restless vampire slayer restless 22nd episode season finale season supernatural drama television series episode series overall episode written directed creator originally aired united_states premise adolescent girl chosen mystical forces given powers kill vampires demons evil creatures fictional town supported close circle family friends nicknamed restless centers dreams main characters enduring exhausting fight previous episode dreams comment characters fears past possible future consistent dream presence slayer hunts kills final sequence confronted episode serves coda fourth season instead climax wanted achieve different season finale experimented filming techniques episode possible episode upcoming events notably appearance sister dawn scholar calls episode unprecedented television saying jam packed information probably seeing allusions rest series referring mysterious lead emotionally turbulent season restless received high praise critics airing particularly character development visual direction wit frequently noted best episodes series background series teenager age chosen mystical forces latest slayer girl endowed powers fight defeat vampires demons evil forces moving mother fictional town befriends join struggle evil guided responsible training slayer group collectively refer season willow begins experiment magic eventually formidable witch season vampire slayer simplified presents overall story arc episodes tie specific manifestation evil known noted scholar episodes fourth season address authority order self friends new roles high school ongoing theme series complex relationship destiny current slayer uniquely expresses role plot element explored season general episode restless particular season begins willow starting college attending works series odd jobs begins dating lived years vengeance demon losing powers getting stuck body teenager fourth season willow romantically involved fellow student amber experienced witch big bad season result work covert military force called initiative capturing performing experiments vampires demons friends discover chief experiments creation human hybrid known adam programming gone terribly wrong leading havoc town challenge find way achieve penultimate episode season order join create single super slayer perform ritual confronts defeats adam empowered mind heart willow spirit aiding ritual employs like cards meaning hands strength represents meaning teacher wise represents meaning courage heart represents meaning spirit magical power represents willow symbols relevant central motif episode dream sequences plot following victory meet relax movies including apocalypse quickly fall asleep confronted slayer dreams willow dream opens willow painting love poem hymn greek finds high school stage perform radically changed riley playing cowboy harmony trying bite neck willow realizes increasing knows lines role takes willow stand classroom clothes wore welcome harvest beginning series begins read book report willow boyfriend current girlfriend watching willow suddenly willow attacked life slayer dream begins wakes couch use finds object attempted starts realizes bathroom attached large white room men white coats ready observe notes performance meets spike playground spike unaffected daylight tells going teach plays finds ice cream truck willow wearing clothing invite join goes end basement goes university comes starts revealing reason dream suddenly switches speaking french finds apocalypse scene captive captain colonel sequence finds basement chased unseen revealed slayer tears heart dream begins swinging watch apartment stripped furniture chair bed laughs dream cuts family scene girlfriend olivia quicker understand wrong confronts spike posing photo shoot bronze meets failing stand comic willow bloody chest wound warn attacker breaks song giving suggestions deal hunts sound system breaks backstage trace fault begins realize slayer final dream sequence room finds room home speaks future university talks mother lives walls meets riley initiative promoted drawing plans adam ordinary human form world domination interrupted demon attack riley adam start fort finds weapons bag thing mud face transported desert finally confronts pre verbal slayer present speak slayer tells friends work rejects fight desert living room dying friends realizes stop fight mentally simply ignoring slayer refuses fight walks away slayer slayer everybody wakes wake discuss significance having tapped power slayer privately recalls words dream looks bedroom production writing previous seasons ended action episode tied threads season main plot line series creator wanted end season differently penultimate episode concluded initiative storyline felt season overall story arc cohesive chose create episode act grace note season episode comment main characters talking writing episode said like writing poetry process found strange like earlier episode dialogue viewed episode exercise form writing means write episode real structure departure written constructed starting script despite fragmented style episode acts act comprising character dream filming techniques variety techniques achieve quality restless tracking shots follow characters place place creating flow way real dreams logical connections places things dream walks carnival grounds spike corridor straight bronze locations related able simply having actor walk sets built created sense example occurs dream walks moving ice cream van boxes window drops basement theater scene willow dream lens provide large depth field allowing foreground background focus time dream moves room room house university rooms lens sense motion camera passes walls unusual framing shots leaving frame character placed near scenes spike dream shot black white emphasize spike seen old movie villain outdoor scene sees intentionally intensifying foreground blowing background making sky look white flash frames shot desert allowed shots far longer common television episode cinematic technique allowed images meaning highly stylized lighting dream university hallway scene lit green orange shot shot creation apocalypse section lit carefully controlled allow background fall black cites inspiration colored university sequence scene apocalypse playing tape filming ensure close match possible sequence driving ice cream truck backgrounds outside car intentionally look fake sense motion originally wanted use rear screen