When I was a kid, I read a choose-your-own-adventure book about a kid who found out he was secretly the prince of the crab people. I then had a nightmare that I was in the car with my mom and we were driving down a residential street where all the houses had weird cameras with red lenses in the yards that followed the car as we drove. Suddenly, giant crab people burst from the houses and swarmed the car. One of them busted through the window and ripped my mom's head off. I woke up so terrified that when I tried to scream for my mom, no noise came out. That shit still haunts me, and I just turned 37. 😂
A recurring bad dream I do is having to be in 1 place and going back to pick something and then not being able to leave anymore because something keeps preventing me from doing it. Another nightmare I had more than once was of getting killed. One time I dreamt of being shot in the back,another couple of times I got my throat slit...it was pretty awful!😖😰
My reoccurring nightmare. I'm at a ball game or concert or somewhere inside, and when I come out I can't find my car, not only that, I can't even find the parking lot! Sometimes I don't even recognize any of the surroundings. I Actually think about that now when I go places. If I have a choice I park next to a light post, or sign or the like. If not I always look for some kind of landmark or something so I can remember where I'm parked. Lol.
SMG has such good facial acting and this is the first episode that I feel she got to showcase it. The long takes focusing on her reacting to her dad instead of the quick back and forth talking heads were such a good choice. Just a forewarning I’m going to be gushing about her acting through the series xD
Her dad's lines to Buffy are the most devastating words I've ever experineced in film. So casual, so rote, as if it's all just so obvious, banal and boring. "I don't really get anything out these weekends." As a child it would have hollowed me out to hear those words.
What a DUMB comment he made. He AND his wife were the ones that birthed her! He should blame himself! Kids don’t ask to be born. Good thing that was just a nightmare..
I don't think the meeting between Buffy and the Master was real, it was just a fake "Nightmare Master". Same with her dad. I don't think he was really there and it was just something conjured up by Buffy's brain. Same with the clown and the spiders and the test and all the other stuff.
What I like about Buffy being a superhero is her vulnerability. No silly costumes, ability of flying etc. She's a regular girl with weight of huge responsibilities on her shoulders.
It's not that Buffy's dad doesn't remember talking to Buffy; it's that it wasn't actually him. He wasn't really there. Reality and unreality were bleeding together. Likewise, Buffy didn't _actually_ become a vampire.
The thing about slayers is that their dreams can be prophetic so Buffy was possibly having dreams about the Master even before she came to Sunnydale and in any case this isn't the first time she's seen him. We don't really learn if the experience in this episode was real for the Master or if he remembered it or not but it seems likely he would since he's already aware of the supernatural.
I don't think it's that Buffy's dad doesn't remember. I think it's that that wasn't actually Buffy's dad, but a manifestation of her nightmare. Like how if you have a dream of a friend betraying you, it's not that they don't remember when you wake up, it wasn't actually them. Just like that clown wasn't actually the clown from Xanders childhood birthday party, but just a manifestation of his fear of the clown.
No, Billy was altering reality. That was made pretty clear by The Master. As to whether Mr Summers remembers what happened, I can't say but I am 100% certain that he really walked up to Buffy & really said all those things.
I love how fast you're getting through these can't wait for season 2 Follow up question are you watching the HD version? Because the original edits/colors convey a lot of the show too there's a RUclips video on it but I don't recommend you watch it to see the difference but it's better to watch the original
Passion of the Nerd does have a non-spoilery version of that video which is def worth watching to really hit home why the remastered version is so bad. However, it does look like she's watching the original - the remaster is really obvious, faces look awful and plastic in it, but one of the most glaring issues with it is the Master's cave, it looks dark here like it's supposed to. It looks brightly lit in the remaster.
Nightmares was one of the better written episodes of BTVS in S1. The interesting concept here of everyone's nightmares coming true in reality, also the the spectre of child exploitation here with the demon used as the metaphor, even though we see the coach as the real villain causing the distress to Billy Palmer. This episode is definitely a step up for show in S1.
Becoming a Vampire was one of Buffy’s nightmares…and whether or not Slayers can become vampires is an open question. Nightmares don’t have to correspond with “reality”
True,but I don't see why they shouldn't be able to become vampires...they're human beings...they're stronger than normal but apart from that I see nothing that screams"immune to vampire transformation".
@@spamfilter32 I know,but my point remains.We know what the source of their power is 🤫 but they still have always been considered human beings...there are hints that,again,can't be told because of spoilers,but..who has seen the whole show should know...I'm just gonna say...chip(and dale!LOL).
@@Nicamon Because, _however_ Slayers came to exist, it would be a massive oversight and liability for a girl to be granted that kind of power and still be susceptible to becoming the thing she's charged with fighting on a nightly basis; when they not only have the ability to turn her, but would statistically be the most common cause of a Slayer's death.
@@stargazer1682 "would statistically be the most common cause of a Slayer's death."I thought about it and I don't think this is true. SPOILER... ...I think vampires are more interested in bragging about _killing_ Slayers than turning them.Even if it would be a smarter move from them to turn them,I'll give you that. We know Spike killed 2 Slayers...why didn't he turn them?I don't think it's because he _couldn't_ I think it's because for a vampire the proof of value *is* killing a Slayer. It would be very interesting,though,to see a vampire being the Sire of a vampire ex-Slayer.🤔 Besides...it's more _risky_ for vamps to try to turn Slayers instead of killing them on the spot.What if they pretend they're about to bite you back and instead they stake you?😵
Nightmares is about two things primarily: well the first is obvious...nightmares...the things we all fear...our worst fears coming to life. Secondly a strange power that some are gifted with called Astral Projection. This means that when someone is in a deep sleep or coma state their spirit can leave their body and move about freely on it's own. It doesn't have a physical form but it can effect reality in odd ways.
You are absolutely right to lock in on how important this episode is in regard to revelation of character. You will definitely refer back to this when you analyze the characters as the series goes along.
Loving going on this journey with you, I'm here for the long haul. :) I'm ordinarily not much of a commenter, but I had to step in on what you said about Joyce. The tragic part is, people aren't letting you develop your own opinions. They are telling you what your opinion should be, depriving you of learning more about her character as you go. I am speaking more to the Spoiler Rats, because that is in effect what you are doing. When they tell you that 'you shouldn't feel that way', because they have the benefit of hindsight? They're in effect spoiling you, on top of telling you what to feel and think. I don't know if you have spoiler moderators, but you people need to stop telling her how to feel. Let her learn on her own for God's sake; the same way you did. Anyway, keep up the awesome work, Cass - you are a top-tier reactor! I'm with you to the end!
ever since the first episode xander has been stupidly brave. considering how he refused to let the actual superhero rescue jesse from actual vampires, it's kind of strange that xander was ever running from a clown in the first place.
@sirmoonslosthismind seems to me like you don’t understand people very well. Xander went after Buffy and Jesse because he’s not one to let friends, even new ones, face danger alone. To a logical, rational thinker, following your heart and your emotions may seem stupid but it’s also very human. As for the clown, fears, especially embedded, childhood traumas, can be very irrational. That doesn’t make them any less terrifying for the phobic. Also, THE CLOWN HAD A KNIFE, MAN!!! Always run from ANYTHING or ANYONE that comes at you with a 🔪 But at least he realized that all he feared, in this situation at least, was fear itself. I think that in itself gave him the ability to face it head on.
1. Your critique of Joyce's character is pretty astute. She's not always well-served by the writers, who tend to have her do/say whatever the plot requires. Since we almost always see her with Buffy, though, it may help to think that we're seeing the Joyce that Buffy sees, and Buffy is, you know, a teenager. Also it's worth noticing we haven't met Xander or Willow's parents - BTVS tends to deal with parents by talking about them, or ignoring them entirely. 2. It's kind of the same with Sunnydale and people's awareness of all the death and weirdness. People tend to be as clued-in or clueless as the plot requires - it's a willing suspension of disbelief situation. 3. Every time I rewatch this ep I get confused by Billy looking EXACTLY like the Annoying One. I mean, they couldn't have at least cast a kid with a different haircut? 4. Willow’s nightmare is mine. Not Madame Butterfly specifically, but close enough.
