Whether it’s with love or my studies, all I’ll ever be is a face in the crowd!

This episode is just a heartbreaking example of compulsory heterosexuality destroying a girl’s confidence. Because that girl is Wakaba.

The episode begins with gossip about Saionji and some flashbacks, seeing as the last time he appeared was in the recap episode (and the last time he actually featured was ten episodes ago), so we could use a reminder about how he was expelled under circumstances mysterious to the majority of the student body.

Saionji: Welcome back.

Wakaba: I’m back.

And we get back to last episode’s cliffhanger: Saionji living in Wakaba’s room.

Saionji: I’m sorry about this. I promised I wouldn’t stay long, but I just keep hanging around. […] After I was expelled, I had nowhere to go. No friends, no money…in the end I had to crawl back to campus, and you, as brave as Joan of Arc, chose to hide me. But I can’t keep imposing on you forever. I’ll leave before I cause any trouble for you.

Wakaba: No, wait! Saionji-san! Don’t worry about that! I’m just happy to be of any help to you! We’ll get through this together. And, somehow, we’ll get you back into this school!

Saionji: Oh, Wakaba-kun!

Then he grabs her hands, obviously in a gesture of gratitude, but of course Wakaba is surprised by this sudden act of physical affection from her old crush and panics.

The honorifics here are significant as well – Wakaba refers to him as “Saionji-san”, not “sama” (or even senpai, since he’s not currently at school with her). He refers to her as “Wakaba-kun”, because “chan” is usually reserved for friends or family, and he really doesn’t know her that well.

They’re interrupted by a knock at the door, and she has to excuse the conversation they were having as “praying”, but at least that scares the guest off.

and he just scurried beneath the bed to hide

This is my secret. Mine and his. A secret only we share!

The next day, she ponders her past relationship with Saionji (or lack thereof).

Saionji-san…I’ve always, always dreamed about you, but he was a distant dream that I thought I could never reach. When you think about it, I never could have had him. But now…but now! […] Now I’m special! As long as I have this secret…yes! I’m special!

And she’s suddenly better at everything because she finally believes she’s special, and that give her confidence…but it’s only because she thinks she actually has a shot with Saionji, but as previously established, he’s not actually interested in girls.

But she’s actually popular now…while Saionji’s stuck in her room 24/7 with nothing at all to do.

And Utena notices the change in Wakaba, not just because she doesn’t have time to make her lunches anymore (or that she no longer calls her “Utena-sama”!). She tries to ask Wakaba what’s up, but of course she’d never betray her secret.

so of course she talks to akio instead

Akio: Oh? Your friend Wakaba-san?

Utena: Yeah. She seems really different.

Akio: Like a goddess whose name is recorded in the stars, you mean?

Utena: But why would she suddenly seem prettier?

Akio: You wouldn’t understand, would you? You’re born for a special destiny…There are special people in the world. People who always draw attention. Yes…you, for example.

Utena: Me…?

Akio: See? You’re not even aware of it, are you? That’s the special nature you were born with. Most people exist as one among many. But, given the chance, they can shine as they never have before.

He’s LITERALLY calling her special now (and, implicitly, pretty).

Utena: All I’ve ever wanted was for Wakaba to be happy.

Akio: But it’s also said that the time a person can be special doesn’t last very long.

Meanwhile, Saionji’s making a little gift for Wakaba.

Saionji: It’s not finished, but this is the only way I can thank you. Thank you for your devotion…

Wakaba: No, it’s…I think … it’s just perfect…

And once again, Saionji only feels gratitude, but Wakaba is reading into his intentions and WHY CAN’T MY BABIES BE HAPPY?

Anyhow, later on, he asks how the student council is faring.

Saionji: By the way…[…] Look, uh…

Wakaba: You can ask me anything.

Saionji: Right. Okay. How is Anthy doing?

Wakaba: Himemiya-san, you mean…?

And this is when begins to realize that Saionji will never choose her — he hasn’t really chosen Anthy, either, she’s just the girl he can be most himself with. Because Wakaba never really admired Saionji for himself, just the image of him as the Kendo team captain. Even if he seems more at home making crafts than fighting, that’s not what Wakaba wants from him.

If Saionji-san gets back into school…if he stops living with me…he’ll just forget all about me.

Then he gets a sudden visit from Mikage.

Mikage: No secret on campus, however small, escapes the notice of the Black Rose Circle. Never mind that, Saionji-kun. To think the former vice president of the student council is now living on the good graces of a female student.

Saionji: I don’t plan on wasting my life away here! I’m going to return to school. Not just that…I’ll return to the council!

Mikage: Oh…? How, exactly? […] How do you plan to free yourself from this purgatory?

Saionji: Well…!

Mikage: How about this? What if we helped you a bit? […] To be honest, we’re worried about the school’s future. Talent like yours…shouldn’t be wasted.

Saionji: I see…all right. And what do you want from me in return?

Mikage: Good question…there is only one thing of yours I wish to have. Don’t worry. It’s a trifle, really.