projection driving scene utilize instead rear screen projection difficult set stages special effects shots came accident commentary explains mud face looked giving facial dissolved shot negative image creating intense colors shot interesting dynamic editing contributed nature episode abrupt cuts close extreme wide angles sudden shifts normal speed super slow motion dream sequences slow motion revert normal speed continue dream features sound image characters shown speaking voices heard additionally silence frequently reflect characters audience cited films main inspirations odd editing especially underneath listed version inspirations shooting editing decisions cast main cast episode features appearances returning currently recurring characters dream sequences left series earlier season makes brief appearance willow dream character killed season finale appears apocalypse scene appears dream sequences willow girlfriend spirit guide commented appearances dream idea spirit guide sense didn particular relationship kind good mystical energy appears adam human form demon makeup appeared season appears present willow dream ordinary classmate vampire appears olivia dream heavily pregnant pushing baby appears mother enjoyed got play completely sexy dream play mom sort relegated nice filming episode play sister dawn season visited set worked previously suggested read dawn music dream actor sings exposition song time sang season song written arranged composer performed star mary appears scene playing piano members star mary play instruments seasons series star mary real band character fictional band baby analysis dream acts character study exploring fears future willow figure killed dreams way killed directly related role assumed previous episode role indicated like card symbolize character essence willow card representing magical powers killed having spirit card representing heart killed having heart ripped represented card symbol intellect role teacher killed card representative physical strength dream revealed primitive slayer confronts aggressively fight slayer defeated realizes key difference slayer isolated unique friends life factors greatest slayer willow dream struggles find place school theater production friends classmates apparently fully prepared ready stage confusion represents lack self confidence fear fit place world unlike competent know going wears ordinary clothes repeatedly comment excellence costume reference fear friends grown younger awkward fear confirmed strips shirt jeans revealing wore episode series years earlier demon fighting experiences study magic increased confidence willow stands class trying read paper classmates express listening ear attacked slayer breath body stated maze red stage willow dream direct homage represent safety comfort girlfriend sexual metaphor main theme dream sense failure left friends ahead life fear stuck reiterated dream inability escape basement bedroom parents home matter dream takes ends basement college feels anxiety ability understand ideas conversations fear realized goes university place feels excluded finds understand people aware chased danger asks happening understand answer says speaking french don understand dream willow tell way ahead tells gone ahead fear case dream presents choice remain father figure begin life represented presence girlfriend olivia pushes baby dream dressed child unable throw ball straight help instruction indication fear unable job guidance later olivia seen baby overturned abandoned signifying elements life marriage children later bronze explaining reason attacked performing job singing information represents longing musician exploring privately season major theme dream fear personal cost life slayer isolation loneliness forced endure theme reiterated shots frame notably wide shot vast desert source anxiety relationship current boyfriend riley finds plotting world domination adam original human form fears riley turn result alliance military fears effect alliance relationship effect relationship life slayer shown putting mud face mimicking mud mask slayer end encounter desert slayer realizes entirely friends family makes great slayer experiences revelation efforts slayer continue engage battle fruitless increasingly comical dream finally ends mundane way refuses accept tragic climax instead insists life elements dream sequences meaning exception cheese man explains cheese man meaningless needed meaningless dream doesn sense case cheese man everybody people meaning means successful means worried means sort understand things events dream includes references past future episodes dream sequence season finale faith says little counting dawn arrival years later season number appears clock dream restless says late replies clock completely wrong year passed making previous number days arrival incorrect leaves room tells dawn character dawn appears episode words think know come haven begun repeated following episode dream spike swing swing set spike wearing jacket comments spike like son season characters lose memories spike wears jacket believes father reception episode received critical praise included lists best episodes entertainment_weekly list best episodes including episodes restless placed called visually lush said genre truly deeply affecting character drama bent sense humor episode listed seventh best episode list episodes saying surreal episode marks turning point moved executed urban fantasy drama series creative thoughtful surprising pretty television critic list best episodes episode placed author calling daring episode acclaimed episode fourth season author placed episode second best series stating episode infinite interpretations watches way mark true masterpiece reviewed restless beginning look series praised ability represent dreams actually like included restless essential episode series list best series 2000s placed restless listed list episodes dream sequences right commenting device allows lot surreal images moments weird comedy striking unsettling touches power real dream episode listed daily list episodes series episode listed second best episode featuring dream sequences usa_today series creator list favorite episodes includes restless saying people sort shake heads different pointless episode received nominations hair stylist best contemporary makeup series best contemporary hair series
Restless (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)