History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E5Homecoming

* TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers: Back to the shack, the girls snit at each other until, finally, Cordy asks why she cares so much about being Homecoming Queen. What follows is a moving soliloquy by Buffy about she spent a year's allowance on the dress in an attempt to achieve one ideal moment in high school. She ends the speech by saying, "Besides, I look cute in a tiara."

** Mr. Trick organizes [=SlayerFest '98=] because competition is a beautiful thing that makes people strive and try to win. The competitors are trounced by the TeethClenchedTeamwork of Buffy and Cordelia, because they keep falling into each others traps or actively working against each other. AnAesop?

* MistakenIdentity: Trick hasn't gotten a positive ID on Faith yet, seeing as she's "elusive." Everyone simply assumes that the brunette riding in the limo with Buffy is the genuine article because the limo was originally supposed to pick Faith and Buffy first.

-->'''Buffy:''' [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Cordelia, the spatula.]]

** BrandX: Cordelia's attempt to bond with some nerds by mentioning the "[[Franchise/StarTrek Vulcan]] [[PressurePoint Death Grip]]"

* ChekhovsGun: Backstage at [=SlayerFest=], Frawley is testing a bear trap. He sticks a mannequin leg into it, and the jaws instantly snap shut, shattering the leg.

* ContinuityNod: Buffy concedes that she's not popular. But she's not exactly '''[[DamnedByFaintPraise un]]'''popular!
-->'''Buffy:''' A ''lot'' of people came to my Welcome Home party.
-->'''Willow:''' But they were eaten by zombies.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: Buffy accosting the traitorous Willow, who's jumpier than usual. "Hi! How are you? You good? You look good. Anything new? Hey, did I mention you look good?"

* DescriptionCut: Buffy breaks the news to Angel that she's seeing someone. "He's a nice, solid guy. He makes me happy. And that's what I need right now. Someone I can count on." I smell irony coming. We cut to Scott: "I don't think we should see each other anymore."

* DramaticIrony: Buffy seems to have a renewed respect for Cordy by the end of the episode. "Tell you one thing, though. You don't want to mess with Cordelia." Xander laughs nervously as he pictures Cordy [[Film/{{Creepshow}} wearing his balls for earrings]].

* HandsOnApproach: Willow worries about her dancing ability, so Xander proceeds to take her hands, ballroom-style. It's now a foregone conclusion that they'll kiss, which they do. They then jerk away and start spazzing out, agreeing that the kiss was a "clothes fluke," right before almost kissing again. Xander says [[AccidentalInnuendo they have to get out of their clothes]]. Realizing the innuendo, they spaz yet again and run away from each other.

* HypocriticalHumor: As the Scoobies follow Cordy out of the library, Giles emerges to comment on what a fuss everyone's making of this. Buffy [[StepfordSmiler grins a toothy smile]] and assures him "it's not like anyone takes it ''that'' seriously." Right before she [[AGlassInTheHand crushes a glass bottle in her hand]].

-->'''Cordelia''': After all that we've been through tonight, this whole who-gets-to-be-queen-'capade seems pretty--
-->'''Buffy''': ''[[SpoofAesop Damn important]]''?
-->'''Cordelia''': Oh yeah.

* ImprovisedWeapon: The spatula finally comes in handy when Candy lunges at Buffy. Cordelia cluelessly tosses her the spatula, which Buffy uses to impale Candy through the heart (the handle was made of wood).

-->'''Cordelia:''' [[SarcasmMode Yeah, THAT'LL help]].

* MinorFlawMajorBreakup: Scott explains that before they were going out, Buffy seemed "so full of life" but that now she just seems distracted all the time. Buffy promises a "drastic distraction reduction," but Scott isn't having it. Relationship over.
** Subverted when he turns out to be [[BlatantLies interested in someone else]].
** [[spoiler: Doubly subverted in Season 7, when he turns out to be gay.]]

* SheCleansUpNicely: In the clothes-changing scene, Willow and Xander are equally stunned by the other's appearance.

* TheTriple: The Mayor thinks Allan's nails could be cleaner. Allan says that he washed them, but the Mayor admonishes him, "After every meal and under your fingernails. Dirt gets trapped there. And germs. And mayonnaise."

-->"We all have a desire to win. [gestures to Germans] Whether we're human... [a nod at Lyle Gorch] vampire... [stops beside a yellow demon with spines on his head] ...and whatever the hell you are, my brother, you got them spiny-head lookin' things. I ain't never seen that before."