cover up). On another level, what would happen if Willow was striped of her magicks and Tara (girlfriend), is this what would be left of Willow (she asks herself this question in Wrecked).

You see Oz and Tara (her two true loves) talking about Willow behind her back, going back to how Willow is lying to everyone about who she really is. And her fear that Tara wouldn’t love her if she met the true her without magicks (question brought up in Wrecked, Season Six).

Anya: Oh my god, it's like a tragedy… It's exactly like a Greek tragedy!

This makes reference back to the poem Willow was writing on her back.

This is clnoble’s (Charles Noble, [email protected] from BuffyGuide.com Forums) insight and speculation about what Willow’s dream could be telling.

(NEW!!) From Robert Gross, in regards to The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe:

Then, the first Slayer jumps her, and drains the energy- the spirit- out of her (her card was Spirit, and that’s what the Slayer takes from her). So, basically, Willow’s journey is about being secretive, and I think Joss made it pretty vague specifically what he’s referring to, because Willow keeps many secrets about herself to the group (being gay, her magicks, possibly more later on, and the end result turns out if she’s truly just the same old nerdy Willow she use to be.)

Many things that happen in Xander’s dreams are fantasies, which all eventually lead him to the obvious and awful truth. To start off…

Buffy: Want some corn?

Xander: Butter flavor?

Buffy: New car smell.

This would be our first delusion of Xander. A car is something that Xander probably will never have (or so he believes this at the time) so this is one of Xander’s little fantasies.

Here’s more insight on "new car smell" from yruneh (from BuffyGuide.com Forums):

Xander (about Willow): What’s her deal?

Buffy: Big faker.

Possibly referring back to Willow’s dream, about her covering things up "faking it." This just proves that everyone’s dreams are connected throughout Restless (because of their connection to the First Slayer, during Primeval, whose dreams are connected to something- possibly the Powers That Be- that send her the prophetic dreams).

Giles: Oh I’m beginning to understand this now. It’s all about the journey, isn’t it.

Xander: Well thanks for making me have to pee.

Buffy: You don’t need any help with that, right?

Xander: Got a system!

This is referring to how often Xander needs help with it comes to slayage of demons. Xander is usually the one who gets in trouble or ends up getting harmed by the demon or bad things end up happening to him (i.e.: "spider-eating man-bitch" is what he calls himself in the Buffy versus Dracula episode.).

eliza4ever ([email protected], from BuffyGuide.com Forums) has some input on this first scene of Xander’s dream:

Then, Xander moves upstairs (which could have a symbolic meaning of heaven, which is why Joyce is the only one upstairs) and sees Joyce. She invites him to stay in her room, but he has to leave to go pee and he says he’ll come right back.

Joyce is dressed completely in red (which is foreshadowing her death if red symbolized death in this episode) and Joyce dies in Season Five, so this could in fact be foreshadowing. Also, Joyce speaks without moving her mouth (I don’t completely understand it) which is what Giles does when he "dies" (head gets sliced open). And beds, in this episode, seem to represent a place of contentment (heaven) and/or a deathbed (like a grave). Solid proof of her bed being similar to a deathbed is in The Weight of the World, when Willow enters Buffy’s mind, Joyce’s grave is where her bed was.

The fact that Joyce is hitting on him comes from two things: In the Valentines Day episode (with Amy in Season Two) all the women in Sunnydale go after Xander, and Joyce is amongst them, so he could be remembering that. Also, this could in fact be another fantasy of Xander’s, but is something that would never happen. But, the face that dead Joyce is inviting him in to her bed (deathbed?) may actually mean that Xander faces death often. Dunno. That might in fact just be fantasy.

He heads over to the bathroom, and finds the Initiative scientists studying him as he’s about to pee, and he quickly zips up.

And here’s the second clnoble (Charles Noble) insight, but on Xander’s dream this time:

So after Xander’s little pee-peeve, he leaves to find another room. What room does he go in? Buffy’s room. And if Xander’s dream continued the way it was going, we can only have expected to see Buffy trying to go after Xander (ha!). I’m guessing Xander’s subconscious realized that this couldn’t be and snapped him back to reality- his basement. He’s stepped out from his fantasy world and is now back in reality. Whenever there’s a fantasy in the dream, it’ll somehow bring Xander back to his basement, which is reality, which is something that he seems unable to escape (until he becomes more responsible, more of a man, comes to terms about his situation, and moves out during Season Five). And whenever a dream becomes to unrealistic (like heading into Buffy’s room) he’s brought back to his basement.

When Xander leaves, he ends up in a park with Buffy (playing in the sand) and Giles and Spike (swinging on a swing). Spike is dressed in a spiffy, interesting suit (this suit is quite similar to the one he ends up wearing in Tabula Rasa, but not exactly the same), which ties in with the fact that Giles says Spike is like a son to him.

Spike: Giles here is going to teach me how to be a Watcher. Says I’ve got the stuff.

Giles: Spike’s like a son to me.

Xander: I was in to that for awhile, but I’ve got other stuff going on. (pause) Gotta have something… gotta be with moving forward.

This has several meanings, and references. In Something Blue, when Spike and Buffy fall in love and they want to get married, Spike considers Giles to be a father-like figure (much to Giles’s dismay). Then, in Tabula Rasa (which is why he’s wearing that suit) Spike and Giles (everyone’s lost their memories) assume that they’re related since they’re both English, so Giles considers Spike to be his son (actually, it’s Spike again who first claims that Giles is his father). Lastly, on a deeper note, Spike loves Buffy. And, if he were to start dating Buffy, that would make him "like a son" to Giles. Then, when Xander says he use to be into that, he’s talking about his crush on Buffy, but now he’s in a relationship with Anya. This is also what Buffy tells Xander to do (gotta be with moving forward) in All the Way when referring to marrying Anya. Now, about Spike being a Watcher, that’s referring to the fact that Spike will be watching over Buffy because of his love towards her (that’s why they’re on the swing, they’re watching over Buffy).

