Amnesia has apparently revealed to us that Jasmine is an untouchable badass, and being a Princess is holding her WAY back.

She jumps off of Carpet and repels off the spire of a tall building like it’s nothing. That’s some Assasin’s Creed level shit right there.

Aladdin tries to corner her. She shoves him into a cart and cuts it down around him in two seconds flat.

Then she pole vaults away.

I say being a princess is holding her back because before this we don’t really see many examples of her pulling these kinds of acrobatics – the kind that even Sadira was doing. And Jasmine’s said she’s a fast learner. She keeps up pretty well – save that being the princess, she was likely never encouraged in these exploits. She has to be proper. She has to look nice. Stay out of the way. Be unobtrusive.

And then she forgets she’s the Princess, and she’s a superhero. BY INSTINCT, she is this good.

Just a brief pause to see who thinks what: Followers, when I’m done with the Aladdin series would you still be interested in reading liveblogs of other shows/movies/things?

I’ve thought of doing serious looks at other series after/when I’ve done more of the Aladdin series and movies like I’ve been doing here. Like of Gargoyles (since I watched both back to back every day when I was a kid), or Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and other shows/movies/things I grew up on and, presumably, lots of you grew up watching too.

Would you stay for it? Would it annoy you to see non-Aladdin things coming across your dashboard? Reply, reblog, send asks, etc.

I would really value your opinions.

So Abu snatches the Rose thinking it’s pretty and apparently not thinking it’s a good idea to tell anyone Abis Mal is in the palace. And he gives it to Aladdin. You see where this is going.

Have a between frame of Abu smacking Aladdin in the head.

Because I love you guys so much.

Now from here, I like the writing a little better.

Jasmine loses her memory when she smells the rose, and then her reasons for running away from Aladdin makes sense. Aladdin says the wrong things to make her think that – whoever she is – she doesn’t like him. That makes sense.

And maybe Aladdin would be a little more alarmed if she hadn’t been treating him like this for the whole episode so far. At present he can only see her as catching him not-remembering their anniversary again, or she’s acting slightly strange, and that’s about as far as he gets before Razoul catches him chasing her.

And given the evidence at hand, he comes to the most logical conclusion, himself. Jasmine just ran by looking angry. Aladdin is chasing her? Aladdin’s done something to piss her off.

In fact? The Princess has been in a bad mood all day. Clearly it’s his fault. Throw him out.

Now he makes this big to-do about Aladdin being “back in the gutter” where he belongs and that Jasmine would tire of him eventually, but I like to think he doesn’t wholly mean that because I like to think he’s developing as a character just like anyone else in this show.

This is a Captain of the Guard who at the start of the canon was wholly in Jafar’s purse and likely got the job he has because he’s both capable and mean. Jafar would admire that. But he’s also proven himself quite loyal to the Sultan since Jafar’s defeat, and he’s even been protective of Aladdin one one or two occasions, drawing his sword to defend him in episodes such as “Mudder’s Day.” Over time – and we’re going to be waiting a while for it to come full circle – this is a character that will come to respect Aladdin as a future Sultan.

But right now? He has the authority to give Jasmine the space he thinks she needs. Aladdin can spend the night outside. (As I discussed in a PM with someone else, I like to think that Razoul sometimes kicks him out of the palace now and again for whatever reason but no bones are made about letting him back in once he’s in a better mood the following day.)

His job over all? Protect the princess. Aladdin’s being a jerk? Fine, he can do it outside until Jasmine feels like hearing him apologize. Until then? Piss off.

I kind of love Iago trying to be the diplomat here.

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“You’ve got to make compromises when it comes to his thought processes,” basically.

I think Iago kind of feels like it’s his job to try and be the go-between when they’re fighting now. He doesn’t want to, but after that one time it just feels natural now. But he seems a lot more interested in reasoning with Jasmine than Aladdin. With her? He’ll try to smooth things over. “Give the kid a chance; he’s dense, but he loves you and he stops monsters from burning your city down every week.” With Aladdin? “Yeah, you are so dumped.”

..You could really read a lot into that, considering Jasmine’s lack of female friends.

This scene is lost on me when Jasmine winks at him cheerily and explains she’s just trying to give Aladdin some time to remember without any hints. BY BEING A JERK TO HIM.

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Also this is what happens when you get one of the between frames when she’s winking.

Aladdin KNOWS today is something special. He just can’t remembr what. Because it’s likely this is the first time it’s been mentioned in 365 days.

No. Sorry, I’m on his side here. This is just bad writing.

I have been given no clear indication that he should remember this at all. It would have taken a couple little lines; it is not that hard to make something Aladdin’s fault. i have demonstrated this on numerous occasions, so what’s up with you, episode? This was the best you could come up with? Make Jasmine arbitrarily angry at Aladdin for not successfully charting the stars to remember a specific date when he’s had no canon reason to keep track of ANYTHING like this until now? Really?

Jasmine is not a tool for dramatic tension. More than once she’s been demonstrated to be the one with the cooler head and the fairer perspective and you’re going to drop this tripe on us?

Boo.

Jasmine is moping because it’s the anniversary of her first date with Aladdin.

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And of course he “forgot.” Sorry, my memory of the movie is a little rusty but I don’t remember him dialing that exact date into his blackberry before Razoul threw him in the fucking ocean. We get no indication that anybody has brought this up in the last year. (BTW: for you continuity nuts, as of episode 16 it has been exactly one year since the movie took place, just to lay that out for you.)

…The point I’m making is: Does Jasmine expect Aladdin to easily remember dates? Does she think he had much use for a calendar when he was homeless?

Give the kid a break.