Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) The Wish (1998) User Reviews

One of the best episodes of the series

[Gore_Won · 10/10 · 8 December 2012]

I'm watching this again years after the first viewing, and it's as good as I remember it. It is sad, yet hopeful. It is serious, but with humor, dark humor. It is poignant, and shows what could have been. And it is joyous.

Some shows aren't as good years later when you watch them again. Some episodes of Buffy, like many in the second season (besides the obviously pivotal ones, aren't as good as I remember them. But this episode shows two worlds without rushing through either. It is fast-paced, yet deliberate.

It is perfect.

A very cool episode that introduces Anya

[katierose295 · 9/10 · 1 August 2006]

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 One Where Willow And Xander Are Vampires...

[taylorkingston · 10/10 · 7 March 2015]

I love this episode. I can not stress enough about how much I love this episode. It's one of my all-time favorite episodes from the season and defiantly is in my Top 5 episodes from the entire series. You may look at the title and go, "What?! Willow and Xander as vampires?! How can that be possible?" Don't worry, it doesn't make any difference to the rest of the show, considering this episode takes place in an alternate reality.

In this episode, still heartbroken over Xander, Cordelia makes a wish to her new friend Anya, saying she wished Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. And Anya made that wish happen. The world is now a dark, scary place, where there is a curfew before sundown because vampires have come out to the world and rule the town when the sun is gone. Cordelia needs to get used to the changes, such as not being allowed to drive, not being able to wear bright and colorful outfits, since they attract vampires. And when she asks about Willow and Xander, to find out if they're miserable, she discovers that they're dead. But when she comes across Willow and Xander, who are dating, by the way, she is terrified to learn that they aren't dead, they're undead. They're vampires. They chase Cordelia who is saved by Oz and Giles and taken to the school, before she eventually is killed. Giles finds out that they need the Slayer to come, so he calls Buffy, who isn't happy to be summoned. The Master who was released and who is the boss of the vampires, has a plan to suck the blood out of everyone in Sunnydale, using a machine. How almost 21st Century of him. In the end, Willow and Xander are killed, and so is Angel who was being kept prisoner by The Master. Buffy kills The Master and Giles confronts Anya, and destroys her necklace, which sends the world back to the way it was, the second before Cordelia made the wish. Wow, I really went into detail with this episode, which just shows how many times I've seen it and how much I love it.

Overall, I give this episode a 10 out of 10.

It's a Frightful Life

[gizmomogwai · 9/10 · 8 August 2009]

The Wish is a what if? tale in which Cordelia, bitter over her break-up with Xander, wishes Buffy had never come to Sunnydale and is granted her wish by a demon called Anya. As one would expect, the Sunnydale Cordelia finds herself in is overrun by vampires. They are led by the Master, the main villain from season 1, who is free and still alive, and who has plans to use a new machine to drain blood out of humans.

The episode starts off as a teen drama in which Willow and Xander have to face the consequences of their kiss. I don't watch Buffy for this kind of material, but it was not actually bad. I watch for vampire-based action and humour, and eventually got plenty of that here when Cordelia makes her wish. (For humour, we have the dog-faced girl joke and Buffy noting a stake through the heart will kill more than vampires). The writers take advantage of the opportunity of an alternate universe and make the characters different in an interesting way. Willow and Xander are vampires, so we see them as evil versions of themselves. Buffy's bad, apparently because she doesn't have Giles as a positive role model, although we previously saw her like this in When She Was Bad. Then the episode kills off most major characters- Buffy, Willow, Xander, Cordelia and Angel- which would be shocking if these deaths had occurred in the normal reality. The machine and overall story are dark, and it was fun to explore this world. This is the best episode since Becoming.

What could have been?

[Joxerlives · 10/10 · 25 May 2012]

The Good; All of it! Just wonderful! Great reveal of Anya the demon and the action sequences especially

The Bad; Surely in vamp-dominated Sunnydale people would prefer to let their kids drive home from SDH?

Best line; Buffy; "Your logic is not like our earth logic"

Character death; Everyone except Giles, Larry, Harmony and Oz. But then thankfully they're all alive again. Cordy's death is particularly disturbing. Of course the obvious question is what about all the people who died in the proper Buffyverse? It would have been a nice touch if Jenny, Jessie and Principle Flutie were still alive at SDH, if Nancy was actually Theresa from Phases. And of course if Buffy never died in the Master's pool then Kendra is still alive too

Shot; VampXander is hit by Buffy's crossbow

Tied up; Angel in chains

Knocked out; Giles and Oz

Women good/men bad; If anything with Vampwillow we see female-kind at it's worse. The way Harmony and co treat Cordy is horrible, you really feel for her but I guess it's revenge for her 'Sheep' speech.

