Angel discovers a temple where he seeks Jasmine's true name, while the others can do nothing but wait as she prepares to take control of everyone on the planet.

It's the final battle against Jasmine, and it's a bit of a mixed bag. While you don't want every final fight against a great evil to be a giant throwdown with only one survivor, this episode could do with a) a little more action and b) a little more plotting. the plot aspect is where it lets itself down the most. The previous episode set things on a fairly linear path: Jasmine's name has power over her, and Angel and company have handily come across the one demon in LA who has a pocket doorway that can be used to find that very piece of information. From here on in, it truly is plain sailing, which negates the tension and provides no last-minute twist in the tale.

There are some interesting ideas. The discovery that Connor has seen Jasmine's true face all along and has followed her regardless is nicely in character, as he truly does see the good she can do despite her method in doing it. This gives pause for thought unusual in a villain's motivations, as it's clear Jasmine truly does want to improve things. At the end of the day, it's not entirely clear that Angel is doing the right thing. While he explains that the human race has a right to choose its destiny rather than having it forced upon us, Jasmine is right in saying that his actions will lead to the deaths of billions that she could have saved for a far lesser cost. It also does put some of what's happened into context; she is an ancient god from another world, and to an extent she only wants what's best for the planet.

The fight sequence at the end is good, if a little brief, although the way Connor just punches Jasmine straight through the head is sublime and a perfect look at his character. He also has a nice scene with the comatose Cordelia, as he explains that he hoped Jasmine would be able to take away all the pain from the world, yet the only person who still had it is him, the person who wants it least. It's well acted by Vincent Kartheiser and provides a bit of depth that's been lacking in Connor across the season, with his character being defined through fighting, irritability and stupidity. It's never quite built a complete picture, but we're seeing things crystallize more now.

Overall, it's not a bad end to the story, it just isn't as good as it should have been given what came before, and it just still leaves a fair few threads loose that require some tying. Luckily, Lilah's here to help out, in a neat little tweak at the end spoilt only by her episode-opening credit. I'll be interested to see what comes next.

***

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