When Cordelia wishes Buffy had never come to Sunnydale, her wish is granted and the town becomes Hell on Earth, ruled over by the Master...
There's a lot of emotion involved in this episode, as we get to see the fall-out from Lover's Walk when Cordelia and Oz discovered Xander and Willow in an embrace. Trying to get back with her old gang, all Cordelia gets is scorn and abuse for dating the geeky Xander. Pinning the time her life started to go wrong to the point Buffy arrived, Cordelia makes a devastating wish.
This episode works expertly on several levels. It shows the usual characters in wholly different roles, and just when you think it's up to Cordelia to return everything to normality, she is killed early on as a lesson for Giles. Sunnydale without Buffy is terrifying, with vampires overrunning everything and no-one wanting to go out after dark for fear of what will happen.
The Master is at his evil best here, with Mark Metcalf finally able to roam free and explore the deliciousness of his character more than he was ever allowed to before. But the real find is Alyson Hannigan, who plays Willow in vampiric form. The Master's favourite, Willow is seductive, evil and very creepy indeed. It's a shock for anyone who's seen Willow as herself. Nicholas Brendon as the vampire Xander is also good, but not as expertly played. It's also nice to see some of the normally background recurring characters get slightly more action.
On the downside, it's fairly clear what's going to happen throughout, but the fun (if you can call it that) is actually watching Xander and Willow get killed, and Giles saving the universe as we know it. Great stuff.
****
Back to the Buffy the Vampire Slayer guide, head back to the main TV reviews page, or return to the main page?
