5) Restless – Season 4, Episode 22
There aren’t many TV shows out there that would have the imagination and the bravery to shunt the usual big action-packed finale an episode earlier and instead end the season on a surreal, poetic near-Lynchian dream episode. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though, is one of them.
As a dangerous force worms its way into the Scoobies’ dreams, we get a look inside the heads of Buffy, Giles, Xander and Willow. Unlike a lot of movies and TV shows we can think of, Whedon actually portrays dreams realistically – on the surface, they’re full of random events and moments, but if you analyze them you can find some deeper meaning within.
“Restless” is an episode stuffed to the rafters with foreshadowing – Joyce’s death, Dawn’s arrival – and symbolism (the hopes and fears of the four central characters). Fans often overlook this outing, but it’s definitely one of the smartest and most re-watchable in the series.