Interestingly, the original plans for the show is that we would never see any of the parents, much as we haven't seen Willow or Xanders parents yet, But they were not even going to have the audience ever see Buffy's mom. Luckily they decided that there were stories to tell with Joyce, and also that it would really be weird never seeing her.
Giles' worst nightmare is Buffy dying... Giles' worst nightmare is Buffy dying... Giles' worst nightmare is Buffy dying... This just really hurts whenever i re-watch this show. 😢😢😢
Willow's nightmare was a great call back to the play with in a play from the end credits where when it is time for her line, she stands there for a second, then flees the stage in terror in Puppet Show. Even though that is only an episode, most shows, and especially shows of the era, would not be able to do callbacks like that. it was super common (and annoyed me to no end) that in one episode there would have a character say how much they hated chocolate, and in the very next episode they would be scarfing down on chocolate because that was their very favorite.
Just wanted to say your Buffy reactions are my favorite part of the week! I hope you continue to enjoy the show. It's my first love. :) As for reoccurring nightmares, I don't really have them that often. And even the one I did have, it's been a couple years. TW: death (backstory first) Back in 2016 my family took some big hits when it comes to death of family members. My Grandad died at the beginning of that year, he was on his way out for what seemed like forever, so as sad as it was, it was also relieving bc he was definitely suffering. ( My grandma passed a few years prior, so he was lonely). in June my aunt passed, his daughter. That was a major, world-flipping upside down, death. But it did bring us cousins back together that summer. It was nice. Then in September my cousin, one of the ones who I hung out with throughout the summer, overdosed. Another traumatic death in the books. Cherry on top? between these big family deaths, a lot of my parents friends/friends of the family also passed. I guess everyone is just getting to the age. Safe to say, I was kind of mentally checked out the majority of that year. (Sidenote: It wasn't until this year I started having real fear surrounding my own death. I was fully convinced I'd be next.) Now, the dream: I'm in my grandparents bathroom and I'm looking in the mirror. I see the child version of myself and I'm in the middle of freshening up. Someone knocks on the door and tells me to "Hurry up, we're going to be late!" I open the door and I see my cousin, like me he's also the child version of himself. We run down the hallway and into the living room where we meet both our grandparents and our aunt. They're also de-aged. The ages they were when I was a kid. Everyone is dressed up, they're going on about how nice we look and then John (cousin) brushes them off ( lovingly) and rushes ahead and out the front door. My grandparents make their way to the door and my grandma looks back and says "Come on, now." (we're southern, so it wasn't said like an agressive order lol if that helps paint the picture better) and then they follow out the door hand in hand. Then it's just me and my aunt. She looks at me, brushes my hair behind my ears and asks "Amber, you ready?" I never get the chance to respond before she grabs my hand and we make way for the door. I always wake up before I even cross the threshold. I, of course thought these were messages from them. But now I like to think it's just anxiety about dying. However, no one else on that side of the family has died since that year. And I do have some health problems that can turn into something major if I don't take care of myself/ am unlucky. In fact, I've had 2 scares since 2020. Not necessarily BIG scares but my heart did go into afib. :) I can't think about it too hard or I'll spiral lmfao. ANYWAY, great reaction! Can't wait for the next. x
I’ve had so many dreams where my teeth fall out and I keep spitting up teeth and it’s usually for no reason. Like I feel a tooth feels off and boom they all start crumbling and breaking and I try desperately to hide it from everyone. And on a complete side note, I’ve been loving your reactions and I’m always anticipating the next Buffy episode!
It's a very common dream. The psychologist Jung wrote about it because it was such a common one. Some interpretations are that it is related to concerns about how people perceive you, being worried about your appearance. Another one is that it is related to loss, the fear of loss.
My favorite part of this episode is when Giles has a dramatic tone/reaction and say "Dreams? I'd say our nightmares, or nightmares are coming true?" Especially, when his worst nightmare so far was not being able to read😂 I love me some Giles. Its also clearly a great episode that showcases his and Buffy's relationship up to this point.😊
What I like and find most interesting about this episode is that while the gang helps Billy overcome his fear, they fail to do as such with their own fears (except Xander.)
It’s just a shame this episode came so early in the show. They clearly had only rough ideas for Xander and Willow at this point, I can only imagine how much heavier their nightmare segments could have been had this episode been done further down the line after the writers had a better developed grasp on them both.
@@troikas3353 True. They should have had at least 1"remake"episode of this...maybe during or after S5 so they could include some new character as well...😉🤫
@@sirmoonslosthismind SPOILERS Yeah,right,but I was thinking to something that could include Dawn and Tara too...for example,it would have been interesting to see what new fears this new Big Sister Buffy could have... or what fears could _Dawn_ have...
My worst nightmare... I don't remember it exactly, but there was a storm, there was a night, and there were gigantic hands sticking out of the ground. I'm not sure I was even ten when I saw it. But it is my worst nightmare, and, coincidentally, my only one. Normally I just don't dream, I get into my bed and basically cease to exist until morning, but this time I've got severe food poisoning... it wasn't pretty.
To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you. - Buffy from Welcome to the Hellmouth (Season 1, Episode 1)
Even 30 years out of college, I still have the occasional nightmare that I'm back in school and i was enrolled in a class that i skipped so many times I forgot I was taking it, and I remembered just in time for finals.
Damn, same. And i can tell you what is it every time: computational biology (in grad school). I routinely have to go back and check my old transcript to make sure I don't have an incomplete.
@@jmgonzalez4 Lately I have been dreaming I missed a class and haven't indeed graduated and have to go back. Have to remind myself I have a degree lol
@@dutchkel loool. That'll save me a lot of time: guy, you have a degree.. you graduated, you defended a thesis and they said you're done. But man in that hazy moment between dream and reality... wow am I panicked.
I think it was her one-sided reality, just like her dad showing up wasn't her actual dad, the Master wasn't the real Master. But that's just my opinion, idk.
It's tempting to make comments on this episodes, but the ones that came to my mind would definitely be spoilers for you. I will say this however. I like how you were aware that certain things might happen. Your 'lucky 19' comment for instance. And knowing what Buffy's dad was going to say about the parental breakup. And your comment about the monster being the coach.
I don't think the not noticing in regards to how much bad stuff happens in Sunnydale is mystical, I think it's psychological. I think if we, as a society, have learned anything from everything that's happened since 2016, it's that there are a lot of people who are ready willing and able to ignore evidence of a pattern if it helps keep their own life comfortable in the short term. I think whenever most of the parents hear about another "mysterious runaway" or "sudden suicide," they just chalk it up to "bad seeds" and "what's wrong with kids these days?" and go on with their day. I also think, given that Sunnydale is right in the middle between LA and San Diego, that a lot of the people in town blame the supposed gang activity on drifters passing through between major cities. That notion, of gangs traveling in between cities and terrorizing suburban communities, was a big part of the political "tough on crime" narrative in the 90s, and I think it's meant to reference that. Back then, everyone was really quick to blame "the crazies" or "thugs" for all sorts of problems, to mentally distance themselves from problems that were actually coming from their own community.
Your mini-rant about teen shows where the parents are all oblivious idiots sums up why I couldn't get through 'My So-Called Life' back when it was a big thing. 😒
I have a recurring dream in which I'm driving and it's a nice day and suddenly someone steps in front of the car and it turns into an orgy of cars smashing into people and ripping therm to pieces.
"just roll with it" - yep, i think you're overthinking lots of stuff here. just relax and let the unrealistic aspects wash over you. let the show be what it is and enjoy it for what it is or don't enjoy it.
12:47 My usual nightmares involve being late to school or not having studied for an exam. Which is weird 'cause I haven't been to school for, like, 13-14 years now! :p But there is an actual freaky nightmare I got, I only got it once, but it freaked me out big time! So it starts off I'm in my bathroom brushing my teeth and, for some reason, I don't have a shirt on. That's an important detail because I notice on the side what, at first, looks like a bellybutton. Except it's not. Looking at it closer, it's actually a "hole" in my skin, and I can see my organs from it. Then, I notice I can just lift the skin off my body the same way one would remove a shirt, and for some reason I do that and then I have a really good look at my internal organs! That's pretty much when I woke up! Like I said, I only had that nightmare once, but it freaked me out big time, 'probably gonna remember it for a long time!