The reason why Xander sees himself with Buffy, Spike, and Giles, and then sees himself in the ice cream truck (Anya’s inside of it) is because he’s moving away from his strong crush towards Buffy, into a zone where they’ve become close friends. But there’s also an entirely different place where he’s dealing with Anya and Willow.

Xander: Buffy, are you sure you want to play there? That’s a pretty big sandbox. (Buffy’s tiny sandbox turns into a large desert from later on in the episode, as well as Intervention, and Buffy’s showdown with First Slayer later on in episode)

Buffy: I’m okay. It’s not coming for me yet. (Buffy’s image is briefly distorted, Buffy’s skin briefly turns reddish for a split second during distortion)

Xander: I just mean, you can’t protect yourself from… some stuff.

Several meanings: The "it" Buffy is talking about is referring to the First Slayer. She hasn’t come for Buffy yet. But, another level "it" and "some stuff" could in fact mean death, and the sandbox represents death as well, since this is the same desert Buffy’s learns of her "gift" in Intervention.

Buffy: I’m way ahead of you big brother.

Xander: Brother?

Xander’s more or less realizing that he has moved on from Buffy, and the way he treats her is now more big brother like: He’s watching out for her, but more in a sibling way, oppose to how Giles and Spike watch out for her. Xander proves how he’s changed into his big brother role, like in All the Way (his talk with Buffy about marriage) or Into the Woods with his talk to her about Riley.

This whole little Buffy act could actually mean several things as well: Buffy acting younger could in fact represent Dawn (since Dawn now things of Xander in a big brother sort of way, and Spike is the one watching out for Dawn, while Giles watches or watched out for Buffy but he still feels like a fatherly figure to Dawn).

Now, to the world of Xander and Anya:

Then, Xander takes a step out of reality again once he’s in his ice cream truck.

(NEW!!) Small note from Robert Gross:

Anya: Do you know where you’re going?

Xander:..

From what Anya’s saying right her, she’s wondering where her and Xander’s relationship is going (it eventually leads to marriage). This was first brought up, sometime in Season Four, when Anya and Xander hadn’t had sex for awhile, and Anya thought that they would inevitably break up.

Anya: I’m thinking about getting back into vengeance.

Xander: Is that right?

Anya: Well you know how I miss it. I’ve been so at loose ends since I quit.

This could in fact be foreshadowing Anyanka’s (demon-Anya) return in Season Six, if Xander does in fact stand her up at the wedding and she transforms into her old demon self. Also, Anya usually makes demon references throughout Season Four and when she appeared in Season Three. And lastly, during Season Five, Anya will no longer be at loose ends, because she’ll be running the Magic Box with Giles.

Anya: I think this will be a very big year for vengeance.

This could be foreshadowing the end of the Buffy-Riley relationship, since they break up due to lack-of-love (Buffy), cheating (Riley), and the incomplete sex (Buffy and Riley). Also, though it isn’t that year, the vengeance Anya could be referring to is her and Xander, who might not get married (then Anya would turn into a vengeance demon).

Anya: I’ll be fine. I think I’ve figured out how to steer by gesturing empathetically.

This is just a little fact, but as Willow (unfortunately) discovers, Anya can’t really drive yet. So all see can really do is be a backseat driver.

As Anya and Xander continue to briefly argue until Tara and Willow (dressed… oddly) interrupt them, with giggles and smiles and touching. They start making out (camera doesn’t catch it, just hear noises) and then they invite Xander to come in the back with him. This is obviously a fantasy.

When Anya says yes, she doesn’t care if he goes in the back, this is more or less the reverse as to what happens in Season Five. Xander’s relationship with Anya is strained when Anya (girlfriend) and Willow (bestfriend) start fighting with each other. Basically, the fact that Anya is fine with it is the exact opposite as to what she says in Triangle (Olaf’s grand appearance) (thus being a fantasy). Anya’s afraid that Willow will try to take back Xander (which, in a way is what she’s doing in the dream) and Willow’s afraid the Anya will become a vengeance demon again (which is what she’s thinking about in the dream). And then when Xander follows her into the back, that’s obviously another fantasy of his (threesome).

Something interesting to note is the fact that Tara speaks but doesn’t move her mouth. Joyce (foreshadowing death) and Giles (who was dying in the dream) both spoke without moving their mouths, so it could be possible that Tara might in fact die. Or, it could simply mean that these characters will be leaving the cast (as Joyce and Giles have already done). (NEW!!) Tara is wearing ridiculously red ("harlot"?) lipstick, which she never does in real life--- she also wears pink clothes in Buffy’s dream--- indicating more red-as-death symbolism. The fact that in Xander’s dream Tara speaks without moving her lips focuses the audience on her lips, and therefore on the red and the foreshadow of Tara’s death. (Robert Gross)

When Xander follows them into the back, he ends up in his basement again. Again, this represents Xander stepping back into reality. Again, the dream became too unrealistic and so he was snapped back into reality, his musty old basement. We all know this would be unrealistic (I can still hear my friend, who I was watching this with when I first watched the finale, saying "Are you serious? He’s going back there to have a three-some?"). So he was snapped back into reality.

Then, the cheese guy appears again.

Cheese Guy: These will not protect you.

This time, there are only eight slices of cheese… intersting…

Again, thank you bcb83 for the Cheese Guy eye opener, for me (for his speculation, check around the last Cheese Guy appearance). Xander usually needs protection (often in the form of Buffy) to fight demons and vamps and stuff. So, when Xander begins to flee, the Cheese Guy says, these will not protect you, meaning that nothing can protect Xander from escaping reality.

