What Do They Need All Those Legs For Anyway?

Episode 1.10 Nightmares  Original Airdate 5.12.97

"Buffy and her friends discover that their worst nightmares have become reality."

Zelda's Thoughts:

• Oh. The Master. We forgot all about him.
• It's a bad sign that Daniel and I are both talking about Siobhan and Bridget. Wrong show, us!
• Buffy sleeps in a bra. Is that a thing people do? That's not a thing I ever do.



Listen to the book as it goes THUD.
No wait, that's my head against
the desk. My bad.

• What class has a session in Active Listening? Health. Apparently.
• Xander = worst student ever. 
• They shoulda cast Billy the Kid here as the Annoying One. He's way less annoying.
• Thank you, Master, for explaining the meaning of the episode. "We are defined by the things we fear...but fear is in the mind. Like pain, it can be controlled. If I can face my fear, it cannot master me."
• Reverse of the David Lynch shot from the pilot! Rise from the depths of Master Underground to the schoolground.
• Not Worst Mom Ever Moment: Joyce advocating for Hank's merits and love for his daughter.
• Xander's implicit trust in Buffy's ability to conquer all bad things is very sweet. And destined to not last. Because Xander is stupid.
• "It's funny if you're me." - oh, I've used that one a lot. [Me too! - D]
• Buffy has a lollipop! Just like her future flashback self.
• Aw Buffy panics about her history test. Ask one of your five history tutors for help, Buffy!
• It's interesting that they have the Ugly Man - the manifestation of Billy's nightmare - in addition to the nightmare visions of everyone being realized - two separate forms of antagonism for our gang to fight.
• Buffy has good bedside manner.
• Shenanigans! They tell the doctor they're friends, not family, and he gives the full medical rundown of both Laura and Billy - if you're not family, you don't get anything beyond ward and temperature.
• Poor Buffy is so sad and hurt. I hate you, nightmare version of Hank Summers! So much!
• Buffy's nightmares in general are the most upsetting - horrifying things rather than embarrassing - probably because it's her show - and her lens - and because SMG is so freaking good. Her face as her father breaks her heart is some truly great acting, with very few lines.
• "Dreams! That would be a musical comedy version of this." ... foreshadowing?
• "Things like that are easy when you live on the Hellmouth." - best bit of lantern-hanging/free pass ever.
• Aaaaaaaaaand swastikas. Thanks, Xander's subconscious.
• We're not counting Buffy the Vamp in our death tally because ... we're not. We're also not calling shenanigans on her going into the sunlight as Buffy the Vamp because ... she doesn't count as really dead or really a vamp.
• Calling Willow a soprano? Shenanigans! She's an alto!
• I want chocolate now. Lots of chocolate. Damn you, Xander's subconscious!
• So this is actually the first time Buffy and the Master have been face to face. Is this really the Master or her dream manifestation? I feel like he knows too much about what's going on and why to be the real McCoy. In which case ... they've never come face to face, but she knows so exactly what he looks like that he's in her nightmares. Interesting. I'd call some shape of shenanigan, except that she has prophetic dreams, being all slayering.
• Xander was the first to conquer his nightmare! I'm so proud.
• "Excuse me, when did they put a cemetery in across the street?" "And when did they make it night over there?"
• SMG, again, really good acting with trying not to cry, trying to remain calm, trying to be the strong slayer, even as she's inwardly falling apart at being a vampire.
• Nice li'l Wizard of Oz shoutout, Billy the Kid.

Daniel's Thoughts:

• I loved the variance of nightmares in this episode - stress to horror to upset to disappointment.  It's not just about being scary.  And kudos for nailing each character's fears.
• Worst. Mom. Ever.  "Time to get up for school!"  Your daughter is obviously having a horrible nightmare, Joyce.  Be a mom.



Fauxsive Gordon Levitt

• Did the director tell Wendell to say all his lines very intensely?  Even SMG as Buffy made a funny facial reaction to it.
• For a long time, I thought Billy Parker was played by Joseph Gordon Levitt.  Look!
• The annoying one is still here?  He's yet to do anything important?  He still has that annoying voice but no vamp face.  I wonder if they just didn't want to put a kid through all that make-up.
• Why is the Master giving us Webster's definition of 'fear'? 
• I do enjoy the Master's silliness as well as his scariness



Way to lay it on thick, Joss.

• Yes, Joss, we get it: Smoking is bad!
• Cordy hair!  I love that this (and unpopularity) is her biggest fear.  Nice continuity from last week when Giles made her conscious of her hair.
• I always wondered what would happen if a slayer was turned into a vamp.  Would she be super duper strong?
• I love that when the spell is broken, all the extras don't even have a moment of "WTF just happened".  They go along on their merry way.  I realize this is a pattern in Sunnydale...but it's not often that immediate.  Usually they wonder if there was a gas leak or something. [Oh look, we all had collective amnesia again! Hahaha ... ha. - Z]
• Kiddie League?  Is "Little League" really trademarked?
• Nightmares I've had that were included in this episode:
• Getting Lost in school (Giles in the stacks)
• Taking a test in a class I've never been to (Buffy: History test)
• Being in a play and not remembering rehearsing or knowing the words or even what play I'm in! (Willow in the opera).  Also kudos to the writing team for including the classic Actor's Nightmare

Admit it.

Burn it.

Ok, I admit.  Vamp Buffy still looks hot.

Giles wardrobe:  What...is with...that scarf.

Crossfire!

Zelda: Xander didn't draw out his words, I say! 

Daniel: He did, I say!

Favorite Lines:

Zelda: "Well, that explanation was shorter than usual. It's Billy! Who's Billy?" - Xander

Daniel: "Mmm Hmm!" Aldo the opera guy

90's Factoid:

People still used real pencils and carried plastic pencil sharpeners around!

Arc/Continuity Stuff: 

• Buffy, Willow, Xander, Cordy, and Wendell all have Health class together.
• Buffy's Dad, version 1.0.
• First time hearing Willow sing (sort of). Does squeaking count as singing? 
• Buffy was born in 1981. (At least this episode)

Stats:

Voiceover - Creepy B-Movie Guy

Angel's Character - Just a figment of our subconscious.

Dead Humans - None, actually

Dead Undeads - 0

Giles Unconscious - 0

Giles Cleans His Glasses - 0

Buffy Breaks a Door - 0

Evil Reveal - 0

Unevil Reveal - 0

Shenanigans Called - 2

Apocalypse Called - 0