As recently as a month ago I had a dream where I realized I hadn't been to class all year and was going to fail. I graduated high school nearly 30 years ago.
I don't think it's real in the sense that the people in the nightmare are literally acting that way, it's real in that it's not 'just a dream' so you can be hurt or die. So for example that wouldn't be her actual dad talking to her, it's a nightmare version of him.
My recurring nightmare is about being back at my old job... or the one before that! (How to tell you I'm in my 30s without telling you I'm in my 30s 😂). Can't wait for you to get to season two! 🎉
I like the little detail that the ugly man's arm is a club as a childlike representation of who the abuser turns out to be and what they used to beat Billy into a coma
One of my favorite episodes as it deals with an unfortunately real trauma but gives it a supernatural spin. Overall it doesn't push the main story forward but it does give us a glimpse of things to come. The spiders, naked, surprise test, surprise play and clowns are common nightmare tropes that are fun to see realized. Sarah Michelle Gellar is amazing when it comes to emotional scenes, the one here with her father is just the first time. She's no Oscar Winner but you don't need to be a great actor. The canon comics that continue the show do play with the vampire slayer being a vampire idea as well as the idea of a male slayer. The reality bending nature can be seen as an interpretation of the viewer. Buffy has dreams of the Master so she knows what he looks like, but it's implied that he was released because of the spell and was likely sent right back when the nightmare was played out. It's never referred to again by Buffy or the Master so you can argue that it didn't happen
A couple of things from this and last episode. We can't tell you anything about characters- the main and characters that occur a lot because it would be be too hard not to spoil things for you or anyone else that has never seen it. Also dreams esp the ones Buffy has could be a slayer thing or just a manifestation of her fears like everyone else. As far as Joyce goes in season 1 she isn't really a key player she just appears occasionally so we know she has a mom and we get a sense of their relationship. Buffy is a really good show for character development and that goes for all the key characters and the supporting characters. I hope none of this was spoilers
Everything that happened was real. The entire point was that Billy was warping reality to make people's nightmares come true. Think of his powers as more like a genie's powers but instead of granting wishes, he "grants" nightmares.
I love your reaction and will reward it with a nightmare story :) Every so often, for several decades now, I have had a recurring nightmare where I suddenly jump or fly up into the air and become unable to fall down. Just as if gravity itself lost its hold on me. The motion away and up is always accelerating and what is scary about it is the inability to fall down/stop the motion. Almost any dream can morph into this usually short nightmare. It is actually fun once I realize I'm dreaming, but of course that means I wake up. Sometimes there is also an out of body sensation as a part of the flying up into the air/indefinitely accelerating jump.
Alright Cass. You asked for it. Disect my dreams/nightmare 😁. Recurring nightmare: takes place at night in a former apartment complex I used to live in. I seem to find myself running from something or someone and hiding from them. I'm always peeking around the corner of an apartment to see who or what is following me. Twice I've stopped running and have tried facing whatever it is I'm afraid of and then I wake up with my heart racing. I've had this nightmare about 4-5 times throughout my life. I'm 38 now. I wish I could see Who or What it is. Recurring dream 🤷♀️: I always start off in the middle of an apocalypse. Doesn't matter what setting it is. The world could be burning all around me or a gigantic vortex is opening up in the sky or alien ships are entering our atmosphere and swarming the skies at night. Panic sets in every time. Yet somehow I find myself guiding and leading people to safety as if I know where that is. I feel brave, confident and know that nothing is going to happen to me. And then I wake up. But afterwards, I end up feeling bummed that I don't know where that safety place is. Have fun interpreting these Cass ✌ ❤. P.S. Sarah Michelle Gellar did get buried for realsies. The whole dirt and everything. If you go back, you can see the dirt on her face. Because of this, she became afraid of being buried alive.
It seems to flip flop between the experiences being literal nightmares people have had and 'worst nightmare' scenarios. Okay, my literal recurring nightmares, you asked for it. Finding myself driving (I don't know how to drive). Since you mention it, once I was trying to drive and I went off a rise into water and struggled to get out as the car sank. Being unclothed (although weirdly no one actually reacts). In those two the prevailing fear is of being caught and punished in some way. Arriving for the first day of school/uni but I don't know my schedule or how to find out. Being late for a celebration because I'm taking too long to get ready - usually involves realising at the last minute that I'm not wearing makeup. Teeth falling out.
This episode is Buffy the Vampire/Slayer. Seems like the vampire and slayer powers amplified each other. Which gave her the strength to take out the Ugly Man.
You made a great point in the beginning about Joyce. Definitely keep carefully watching the progression. I think you have every right to expect more❣ Loving your insights, really fun : ) It's going to be phenomenal in S2.
Um... Not sure about movies, but in Harry Potter books magic was NOT something that muggles just "rationalized". It was either well hidden (like, some spell that makes it completely invisible for muggles), or it actually requires memory-wiping spells. That's why underage wizards were normally forbidden from doing magic - presumably adults can perform necessary steps to mind-wipe witnesses and so on, but teenagers probably aren't that reliable.
Mostly, the willful blindness of Sunnydale residents is just a handwave to a necessity of the narrative: they have to have a town in order for Buffy to live and be in school, and they have to have supernatural threats every week. In real life, those two things would be mutually exclusive. In the Buffyverse, it's just that people are unnaturally good at denial. Without it, there couldn't be a series.
I keep remembering the old video when something was revealed that subverted your expectations, and you had clowns over your eyes and stuff. I just can't quite remember the details. Good times.
You said Buffy's shadow looked like the shadow of a child, you should check how tall Buffy/Sarah Michelle Gellar is, her shadow being mistaken for a child is pretty reasonable.
How much do you want to bet, that in Buffy's dad's nightmare, that conversation goes the opposite way, in HIS nightmare, Buffy tells him SHE doesn't get anything from those visits and askes HIM to not come by anymore.
Hate the Spiders,can you just imagine ....nope My nightmare was running away form something and cant actually run ,your running but youre still in place.
Pro Tip: Whether or not people from Sunnydale acknowledge the supernatural occurring depends on a mix of factors: 1. How unexplainable the event was (if it can be rationalized by a run of the mill serial killer, a group of deformed delinquents, or a wild animal, it will be, but other monsters are too obvious) 2. How many people witnessed it (crowds are better at coming up with rationalizations than individuals) and 3. How in denial everyone is feeling that day (the most important factor)
The process for a vampire to turn a human into a vampire requires the victim to in turn suck the vampire's blood, after being bitten. So, in a sense, the victim "chooses" to become a vampire. Now, just my personal take, but I think some aspects of the chosen one, the slayer, are fairly strong willpower and a particular distain for vampires. (The second one's kinda in the job description). So, a slayer who finds herself in the unfortunate circumstance of being bitten and nearly drained of blood by a vampire, then being offered to be turned, would likely refuse, and thereby probably die from blood loss, or by the vampire finishing them off. (Just want to clarify, I used the word "chooses," with quotes because the victim in that situation would have been forcibly bitten and drained of blood, usually to the point of near unconsciousness, with death soon to follow. So, any notion of consciously choosing to then not drink the vampire's blood is pretty iffy. The victim is pretty much on auto pilot at that point; again, excluding the unlikely slayer who finds herself in that situation, where her previously mentioned preternatural ick response to vampires would probably kick in)... (Hypothetically).
You have to lean into the camp and just accept people will live in Sunnydale even if the murder rate is 200x St. Louis'. Maybe it's the Hellmouth magics making things seem more normal? But it's like doing the mass conversion between a female adult and a giant preying mantis, things aren't just gonna be logical. There's no good way to rationalize a girl's mouth being completely sealed over (temporarily, we hope) other than mass hallucinations. My nightmares are really boring like being stranded somewhere by a flat tire and having no friends to rescue me or my teeth falling out. I had a recurring dream recentlyish that was nightmare-adjacent, but once again it was me having to walk across my entire city because I didn't have a car available. I thought the kid was the Anointed One at first but after you said something it's clear that TAO has a strong part in his hair while the other kid didn't.