After escaping from his basement, he enters the college campus, which is in strange colors and the sound is distorted. Why is this? The fact that Xander didn’t go to college made him feel left out throughout Season Four (non-college guy), and in this dream everything seems weird because it seems like he doesn’t belong there. Giles and Anya are speaking in French because he’s not meant to understand what’s going on there. It’s odd, because of all the other characters (excluding Spike), Anya and Giles don’t even work or go to the college—maybe meaning that they belong there more than he ever will. Here is the translated dialogue from Xander, Anya, and Giles.

Giles (French dubbing over): —the house where we’re all sleeping. All your friends are there having a wonderful time and getting on with their lives. The creature can’t hurt you there.

Xander: What? Go where? I don’t understand.

Giles (still dubbed): Oh, for God’s sake, this is not time for your idiotic games.

[Anya rushes to them, worried. And dubbed.]

Anya (with the dubbing): Xander! You have to come with us now. Everybody’s waiting for you.

Giles (dubly): Honey, I don’t—I can’t hear you…

[Anya grabs his arms, starts dragging him.]

Anya (dubbage): IT’s not important. I’ll take you there.

The Snyder scene is basically the little toad explaining how Xander is bound to end up- living in his parent’s basement. Snyder’s explaining that that’s what Xander’s reality is. Not that he’s a solider, but he’s just a guy who’ll never escape his parents’ basement, and the same fate as his parents.

Then, when he appears in front of Giles’s house, the First Slayer is chasing after him. He enters Giles’s house, but no one seems to be paying attention to him (which is what happens in Fear, Itself).

Buffy: I can fight anything, right?

This is referring to something Spike said, about how Buffy thinks she’s becoming invincible, but Buffy simply replies that she’s just very good. This is all about the one thing Buffy really can’t fight: Death. This deals with her own death, as well as her mother’s death.

Anya: Maybe we should slap her.

This is just a little note about the slapping thing: Anya mentioned slapping Buffy, when they first saw Buffybot boinking Spike. Anya suggested the slapping idea, and then Xander decided to leave, but before he left Tara asked if he was really going to slap her. Xander replied, "If I see Buffy boinking Spike again, I’ll definitely knock myself unconscious" (Intervention). Forgot to note this last time, but Anya is Anyanka in this brief scene. Possible foreshadow for a return to Anyanka later on, (possibly Season Six).

Then, after he rushes out of Giles’s house (since the First Slayer is chasing after him), he appears in the dorms and he heads to Buffy’s dorm, only to find it empty. More or less this explains how Xander can never truly be apart of this college life because he seems to be out of the loop (thus comes the loopiness of going from Giles’s to empty dorm room). Then, when he goes into Buffy’s closet, he ends up in his basement, meaning that things preceding it were false and fantasies, meaning that college life and gaining attention were two fantasies of his. Xander being in college is part of the fantasy that is about to snap back into reality, but hiding in the closet is what sets it off. Basically, he knows he can’t hide from his reality, and when he begins to hide that’s the unrealistic thing that brings him back to the basement.

Back in the basement, he confronts his father, and he whispers "That’s not the way out" meaning that becoming his parents or staying here with his parents wasn’t the way out. If he ended up staying with his parents, then he would keep on ending up right back where he started: the basement. But when he confronts his father, it’s the First Slayer, and he rips his heart out.

Xander’s journey is excepting his reality from his fantasies, and attempting to escape his actual reality of his parents and the basement.

Buffy (watching as Giles swings his pocket watch): Don’t you think it’s a little old fashion.

Giles: This is the way women and men have behaved since the beginning; before time.

Basically hinting towards the First Slayer again, since there have been demons there for a very long time, and ever since there were vampires, there was the Slayers (meaning she’s been around for awhile). So, that’s what this small part is hinting towards. I finally got some connection to a pocket watch when I was watching Buffy. The only other character I can really think of that ever had a watch (that has any importance) is Doc’s pocket watch, from The Gift, when he says that Glory’s running a little late. Or it could simply be that "watch" has some relationship with "watcher" (which is what Giles was/is- was the Watcher in Season Four, becomes it again in Season Five).

Giles: Now look into the light.

Buffy: *giggling* (image is briefly distorted)

Now, Giles’s dream is primarily surrounding Buffy. The fact that he says to Buffy "look into the light" problem symbolizes heaven, in a way. Going into the light, the light at the end of the tunnel, go into the light- no wait, already said that. You know what I’m saying. And when Buffy’s image briefly gets distorted (just like in Xander’s dream) that represents death.

Giles is trying to hypnotize Buffy (it seems) with his pocket watch, and he mentions how this is the way men and women have behaved since the beginning of time (and this deals with the First Slayer, who’s been there since the beginning of time).

The next scene, where Olivia, Giles, and Buffy are walking through the carnival represents how Giles feels about Buffy, like she’s her daughter. But why isn’t Joyce there? It could be because that she’s going to die or it could just be because he doesn’t feel that way about Joyce anymore, and that he wants to be with Olivia (who, oddly, hasn’t appeared in the series since- maybe we can hope she’ll return on Ripper).

And there are two things to note about Olivia and Buffy. Olivia is pregnant, oddly enough meaning that someone’s on the way (someone, meaning Dawn, who would be Buffy’s little sister in this dream as well). Plus, Giles is also a fatherly figure to Dawn as well. And the shirt Buffy’s wearing is red, as well, and we all know that she’s dies at the end of Season Five.

