The good news is that this episode brings the entire main cast together for the final battle. The bad news is that this could have been done in five minutes; this is easily an episode you can skip, a shame since the plot should be white hot right now with the audience hanging on every second.

The overall plot for this episode was predictable as ever, but it is the choices Miroku and Sango are forced to make that salvage it. It is one of the few "adult" decisions the series has fostered upon its protagonists; pity it waited until the very end to write a good, mature story for any of the characters.

While Sesshomaru fans will love the time given to him in this episode, it is the brief moment where Miroku decides to leave Sango that has any real emotional impact. The end is looming, but the story is doing little else to build a sense of anticipation and excitement for the final confrontation.

This is it; the final sprint to the end of the series has begun. The final obstacles to overcome are in place, and it is now up to our heroes to overcome them before facing the final trial. Not much actually happens in this episode, but it can be given some leeway as it is setting up the final arc. Let's hope the series goes out with some form of a bang.

This episode managed to do so much of what I have wanted to see the series do from the start. Our heroes worked together as a team to fight Naraku and made intelligent, quick decisions on the battlefield. It was a fight that kept you glued to the screen. However, it still refuses to make the difficult decision and let a major character die. You do not just cheat death with this gimmick; you cheat the audience out of a genuine emotional connection with your characters. Still, the episode did so much right that it outweighs this gripe. This is one of the few episodes of the season worth watching.

While the humor at the beginning fell flat, the remainder of the episode finally provides material to leave the audience anticipating what comes next. Miroku is close to death from two different sources, and Kohaku's body and soul are falling towards salvation or damnation. Both outcomes are predictable, but this episode provides an interesting story that makes you want to see how it plays out.

While the plot does not advance, the relationship between Kagome and Inu Yasha finally grows beyond furtive glances and stray thoughts. Both know what their hearts want though they still have yet to give it voice. After so much, it is difficult to be teased yet again, but it was an entertaining, if not predictable, diversion from chasing Naraku.

Sesshomaru fans can rejoice as the episode revolves around his growth of a new arm and as a greater demon. However, the overall story suffers from the introduction of the duality of spirits within the Jewel. The evil spirit will stop at nothing to retain its hold over the Jewel, but the good spirit seems content to sit idly by and be defiled. It is a difficult leap to make this far in the series, but it might be something that was lost in the manga to anime translation. And I am trying to not even think about why Naraku has held off so long enlisting the aid of this spirit. Quite the frustrating episode for the story, but it did manage to provide some decent action.

Kagome was placed in a difficult, no-win situation; rather than having her character grow through ingenuity, we are instead given a convenient power that Kagome has had since birth but apparently forgot about until now. It was a disappointing finish to what was shaping up to be an enjoyable episode. It evens out though by ending with a small but intriguing mystery.

It may have been a predictable battle between the half brothers, but it was one that encompassed the bulk of the episode. Whisking them away from the peanut gallery allowed the story to focus squarely on the battle for Tetsusaiga. It may not have been a radical departure from the norm, but it was unique enough to allow the minutes to fly by.

While it is enjoyable to see Inu Yasha and the group work together, it is also a stinging reminder that this is done very seldom despite all they have been through. The episode manages to inch the plot forward but fails to provide a decent balance between action and exposition. It would have benefited from trimming a few minutes from the exposition to really let the battle heat up.

After the strong character development of the previous episode, the series falls back into its lackluster pattern of leveling up a sword while everyone passively watches. The only highlight is seeing Sesshomaru drop his blank stoic stare and be genuinely angry and frustrated.

This episode brings much needed life back to the series. Both Sango and Miroku are forced to make a difficult decision with either choice having a significant impact on their life. No magical cure-alls were provided allowing for the story to connect with the audience on a level it has not managed in recent memory. Astute viewers may catch the twists in the story when hints are dropped, but it is still satisfying to see both characters reach their decision. Here is to hoping the writing of this episode carries on to the end.

This episode manages to provide some decent action with the return of some plot elements long forgotten. Remarkably, these elements are used in a manner that is logical and consistent with the story. We close out another character's story, but it is still misses the mark in making it an end that connects with the audience's emotions.

There is little to recommend in this episode; it pads things out for twenty minutes leaving the last ten to setup Naraku's latest plan. The action is mediocre, and the tense character moments are all too familiar. The best thing you can do is skip to the last few minutes; the design for Kanna's mirror demon is rather nice.

Sesshomaru has been a stoic player with no peeks behind the mask. We have learned little about why he chose to keep Rin with him or why he has grown fond of her. This negates the impact this episode's emotional moment was meant to have. We know Sesshomaru is going to care about Rin at the right time and somehow she will be saved. Even the humor in this episode fell flat. The best one can say is that the pieces and story inch forward towards a conclusion.

Kikyo is finally dead, but this comes far too late in the series to really affect the plot or characters. What should have been an emotional farewell was simply a sigh of relief that we have shed an overused plot point. However, the battle of Naraku was fun to watch and beyond Kikyo's death provided some significant changes to the overall character dynamic. It is worth a watch simply to see how each side manages to think quickly in the midst of the chaos.

We receive some decent character development in this episode. Kagome finally realizes that the shared past between Kikyo and Inu Yasha does not detract from the bonds she has formed with him. She can finally let go of any resentment to Kikyo. However, my resentment of the series keeping Kikyo around for this long still lingers. She has been nothing but a tired plot device, one that should have left the stage so the characters could truly grow. It will be refreshing to see this thread finally tied up.