Discussion of 3.09 "The Wish" - Aired 12/8/1998 (WB-US)

[buffyprops]

Wanting to be rid of Xander for good, Cordelia comes to the conclusion that Buffy is the cause of all her problems and makes a wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale. A demon grants the wish and Cordelia's world suddenly changes.

Source: TV.com


Altogether this is one of my all time favorite episodes except for one BLARING mistake.
When Giles summons Anyanka, she is in possession of her amulet again...how did that happen?

 

[Litheran]

Buffy universe: Anya gives Cordy her amulet; then sends her to...

Wish universe: Since this is a separate reality; the amulet that Cordy carries is from the original universe; hence why Anya is made human when things return to normal.

That's what I assumed upon first watching. Or the amulet returned to her after it was no longer in Cordy's possession.

 

[buffyprops]

But if that were the case then it would have returned to her in the real world after Giles destroyed it...

 

[NY State of Mind]

Like it was said....I thought Cordy had Anyanka's from the 'real world'....so Anyanka had another one in the "other dimension" and Giles smashed it uncreating the dimension but leaving her without a necklace or something like that making her get stuck and be human...just a guess really

 

[Lindsey McDonald]

I tend to see it like this. Cordy and Anya are the only two who travelled timelines. So the Anya we see in Wishverse is not a separate Anya, like Vamp!Willow is to Willow. It's the same person. There aren't two amulets. So, she probably just called it back to her when she needed it. I mean, she is a Vengeance demon. I doubt she's going to give away the source of her power if she can't get it back easily enough. Or maybe she just teleported in and picked it up when Giles wasn't looking. I think at the end she genuinely didn't understand that he was prepared to smash it. She didn't realise the danger she was in. Anyanka's a bit arrogant (and ignorant) like that.

It is something that should have been explained though. You can only really theorise, and with multiple timelines that's going to lead to headaches.

 

[VisionGirl]

Hmm, isn't this the only time we see a vengeance demon wearing an amulet? I'm watching season 7 right now, & both Anya & Halfrek grant wishes to people in seasons 6 & 7, & nobody has to wear an amulet to get their wishes granted. It's never really spoken about after that.

 

[Lindsey McDonald]

Hmm, isn't this the only time we see a vengeance demon wearing an amulet? I'm watching season 7 right now, & both Anya & Halfrek grant wishes to people in seasons 6 & 7, & nobody has to wear an amulet to get their wishes granted. It's never really spoken about after that.

Yeah, they pretty much give it up as impractical in later seasons. But one could argue that because of the fundamental nature of Cordelia's wish, being that it creates a whole different timeline, the amulet was required. It wasn't very well thought through, that's for sure. Although, I think they do kind of reference the amulets later when they keep getting stabbed through the chest.

 

[Icarium]

Personally I am more concerned about the other gaping plot hole - why are there people left in Sunnydale at all if everyone knows the town is rife with vampires?

The amulet stuff is also very inconsistent. For me The Wish has great directing and atmosphere but I never can enjoy it all that much because the writing is sloppy. Which is too bad because the idea is brilliant.

 

[FetalPig]

Hmm, isn't this the only time we see a vengeance demon wearing an amulet?

Halfrek is wearing an amulet when she grants Dawn's wish and they all get trapped in the house. She gets stabbed and Anya says to make a grab for her power source, but Halfrek wakes up ...

 

[buffyprops]

Which is too bad because the idea is brilliant.

Well, I'd hasten to remind everyone that there's a number of really good reasons this is STILL one of the most popular Buffy Episodes ever.
Thanks for all your thoughts everyone, it's helped me to realize that I wasn't really missing anything.
I think L.M. summed it up best:

I tend to see it like this. Cordy and Anya are the only two who traveled time-lines. So the Anya we see in Wish-verse is not a separate Anya, like Vamp!Willow is to Willow. It's the same person. There aren't two amulets. So, she probably just called it back to her when she needed it. I mean, she is a Vengeance Demon. I doubt she's going to give away the source of her power if she can't get it back easily enough. Or maybe she just teleported in and picked it up when Giles wasn't looking. I think at the end she genuinely didn't understand that he was prepared to smash it. She didn't realize the danger she was in.

 

[Primal Slayer]

They should really do a comic mini set in The Wishverse. Being able to go back to that world would be great.

 

[This Year's Girl]

They should really do a comic mini set in The Wishverse. Being able to go back to that world would be great.

Yeah, that would be awesome!

 

[destruct0slinky]

Have they really never brought that world into comic form? That really is a good idea. I had never thought about it before.

 

[AustCF]

The "Wishverse" is a great idea!! Nice!

 

[WWGD]

Another stand-out episode in the entirety of the Buffy series. Viewers would have all thought about and imagined what the town would be like if Buffy did abandon her duties as a slayer and just run away as she originally wanted. Vamp Xander and Willow together and being the Masters' top cronies was awesome. They were so evil! ::evil::

Also, Angel would have been nothing if it weren't for Buffy, which is talked about but really emphasized in this episode. Interesting to see the group of kids that turn out to be helping Giles in his fight against the demons though!

 

[TheAnnointedOne]

I love this episode, also just watched this on my current rewatch....

I love the moment towards the end, with the slow motion and music when Buffy and Master are approaching eachother and they push everyone infront of them to the side as they move closer - CLASSIC..

Plus love the quote...

Angel "So what's the plan?"
Buffy (giving him a stake) Don't fall on this"

Also this quote made me laugh...

Angel: The Master rose. He let me live... to punish me. I kept hopin' maybe you'd come. My destiny...
Buffy: Is this a get-in-my-pants thing? You guys in Sunnydale talk like I'm the second coming

And the moment when Angel gets staked, holds his hand out to Buffy and says, "Buffy" but Buffy doesnt even bat an eyelid and just walks through it!!!

great episode!!!

 

[Amethyst]

I liked Evil Xander and Willow, they're just so different and disturbing lol

 

[paddykthedj]

Brilliant!

This episode is what Buffy is all about!

Sure, the idea of mass production of human blood is goofy and Xander and Willow really don't look good in leather, but the episode really touches on how important Buffy really is and what would've happened if she had never come to Sunnydale!

A few good moments were in this episode such as:

1.Cordelia's Death - Really vicious and emotional
2.The return of the Master - Really a good character
3.The slow-mo bit at the end - My favourite part of the episode

Also, this episode marks the debut of Anya who will grow to become one of my favourite characters but in this episode, she's too serious for my liking!!

Bravo for another brilliant episode!

 

[Jules]

I really liked how the episode highlighted how much Buffy was very much like Faith in the Wishverse. She was very much a stone cold killer, without friends she had hardened her emotions so that she didnt care about anyone. The one similarity between the two Buffy's is that she doesnt seem to mind working with vampires. In Becoming she works with Spike knowing he's a soulless vampire and in The Wish she works with Angel, and at the time she doesnt realise that he's good.

Did anyone else notice Faith getting killed outside the Bronze. I wonder if she was sent there in preperation for Buffy's death, to have a slayer already in Sunnydale.

With regards to the amulet. Giles takes an amulet from around Cordy's neck when she dies. So I think that when a wish is made the real amulet must return to Anya, otherwise she wouldnt be able to grant anyone else a wish. So when Giles takes the one from Anya its her true power source.

 

[Charmander]

Sucks that Cordelia never remembered the alternate universe at the end. She might have appreciated Buffy more otherwise. Though it was funny hearing her rambling on at the end and Anya being frustrated at not being able to do anything.