When I was a kid, I used to have recurring nightmares about driving over the edge of a bridge and the entire car (with my whole family inside) ending up in the water below. My hometown has a LOT of bridges. There are multiple rivers there, including the mouth of the largest river east of the Mississippi. One of our bridges is 2.5 miles long. It's a very real and valid fear of something that could legitimately actually happen, and driving over bridges still makes me very nervous to this day.
Your nightmares are horrific and I h*te that some recurring themes in my own nightmares are comparable to yours namely not being able to protect my siblings/nephews (also always aged-down in my dreams) and being chased/hunted by an armed person/being. I feel like the former is probably very common for those with kids or younger siblings 😭
14:00 I have had a nightmare where I drive a car but I can't drive or maybe I'm drunk or something, sometimes the brake cable is broken, and I end up hurting people.
I guess I am blessed. I am almost 60 and can only recall ever having maybe 5 nightmares my whole life. And I do dream and recall my dreams, at least usually 1 a night, sometimes more. The maybe 5 nightmares haven't been recurring. None of them have even been the same theme. I am thankful as that would be yuck.
I've only ever had one truly recurring nightmare, as a little kid. A dalmation (which at the time were about as tall as I was) was chasing me through an unfamiliar house, and I always woke up when my back was against the front door and I was groping for the handle while he closed in on me. One night I dreamed I got the door open, and the dog just bounded past me and jumped into the back of some dude's pickup, who then got in the truck and drove away. Never had the nightmare again. As an adult, recurring themes include high school, and trying to pack last minute while late for a bus/train/plane. I have recurring themes in my good dreams too, those are usually set at a big shopping center 😂
I've had three vivid recurring nightmares in my life. The oldest one was of my falling asleep in the first house I grew up in and, in the dream, there was one of those JAWS 3D posters and Jaws came out of the poster and lunged at me. the second, also when I was young, was from a Dr. Who episode about these cave monsters that were chasing me in their cave/tunnel network. And the third was from college years when the Movie The Ring came out, and I would dream that the girl from the movie would be coming after me.
Sunnydale's rationalization of the weird events that go on around them is just a more extreme version of a completely normal behaviour that everyone has. We all learn to accept what is going on around us. Take a look in your local newspaper, really read deep and realize that probably there's a lot more crime around you than you may be conscious of. Another example is the poverty that can exist just streets away from extreme wealth. Just hundreds of yards away, but worlds apart. The world is weird.
It's kind of an interesting question as to what of this episode is reality and what is not. Did any part of the nightmares in this episode have a direct impact on reality? And, do people have black widow spiders as pets, because, dangerous!
Well the fan base is divided, some love Joyce and others like me don't. So don't feel any pressure to feel a specific way about her (or any one else on the show, except Buffy ofc, hating her only leads to a special place in hell).
Re: Sunnydale residents not noticing what's going on, yeah there's the rationalisation explanation, and some others which will come up, but ultimately it's simply not the story which this show is trying to tell. The show is well aware of this being an unrealistic point, and sometimes makes funny jokes or allusions to it, but this is a show about vampires and the supernatural so they don't feel the need to give it a detailed explanation. Just as the James Bond franchise never feels the need to give a good explanation for how the protagonist apparently doesn't age while the world around him continues to modernise, or the Star Wars franchise never goes into detail about how a Force which emanates from living things somehow grants powers over inanimate objects, in the end those questions are not what those shows are about. But in the end Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn't about the nameless residents of the town of Sunnydale, and it's not something they're interested in exploring deeply.
I have odd dreams sometimes, but the only recurring nightmare I’ve had (or at least the only one I can remember) is a ‘Michael Myers’ type dude coming after me. I get that bit of fun one or two times a year.
In the course of the whole show, the nastiest things are the ones where smb acts totally out of their usual self. You expect the Master to be evil for sure, but when Xander turns into an offender with a cruel smile and Buffy's dad dismisses her as an unwanted burden - it doesn't get any worse. Btw., if you haven't reacted to the other great show 'Lost' yet, keep in mind that they reuse lots of Buffy. In a good way. Both are top notch.
This was an underrated first season episode. I do, however, wish the casting director had hired a boy who looked different than the Anointed One, because that was confusing for not just you, but for many other viewers over the decades.
it's already been established that in order to become a vampire... you have to drink their blood after they have drained you. No slayer is going to do that.
When i was growing up my most frequently recurring nightmare would be I would be in the backseat of a car but nobody was driving me and the car was driving itself and i would panic and have to try to take control of the car. I don't have that one anymore, but these days the iteration of it i have is i'll be driving and the brakes just don't work. They're not the worst dreams ever, my worst dreams are when i am somewhere and realize i don't have my cats with me and i miss them and feel like i lost them and freak out and wake up crying. I had a bad dream about my deceased mom, i had a dream she woke up gasping for air exclaiming "i had a dream i couldn't wake up" and then i woke up and was like "yeah no shit because you're dead" and i was pretty bummed out by that the rest of the day needless to say. I had another one where i was talking to my deceased mother over the phone, but for some reason i could see her on the other end of the phone and she didn't have eyeballs in her head. that one was fairly disturbing. I've had very many weird dreams. Dear God do not look to the sky in your dreams, every time i look at the sky in dreams it turns into a nightmare, the stars will all the sudden turn red and fill me with dread like it's the actual cataclysm, one time they formed constellations of human skeletons in the dream. I had a dream one time the Sun in the sky was chasing me and shooting lightning bolts out of it disintegrating everyone it hit, it killed everyone and finally caught up with me when i couldn't run anymore, it just hovered there over me and never bothered to zap me even after i accepted my fate which was weird. I had another dream where I was going up in a space shuttle during take off before entering the atmosphere the shuttle was attacked and shot down, and i died and landed in the ocean, but i didn't wake up until my body washed to shore rather than at the point of death. I had another one like that where I died and the dream just continued anyway, i was too lazy to wake up i guess lol
no seriously, tell me your worst/recurring nightmare
When I was a kid, I read a choose-your-own-adventure book about a kid who found out he was secretly the prince of the crab people. I then had a nightmare that I was in the car with my mom and we were driving down a residential street where all the houses had weird cameras with red lenses in the yards that followed the car as we drove. Suddenly, giant crab people burst from the houses and swarmed the car. One of them busted through the window and ripped my mom's head off. I woke up so terrified that when I tried to scream for my mom, no noise came out. That shit still haunts me, and I just turned 37. 😂
A recurring bad dream I do is having to be in 1 place and going back to pick something and then not being able to leave anymore because something keeps preventing me from doing it.
Another nightmare I had more than once was of getting killed. One time I dreamt of being shot in the back,another couple of times I got my throat slit...it was pretty awful!😖😰
This is a weird one, but I have a recurring nightmare where I vomit worms - it's really disgusting and terrifying
I deliver packages in Los Angekes and have a recurring nightmare of slamming into the car in front of me.
My reoccurring nightmare. I'm at a ball game or concert or somewhere inside, and when I come out I can't find my car, not only that, I can't even find the parking lot! Sometimes I don't even recognize any of the surroundings.
I Actually think about that now when I go places. If I have a choice I park next to a light post, or sign or the like. If not I always look for some kind of landmark or something so I can remember where I'm parked. Lol.
SMG has such good facial acting and this is the first episode that I feel she got to showcase it. The long takes focusing on her reacting to her dad instead of the quick back and forth talking heads were such a good choice. Just a forewarning I’m going to be gushing about her acting through the series xD
Her dad's lines to Buffy are the most devastating words I've ever experineced in film. So casual, so rote, as if it's all just so obvious, banal and boring. "I don't really get anything out these weekends." As a child it would have hollowed me out to hear those words.
Yeah. It's real-life horror, not fantasy horror.
Sadly it’s not uncommon.
What a DUMB comment he made. He AND his wife were the ones that birthed her! He should blame himself! Kids don’t ask to be born. Good thing that was just a nightmare..
I don't think the meeting between Buffy and the Master was real, it was just a fake "Nightmare Master". Same with her dad. I don't think he was really there and it was just something conjured up by Buffy's brain. Same with the clown and the spiders and the test and all the other stuff.