Kinky dinky; Where do you begin? PVC-clad VampWillow plays no-safety-word S&M sex games with 'Puppy' whilst leather-clad vampXander watches. Buffy thinks the hero worship that everyone shows her in Sunnydale is a 'get in my pants thing'.

Calling Captain Subtext; vampWillow has obvious lesbian overtones (her killing of both Cordy and the Master's victim is almost akin to snuff). However she still digs Xander and Angel so it's still more than likely she's bi rather than gay.

Guantanamo Bay; Plenty of torture but only by the bad guys

Questions and observations Staggeringly brilliant in every way and anyone who doesn't think so should be locked up as a danger to themselves and others. Great ending too, cool, touching and funny, wonderful music. Plus Jonathon AND Larry, great.

What is the Mayor doing in Master dominated Sunnydale? And the Initiative? Where are Darla and Luke, killed by the White Hat's? Where are Hank and Joyce? Who is the Watcher Giles talks to on the telephone? Wesley? Sam Zebuto (Kendra's Watcher)? Gwendoline Post? Giles refers to demonic activity in Cleveland which will be referenced in Chosen as Giles says there's a 2nd Hellmouth there (presumably inactive?) We always knew Buffy was an exceptional Slayer and that the Watcher's found her late but here we see that without Giles and the Scoobies' help she ends up battle-hardened, emotionally cut off and with the Slayer death-wish, just like all the others. Interesting to compare 'The Wish' Buffy with Faith (and what's happening to her in the Wishverse?) And here's Anya, no sign as yet that she'll become a major character and appear in the opening credits.

Now, where does the Wishverse lie in the continuity of things? I figure it's a dead end, a right angle to the real time-stream that stops dead at the moment Giles smashes the pendant. Of course what happens if the Wishverse had continued? Well with all respect to Kendra I don't see her lasting that long leaving it to Faith to defeat The Master. So that would mean that Dawn is Faith's sister, Giles her Watcher, a grieving Joyce and Hank surrogate parents to both LeHane girls and Larry, Oz, Harmony and Amy as the Scoobygang? Would that make Spike the PTB's souled-vamp champion, just try picturing him and Doyle as a team. Interesting to wonder, huh? Once read a great fanfic called 'Backwardsworld' where all the Scoobys are vamps but this meant that the valiant Darla was the Slayer and The Mayor, Adam, a human Spike and Dru, Glory and the Nerds were all good guys and made up her alternate Scooby Gang. It says a lot for the depth of character Joss gives his villains that the concept actually worked really well, that they all could have been heroes if things had taken a different path.

Actually Cordy has dated Jonathon before or at least let him buy her a muffin at the Bronze in Inca Mummy Girl. We hear the gang go on about how Faith has become more and more distant since the events of Revalations, Buffy has sympathy for her and we later see she wouldn't have been too different to her under other circumstances. You have to agree with Oz turning Will down, he's right as to her motivations. You note that although things are bad in SD the Harvest wasn't the end of the world it was advertised to be, the rest of the world goes on pretty much unaffected. How do they dispose of all the demon bodies they leave lying around? Legend has it there's a girl looking just like Faith amongst the prisoners at the Factory. Eliza Dushku however has stated at a convention that this definitely isn't her, she wasn't even on set that day. Popular explanation is that this is her stand in/stunt double earning some spare cash as an extra.

10/10 and a whole lot more

Dark reality of Sunnydale, without Buffy in it.

[TKaran94 · 10/10 · 7 January 2011]

It was a good episode. I liked Cordelia - she seemed scared, but comprehensive. Giles was Giles as always, Buffy was something like Faith, although I loved her hair . I also liked how the new rules took place, although I couldn't quite figure out why wouldn't the students be allowed to drive. Driving must be safer than walking, when there are a lot of wandering vampires around, right?

What made me an impression though, was that in this reality that Cordelia wished for - Xander and Willow were pretty much - the new Spike and Drusilla. Especially Willow, I mean except for the visions. What do you guys say about that?

What if Buffy never went to Sunnydale?

