This session really builds up the interaction between the three adults on the Bebop, and it builds the character of Ed. Ed nearly checkmated Chessmaster Hex in the first few minutes of the game, but decided she would rather continue to play the game than win. The fact that Ed is on the same level as one of the scientists who designed the space travel gates, shows that she really does have the wheels turning in her brain.
The scene when Spike and Faye find out that Hex is just an old man shows them working together. Their relationship has grown to more than pure tolerance of each other; they have discovered that they can work the same case without fighting. I like that this change is in the episode immediately after Jupiter Jazz. Faye was lost and confused, wondering if she was really wanted, and now that she knows she is, she behaves herself long enough to chase the bounties. This is a turning point that I enjoy, because the Bebop crew is acting as a team.
Jet's speech to the gate suits is also a turning point in his relationship with Ed. "If you don't cancel the bounty, Ed will lose her favorite chess partner. And we wouldn't want that to happen now, would we?" Jet is starting to feel protective of Ed. He is starting to take on the role of her father. As broke and starving as they are, Jet feels that Ed's happiness is more important than money. Isn't he great?