What I like about Buffy being a superhero is her vulnerability. No silly costumes, ability of flying etc. She's a regular girl with weight of huge responsibilities on her shoulders.
@@docsavage8640 It's magic.
🤨 She's super strong and she heals fast. 🤷♀️
SMG and Alyson really bring the feels when their characters are upset, they are both amazing actresses.
It's not that Buffy's dad doesn't remember talking to Buffy; it's that it wasn't actually him. He wasn't really there. Reality and unreality were bleeding together.
Likewise, Buffy didn't _actually_ become a vampire.
The thing about slayers is that their dreams can be prophetic so Buffy was possibly having dreams about the Master even before she came to Sunnydale and in any case this isn't the first time she's seen him. We don't really learn if the experience in this episode was real for the Master or if he remembered it or not but it seems likely he would since he's already aware of the supernatural.
I don't think it's that Buffy's dad doesn't remember. I think it's that that wasn't actually Buffy's dad, but a manifestation of her nightmare. Like how if you have a dream of a friend betraying you, it's not that they don't remember when you wake up, it wasn't actually them. Just like that clown wasn't actually the clown from Xanders childhood birthday party, but just a manifestation of his fear of the clown.
No, Billy was altering reality. That was made pretty clear by The Master. As to whether Mr Summers remembers what happened, I can't say but I am 100% certain that he really walked up to Buffy & really said all those things.
@@pieceofgosa You say that as if a not real Master would be the authority on whether or not he or any of the rest of it was "real".
Buffy dying is Gile's nightmare, and Buffy being bitten by the Master, becoming a vampire is Buffy's nightmare.
They are both well combined.
I love how fast you're getting through these can't wait for season 2
Follow up question are you watching the HD version? Because the original edits/colors convey a lot of the show too there's a RUclips video on it but I don't recommend you watch it to see the difference but it's better to watch the original
Passion of the Nerd does have a non-spoilery version of that video which is def worth watching to really hit home why the remastered version is so bad. However, it does look like she's watching the original - the remaster is really obvious, faces look awful and plastic in it, but one of the most glaring issues with it is the Master's cave, it looks dark here like it's supposed to. It looks brightly lit in the remaster.
@@Saan42 Yeah, it looks like the old, TV aspect ratio too.
Nightmares was one of the better written episodes of BTVS in S1. The interesting concept here of everyone's nightmares coming true in reality, also the the spectre of child exploitation here with the demon used as the metaphor, even though we see the coach as the real villain causing the distress to Billy Palmer. This episode is definitely a step up for show in S1.
Becoming a Vampire was one of Buffy’s nightmares…and whether or not Slayers can become vampires is an open question. Nightmares don’t have to correspond with “reality”
True,but I don't see why they shouldn't be able to become vampires...they're human beings...they're stronger than normal but apart from that I see nothing that screams"immune to vampire transformation".
@@Nicamon They are more than just stronger. And that strength is 100% supernatural in nature. Won't say more than that because spoilers.
@@spamfilter32 I know,but my point remains.We know what the source of their power is 🤫 but they still have always been considered human beings...there are hints that,again,can't be told because of spoilers,but..who has seen the whole show should know...I'm just gonna say...chip(and dale!LOL).
@@Nicamon Because, _however_ Slayers came to exist, it would be a massive oversight and liability for a girl to be granted that kind of power and still be susceptible to becoming the thing she's charged with fighting on a nightly basis; when they not only have the ability to turn her, but would statistically be the most common cause of a Slayer's death.
@@stargazer1682 "would statistically be the most common cause of a Slayer's death."I thought about it and I don't think this is true. SPOILER...
...I think vampires are more interested in bragging about _killing_ Slayers than turning them.Even if it would be a smarter move from them to turn them,I'll give you that. We know Spike killed 2 Slayers...why didn't he turn them?I don't think it's because he _couldn't_ I think it's because for a vampire the proof of value *is* killing a Slayer. It would be very interesting,though,to see a vampire being the Sire of a vampire ex-Slayer.🤔
Besides...it's more _risky_ for vamps to try to turn Slayers instead of killing them on the spot.What if they pretend they're about to bite you back and instead they stake you?😵
Nightmares is about two things primarily: well the first is obvious...nightmares...the things we all fear...our worst fears coming to life. Secondly a strange power that some are gifted with called Astral Projection. This means that when someone is in a deep sleep or coma state their spirit can leave their body and move about freely on it's own. It doesn't have a physical form but it can effect reality in odd ways.
You are absolutely right to lock in on how important this episode is in regard to revelation of character. You will definitely refer back to this when you analyze the characters as the series goes along.
It was not all completely forgotten because Willow and Xander were discussing vamp Buffy afterward.
This kid and the Anointed One really do look similar, should have cast a blonde kid for this episode.
Loving going on this journey with you, I'm here for the long haul. :)
I'm ordinarily not much of a commenter, but I had to step in on what you said about Joyce. The tragic part is, people aren't letting you develop your own opinions. They are telling you what your opinion should be, depriving you of learning more about her character as you go.
I am speaking more to the Spoiler Rats, because that is in effect what you are doing. When they tell you that 'you shouldn't feel that way', because they have the benefit of hindsight? They're in effect spoiling you, on top of telling you what to feel and think.
I don't know if you have spoiler moderators, but you people need to stop telling her how to feel. Let her learn on her own for God's sake; the same way you did.
Anyway, keep up the awesome work, Cass - you are a top-tier reactor! I'm with you to the end!
It was always interesting to me that Xander was the first one of them to actually face his fear.
ever since the first episode xander has been stupidly brave. considering how he refused to let the actual superhero rescue jesse from actual vampires, it's kind of strange that xander was ever running from a clown in the first place.
He has so much HEART
I mean he's only afraid of clowns & that's a really dumb fear so it was probably a pretty easy thing to do.
@sirmoonslosthismind seems to me like you don’t understand people very well. Xander went after Buffy and Jesse because he’s not one to let friends, even new ones, face danger alone. To a logical, rational thinker, following your heart and your emotions may seem stupid but it’s also very human.
As for the clown, fears, especially embedded, childhood traumas, can be very irrational. That doesn’t make them any less terrifying for the phobic.
Also, THE CLOWN HAD A KNIFE, MAN!!! Always run from ANYTHING or ANYONE that comes at you with a 🔪
But at least he realized that all he feared, in this situation at least, was fear itself. I think that in itself gave him the ability to face it head on.
1. Your critique of Joyce's character is pretty astute. She's not always well-served by the writers, who tend to have her do/say whatever the plot requires. Since we almost always see her with Buffy, though, it may help to think that we're seeing the Joyce that Buffy sees, and Buffy is, you know, a teenager. Also it's worth noticing we haven't met Xander or Willow's parents - BTVS tends to deal with parents by talking about them, or ignoring them entirely.
2. It's kind of the same with Sunnydale and people's awareness of all the death and weirdness. People tend to be as clued-in or clueless as the plot requires - it's a willing suspension of disbelief situation.
3. Every time I rewatch this ep I get confused by Billy looking EXACTLY like the Annoying One. I mean, they couldn't have at least cast a kid with a different haircut?
4. Willow’s nightmare is mine. Not Madame Butterfly specifically, but close enough.
Interestingly, the original plans for the show is that we would never see any of the parents, much as we haven't seen Willow or Xanders parents yet, But they were not even going to have the audience ever see Buffy's mom. Luckily they decided that there were stories to tell with Joyce, and also that it would really be weird never seeing her.
I love the way Giles says, "but you were so gifted"
Giles' worst nightmare is Buffy dying...
Giles' worst nightmare is Buffy dying...
Giles' worst nightmare is Buffy dying...
This just really hurts whenever i re-watch this show. 😢😢😢
Willow's nightmare was a great call back to the play with in a play from the end credits where when it is time for her line, she stands there for a second, then flees the stage in terror in Puppet Show. Even though that is only an episode, most shows, and especially shows of the era, would not be able to do callbacks like that. it was super common (and annoyed me to no end) that in one episode there would have a character say how much they hated chocolate, and in the very next episode they would be scarfing down on chocolate because that was their very favorite.