I believe this to be a coincidence, but the first vampire Buffy slays at this thing (actually the only one) is Dracula, and that’s the vampire she slays in the season premier of Season Five. (you can tell it’s Dracula because it says "Crack Drac" behind the vampire)

Giles: Now you’re going to get that all over your face.

Buffy: (turns to Giles with her face covered in mud, heat sensory image).

Then, when Buffy turns around, mud (or earth) is covering her face. And earth covers you when you’re dead, so this would represent Buffy being dead. Her image briefly flickers to a heat sensory image (somewhat like the distortion images of Buffy before). Plus, she disappears right after, meaning that she’s gone. I finally figured this out after watching The Gift again. It was Spike’s word that hit me. "Because it’s always got to be blood… Blood, it’s what keeps you going, makes you warm, makes you hard- makes you anything but dead." When Buffy puts on the mud, she comes cold. This is a foreshadow of Buffy’s death (took me forever to figure out what it mean though).

Giles: I know you… I know you…

This part, I’m not completely sure about. When he sees Buffy with the mud on his face, he says "I know you" and then it flashes back to him and he again says "I know you" but it’s somewhat unclear what Giles is saying. I’m guessing he’s referring to the fact that he knows death (possibly) since he had to deal with Jenny and Joyce. But, Giles might recognize the First Slayer through Buffy (that’s what I first thought when I watched this episode when it first aired).

Spike quickly herds Giles into his crypt, where Giles discovers Olivia crying (over the fact that Buffy was gone), and in a black and white scene, he sees an group taking pictures of Spike (who looks pretty much the same, since he wears all black and he’s pretty white). Spike’s a slide show freak (which is similar to what Buffy calls her relationship with Spike in Wrecked, a "freak show", also another reference to a freak show is the Angel Buffy relationship, that’s what Angel called it, freak show).

Spike: I’ve hired myself out as an attraction.

On another note, Spike (who still can’t hurt humans during Season Five) puts up a mask of being touch and evil (the big bad) but he’s soften up around the time he realizes his crush on Buffy. Plus, none of the Scoobies are even frighten of Spike (only Buffy, after she learns that Spike was getting his chip out- but he didn’t) and all Spike does is do stuff for money (mostly, up until towards the end of the season).

Giles: What am I suppose to do with all of this?

Spike: You have to make up your mind Rupes. What’re wasting time for?

This, again, works on two levels. One, Giles is suppose to figure out what’s haunting them in their dreams, since he’s the Watcher, and that’s kind of his job. He’s also suppose to figure out what he’s suppose to do with his life, instead of sitting at home, wasting time. This deals with both the season openers of Season Five and Six- Giles is about to leave for England until Buffy asks him to be her Watcher again. And then Giles does leave, after Buffy’s death, in order to gain a life in England, which is also why he leaves again during Season Six.

Spike: Haven’t you figured it all out with your enormous, squishy, frontal lobe?

This is talking about what the First Slayer is after (his mind- or his brain), but he hasn’t realized that yet. Also, Spike is also talking about what he’s going to do with his life, and wondering why he hasn’t figured it out yet.

Cheese Guy: I wear the cheese, it does not wear me.

There are only three slices of cheese, one on his shoulder, and two (still somewhat in a line) on top of his bold head.

Another bcb83 thank you. Here’s what I believe about Giles’s cheese reference. Basically, put Giles in the place of the Cheese Guy. What he’s saying is that he’s in control, and that other people do not control him (he controls, it does not control him). And I suppose he could be talking about his life. He’s in charge of his live.

Giles: So sorry I’m late. There’s a great deal going on… and all at once.

This is referring to Giles dealing with Buffy’s deal, and trying to figure out what to do with his life, and, as well, trying to figure out what this monster is (First Slayer). Giles still feels this way in Season Six, while he’s training the Buffybot, he feels that there’s a lot going on, but he might have to leave.

Xander: I promised Anya I’d be there for her big night. Now I’ll probably be pushing up daisies, in the sense of being in the ground underneath them, and fertilizing the soil with decomposition.

This could imply marriage between Anya and Xander (because I know, in some shows, such as Friends, marriage is more of a big day for women- though not always, this is a stereotype that I’m not agreeing with, but it’s in this.). But, it may not be, it’s unclear. But pretty much, Xander’s saying that if he misses Anya’s big night (referring to her stand up comedy act right now, and possibly foreshadowing the wedding) than he’s dead (not literally though, I think he’s just in trouble if he doesn’t. possible breakup-age.)

Anya: Okay. A man walks in to the office of a doctor. And he’s wearing on his head, um… wait, t-there’s a- there’s a duck, is that right? (checks paper).

Random Guy: You suck!

Anya: Quiet! You’ll miss the humorous conclusion.

Giles: She’s doing quite well.

This is a reflection about how Anya acts, and how’s trying to act more human. By saying "she’s doing quite well" is Giles’s way of saying that she’s trying very hard to be human. But, actually, Anya’s bluntness (or rudeness) often affects Giles, Xander, and Willow throughout Season Five.

(NEW!!) From Robert Gross about Xander and Anya in Giles’s dream:

Willow: Do you know that this is your fault?

Giles: You have to think of the facts, you know. I’m very busy, I have a gig myself, you know.

Basically, during Season Six, Giles is blaming himself for Buffy’s death (when he’s talking to the Buffybot to his job his done, now that his Slayer is gone in Bargaining). And he is actually the only one who is blaming himself for Buffy’s death. Also, when he mentions his a gig, he’s actually referring to a life. He’s explaining that he has his own life, and he can’t always help Buffy and the gang (which is foreshadowing his departures in Season Six).

Willow: Something’s after us. It’s like some primal… some animal force.

Giles: That use to be us.