[Tweekums · 10/10 · 8 March 2018]

After catching Xander and Willow kissing Cordelia wants to show that she is over him and return to her old life as the school's queen bee; unfortunately now her old friends just see her as Xander's castoff; somebody to be mocked. The only person to show her any sympathy is new girl Anya. As they talk Cordelia says that she wishes Buffy had never come to Sunnydale; Anya says 'Done' and with that everything changes. Anya is in fact Anyanka, a demon who grants the wishes of spurned women. It soon becomes apparent that Sunnydale without Buffy is a much more dangerous place; The Master was never defeated and his vampires are keeping the town in perpetual terror. Willow and Xander are now two particularly cruel vampires... and much to Cordelia's chagrin are a couple. The only people fighting back are Giles and a small group of students, including Oz, but without a slayer they are fighting a losing battle. Cordelia tells Giles what happened and he requests that Buffy is sent to Sunnydale as well as trying to figure out how to reverse the spell... before the story is over familiar faces will die.

The previous episode was brilliant and I didn't expect another one to be as good for a while but this story is top notch as well. The idea of showing us what Sunnydale would have been like without Buffy was interesting and showing just how bad it could be was brilliantly executed. Highlights were seeing Willow and Xander as vampires; Alyson Hannigan showed that she can be believably very sexy as well as the usual mousy Willow. Other highlights are the return of The Master; Angel being tormented by Willow and an alternate Buffy who is more like Faith than the Buffy we know. There is plenty of action, some of it surprisingly violent for a TV show of the era and the fact that it takes place in an alternate reality means that nobody is guaranteed not to be killed before we get the inevitable reset to the familiar Sunnydale. Overall a really great episode that fans of the series should love.

Dooplegangerland

[Realrockerhalloween · 19 September 2016]

Cordy feeling betrayed by Xander wishes for Buffy to never move to Sunnydale and enters an alternate world showing the ripples it has on everyone's lives. Cordy is still popular, wanted by every guy in school and finds out most of the student body is dead. It shows without Buffy no one else stopped the master from rising during the harvest leaving her friends as his two disciples instead of her support team, Angel is a pet in a cage and Giles formed a new white hat team. While I like knowing how important Buffy is I find it lacking in a few areas like the old one underneath the school never rising or past characters still dead like Jenny and Darla. Without the slayer Angel never has to choose between Darla or Buffy and she would still reign by his side and where he never lost his soul means Angel never killed Jenny leaving them the only happy couple in bizzaro world.

I enjoy seeing everyone playing different roles as Wilow going from meek to dominatrix or Buffy going from out going to someone who doesn't work well with others was brilliantly portrayed and seeing how the Master planned in season one coming to fruition was fun. My only gripe is Cordy never remembers the nightmare she stepped in to making a wonderful concept feel cheapened since no one learned anything or a metaphors hidden below the surface.

What If... Buffy style.

[ossie85 · 9/10 · 11 August 2022]

Cordelia is still trying to get over Xander's betrayal of her in 'Lover's Walk', but is hurting so much she accidentally summons the demon Anyanka. Cordelia wishes that Buffy never came to Sunnydale and it comes true. The Master now rules Sunnydale with Xander and Willow his two bet minions. Giles, Oz and Larry are the protectors.

Why It's So Good - These kind of episodes are great at showing different side of our beloved characters, without having, and the actors really got a chance to shine outside their usual comfort zone. Alyson Hannigan in particularly stole the show. It had twists and turns, and brutally violent at times. A classic.

Watch Out For - The final battle. Just epic.

Quote - "And they burst in, rescuing us, without even knocking? I mean, this is really all their fault." - Xander.

Frightening alternative world

[sedenhansen-61849 · 8/10 · 17 November 2023]

This episdoe in excellent both for what it does and doesn;t do as an alternate-reality story. The setup is very well done; too often, tv shows start with a character expressing some discontent (feeling pressured, neglected, taken for granted, etc) which everything in first third or so of the episode aggravates. Here, there's really no indication which way things will go. When they alternative world (or at least, alternative Sunnydale) is entered, no one takes the role of Mr. Or Ms. Exposition to tell Cordelia what's happened over the past couple of years; compare to Stephen King's "11/22/63" in which a time traveler changes a past event, returns to an altered present, encounters someone he knows and promptly gets a rundown of recent history by claiming he has amnesia of everything since the altered event; not having this sort of infodump is a refreshing change. Exploring the dark side of all the characters is insightful while also scary. This episode also marks Anya's first appearance in the series. One of the series better episodes, and also sets up "Doppelgangland" one of the very best!