Just wanted to say your Buffy reactions are my favorite part of the week! I hope you continue to enjoy the show. It's my first love. :)
As for reoccurring nightmares, I don't really have them that often. And even the one I did have, it's been a couple years.
TW: death
(backstory first)
Back in 2016 my family took some big hits when it comes to death of family members. My Grandad died at the beginning of that year, he was on his way out for what seemed like forever, so as sad as it was, it was also relieving bc he was definitely suffering. ( My grandma passed a few years prior, so he was lonely). in June my aunt passed, his daughter. That was a major, world-flipping upside down, death. But it did bring us cousins back together that summer. It was nice. Then in September my cousin, one of the ones who I hung out with throughout the summer, overdosed. Another traumatic death in the books. Cherry on top? between these big family deaths, a lot of my parents friends/friends of the family also passed. I guess everyone is just getting to the age. Safe to say, I was kind of mentally checked out the majority of that year.
(Sidenote: It wasn't until this year I started having real fear surrounding my own death. I was fully convinced I'd be next.)
Now, the dream:
I'm in my grandparents bathroom and I'm looking in the mirror. I see the child version of myself and I'm in the middle of freshening up. Someone knocks on the door and tells me to "Hurry up, we're going to be late!" I open the door and I see my cousin, like me he's also the child version of himself. We run down the hallway and into the living room where we meet both our grandparents and our aunt. They're also de-aged. The ages they were when I was a kid. Everyone is dressed up, they're going on about how nice we look and then John (cousin) brushes them off ( lovingly) and rushes ahead and out the front door. My grandparents make their way to the door and my grandma looks back and says "Come on, now." (we're southern, so it wasn't said like an agressive order lol if that helps paint the picture better) and then they follow out the door hand in hand. Then it's just me and my aunt. She looks at me, brushes my hair behind my ears and asks "Amber, you ready?" I never get the chance to respond before she grabs my hand and we make way for the door.
I always wake up before I even cross the threshold.
I, of course thought these were messages from them. But now I like to think it's just anxiety about dying.
However, no one else on that side of the family has died since that year. And I do have some health problems that can turn into something major if I don't take care of myself/ am unlucky. In fact, I've had 2 scares since 2020. Not necessarily BIG scares but my heart did go into afib. :) I can't think about it too hard or I'll spiral lmfao.
ANYWAY, great reaction! Can't wait for the next. x
🌹
The Scooby style unmasking is really compounded by the goofy cartoony ending in the hospital scene.
I can't remember where, but at some point, somebody refers to the medical condition "spontaneous neck rupture". Rationalizing vampire bites.
" Man is not a rational animal, he is a rationalizing animal." Robert Heinlein.
I’ve had so many dreams where my teeth fall out and I keep spitting up teeth and it’s usually for no reason. Like I feel a tooth feels off and boom they all start crumbling and breaking and I try desperately to hide it from everyone. And on a complete side note, I’ve been loving your reactions and I’m always anticipating the next Buffy episode!
It's a very common dream. The psychologist Jung wrote about it because it was such a common one. Some interpretations are that it is related to concerns about how people perceive you, being worried about your appearance. Another one is that it is related to loss, the fear of loss.
I was about to write that I have no recurring nightmares, but yeah this made me remember that I often dreams about my teeth falling 😩😩
Post braces I used to have this one a lot
My favorite part of this episode is when Giles has a dramatic tone/reaction and say "Dreams? I'd say our nightmares, or nightmares are coming true?" Especially, when his worst nightmare so far was not being able to read😂 I love me some Giles. Its also clearly a great episode that showcases his and Buffy's relationship up to this point.😊
What I like and find most interesting about this episode is that while the gang helps Billy overcome his fear, they fail to do as such with their own fears (except Xander.)
It’s just a shame this episode came so early in the show. They clearly had only rough ideas for Xander and Willow at this point, I can only imagine how much heavier their nightmare segments could have been had this episode been done further down the line after the writers had a better developed grasp on them both.
@@troikas3353 True. They should have had at least 1"remake"episode of this...maybe during or after S5 so they could include some new character as well...😉🤫
@@Nicamon
SPOILERS
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season 4, _fear itself_
@@sirmoonslosthismind SPOILERS
Yeah,right,but I was thinking to something that could include Dawn and Tara too...for example,it would have been interesting to see what new fears this new Big Sister Buffy could have... or what fears could _Dawn_ have...
Seeing Cordelia having a bad hair day, and getting dragged by nerds into the Chess Club room, was hilarious
hi i don't dream so i can't tell you my nightmeres
My worst nightmare... I don't remember it exactly, but there was a storm, there was a night, and there were gigantic hands sticking out of the ground.
I'm not sure I was even ten when I saw it. But it is my worst nightmare, and, coincidentally, my only one. Normally I just don't dream, I get into my bed and basically cease to exist until morning, but this time I've got severe food poisoning... it wasn't pretty.
To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you.
- Buffy from Welcome to the Hellmouth (Season 1, Episode 1)
"I didn't know you dreamed of becoming a vampire."
Buffy becoming a vampire was her nightmare, not Giles'.
Even 30 years out of college, I still have the occasional nightmare that I'm back in school and i was enrolled in a class that i skipped so many times I forgot I was taking it, and I remembered just in time for finals.
Damn, same. And i can tell you what is it every time: computational biology (in grad school). I routinely have to go back and check my old transcript to make sure I don't have an incomplete.
@@jmgonzalez4 Lately I have been dreaming I missed a class and haven't indeed graduated and have to go back. Have to remind myself I have a degree lol
@@dutchkel loool. That'll save me a lot of time: guy, you have a degree.. you graduated, you defended a thesis and they said you're done. But man in that hazy moment between dream and reality... wow am I panicked.
One of the BEST S1 eps! I heard that SMG hates graveyards in real life
I used to get another driving recurring nightmare. I'll be driving my car and it slowly starts to veer off course and my steering wheel doesn't work.
I think it was her one-sided reality, just like her dad showing up wasn't her actual dad, the Master wasn't the real Master. But that's just my opinion, idk.
It's tempting to make comments on this episodes, but the ones that came to my mind would definitely be spoilers for you.
I will say this however. I like how you were aware that certain things might happen. Your 'lucky 19' comment for instance. And knowing what Buffy's dad was going to say about the parental breakup. And your comment about the monster being the coach.
I don't think the not noticing in regards to how much bad stuff happens in Sunnydale is mystical, I think it's psychological. I think if we, as a society, have learned anything from everything that's happened since 2016, it's that there are a lot of people who are ready willing and able to ignore evidence of a pattern if it helps keep their own life comfortable in the short term. I think whenever most of the parents hear about another "mysterious runaway" or "sudden suicide," they just chalk it up to "bad seeds" and "what's wrong with kids these days?" and go on with their day. I also think, given that Sunnydale is right in the middle between LA and San Diego, that a lot of the people in town blame the supposed gang activity on drifters passing through between major cities. That notion, of gangs traveling in between cities and terrorizing suburban communities, was a big part of the political "tough on crime" narrative in the 90s, and I think it's meant to reference that. Back then, everyone was really quick to blame "the crazies" or "thugs" for all sorts of problems, to mentally distance themselves from problems that were actually coming from their own community.
Your mini-rant about teen shows where the parents are all oblivious idiots sums up why I couldn't get through 'My So-Called Life' back when it was a big thing. 😒
Best S1 episode.
3rd for me, after ep12 and ep7
I've never had recurring dreams. I have had nightmares and dreams, but they are always one and done.
Did somebody say, “Rogue demon hunter?”
I have a recurring dream in which I'm driving and it's a nice day and suddenly someone steps in front of the car and it turns into an orgy of cars smashing into people and ripping therm to pieces.
"just roll with it" - yep, i think you're overthinking lots of stuff here. just relax and let the unrealistic aspects wash over you. let the show be what it is and enjoy it for what it is or don't enjoy it.
