Season 1, Episode 10

“Nightmares”

Today’s episode “Nightmares” is obviously about well… nightmares. But what are nightmares based on? Fear. The episode starts off with what I am sure is a recurring nightmare for Buffy, her being unable to defend herself against the Master. We are then taken to a real scene involving the Master and the Anointed One discussing how awesome fear is. The town’s nightmares start coming true because some kid was put in a coma by his asshole Kiddie League coach. That’s the main plot, but it’s really not what’s interesting to the story so I’m pretty much going to skip it.

In several of the scenes we are taken through your stereotypical high school nightmares. Well, after the first one when Wendell opens his text book and spiders come out. That shits just scary. Buffy is told that she has a test which she wasn’t aware about, has no idea about the subject, and time does by so fast she can’t answer any questions. Xander has the “naked in front of the entire class” nightmare, which Willow seems to enjoy. Cordelia has a horrible hairdo and is forced to participate in chess club, to everyone’s amusement. Also, a random boy is embarrassed in front of his friends when his mother shows up at school. He should have been embarrassed anyway for dressing like he was in Grease.

Those were the type of nightmares you expect most high school students to have. The other ones are more related to the characters themselves. Willow has to perform on stage, Xander gets attacked by a Nazi clown, Giles can’t read, and Buffy turns into a vampire. First, I think of Willow as a Hermione-ish character and I have to point out the fact that even both the actresses that play them ACT WITH THEIR EYEBROWS. I'm glad that they both get over this.

 Please stop raising your eyebrows so high that your forehead might swallow them.

Xander is also the dumbest human alive. He seriously eats candy left on the floor in a trail. Buffy comes close to his standard of saying stupid things however when she states “a coma is like sleep”. Let’s not forgot the wise decision that Willow makes to go down into a dark basement where she knows a girl was attacked to follow a mysterious voice calling her name. Oh, and I can’t leave out Giles who thinks that the best way to wake someone up out of a coma is to YELL HIS NAME REALLY LOUD.

One thing that I do enjoy is when writers refer to previous episodes seasons later, especially with little things. It tells me that they really care about continuity and also makes those little references even funnier. In this episode Giles says that dreams coming true would be a musical comedy. In the Season 6 musical, Willow sings, “I've got a theory, some kid is dreamin' and we're all stuck inside his wacky Broadway nightmare.” We see again Willow’s stage fright which was introduced last episode and it referenced again in Restless. On a more serious note, this is where we learn about Buffy’s fear of being buried alive. It’s pretty horrible to think how this comes true when she awakes in her coffin in Season 6. Along those same lines, we see Giles nightmare of Buffy dying which comes true several years later. We don’t get to see Giles react to Buffy’s death after Season 5, but here we see what it would have been like. This scene is pretty heartbreaking when he talks about how he “failed her”.

I skipped this nightmare of Buffy’s until the end because I have daddy issues wanted to spend time focusing on it alone. Many children of divorce blame themselves, but having felt those feelings myself it is absolutely gut-wrenching to watch Buffy have to live through it. What if you had your parent tell you every little insecurity of yours was absolutely true? Her nightmare version of her father tells her that not only was her parents’ divorce her fault, but she is also a worthless human being and he’s no longer going to waste his time with her anymore. Thank you Joss Whedon for ripping out my heart and stomping on it. Well, it’s good practice for the future I guess.

This is how you make me feel, Joss.

In the end we learn that the things we are afraid of only have the power to hurt us if we give it to them. It’s a pretty powerful message. Xander is actually the first one in the show to learn this. While running from the Nazi clown, he realizes that there is nothing to be afraid of, turns around and punches the clown. Go Xander! This is how Billy beats the monster that is chasing him. All he has to do is face his fear, “unmask” it, and realize that there really isn’t anything to be afraid of in the first place.

Favorite line (because it is awesome and creepy for The Master to be quoting Cinderella):

“A dream is a wish your heart makes".

-Kali!