Predictions and Observations:
Going Bananas

I should’ve known that they’d balance the super-heavy with the super-fluffy after yesterday.

He dreams in duels, he even hallucinates in duels!

Those are some pretty darn accurate recollections of the duels. Half of those I had already summarized in detail, and I knew that Jaden’s memories of them only differed from the episodes themselves in that we hardly ever saw the characters who were spectators speak and never saw them have a silent thought, because our focus was the duel. For example, in For the Sake of Syrus:
“ Zane: I *don’t* worry.
Jaden (tries and fails to keep a straight face, and laughs): Man, you’re *chill!* Not worryin’, not even flinchin’, you *are* good!
Zane: You too, (slight pause) Jaden.
Syrus (thinks, amazed): Wow, since when does Zane give props?!”
In Jaden’s flashback today, he didn’t hear Syrus’ thoughts, naturally. However, I still was a bit surprised when Jaden didn’t hear spectators’ spoken two-cents, because in some duels I’ve seen duelists answer spectators’ comments that it would be nearly impossible for them to hear, so I think he’s actually more aware of the audience and that would be more included. I dunno, it’s nitpicking, but anyway. I also found it interesting that Jaden’s friends who he saw instead of Wheeler all were trying to tell him that he was hallucinating from lack of food, so I guess Jaden knew in the back of his mind what this all was.

Why choose those duels rather than more recent ones, or ones that pertain more to the characters as they are today? What about the School Duel or the Grad Match? In the School Duel Chazz became Chazz as we know him today. In Grad Match Jaden was even outrageously hungry during the duel! These were all very early-on, given the choice between early duels between those characters and Jaden and later ones. I think that the Making the Grade duel got picked because it shows us what Chazz was originally like before he left the Academy, foreshadowing, perhaps, an episode with Reggie in it in the near future for comparison? That’s my theory anyway. However, I can’t understand one bit why they didn’t flashback the Grad Match—that would have been perfect for this situation, especially because the hallucination afterward was when Zane “crowned” Jaden with a bunch of bananas, which I gathered symbolized the conversation at the end of Graduation Match II:
“ Jaden: Wow, Zane, you really *are* great! I’m gonna miss ya.
Zane: And I you, Jaden. That’s why I’m passing you the torch.
Jaden: Huh?
Zane: Once I leave here, *you’ll* be the best student at this academy. Despite your grades, or your rank, you’ll be the best, so make me proud.”
Then again, upon further consideration, it’s possible that they chose those duels because otherwise the scenery would’ve been mostly the same: The Crowler duel, The Next King of Games, happened in the domed arena in Domino (interestingly, we recognize it from Pyramid of Light); Making the Grade, the Chazz duel, happened in the gym or something; Duel Off, the Bastion duel, happened in Obelisk Arena; and For the Sake of Syrus, the Zane duel, occurred on the pier. If they had chosen, say, Welcome to Duel Academy or School Duel for Jaden vs. Chazz and Graduation Match for Jaden vs. Zane, then almost all of the flashbacks would have taken place in Obelisk Arena, which would’ve been visually a bit boring.

Why the walk down memory lane? In my opinion, this episode was to remind us what Jaden’s pals used to be like, when he first met them. For someone who’s not familiar with Year 1, who’s new to the show, this is something that would give him or her an insight into the early days at the Academy. Moreover, this episode probably takes into account recent events and was to show that it wasn’t always like this. For instance, considering what happened with Zane yesterday, they probably felt we needed a reminder of what Zane was like when Jaden first met him. I also think, like I said before, that they went for balancing the extra-heavy episode yesterday with an extra-fluffy and fun one today. Why was it extra-fluffy, you ask? Jaden hallucinated his friends acting like monkeys! “Enjoy the flashback, loser!”

Jaden is part of a tradition of almost choking on scarfed food, which is also linked to Wheeler- “Everyone, keep your hands and feet away from Joey’s mouth!”

Y’know, nutritionally speaking, in about an hour or so the simple sugars in those bananas, the only energy they provide, will wear off and leave Jaden worse-off than before. Wonder what he’ll hallucinate then?

I noticed an interesting thing or two: In Making the Grade, the flashback to the Chazz duel, Jaden actually didn’t like Chazz. What we heard there I’ve come to identify now as a bit more than good-natured bickering. Little did he know that those views would change.

I also noticed that, while Zane was very self-assured back then in his flashback, there were gaps in his versatility as a confident duelist that I hadn’t seen before. Perhaps it’s just recent experience, but in that flashback he didn’t seem as impossible to shake as he did when we first met him.

Oh, great, two days and Syrus and Hassleberry are already competing for who cares about Jaden the most again? I won’t believe it. Therefore, I’ll chalk this one up to friendly togetherness.

I don’t know the name of the next episode because we’ve hit the dreaded rerun-land again (NOOOOOOOO!), but I’ll keep an eye on the listings and keep everyone posted. ‘Til then! -Clio