Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Recap/S5/E03 The Replacement

"Xander: I'd like to see you handle having an evil twin! Willow: I handled it just fine."

A demon accidentally fires something into Xander which creates a Xander clone.

"Buffy: He ran away, huh? Giles: Um, sort of more ... uh ... turned and swept out majestically."
 * Acting for Two: Averted as the second Xander was played by Nicholas Brendon's real-life identical twin, though Nicholas would play the main speaking role in each scene.
 * An Aesop: Xander realises his inner potential. Again.
 * An Axe to Grind: Buffy in the garbage dump.
 * Applied Phlebotinum: Toth's "creepy stick thing", the ferula-gemina.
 * Artistic License Gun Safety: Averted; Xander unloads his pistol before handing it to Buffy.
 * Badass Long Robe: Toth

"Willow: Xander. You already knew that he was taking over your life, and you didn't think of Anya until just now? Xander: Hey, you wait until you have an evil twin. Let's see how you handle it. (Exits) Willow: (Bemused, to herself) I think I handled it just fine."
 * Butt Monkey: Scruffy!Xander
 * Call Back: Willow, to the events of Doppelgangland, relating to the similarities and contrasts with the current episode.

"Buffy: If Xander kills himself, he's dead. (frowns) You know what I mean."
 * Captain Obvious

"Riley: Getting nostalgic? Xander: I don't know. At first it's just a place, then you start to make memories, and ... then you're like, (pointing) that's where Spike slept, and (pointing) there, that's where Anya and I drowned the Separvo demon. Oh! (points) and, and right there, that's where I got my heart all ripped out. (shakes head) I really hate this place."
 * Continuity Cavalcade: Riley is helping Xander leave his parent's basement forever.

"Xander: But I never help. I get in trouble and Buffy saves me. Willow: That's not true! Sometimes we all helped save you. (realizes that was unhelpful) And sometimes you're not in trouble."
 * Damned By Faint Praise

"Dawn: Mom, I can stand in the hallway, right? Buffy: She's watching us [Buffy/Riley smooching] like a big freak! Joyce: (sighs, puts hand to her forehead) This must be my "two teenage girls in the house" headache. I thought it felt familiar. Buffy: Good work, Dawn. You gave her a headache. Dawn: I did not! (to Joyce) Did I give you a headache, Mom? I'm sure part of it is Buffy's. Buffy: But part of it is Dawn's. Joyce: It's so nice you've learned to share."
 * A Day in the Limelight: This applies to Xander twice over!
 * Deadpan Snarker: Joyce shows that It Runs in The Family.

"Toth: That is a fertility god. (Giles looks at it in dismay) Feeble man, you are not going to distract me-- (Giles hits him with the statue)"
 * Description Cut: Willow re witch cliches. "Who uses a cauldron any more?" Cut to the demon using a bubbling cauldron for his incantation.
 * Did Not Do the Bloody Research: In-Universe -- Buffy assumes that "Toth" is British for "moron".
 * Empathic Environment: It rains on Xander when he goes to get Buffy's help, only to find his other self has got their first and Buffy is fixing to kill him.
 * Evil Twin:
 * Eyes Never Lie: Averted; Anya can't tell the difference between the two Xanders, despite Scruffy!Xander's plea.
 * Get a Room: Xander opens a door in his new apartment to find Buffy and Riley making out. He tells them to go find a bedroom, then realises they're already in one.
 * Hollywood Healing: Averted; Anya is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder, after being knocked down by Mort in the previous episode.
 * Hypno Trinket: Xander notices his Evil Twin carries a shiny coin that appears to change everyone's attitude towards him.
 * Improvised Weapon: Giles rummages in a box for something to ward off Toth. He finds a rabbit's foot, then a wooden statue.

"My friend Sharon's older brother knows a girl who died because she choked on her boyfriend's tongue."
 * Literal Split Personality:
 * Martial Arts Do Not Work That Way: Buffy complains about the unrealistic fight scenes in the chop-socky movie.
 * Moment Killer: Dawn on the Buffy/Riley snog.

"Giles: Oh dear Lord. (Scoobies keep talking among themselves) I said, "Oh, dear lord." Buffy: You always say that. Giles: Well, it's always important!"
 * Oh Crap

"Buffy: What if it doesn't work? Xanders: Kill us both, Spock! Willow: They seem more normal now. Giles: Yes, I think he's a bad influence on himself."
 * Pop-Cultured Badass: Buffy's "bad ice-skating movie obsession".
 * I Say What I Say

"Anya: What do we do if this doesn't work? Both Xanders: Kill us both, Spock!"
 * Red Herring: Also Spike's dummy appears to be about him plotting to kill Buffy, but it's actually Foreshadowing his obsession with her.
 * Shaped Like Itself: "It's an evil robot, constructed from evil parts that look like me designed to do evil!"
 * Shirtless Scene: Our first sight of Suave!Xander.
 * Shout-Out: When they try to put the two Xanders back together.

"Anya: So... you Xanders really do have all the same memories, all the same... (looking downward) physical attributes? Suave Xander: We're completely identical. Scruffy Xander: Yeah, we checked out some stuff in the car on the way over... (off Anya's look) Fingerprints! Anya: Well, maybe we shouldn't do this reintegration thing right away. See, I can take the boys home, and... we can all have sex together, and... you know, just slap 'em back together in the morning. Suave Xander: She's joking. Scruffy Xander: No she's not! She entirely wants to have sex with us together. Which is... wrong, and, and it would be very confusing. Anya: It's not like it'd be cheating. They're both Xander."
 * Spot the Imposter: Xander does the Snoopy dance to prove he's the real Xander. Willow is rather confused, as she doesn't even know there's two Xanders walking around.
 * Suspiciously Specific Denial: Not that Xander is still into Buffy -- not that he ever was.
 * Taking the Bullet: Xander gets hit by Toth's magical blast when he shoves Buffy aside.
 * Twin Threesome Fantasy

"Riley: People say they're recycling. They're not recycling."
 * Wham! Line: "But she doesn't love me".
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?: One look at the dump and Riley continues to lose faith in humanity.

"Giles: I swear, this time I know I had that locked."
 * Your Door Was Open: Lampshaded when Willow bursts into Giles' place.