It's without a doubt one of the best Buffy episodes.

[m-47826 · 9/10 · 25 June 2021]

Band Candy, Revelations, Lover's Walk, it's all good. But The Wish is something special. I usually don't like, what ifs episodes, but this one was important. After a very sappy, teen soap ending on Lover's Walk. Cut short by Spike singing My Way, at the top of his lungs. While leaving Sunnydale, for now at least. Everything looks so confusing and unsure for our heroes, at the start of The Wish. Until Anya, is introduced... And her true intentions, are shown later on the episode. The way this parallel universe work, is perfectly fitting of what might have been, had Buffy never came to town. Actors give their all, to their doomed world counterparts. And even though we know it's all for show, the script achieved at creating a sub-plot just as important as the main arc. And the part where friends and lovers, start killing each other, in all indifference. Gets me every time. Even more so than when I was a teenager. The nightmare ends. And the show closes, making it look as if, all is well that ends well. While conveying a good message throughout. But it's just the beginning to more problems, and moral dilemmas to come...

classic epiosed buffy epiosed

[danielwebber-37121 · 10/10 · 21 September 2021]

Best buffy epiosed classic. Good monster exlecent epiosed favourite. Demon anynka better demon than human.

Not Very Good

[rumblinglove · 6/10 · 31 July 2009]

The first time 'The Wish' was aired on television, I watched yet but haven't really concentrated cause we had a party in our house and I had guests and everybody was talking; even though i just saw few clips from the episode, i directly thought of it as a good episode that i need to see again carefully. And I did saw it again carefully when it had a re-run few days ago from now. It was good but not as good as i remember. Willow's attitude when she was a vampire was sourt of annoying and slightly funny in this episode, vampire Willow's attitude was better in the episode 'Doppelgangland'. However vampire Xander slightly got me to my last nerves; when Xander played bad in the sixth episode of the show's first season 'The Pack', it was much better. I also think that the ending of this episode was so simple; it could've been written much better in my opinion. I disliked the master's plan of a new invention to have fresh blood it was just so laaaaaaaaaaaame. I also hated the sound effect which appeared when Buffy interrupted the master's party and kicking some ass.

However, I probably should mention what i like about this episode. I liked Cordelia in the scenes where she was trying to avoid the scooby gang and mainly Xander. I also liked how Buffy showed up in the other world. I also liked the scenes involving Giles and Demon Anya.

So you're a Watcher, huh...? Watch this.

[bombersflyup · 5/10 · 19 September 2019]

The Wish is about Cordelia being granted a wish to have a Buffy-free Sunnydale.

While touted by some as the best episode thus far, I believe it to be the weakest. The opening scene for an example is the most cringiest of the entire show. The episode doesn't have the usual ingredients that make the show enjoyable and endearing and it's riddled with uninteresting dialogue and altered character mannerisms prior to the world alter, with Greenwalt likely allowing too much on set influence, by the female writers. Cordy's social status is of no interest to me, though not a bad starting arc for Anya. Xander and Willow are okay as vamps, but not memorable. Hannigan must of had quite the experience this episode. I like the brief scene of her with Oz, him telling her to leave him alone, in one of his better moments.

Unbelievable

[alan-50673 · 20 April 2022]

Just when you think Cordelia who isn't even part of Buffy's group could get more selfish and stupid. She decides to wish for a world without Buffy the girl who has been keeping Cordelia alive! Anyanka is a demon who can give people a wish and Cordelia has her wish come true. The world is terrible with a past villain who Buffy barely managed to kill in the first season is back. He is doing something very awful to people. Xander and Willow are vampires and luckily this is just a what if story because they are terrible acting as vampires. Cordelia really shows off her lack of intelligence. Buffy has saved her life at least 4 times not including saving the whole world 2 times now so really stupid. The main villain from the first season, who people didn't think was that interesting is back and taken over since Buffy wasn't there to stop him. She finds a group of students trying to fight off the villain and gets attacked. This is a what if episode so it doesn't stick, unfortunately.

The Worst Buffy Episode

[lady-safir · 1/10 · 16 June 2020]

This is the Worst Episode for many reasons. Basically all of the possible reasons. It's basic, stereotypical, overly overtly sexualised (which makes it borderline paedophilic considering the age of the main trio), badly written, bad storyline... You name it.

Prostetics were mostly good, the acting as good as the directing and writing allowed. The rest you can throw in the trash