This episode delivered even more than I expected. It was excellent-- even better than the Jury episode, the previous best in this arc. I'm starting to think I may have judged this arc too quickly back when we were only a couple of episodes in. Everything since the Jury episode has been good.
My first instinct with this episode was to feel sorrowful for Wakaba. I didn't believe Saionji had changed; I was thoroughly convinced that he was just using her to his own ends and doing what he had to do to stay in her good graces. And, for the most part, that was an accurate evaluation. However, although Saionji abuses are inexcusable and his pride obnoxious, I think it's important to point out that he didn't do anything wrong in this episode. His staying at Wakaba's wasn't wrong in and of itself even if his motives toward Anthy are, and he was certainly under no obligation to get in a relationship with Wakaba because she allowed him to stay with her. I also found that as the episode progressed, his expressions of gratitude seemed to be a lot more sincere than I initially suspected they were. Even after he (rather rudely) gave away the handmade hairclip he told Wakaba he was making for her, he intended to get her something "even nicer" (at least from his viewpoint, I'm assuming he actually forgot what he did with her love letter before/that that was her letter). So although he's generally an ugly sort of person and his past misdeeds remain, I don't feel like his actions toward Wakaba in this episode were particularly wrong.
This is significant because the episode manages to genuinely turn Wakaba into a villain of sorts. You see, we've seen this kind of behavior from her before. It's easy to forget because Utena nipped it in the bud with a swift smack, but when Wakaba wasn't getting her way with Utena back when Utena had lost her duel against Touga, instead of blaming Utena herself Wakaba decided to convert her frustration into blaming and saying hateful things to Anthy.
This episode was an extension of that development and a revealing of her true nature. Rather than taking responsibility for her own actions and trying to better herself, Wakaba makes herself wholly dependent upon others and tries to blame anything and anyone for her perceived inadequacies, even to the point of hating them if they get in the way of her dependance. As awful of a person as Saionji may be, in that light I would suggest that Wakaba may be equally selfish and obnoxious at her core-- she just hides it much better underneath her energetic charm and playfulness. In this sense she is Utena's opposite: Where Utena continually asserts her independence despite looking for her prince, Wakaba insists ownership of and dependance upon hers.
Wakaba's worldview isn't about love, then, but control-- which is scarily similar Saionji's relationship with Anthy. It's a twisted version of the prince and princess tale, one where both sides abuse their role in the relationship.
They're actually a fitting pair in that sense, and yet being the same kind of person is itself partly what prevents them from being together, because they both have selfish and controlling worldviews.
Excellent portrayal and contrast.
But wait! There's more.
The duel between Utena and Wakaba was more interesting than most. Aside from Wakaba being one of Utena's best friends (which understandably concerned Anthy), Utena never drew the Sword of Dios nor utilized the Power of Dios. She won the duel entirely of her own power. I feel like that in itself is particularly significant since even when she wasn't the at times in the past champion, the Power of Dios always seemed to react in ways to assist her. Further, this show's OP's final lines seem to reference Utena changing the world even if Anthy disappears: For the first time, it's starting to seem like Utena does possess some sort of gift. Really interesting stuff, and to top it all off it seems like Wakaba may actually remember everything since the black rose was defeated without the Power of Dios. I'm really curious how that will develop if it turns out to be true.
All in all it was a superb episode. It's a hard time picking favorite episodes when there are so many good ones, but this one is definitely one of the best so far imo.