History Recap / BuffyTheVampireSlayerS3E9TheWish

Cordelia recovers from her life-threatening injury and tries to resume her old life as AlphaBitch, but being "Xander Harris's cast-off" has her devalued social standing to an all-time low. Cordelia however, managed to make friends with a new girl and fellow fashionista, Anya, who gives Cordelia a pendant for luck. Deciding that all her trouble started when Buffy came to town, Cordelia tells Anya that she wishes that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale...and Anya reveals herself as a demon and grants it.

* EnemyMine: In the Brzone basement, Buffy finds Angel whimpering in his cell. She asks where the Master is, and he responds that he's at the factory, and offers to take her there. When she leans over to free him from his bonds, however, her cross dangles close to his face, and he recoils. "Oh you gotta be ''kidding'' me!", she scoffs, and starts to stomp off. Standing up, Angel opens his shirt, revealing his scars. "You don't believe I want to help you. Believe I want him '''dead'''." At this, Buffy sets aside her misgivings.

* GoodScarsEvilScars: The Buffy from the alternate reality has a scar above her lip, like [[{{Fray}} Melaka Fray]].

* EverythingFades: Averted with the squid-demon at the beginning of the episode, meaning the body has to be buried, much to everyone's dismay.

* TheDoorSlamsYou: Giles drives home in his ancient jalopy. He sees some vamps loading people into a recycling truck. Giles hastily grabs a large cross and stake and gets out. He fends off the vamps with the cross, and instructs the people to run. But a vamp hits him in the face with one of the truck doors, knocking him flat.

** Reccomended strategy for cell doors everywhere! Though it took [[{{Angel}} Gunn]] a few more tries.

* BraidOfAction: Wishverse Buffy has a single braided ponytail.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Thank you very much the AlphaBitch.

* TakeThatKiss: Willow extravagantly telling Angel about the big launch of the Master's factory, right before licking his ear.

* ExcessiveEvilEyeshadow

* ArtifactOfDoom: Anya's amulet. Unlke in later episodes, she is shown needing to place the necklace on Cordelia's neck for the wish to take effect.

** On the couch at the Bronze, Xander touches Willow's hand in that old familiar way, for which she chastises him. He aks why that's a problem, as they used to engage in platonic touching all the time. Willow points out things are are different now, and if she hopes to get Oz back, "my hands...''all'' my stuff has to be for him only!"

* TheScapegoat:

** Harmony introducing Cordelia to her new "stallion": Jonathon, sitting alone on the stairs. Jonathon gives Cordy a sympathetic look, knowing what it's like, and goes back to nursing his soda.

* ForWantOfANail: Without Buffy in Sunnydale, the Master ascended, Xander and Willow are vampires, Giles is leading LaResistance, Buffy makes [[DarkActionGirl Faith]] look [[DarkerAndEdgier sweet and innocent]], and Angel is Willow's torture pet.

* ComplainingAboutRescuesTheyDontLike / NeverMyFault: Xander ranting that the incident in the factory was the absolute ''last time'' he and Willow were going to kiss, and rationalizing that the whole mess is Oz's and Cordy's fault for rescuing them.

* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Students aren't allowed to drive in the Wishverse. In the abandoned parking lot, Cordelia accosts a janitor, demanding to know where her car is. His blank stare is regarded as a lack of fluency in English. "My auto! El convertablo?"

* SadClown: At the Bronze, Cordelia and Xander seem to be engaged in some passive-aggressive duel. Cordy is laughing loudly with some guy, clearly aware that Xander, Buffy, and Willow are sulking on a nearby couch. "[[WaxingLyrical Tears of a Clown]], baby!," crows Xander, "--Or is it, '[[{{Malaproper}} grins of a sad person?]]'" He retaliates by glancing over at his friends and [[HypocriticalHumor forcing out gales of laughter]].

* TheScapegoat:
* SmashCut: Buffy asking if Xander has finally gotten hold of Cordelia yet. Willow says no, but that Amy saw her at the mall the previous evening, and that she looked "pretty scary. Cut to Cordy exiting her convertibe to the tune of a menacing [[BadToTheBone guitar riff]].

* SadClown: At the Bronze, Cordelia and Xander seem to be engaged in some passive-aggressive duel. Cordy is laughing loudly with some guy, clearly aware that Xander, Buffy, and Willow are sulking on a nearby couch. "Tears of a clown, baby!," crows Xander, "--Or is it, '[[{{Malaproper}} grins of a sad person?]]'" He retaliates by glancing over at his friends and [[HypocriticalHumor forcing out gales of laughter]].

* SadClown: At the Bronze, Cordelia and Xander seem to be engaged in some passive-aggressive duel. Cordy is laughing loudly with some guy, clearly aware that Xander, Buffy, and Willow are sulking on a nearby couch. "Tears of a clown, baby!," Xander boasts. "Or, is it....[[{{Malaproper}} grins of a sad person?]]" He retaliates by glancing over at his friends and [[HypocriticalHumor forcing out gales of laughter]].

* FalseReassurance: In the courtyard, Cordelia catches sight of Harmony and the few remaining Cordettes (Harmionettes?). Harmony has minions! Harmony, with a sunny smile, greets Cordelia and says she looks amazing. Cordy looks relieved; she's back in the fold. Whitney tells Cordy she should start dating again, and Harmony says she has someone who is "so you." They walk over to the stairs, where Jonathan is sitting. Harmony snickers that ''he'' probably won't cheat on Cordy. Har har. Cordy bows her head as Harmony and her group walk off laughing.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Thank you very much [[TheLibby libby]].

** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zigged-zagged]] in a later episode ("Doppelgangland"), in which Willow's botched spell ends up [[spoiler:summoning Wishverse Willow to the real world]] moments before she's dusted... and then transports her right back, where she [[spoiler:falls right on the stake]].

** Buffy and Angel are present at the factory's unveiling, observing from the back. Angel: "What's the plan?", Angel asks. Without looking at him, Buffy holds up a stake: "Don't fall on this."