Although the Jasmine arc drives me crazy, I do really like this episode. I loooooove Darla being back! The way they dressed her really portrays that she has earned her redemption by her selfless act for Connor. It's so heartbreaking that Connor doesn't listen to her.
And the 8-Ball again- Angel: What are you? "Ask Again Later." Personally, I think the 8-Ball is waaaay underused in the Buffyverse. 😉
Usually Angel's the one with the rousing speeches, but I really liked Gunn's:
Fred: Will it make a difference? We really are just pieces being moved around a board.
Gunn: Then we'll kick it over and start a new game. Look, monochrome can yap all he wants about no-name's cosmic plan, but here's a little something I picked up rubbing mojos these past couple of years. The final score can't be rigged. I don't care how many players you grease, that last shot always comes up a question mark. But here's the thing—you never know when you're taking it. It could be when you're duking it out with the Legion of Doom, or just crossing the street deciding where to have brunch. So you just treat it all like it was up to you—the world in the balance—'cause you never know when it is.
I like this Angel/Wes exchange, their friendship is being healed:
Angel: Wes, Lilah and I weren't exactly friends.
Wesley: You were mortal enemies. Why should you care what happened to her?
Angel: Because you did.
---------- Post added at 01:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 PM ----------
I'm confused about some things regarding Jasmine. I get why she/it manipulated things so that Angel & Darla slept together & conceived Connor. Then it made Cordy ascend to a higher plane so that it could take up residence inside her body. She came back, Lorne's Spin the Bottle spell "woke it up". But Skip also says:
"You really think it stops with her, amigo? You have any concept of how many lines have to intersect in order for a thing like this to play out? How many events have to be nudged in just the right direction? (looks at Lorne) Leaving Pylea. (looks at Gunn) Your sister. (looks at Fred) Opening the wrong book. (looks at Wesley) Sleeping with the enemy. (beat) Gosh, (chuckles) I love a story with scope."
So my question is, why? Why did Jasmine need these other things to happen? It brought Lorne out of Pylea to what...do the Spin the Bottle spell? Nobody else could've done that? And what did Jasmine have to do with Gunn killing his sister & joining AI? Fred going to Pylea? Wes sleeping with Lilah? None of that makes sense, it just doesn't seem to have anything to do with Jasmine's master plan...why would she/it be concerned about that stuff that is not important?
Or is Skip just yanking their chain in order to maximize their desperation & despondence?