That’s basically what happened in Primeval, when Giles, Willow, and Xander connected with Buffy (who is suppose to be dead in Giles’s dream). This could possibly be relating to something else, but it is unclear what it is.

Willow: If we don’t know what we’re fighting, then we don’t stand a chance.

This comes up as an issue in Season Six. After Giles leaves, the group is unsure how to go about researching monsters and demons, and that’s a problem they had to deal with for awhile. Also, while Buffy’s gone, the Scoobies a forced with the truth that they might not stand a chance against the monsters they’re fighting, without the Slayer.

Giles’s musical break out is due to the fact that you see Giles singing in two episodes in Season Four, Where the Wild Things Are and The Yoko Factor, and the fact that Giles (Tony Head) is a great singer. Also, the way he suddenly breaks out into song, and how the song is about what he’s explaining is quite similar to how numbers are started in Once More With Feeling.

When Giles’s musical number is brought to a halt, he follows the cord to see what’s wrong with his microphone, only to discover a large coil of cord and to find his watch within it (since the beginning of time) and he realizes that the force that they invoked was the First Slayer. The watch reads 11:50 (don’t really think it matters though). His hint about "You never had a watcher" is implying that she’s the Slayer.

Giles: You never had a Watcher…

As Giles is saying this, the First Slayer is cutting into his forehead (killing him), and strangely enough, you hear the words, but you don’t see his mouth moving (just like Joyce and Tara). Also, something to note, that in The Puppet Show, Giles is about to get his skull cut open (like this) by a demon. It’s not foreshadowing anything, but it’s just a coincidence. And, the fact the he says this may be how he thinks Buffy doesn’t need him anymore… There’s a new reference to the watch to Doc’s watch. It would make some sense if you think about it. Part of Giles’s dream is about losing Buffy, and the watch could mean that he’s running out of time. Doc’s watch in The Gift meant that Glory was running late.

Overall, Giles’s dream is about how he has so much going on in his life and the he has to figure out what to do (Spike indicates this), and how he has his own life outside of Buffy, Xander, and Willow (which he indicates to Willow). It’s also about, in the beginning, how he deals with Buffy, and how he feels towards her. But, something interesting to note, is that Tara did not show up in his dream (and everyone but Giles dreams about her). Dunno why. It seems that Joyce and Tara (Joyce who is dead, and Tara, who might possibly die, aren’t in his dream for some reason).

eliza4ever ([email protected], from BuffyGuide.com Forums) has some input on this first scene of Giles’s dream:

Anya: Buffy, wake up! Buffy you have to wake up right away!

Buffy: I’m not really in charge of these things.

Anya: Please wake up.

Buffy: I need my beauty sleep. So stop it, okay?

Anya, who was one of the Scoobies who revives Buffy and is a reddish orange blanket, is trying to wake up sleepy Buffy. Buffy, who seems happy and content, and Anya who is trying to wake her up. In Season Six, Willow, Xander, Anya, and Tara pull Buffy out of heaven (out of contentment), and Anya trying to wake her up represents them pulling her out of heaven. Something interesting to note is that Anya is in Willow’s bed, and a question to ask yourself is, Why isn’t Willow there, trying to wake her up? Giles, Willow, and Xander are gone (Xander only makes a brief appearance) because the First Slayer has already gotten to them. But how could the three of them dream about each other? Their parts were different in the spell. They cast the spell and empowered Buffy, while Buffy received the power.

Buffy: (watching herself get out of her old bed at home) Faith and I just made that bed.

Tara: For who?

Buffy: I thought you were here to tell me.

(later in the scene, when Buffy’s leaving) Tara: Be back before dawn…

The scene that Buffy and Tara are in was a dream sequence (that Faith was actually dreaming, not Buffy, but had Buffy in it) is from This Year’s Girl, when Buffy and Faith are making up Buffy’s bed, only to discover that Faith is bleeding on the bed. This is mentioned again later on, but I’m just gonna mention it now. In Graduation Day Part I, Faith is wearing the same dress that Buffy’s wearing now in Restless. This was the last moment before comaing that Faith probably felt truly happy (just a little fact). Anyhow, this shows that the Slayers are truly connect, even if they are enemies. This information (thanks to Marisa) answers many questions as to why she’s wearing this specific dress. To me, the fact that it goes from Anya trying to wake up Buffy, to Buffy waking up in her bed represents Buffy’s deathbed (her grave) and being pulled from heaven and forced back to life in her grave (her deathbed). There’s also two possibilities for that Tara’s question "For who" and Buffy replies "I thought you were here to tell me." Buffy thought that Tara was here to tell her about who her enemy (the First Slayer) is. This is also what Willow, Xander, and Giles also try to figure out, but what this part is really trying to tell you, is about Dawn. It’s about Buffy’s unbeknownst of Dawn coming. Now, when Tara says "Be back before Dawn" she’s answering Buffy’s curiosity (about who was coming) and it is also about Buffy’s death: she dies a dawn (the rising sun).

From eliza4ever ([email protected]):

Buffy: The guys aren’t here, are they?

As I explained before, Xander, Willow, and Giles are out of the picture, since the First Slayer has taken them out. That’s why the guys aren’t there.

(Buffy glances at clock, and it says 7:30 am) Buffy: It’s so late.

Tara: Oh, that clock’s completely wrong.

