I wish this was a two part episode. Granted, it does have a companion episode, "Dopplegangland," later in the season. But "The Wish," with it's dark image of a Sunnydale without Buffy, is just so interesting and fun that you want it to keep going. The episode is also our first glimpse of Anya, who will become a large part of the show in the seasons to come. All in all, it's a wonderful episode that you really shouldn't skip if you're watching the show.
The story is is a kind of dark "It's a Wonderful Life." Angry that Xander kissed Willow, Cordy has dumped him for good. Unfortunately, the rumors of their break-up are filling the school, labeling Cordelia "Xander Harris's cast off." Harmony is back to making fun of Cordy and most of Sunnydale High is treating her like a social leaper. The exceptions to the ostracism are Buffy and the new girl in town, Anya. Buffy keeps trying to befriend Cordy, but her efforts backfire and cause Cordelia even more embarrassment. Anya, on the other hand, is someone Cordy can really talk to. She knows Prada from Pay-Less and is more than willing to listen to all of Cordy's woes. Cordelia no longer blames Xander for her troubles... Now she blames Buffy. Buffy came to town and everything changed. Xander became cooler, Cordelia started noticing him, and now her life was a mess. Talking with Anya, she wishes that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale.
Little does she know that Anya is a vengeance demon. She grants wishes for scorned women. Suddenly, Sunnydale is a very different place. Cordy is popular again, but there are far less students to lord it over. Buffy never coming to town, means that the Master has risen. He and his followers have taken over the town. Willow and Xander are vampires. Oz, Larry and Giles are a smaller band of Scoobies. And Angel is locked up in a cage. (Whenever Cordy wishes them into an alternate reality, things turn out badly for Angel. See, "Happy Birthday" over on "Angel" for another example of the poor guy being chained to a wall after one of her "let's change the past" deals.)
It doesn't take Cordy long to realize that they need Buffy back again. She tries to explain things to Giles, but Xander and Willow eat her before she can really tell him the whole story. Giles understands enough to call Cleveland, home of the second Hellmouth, looking for Buffy. When she arrives though, she's not the perky girlish Buffy we all know. She's actually kinna like... Faith. She blows off Giles warnings and heads off to face the Master. Giles, investigating the rests of Cordelia's tale, calls on Anya and begins devising a plan to return Sunnydale to normal.
There's a lot to like about this episode. I really love Anya, so it's nice to finally have her on the show. And I enjoy the whole idea of Dark Sunnydale. It's just a very cool story line. Sunnydale High's monthly memorial services and dwindling population in the non-Buffy reality are pretty funny. She really does deserve the Class Protector Award later in the season. Also, it's interesting to see the characters interacting, but not knowing each other. Giles calls Buffy "Miss Summers" and clearly finds her annoying. Buffy stakes vampire Xander and Oz helps stake vampire Willow. Buffy is utterly unmoved by Angel's dusting, although, in the real world, her pain over his death nearly kills her. It's all pretty interesting.
I do have a few problems with the episode, but they're mostly because "The Wish" just isn't long enough for all the fun stuff they could have done. First of all, Darla should have been in the episode. Without her attack on Buffy in season one's "Angel," and her subsequent death at Angel's hands, Darla would still be serving at the Master's side. And shouldn't Jenny still be alive? She came to town to watch Angel and he never lost his soul in this reality, so he didn't kill her. It would be really interesting to have Giles and Jenny relatively happy together in this "wrong Sunnydale." In order to put the world back to "normal," Giles would have to give her up again. Also, it's a shame that they didn't mention that Wesley was Buffy's Cleveland watcher. Just for fun.
My favorite part of the episode: Evil Willow and Xander.
The story is is a kind of dark "It's a Wonderful Life." Angry that Xander kissed Willow, Cordy has dumped him for good. Unfortunately, the rumors of their break-up are filling the school, labeling Cordelia "Xander Harris's cast off." Harmony is back to making fun of Cordy and most of Sunnydale High is treating her like a social leaper. The exceptions to the ostracism are Buffy and the new girl in town, Anya. Buffy keeps trying to befriend Cordy, but her efforts backfire and cause Cordelia even more embarrassment. Anya, on the other hand, is someone Cordy can really talk to. She knows Prada from Pay-Less and is more than willing to listen to all of Cordy's woes. Cordelia no longer blames Xander for her troubles... Now she blames Buffy. Buffy came to town and everything changed. Xander became cooler, Cordelia started noticing him, and now her life was a mess. Talking with Anya, she wishes that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale.
Little does she know that Anya is a vengeance demon. She grants wishes for scorned women. Suddenly, Sunnydale is a very different place. Cordy is popular again, but there are far less students to lord it over. Buffy never coming to town, means that the Master has risen. He and his followers have taken over the town. Willow and Xander are vampires. Oz, Larry and Giles are a smaller band of Scoobies. And Angel is locked up in a cage. (Whenever Cordy wishes them into an alternate reality, things turn out badly for Angel. See, "Happy Birthday" over on "Angel" for another example of the poor guy being chained to a wall after one of her "let's change the past" deals.)
It doesn't take Cordy long to realize that they need Buffy back again. She tries to explain things to Giles, but Xander and Willow eat her before she can really tell him the whole story. Giles understands enough to call Cleveland, home of the second Hellmouth, looking for Buffy. When she arrives though, she's not the perky girlish Buffy we all know. She's actually kinna like... Faith. She blows off Giles warnings and heads off to face the Master. Giles, investigating the rests of Cordelia's tale, calls on Anya and begins devising a plan to return Sunnydale to normal.
There's a lot to like about this episode. I really love Anya, so it's nice to finally have her on the show. And I enjoy the whole idea of Dark Sunnydale. It's just a very cool story line. Sunnydale High's monthly memorial services and dwindling population in the non-Buffy reality are pretty funny. She really does deserve the Class Protector Award later in the season. Also, it's interesting to see the characters interacting, but not knowing each other. Giles calls Buffy "Miss Summers" and clearly finds her annoying. Buffy stakes vampire Xander and Oz helps stake vampire Willow. Buffy is utterly unmoved by Angel's dusting, although, in the real world, her pain over his death nearly kills her. It's all pretty interesting.
I do have a few problems with the episode, but they're mostly because "The Wish" just isn't long enough for all the fun stuff they could have done. First of all, Darla should have been in the episode. Without her attack on Buffy in season one's "Angel," and her subsequent death at Angel's hands, Darla would still be serving at the Master's side. And shouldn't Jenny still be alive? She came to town to watch Angel and he never lost his soul in this reality, so he didn't kill her. It would be really interesting to have Giles and Jenny relatively happy together in this "wrong Sunnydale." In order to put the world back to "normal," Giles would have to give her up again. Also, it's a shame that they didn't mention that Wesley was Buffy's Cleveland watcher. Just for fun.
My favorite part of the episode: Evil Willow and Xander.