It's been a while, but I think it's time to finally get back to the attack...on Titan. When last we left, our heroes had just joined the force dedicated to vanquishing the titans once and for all. It comes complete with a verbally abrasive drill sergeant who doesn't suffer fools.
True to his status as underdog, Eren finds that he has trouble performing even rudimentary tasks with the tools that they employ in their war. He certainly has the drive, but the question comes up as to whether he's cut out to be a soldier.
You'd think that this is where the show cues the montage, but alas, the episode goes entirely without one. I was legitimately surprised. I mean, this sort of scenario just calls for it.
In lieu of that, we're introduced to a bunch of new characters who, sadly, aren't given enough time to really make any serious impression one way or the other. Sasha Braus was the exception, but that's mostly because her later scenes veer into mind-screw territory, as she's driven into delirium from exhaustion and hunger.
It was kind of surprising how little the others knew about the titans. Given the state of the world, you'd think that most people would have a story similar to Eren's. Or, barring that, maybe they heard about what was happening and wanted to stop the monsters out of a sense of nobility and heroism. Instead, most of them are pressured into it for one reason or another. I guess having a ragtag group of reluctant heroes is more dramatic, but it still surprised me.
Actually, the crew here seem to take a more cynical approach to things. A few characters are in it solely for themselves and one character is mocked for attempting to help another person. You could use the "humanity's on the brink of extinction" argument, but we've already seen that most of these people have been tucked away behind several walls and have little idea about any of that.
Really, though, I think the episode's biggest flaw is the resolution. The reveal that Eren's belt was defective was a bit too abrupt. I think having him master it on his own might have worked a bit better. That would have rewarded his persistence and determination as opposed to having a fluke circumstance be what turns things around for him. Oh well.
Sadly, this episode was weaker than its predecessors. There's some character development, but not a whole lot. It's especially glaring as this seemed to be the priority for this entry, but the only characters you're connected to are the already established ones. Hopefully the second part of this chapter will be able to remedy that to a given extent.
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