So Saionji gave Mikage the hair ornament he’d made for Wakaba, who in turn gave it to Anthy. But he only accelerated things — Wakaba could never keep him forever, because at the end of the day, she never meant much of anything to him. Life with her really was a purgatory for him, being excluded from the school life he thrives on, not to mention being separated from Touga (even if that relationship is toxic).

So she naturally heads on over to Nemuro Hall…

Wakaba: No matter what I do for him, no matter how I think of him, in the end, she’s the only one he ever cared about! She has that special sort of face that’s stealing everything away from me! No matter what, I can never forgive her! Whether it’s with love or my studies, all I’ll ever be is a face in the crowd! Special people may as well live in another world! But…but as long as I had him…as long as he lived with me, I could be special, too! A little longer and I would have changed myself forever. But now…but now, that girl…! That girl…!!!

Mikage: I understand. Your only option is to revolutionize the world. The path you must take has been prepared for you.

Because OF COURSE she blames Anthy, since it’s so much easier than admitting he was never into her, and simpler than interrogating compulsory heterosexuality!

Saionji: I never thought he’d help me in exchange for just that thing. Well, it’s not like I should go on living here forever. Okay, all systems go! Kyoichi Saionji sets course for a new age of glory! Launch!

Wakaba: Going somewhere?

Saionji: Oh…it’s you. I was wondering who it was. I’m sorry for having been such a bother.

Wakaba: Where’s that hair clip?

Saionji: Oh, that. I wasn’t able to give it to you. But don’t worry. I plan on buying you something expensive. I’d like to mail it, if I can. […]

Wakaba: Never mind…I have something even nicer now…

She never really cared if she was hurting him, so long as she could have power over him — if she could be something, anything to him.

Then, we’re off to the duel notice, and the shadow play.

Fox Girl: At last! At last! At last the rain’s come! When rain falls on a sunny day, we have to marry fast! For us fox girls, it’s our custom!

Bunny Girl: You guys are lucky. We have to wait for it to snow on a sunny day before we can get married! For us rabbit girls, it’s the law!

Utena: What’s wrong with being single?

Because it all comes back to compulsory heterosexuality! (of course Utena’s the one to question it)

And now, Wakaba’s fighting her own battle…to keep Saionji, of course, and replace Anthy.

Wakaba: Upon the Black Rose, I swear…

Anthy: Utena-sama…

Wakaba: I shall win this duel…

Anthy: Take the sword from me!

Wakaba: …and kill the Rose Bride!

Anthy: Take it now!

Utena: Himemiya…I can’t…I can’t fight her…I can’t use the sword against a friend…against Wakaba…!

Because, although she knew the other Duelists, this is her best friend, the person on whose behalf she got involved with the duels in the first place.

Wakaba: That’s right! I’m going to kill her! The girl who stole my Saionji-sama from me!

Utena: Saionji?

And Wakaba isn’t holding back.

Utena: What happened? Wakaba, you were shining so brightly! What happened?!

Wakaba: You wouldn’t understand! You’ll never understand!

and all the time anthy’s begging her to draw her sword

The watchtowers of Troy, with flaming tops flash with lightning and come crashing down.
Pyrrhus becomes deaf for a time. 
Behold! White-haired old man! 
The sword raised to slay you has frozen in the sky!
Pyrrhus is completely still!

This duel theme alludes to Neoptolems (AKA Pyrrhus), the mythological son of Achilles, not the historical figure from which we get the phrase “Pyrrhic victory” for a victory that costs more than it’s worth, although that’s clearly part of the implication here. Neoptolems is typically depicted as a brutal warrior (the song here evokes when he kills King Priam of Troy), but with a soft spot for girls. The relation to Achilles similarly seems pointed, as he famously had a…deep relationship with his squire Patroclus, although it’s never been clear if they were lovers or not.

Anyhow, back to the actual fight.

We get a flashback to when Wakaba first introduced Saionji in the first episode…

They’re just together because they’re both on the student council. That’s all.

…complete with her denial that Anthy meant anything to Saionji.

Notably, the hair clip appears in different colors on the desks, since Wakaba didn’t get to wear it after Saionji painted it, so to her, it could be any color.

Wakaba: You and that girl and the student council, too! You all look down on me! Without a care in the world, you use the special gifts you were born with, and without a second thought…[…] Trample the rest of us!!!

and then she holds wakaba’s hands, because she doesn’t want to fight her

Utena: Wakaba, I know there’s a lot about this I don’t understand, but there’s one thing I’m sure of! You’re one of my closest friends…hold on! I’m going to save you…!

then she grabs the sword from her and cuts the rose

The tragic thing is, she never NEEDED Saionji! She accomplished so much on her own this episode, but because Saionji rejected her, she thought that she wasn’t special. And it’s never clear how much of this she forgets after the duel…

Mikage: I could get rid of him for being no help to us, but…Saionji. We may as well keep the fool around here for some laughs.

Yeah, he basically sticks around from here on out for comic relief. But we’re gonna need it as we approach the final arc.

But there is one last Duelist to assail…

….next time…