This makes reference to Buffy’s dream in Graduation Day Part II, when Buffy has a dream with Faith in it. Faith says Faith: Oh yeah. Miles to go. Little Miss Muffet counting down from seven three oh. And "seven three oh" is the time the clock reads (and since this was Faith’s dream, and she believed that it was still graduation day when she had this similar dream sequence in This Year’s Girl, this could explain something). 730 is two years (365 times 2), and exactly two years from Graduation Day Part II (Season Three season finale) is The Gift (Season Five season finale) which is when Buffy dies. That fact that Tara says that that clock is completely wrong, is because in Faith’s dream, she still believed that that day was graduation day, and if it had been graduation day, then that would have been the right time. This is in reference to Giles’s dream, about Doc’s watch. This part of the dream is about the coming of Dawn and Buffy’s death as well. "It’s so late" line is what connects it all. These are Doc’s words, as he said that Glory was running late, and because of that Doc ended up cutting Dawn to open up the portal, and then it’s because of that that Buffy jumps and she dies. It all ties in.

(hold up Manus card) Tara: Here.

Buffy: I’m never going to use those.

The Manus tarot card (the hand) is the card the represented Buffy in Primeval when she was taking down Adam. This represents several things: Manus is Adam in Hindu mythology (thank you Illustrated Dictionary of Mythology). Manu is the first man (and so is Adam) so it feels kinda ironic that it is that card that kills Adam. Also, Buffy’s fist (which tears out Adam’s power source) is the first thing that shoots out of Buffy’s grave after being revived.

Tara: You think you know, what’s to come, what you are, you haven’t even begun.

This is what Dracula tells Buffy, when he confronts her. This is a nice place to put this, because this is right after Buffy is revived, and as it is discovered in Season Six, Buffy isn’t completely human after she’s been revived.

Buffy leaves her room, Tara says "Be back before Dawn" and then Buffy’s wandering down UC Sunnydale’s halls. As she’s walking, she sees a hole in the wall, and discovers her mom’s living there. Notice that parts of the clothes Buffy wears are red (symbolizing death, possibly).

Marisa ([email protected], from BuffyGuide.com Forums) has some interesting insight on what connections this dress has in relationship to other BtVS episodes:

Buffy: Mom?

Joyce: Oh, hi honey.

Buffy: Why are you living in the walls?

Joyce: Oh sweetie, no I’m fine here. Don’t worry about me.

(as Buffy’s leaving) Joyce: You could, uh probably break through the wall…

This is a strong representation about how Buffy isn’t home as much anymore and that there’s a wall between her home life and her school life. Even in High School, she put up that barrier, but now that she’s in college, that barrier’s completely up, and she only sees her mother a little bit (this is slightly explained by Faith in This Year’s Girl and the fact that Joyce’s character rarely appeared throughout Season Four). Also, Joyce’s last line is about Buffy breaking down that wall and returning home, which is what Buffy does when her mother’s sick, in order to take care of Dawn. Breaking down the wall is kind of a foreshadowing for Season Five.

From eliza4ever ([email protected]):

Tealc (from BuffyGuide.com Forums) gives a brief insight about what else could been represented in this scene with Joyce:

(NEW!!) Also, a short opinion about the wall and Joyce, from Robert Gross:

Buffy sees Xander rushing up the stairs, and so Buffy follows him, only to discover Riley and Adam (completely human) dressed up in suits, in what appears to be the Initiative or some government thing.

Riley: Hey there, killer.

"Killer" is what Dracula calls her (thus she preferred "Slayer" cause she said "Killer" makes her sound like she paints clowns or something). This is something that Buffy, I suppose, ponders if all she truly is, is a killer (this is something she asks herself in The Gift, "I guess a Slayer is really just a killer. If I have to kill Dawn, I quit." or something to that effect). (NEW!!) Forrest refers to Faith as a killer (oppose to a Slayer) during Who Are You? thus showing another connection between the Slayers. And, during the Faith/Buffy fight, the term killer (or maybe murder) escapes one of the Slayer’s mouths.

Buffy: Riley? You’re back?

Riley: I never left.

When she asks if he’s back, that means that if he’s back from his trip, but on another level he’s asking if he’s back with the government. This is kind of saying that Riley never actually left the government (possibly a fear of Buffy’s), and then in Into the Woods, Riley rejoins the government.

Now notice, the gun on Riley’s table is pointed towards Buffy. This could symbolize death as well.

Riley: We’re drawing up a plan for world domination. The key element: Coffee-makers that can think.

Now, I know that Joss couldn’t have possibly been thinking of this at the time, but coffee-makers that can think brings me straight to the Buffybot (which Anya says comes from a long line of toaster-ovens in Bargaining). And world domination makes me think of Warren (and Jonathan and Andrew) who are trying to take over Sunnydale.

Adam (human): Aggression is a natural human tendency. Though, you and me come at it in another way.

Buffy: (with the First Slayer behind her) We’re not demons.

Adam: Is that a fact?

This deals with the fact that Buffy didn’t come back completely human in Season Six (she came back wrong). Plus, it really makes you wonder if the Slayer’s powers are rooted in darkness (has demonic lineage), which is what Dracula tells her in Buffy vs. Dracula. (NEW!!) From Robert Gross, "Buffy’s denial of a demonic origin of the power of the Slayer is explored further in Season Six when her molecular structure has been "altered" by her resurrection and Spike is able to strike her."

Riley: We have a lot of filing, getting things names.

Buffy: What was your name?

Adam: Before Adam? Not a man among us can remember…

On an obvious note, we’re seeing a completely human Adam for the first time, and discovering he can’t even remember his name, makes you wonder how long this project had been going on. Also, this goes to the First Slayer, whose name we’re trying to figure it throughout this episode. And giving things names could also refer to Dawn as well. And lastly, "she who cannot be named" is Glory, and giving things name may, in fact, refer to her. I seriously doubt this last part, it’s more of a coincidence than much else.

Then, when the alarm goes off (just like in the Initiative during Primeval) and all the monsters are freed.

Buffy: Wait! I have weapons.