12:47 My usual nightmares involve being late to school or not having studied for an exam. Which is weird 'cause I haven't been to school for, like, 13-14 years now! :p
But there is an actual freaky nightmare I got, I only got it once, but it freaked me out big time! So it starts off I'm in my bathroom brushing my teeth and, for some reason, I don't have a shirt on. That's an important detail because I notice on the side what, at first, looks like a bellybutton. Except it's not. Looking at it closer, it's actually a "hole" in my skin, and I can see my organs from it. Then, I notice I can just lift the skin off my body the same way one would remove a shirt, and for some reason I do that and then I have a really good look at my internal organs! That's pretty much when I woke up!
Like I said, I only had that nightmare once, but it freaked me out big time, 'probably gonna remember it for a long time!
As recently as a month ago I had a dream where I realized I hadn't been to class all year and was going to fail. I graduated high school nearly 30 years ago.
I don't think it's real in the sense that the people in the nightmare are literally acting that way, it's real in that it's not 'just a dream' so you can be hurt or die. So for example that wouldn't be her actual dad talking to her, it's a nightmare version of him.
My recurring nightmare is about being back at my old job... or the one before that! (How to tell you I'm in my 30s without telling you I'm in my 30s 😂). Can't wait for you to get to season two! 🎉
do you ever have those, a huge tidal wave rushes out of the lake and itll cover your city, nightmares?
I like the little detail that the ugly man's arm is a club as a childlike representation of who the abuser turns out to be and what they used to beat Billy into a coma
If my did that to me at that age Hell mouth or no I'd have OD in one breath I still hate this episode for that
Cass should totally watch a movie called The Dead Zone (1983) - directed by David Cronenberg.
One of my favorite episodes as it deals with an unfortunately real trauma but gives it a supernatural spin. Overall it doesn't push the main story forward but it does give us a glimpse of things to come.
The spiders, naked, surprise test, surprise play and clowns are common nightmare tropes that are fun to see realized.
Sarah Michelle Gellar is amazing when it comes to emotional scenes, the one here with her father is just the first time. She's no Oscar Winner but you don't need to be a great actor.
The canon comics that continue the show do play with the vampire slayer being a vampire idea as well as the idea of a male slayer.
The reality bending nature can be seen as an interpretation of the viewer. Buffy has dreams of the Master so she knows what he looks like, but it's implied that he was released because of the spell and was likely sent right back when the nightmare was played out. It's never referred to again by Buffy or the Master so you can argue that it didn't happen
A couple of things from this and last episode. We can't tell you anything about characters- the main and characters that occur a lot because it would be be too hard not to spoil things for you or anyone else that has never seen it. Also dreams esp the ones Buffy has could be a slayer thing or just a manifestation of her fears like everyone else. As far as Joyce goes in season 1 she isn't really a key player she just appears occasionally so we know she has a mom and we get a sense of their relationship. Buffy is a really good show for character development and that goes for all the key characters and the supporting characters. I hope none of this was spoilers
Everything that happened was real. The entire point was that Billy was warping reality to make people's nightmares come true. Think of his powers as more like a genie's powers but instead of granting wishes, he "grants" nightmares.
On what basis are you asserting that? Because it seems implausible to me.
I love your reaction and will reward it with a nightmare story :) Every so often, for several decades now, I have had a recurring nightmare where I suddenly jump or fly up into the air and become unable to fall down. Just as if gravity itself lost its hold on me. The motion away and up is always accelerating and what is scary about it is the inability to fall down/stop the motion. Almost any dream can morph into this usually short nightmare. It is actually fun once I realize I'm dreaming, but of course that means I wake up. Sometimes there is also an out of body sensation as a part of the flying up into the air/indefinitely accelerating jump.
"all kids look the same to me" Well, one has a distorted demon voice and one doesn't, so that might help you keep track 😅
Alright Cass. You asked for it. Disect my dreams/nightmare 😁.
Recurring nightmare: takes place at night in a former apartment complex I used to live in. I seem to find myself running from something or someone and hiding from them. I'm always peeking around the corner of an apartment to see who or what is following me. Twice I've stopped running and have tried facing whatever it is I'm afraid of and then I wake up with my heart racing. I've had this nightmare about 4-5 times throughout my life. I'm 38 now. I wish I could see Who or What it is.
Recurring dream 🤷♀️: I always start off in the middle of an apocalypse. Doesn't matter what setting it is. The world could be burning all around me or a gigantic vortex is opening up in the sky or alien ships are entering our atmosphere and swarming the skies at night. Panic sets in every time. Yet somehow I find myself guiding and leading people to safety as if I know where that is. I feel brave, confident and know that nothing is going to happen to me. And then I wake up. But afterwards, I end up feeling bummed that I don't know where that safety place is.
Have fun interpreting these Cass ✌ ❤.
P.S. Sarah Michelle Gellar did get buried for realsies. The whole dirt and everything. If you go back, you can see the dirt on her face. Because of this, she became afraid of being buried alive.
My teeth falling apart, like, crumbling into tiny pieces that choke me. I try to spit them out but there's always more.
I have a similar dream but they don't choke me they just crumble.
In the comics, there were Slayers that were turned into Vampires. IIRC they aren't strictly considered canon though, so take it for what it's worth
Didn't expect this today. Yay Cass!!
She wouldn't be a vampire slayer anymore...she would be a vampire.
It seems to flip flop between the experiences being literal nightmares people have had and 'worst nightmare' scenarios.
Okay, my literal recurring nightmares, you asked for it. Finding myself driving (I don't know how to drive). Since you mention it, once I was trying to drive and I went off a rise into water and struggled to get out as the car sank. Being unclothed (although weirdly no one actually reacts). In those two the prevailing fear is of being caught and punished in some way. Arriving for the first day of school/uni but I don't know my schedule or how to find out. Being late for a celebration because I'm taking too long to get ready - usually involves realising at the last minute that I'm not wearing makeup. Teeth falling out.
My worst nightmare? That everything said in George Carlin's "The Public Sucks" routine is true.😔
30 minute reactions with 10 minutes of the actual show..... jk
This was probably before your time, but the actor playing Buffy's dad, Dean Butler, was on the latter seasons of Little House On The Prairie.
This episode is Buffy the Vampire/Slayer. Seems like the vampire and slayer powers amplified each other. Which gave her the strength to take out the Ugly Man.
You made a great point in the beginning about Joyce. Definitely keep carefully watching the progression. I think you have every right to expect more❣ Loving your insights, really fun : ) It's going to be phenomenal in S2.
Um... Not sure about movies, but in Harry Potter books magic was NOT something that muggles just "rationalized". It was either well hidden (like, some spell that makes it completely invisible for muggles), or it actually requires memory-wiping spells. That's why underage wizards were normally forbidden from doing magic - presumably adults can perform necessary steps to mind-wipe witnesses and so on, but teenagers probably aren't that reliable.
Mostly, the willful blindness of Sunnydale residents is just a handwave to a necessity of the narrative: they have to have a town in order for Buffy to live and be in school, and they have to have supernatural threats every week. In real life, those two things would be mutually exclusive. In the Buffyverse, it's just that people are unnaturally good at denial. Without it, there couldn't be a series.
I keep remembering the old video when something was revealed that subverted your expectations, and you had clowns over your eyes and stuff. I just can't quite remember the details. Good times.
"Do you forget how alarming the violence and murder in this city is?"
As someone who lives in St. Louis, Missouri, I would say "Yes."
You said Buffy's shadow looked like the shadow of a child, you should check how tall Buffy/Sarah Michelle Gellar is, her shadow being mistaken for a child is pretty reasonable.
How much do you want to bet, that in Buffy's dad's nightmare, that conversation goes the opposite way, in HIS nightmare, Buffy tells him SHE doesn't get anything from those visits and askes HIM to not come by anymore.
I may have said this before, but I don’t know how I think the Master looks so cool, but Nosferatu 1922 freaks me out.
Hate the Spiders,can you just imagine ....nope
My nightmare was running away form something and cant actually run ,your running but youre still in place.
