Well not quite the same because on Buffy Sunnydale had been presented as the real world for the whole series up until NA whereas this began with the premise that 1973 was some kind of coma induced dream. Also with Buffy it was much clearer that she was going back to save her friends because she could see them under attack as she made the decision whereas here the immediate trigger was Sam not being able to feel, not being strong enough to cope outside of his fantasy. I think as well it may be that I was 11 in 1973 so it literally looks like a retreat into childhood fantasy because that's how my childhood looked. Sunnydale really doesn't even without the monsters.