Then, Buffy reaches for her weapons in her bag, only to discover mud in the bag. She’s searching around for weapons, but there’s only mud. So, she puts it on her face, and as she does this, the heat sensor thing comes back on. This could represent death (since you go into the earth when you die), and her death was a weapon for stopping Glory’s evil plan in Season Five’s finale, The Gift. Again, I stated this in Giles’s dream, but I’ll say it again. Basically, as Spike said, "Blood is what keeps you warm- it’s what makes you living." So, when Buffy puts the mud on, it makes her feel cold- dead. As Spike said in Fool For Love, every Slayer has a death wish, so in a way, this is a comfort zone for Buffy. In Season Six, Buffy was expelled from heaven, so she wants to die- so she feels no pain, she’s content (similar to the beginning of this dream). And when she puts on the mask, she feels at ease again, because she’s dead.

Riley: I thought you were looking for your friends. Okay killer, if that’s the way you want it, I guess you’re on your own… (walks away)

This is pretty much what happens between Riley and Buffy in Into the Woods, when Riley leaves the show.

When Buffy gets up, still with the mud covering her face, light begins to shine down on her (almost like now that she’s dead, she can step into the light, just like in Giles’s dream).

Then Buffy begins walking, and finds herself in a vast desert, which could represent death, since this is the same desert that’s in Intervention the Spirit Guide told her that her gift is death. (One a brief note, Giles communicated with the Spirit Guide during The Zeppo, kinda irrelevant).

Then, as she’s walking, we see Tara.

Buffy: I’m never going to find them here.

Tara: Course not. That’s the reason you came.

Tara, who’s speaking for the First Slayer, is basically saying how the Slayer is meant to be alone, which is why she’s looking in the desert. And, if the desert represents death, then that could also be because she’s dead, and her friends aren’t there (yet), and she wants to stay there instead of returning to Earth where her friends are, and everything’s hard.

From eliza4ever ([email protected]):

Buffy: You’re not in my dream.

Tara: I was borrowed.

Why? Who knows. It is possible Tara was just borrowed because she is slightly powerful and has magicks, oppose to Spike, Anya, and Riley, which is why Tara’s been chosen to be borrowed. Or, maybe, Tara has a purpose that we have yet to know about it, which is why she was chosen. Or, maybe it’s completely random.

From eliza4ever ([email protected]):

First Slayer: No friends. Just to kill. We are… alone!

Basically, the First Slayer explains that the Slayer is a tool for destruction- a tool for death. "She moves in the action of death." She’s saying that the Slayer is a Killer (which is something Buffy doesn’t believe at first until later). The First Slayer also says that the Slayer is suppose to walk alone in this world, but Buffy quickly explains how things have changed, and that a Slayer isn’t just a killer, and she wants her friends, because she does need them.

Some deserty thoughts from eliza4ever ([email protected]):

Then, we have the final Cheese Guy moment.

Cheese Guy: … (smiling and waving around two slices of cheese).

Buffy: That’s it. I’m waking up.

And the Cheese Guy only has two slices of cheese. 12… 8… 3… 2… The difference between these numbers are 4… 5… 1…What does it mean? Most likely, nothing. But it was fun trying to figure out. This is a real stretch (yup) but this is the only way I could incorporate the Cheese Guy with Buffy. Since the CG doesn’t say anything, you have to think about what it’s doing. It’s waving its hands. The only other reference to hands in all of this is the Manus card. Who knows? The Cheese Guy still seems to be something funny, but oh well.

After that, Buffy and the First Slayer (who later meet in the desert in Intervention to discuss Buffy’s "gift") fight, kick or two, punch, and then Buffy realizes that she has control over the dream, and she won’t let the First Slayer kill. So, she basically tells the First Slayer off, and forces herself to wake up, freeing the other three (Xander, Willow, and Giles).

(NEW!!) From Robert Gross, about the final scene:

’Kay, it’s several days (weeks actually) later since I’ve written this, and I have yet to do anything with it, and I really don’t feel like going through all of it (since there seems to be a lot of it) and editing it and stuff, kinda lazy. Also, I don’t think I finished the ending, but it’s close enough. But there was some stuff I was gonna change slightly and take out, but now you’ll just have to work with my unedited, caffeinated, work. Also, here’s the status on characters, status being appearances (dunno why I said status): [Actually, I did go back and add some stuff, this is me later, but I didn’t cut anything, so there might be some extra stuff floating around.]

The following appeared in everyone’s dream:

Buffy, The First Slayer, Anya, Xander, and the Cheese Guy.

(NEW!!) Buffy – Buffy appeared in everyone’s dream mainly because she’s the center of things. She’s the only that brought the group together at the start; she’s the one that gave more meaning to Xander, Willow, and Giles’s lives (in the sense that they wanted to help people); yada, yada. And, she places different roles for each person: she, Xander, and Willow are best friends; Giles is not only Buffy’s mentor, but her fatherly figure.

(NEW!!) The First Slayer – The reason why the First Slayer appeared in everyone’s dream is because all four character invoked the essence of the Slayer into them—which is why all four are having prophetic dreams (one of the powers of the Slayer).

(NEW!!) Anya/Xander – Both appeared in every single dream, playing the different roles that they would when they interacted with different characters. Anya was mocking Willow (similar to Cordy, except with that Anyaness to her) in her dream, she was being the girlfriend is Xander’s dream, she’s trying to find a purpose and be more human and Giles’s dream (thus becoming a magic shop owner), and in Buffy’s dream she’s attempting to awake Buffy (i.e.: the resurrection spell, Season Six). Xander appears in Willow’s dream as the old love interest turned friend, Xander’s being research guy in Giles’s dream, and Xander only appears briefly in Buffy’s dream, but he’s running away from her (which is what happens during Season Six—Buffy pushes her friends away).