Pro Tip: Whether or not people from Sunnydale acknowledge the supernatural occurring depends on a mix of factors:
1. How unexplainable the event was (if it can be rationalized by a run of the mill serial killer, a group of deformed delinquents, or a wild animal, it will be, but other monsters are too obvious)
2. How many people witnessed it (crowds are better at coming up with rationalizations than individuals) and
3. How in denial everyone is feeling that day (the most important factor)
The process for a vampire to turn a human into a vampire requires the victim to in turn suck the vampire's blood, after being bitten. So, in a sense, the victim "chooses" to become a vampire.
Now, just my personal take, but I think some aspects of the chosen one, the slayer, are fairly strong willpower and a particular distain for vampires. (The second one's kinda in the job description). So, a slayer who finds herself in the unfortunate circumstance of being bitten and nearly drained of blood by a vampire, then being offered to be turned, would likely refuse, and thereby probably die from blood loss, or by the vampire finishing them off.
(Just want to clarify, I used the word "chooses," with quotes because the victim in that situation would have been forcibly bitten and drained of blood, usually to the point of near unconsciousness, with death soon to follow. So, any notion of consciously choosing to then not drink the vampire's blood is pretty iffy. The victim is pretty much on auto pilot at that point; again, excluding the unlikely slayer who finds herself in that situation, where her previously mentioned preternatural ick response to vampires would probably kick in)... (Hypothetically).
You have to lean into the camp and just accept people will live in Sunnydale even if the murder rate is 200x St. Louis'. Maybe it's the Hellmouth magics making things seem more normal? But it's like doing the mass conversion between a female adult and a giant preying mantis, things aren't just gonna be logical. There's no good way to rationalize a girl's mouth being completely sealed over (temporarily, we hope) other than mass hallucinations.
My nightmares are really boring like being stranded somewhere by a flat tire and having no friends to rescue me or my teeth falling out. I had a recurring dream recentlyish that was nightmare-adjacent, but once again it was me having to walk across my entire city because I didn't have a car available.
I thought the kid was the Anointed One at first but after you said something it's clear that TAO has a strong part in his hair while the other kid didn't.
When I was a kid, I used to have recurring nightmares about driving over the edge of a bridge and the entire car (with my whole family inside) ending up in the water below. My hometown has a LOT of bridges. There are multiple rivers there, including the mouth of the largest river east of the Mississippi. One of our bridges is 2.5 miles long. It's a very real and valid fear of something that could legitimately actually happen, and driving over bridges still makes me very nervous to this day.
They really could have given Billy a different haircut than the Anointed one tbh! I was confused first time watching too!
Your nightmares are horrific and I h*te that some recurring themes in my own nightmares are comparable to yours namely not being able to protect my siblings/nephews (also always aged-down in my dreams) and being chased/hunted by an armed person/being. I feel like the former is probably very common for those with kids or younger siblings 😭
14:00 I have had a nightmare where I drive a car but I can't drive or maybe I'm drunk or something, sometimes the brake cable is broken, and I end up hurting people.
I guess I am blessed. I am almost 60 and can only recall ever having maybe 5 nightmares my whole life. And I do dream and recall my dreams, at least usually 1 a night, sometimes more. The maybe 5 nightmares haven't been recurring. None of them have even been the same theme. I am thankful as that would be yuck.
I've only ever had one truly recurring nightmare, as a little kid. A dalmation (which at the time were about as tall as I was) was chasing me through an unfamiliar house, and I always woke up when my back was against the front door and I was groping for the handle while he closed in on me. One night I dreamed I got the door open, and the dog just bounded past me and jumped into the back of some dude's pickup, who then got in the truck and drove away. Never had the nightmare again.
As an adult, recurring themes include high school, and trying to pack last minute while late for a bus/train/plane. I have recurring themes in my good dreams too, those are usually set at a big shopping center 😂
I've had three vivid recurring nightmares in my life. The oldest one was of my falling asleep in the first house I grew up in and, in the dream, there was one of those JAWS 3D posters and Jaws came out of the poster and lunged at me. the second, also when I was young, was from a Dr. Who episode about these cave monsters that were chasing me in their cave/tunnel network. And the third was from college years when the Movie The Ring came out, and I would dream that the girl from the movie would be coming after me.
Sunnydale's rationalization of the weird events that go on around them is just a more extreme version of a completely normal behaviour that everyone has. We all learn to accept what is going on around us. Take a look in your local newspaper, really read deep and realize that probably there's a lot more crime around you than you may be conscious of. Another example is the poverty that can exist just streets away from extreme wealth. Just hundreds of yards away, but worlds apart. The world is weird.
It's kind of an interesting question as to what of this episode is reality and what is not. Did any part of the nightmares in this episode have a direct impact on reality? And, do people have black widow spiders as pets, because, dangerous!
Well the fan base is divided, some love Joyce and others like me don't. So don't feel any pressure to feel a specific way about her (or any one else on the show, except Buffy ofc, hating her only leads to a special place in hell).
SMG still managed to be really hot with vamp face
Re: Sunnydale residents not noticing what's going on, yeah there's the rationalisation explanation, and some others which will come up, but ultimately it's simply not the story which this show is trying to tell. The show is well aware of this being an unrealistic point, and sometimes makes funny jokes or allusions to it, but this is a show about vampires and the supernatural so they don't feel the need to give it a detailed explanation. Just as the James Bond franchise never feels the need to give a good explanation for how the protagonist apparently doesn't age while the world around him continues to modernise, or the Star Wars franchise never goes into detail about how a Force which emanates from living things somehow grants powers over inanimate objects, in the end those questions are not what those shows are about. But in the end Buffy the Vampire Slayer isn't about the nameless residents of the town of Sunnydale, and it's not something they're interested in exploring deeply.
I have odd dreams sometimes, but the only recurring nightmare I’ve had (or at least the only one I can remember) is a ‘Michael Myers’ type dude coming after me. I get that bit of fun one or two times a year.
In the course of the whole show, the nastiest things are the ones where smb acts totally out of their usual self. You expect the Master to be evil for sure, but when Xander turns into an offender with a cruel smile and Buffy's dad dismisses her as an unwanted burden - it doesn't get any worse. Btw., if you haven't reacted to the other great show 'Lost' yet, keep in mind that they reuse lots of Buffy. In a good way. Both are top notch.
This was an underrated first season episode. I do, however, wish the casting director had hired a boy who looked different than the Anointed One, because that was confusing for not just you, but for many other viewers over the decades.
it's already been established that in order to become a vampire... you have to drink their blood after they have drained you. No slayer is going to do that.
"Take a shot every time l say 'literal'." Not today, alcohol poisoning
Willow singing was the first time I laughed out loud to a Buffy episode.
Posting a comment the day after the upload to say it's been 20 years to the day since the final episode of Buffy and I am so very old.
When i was growing up my most frequently recurring nightmare would be I would be in the backseat of a car but nobody was driving me and the car was driving itself and i would panic and have to try to take control of the car. I don't have that one anymore, but these days the iteration of it i have is i'll be driving and the brakes just don't work. They're not the worst dreams ever, my worst dreams are when i am somewhere and realize i don't have my cats with me and i miss them and feel like i lost them and freak out and wake up crying. I had a bad dream about my deceased mom, i had a dream she woke up gasping for air exclaiming "i had a dream i couldn't wake up" and then i woke up and was like "yeah no shit because you're dead" and i was pretty bummed out by that the rest of the day needless to say. I had another one where i was talking to my deceased mother over the phone, but for some reason i could see her on the other end of the phone and she didn't have eyeballs in her head. that one was fairly disturbing. I've had very many weird dreams. Dear God do not look to the sky in your dreams, every time i look at the sky in dreams it turns into a nightmare, the stars will all the sudden turn red and fill me with dread like it's the actual cataclysm, one time they formed constellations of human skeletons in the dream. I had a dream one time the Sun in the sky was chasing me and shooting lightning bolts out of it disintegrating everyone it hit, it killed everyone and finally caught up with me when i couldn't run anymore, it just hovered there over me and never bothered to zap me even after i accepted my fate which was weird. I had another dream where I was going up in a space shuttle during take off before entering the atmosphere the shuttle was attacked and shot down, and i died and landed in the ocean, but i didn't wake up until my body washed to shore rather than at the point of death. I had another one like that where I died and the dream just continued anyway, i was too lazy to wake up i guess lol