This episode is structured very strangely. It picks up right where the last episode left off, with the second wall broken and the titans approaching. We even see Eren do fairly well in his attempt to slay the monster. Granted, it doesn't work, but it's not his fault. It seems the titan's heavy hitters have defense mechanisms so that their weak point can't be attacked.
Technically, Eren did hit the colossal, as he was met with a gust of hot air, but rather than die, the creature simply vanished. You'd think Eren would be severely burned by this, but he's fine. He also seems to benefit from Looney Tunes gravity as he hovers in mid air for several seconds before finally using his pack to grapple to a wall before hitting the ground. It won't be the last time humans shrug off serious injuries in this episode.
Whether the ineffectiveness is a sign that the titans are evolving or that is just a trait of the colossal has yet to be determined. Eren does deduce that the titans are capable of thought as he notes that they they attacked the canons and disabled the gates first.
Despite the fact that the other titans are still storming the city, the group is called back to HQ. It gives the characters a chance to get introspective as they contemplate and mentally prepare for the oncoming battle, but the battle's already here. It's just very strange that they talk about what could happen if the second wall falls when it's already been breached and the titans are already in the city.
It does give Eren a chance to show that he's not the same pushover that he was when the show first started. He is able to stare down other characters and angrily chides them when they try to give him grief.
I also liked the flashback to the classroom lecture. It's an exposition dump and it seems like a scene that should have been included when they were still in training, as opposed to time skipping (multiple times at that) and then flashing back after the fact, but it does give us more information about the titans and how they function.
There are, of course, still a lot of question marks, like where they came from, but mankind has been able to learn quite a bit about their physiology and noted patterns in their behavior. For example, they only seem to target humans. Also, while chowing down on humans seems to be their primary purpose, they don't do it to feed, as evidenced by the fact that they have been able to survive even when humans weren't around to be eaten.
It's said that they're driven by bloodlust, though that is contradicted by the fact that the titans have a specific target. Either they have an endgame, they don't value human life, or they enjoy eating humans because it's fun. Either way, it's a pretty unnerving development that they are eating people because they want to. If they were doing it to feed, it would still be horrifying, but there would be some potential empathy there. In this case, there is none.
We also see the king, who was talked about a bit last episode. He's not particularly likable, though that seems to be the point. When he is informed that the second wall came down, he's more concerned about his own fate. He even flat out says that the lives of the people outside the inner wall don't matter.
You'd think, at the very least, that he would offer whatever resources were necessary to aid in the fight, but he can't even be bothered to do that. I figure he's going to be getting eaten in a bit of karmic retribution, though character growth is also an option.
Eventually, the episode remembers that a city is under siege and that the characters should probably go fight. To be fair, there is a line about how the fight is occurring off screen, though that just begs the question of why they weren't sent in sooner as that team didn't fare particularly well.
Of course, this team doesn't fare too well either, so it could be moot. You'd think that Eren's training and fury would combine to create a devastating enemy who tears through the monsters that killed so many people. It doesn't.
You could call it a case of reality ensuing as many fighters note that getting angry actually works against you. Such is the case here, as Eren loses an arm (and later a leg) and ends up skidding and bouncing across a couple of rooftops after one of the titans counters his attack. It's pretty brutal.
Also brutal is the shot of one female soldier who has her rope tugged as she is lunging forward, causing her to slam into a brick wall. Considering the velocity she hit and the thud that came from the impact her head made against the wall, you'd think she'd be dead. Oddly, she's still conscious. She just shrugs it off and gets back up. With shows like this, writers usually have to take some liberties when it comes to human durability, but I wasn't expecting it.
Armin doesn't do much better. While he isn't horribly maimed, he is paralyzed by fear. This was actually foreshadowed earlier in the episode and is portrayed rather sympathetically. While it is satisfying to see characters do badass things in the name of saving humanity, this sort of reaction is perfectly natural given the circumstances.
That doesn't stop Armin from almost getting eaten. Even he wonders why he's not moving when the creature is grabbing him and dangling him over its mouth.
It's a shame this world only has access to medieval technology. Lobbing a hand grenade down that thing's throat would have been an interesting tactic. Considering the titans have regenerative abilities, it probably wouldn't work unless the grenade got lodged in the creature's throat. At the very least, it would hurt enough for it to drop Armin, but this is a moot hypothetical.
Luckily for Armin, Eren is able to save him. It was a great heroic moment, even if the logistics of how it could have been done aren't clear. It's undercut by the fact that Eren appears to be swallowed.
At face value, this should be a lame cliffhanger as we know that the main character is going to survive. Even the "anybody can die" argument is undercut by Armin's rescue. He actually had a much greater chance of dying from a narrative standpoint.
Still, the scene worked well. Not only does Armin get to show his fury over the death of his best friend, but we also cut to Mikasa, who seems to sense that something has happened to her adoptive brother.
Even if Eren does survive, as noted, he loses another limb as a result of this, so there will still be consequences.
Strange structure aside, this was probably one of the stronger episodes to date. There is a nice balance of character moments and wham moments to keep you engaged in what's happening. Investment in the peripheral characters is still a problem, but it does seem like the show is picking up steam.
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