And then the Cheese Guy is in everyone’s dreams just for the hell of it.

The following appeared in everyone’s dream, except for one person:

Giles (Buffy’s dream), Tara, (Giles’s dream), and Willow (Buffy’s dream)

(NEW!!) Giles – Giles doesn’t appear in Buffy’s dreams mainly because Giles, Xander, and Willow were all already attacked by the First Slayer and were inaccesible to Buffy. On the flip side, Giles is about to leave at the start of Season Five and also Giles leaves Buffy during Season Six (forcing her to stand all alone), which this could be foreshadowing.

(NEW!!) Tara – This isn’t all too surprising. Nearly all the main characters in the Jossverse (Buffy, Xander, Willow, Giles, Cordelia, Oz, Tara, Angel, Wesley, and Gunn) all have bad relationships with family members, and even though the writers try to make Giles the fatherly figure towards all the Scoobies, Tara is the only Scooby that doesn’t have a strong connection with Giles. This is somewhat illustrated in Giles’s good bye scene during Bargaining Part I, when Dawn, Willow, Xander, Anya, and Tara are all saying good bye to Giles. Xander could always turn towards Giles even if you screwed up—sure Giles would be angry but they always had an understanding of one another since the very start. Anya and Giles bonded with the Magic Box, and Anya didn’t have anyone else other than Xander—so when it came down to the adultly figure in Anya’s life, it was Giles, and she was clingy (as shown when she clung onto Giles). Dawn’s father abandoned her, and when Joyce and Buffy died, Giles stepped in as the parent. Willow and Giles have worked alongside each other—researching or working magicks or what not—so they became really close and she was taking over Giles’s shoes when he left. And Tara? Just a hug.

(NEW!!) Willow – Like Giles, Willow was one of the three that had already been attacked by the First Slayer, so that’s the main reason why she didn’t appear in the dream. The other reason is that during Season Six, Buffy alienated herself from her friends—and Buffy (during Gone) blames herself for letting this happen to Willow, because she was so caught up in herself she wasn’t seeing what was happening with Willow.

The following appeared in two people’s dreams:

Riley (Willow and Buffy’s dreams), Spike (Xander and Giles’s dreams), and Joyce (Xander and Buffy’s dreams).

(NEW!!) Riley – During Season Four, the two characters that Riley most interacted with was Willow and Buffy. Buffy for obvious reasons (the boinking), but the Willow interaction mainly happened during The Initiative, when Willow helped Riley try to get Buffy. After that, Willow and Riley were on pretty good terms (plus, of the main characters, Willow was the only one that was in college with Buffy and Riley). In Willow’s Dream, Riley is shown as the lucky guy who got to Buffy first ("I showed up on time, so I got to be cowboy guy!" – Riley), which was due to Willow’s help.

(NEW!!) Spike – During Season Four, two characters had to deal with Spike a lot: Xander and Giles. Giles dealt with keeping Spike tied up for several episodes in his house, and later Giles was helped by Spike (after paying him money) when he turned into a demon during A New Man. Giles and Spike’s interaction during Giles’s dream occurred in Spike’s crypt, where Giles paid the money during Season Four. Xander dealt with Spike during Hush, Doomed, and the episode following, when Spike was briefly living with Xander. Again, Spike interaction occurred when Spike and Anya briefly "hooked-up" in a time to complain about exs.

(NEW!!) Joyce – Joyce appearing in Buffy’s dream was obvious (with the whole family thing). Joyce also appeared in Xander’s dream most likely because Xander felt a lot closer (in a parental way) to Buffy’s mom than Willow or Giles did. Giles is already an adult and Willow’s family—even though it was neglectful—was always a place she could turn to for family. As Xander said during Forever, he would choose going to Willow’s parents than to his own in times of comfort (as visual illustrated during Hell’s Bells).

The following had one shots in people’s dreams:

Oz (Willow’s dream), Harmony (Willow’s dream), Snyder (Xander’s dream), Xander’s Dad (first appearance, Xander’s dream), Olivia (Giles’s dream), and Adam (Buffy’s dream).

(NEW!!) Oz – A bit obvious, with Oz being Willow’s old beau.

(NEW!!) Harmony – Even though there was close to no Harmony/Willow interaction during Seasons Four and Five, the reason that Harmony probably appeared in Willow’s dream was because she was being pulled back to her "High School" personality (which she believes changed because of the magicks). Harmony was apart of the teasing factor back then, which is why she guest starred in the dream—Buffy and Xander were all probably victims of Harmony as well back in High School, but neither’s dream was focusing on High School.

(NEW!!) Snyder/Xander’s Dad – There were always things that weighed Xander down in live, which is why Snyder returned in Xander’s dream. Even though he picked on Buffy a lot and ended up using Willow once or twice, he could always say something to Harris to bring him down. And it’s the same with Xander’s father. And Xander is trying to push passed all this, so he doesn’t end up like they both say he’ll end up.

(NEW!!) Olivia – Obvious reasons, Olivia was Giles’s girlfriend.

(NEW!!) Adam – Of the four Scoobies, Buffy was the only one with any sort of strong interaction with Adam. Although Xander saw Adam once, Buffy’s fight with Adam and the fact that Adam was intertwine with Riley in a way, made the connection between the two alittle deeper than the other three.

Bcb83, from the BuffyGuide.com Forums (http://www.buffyguide.com), has an interesting interpretation of Restless’s Cheese Guy. All credit goes to him:

Here’s an additional insight on of the Cheese Guy, from yruneh:

Some more Cheese Guy stuff, from eliza4ever:

You think you know, what’s to come, what you are, you haven’t even begun. – Tara/Dracula