I was worried that the lengthy hiatus between episode viewings would be a detriment, fortunately, this episode is largely an easy one to go into, even if you have only a vague memory of what was happening.
Really, the episode centers on morale, or in this case, the complete lack of it after the titans knocked down the second wall. Hope is in scarce supply as the human resistance finds their supplies running low, the casualties stacking up, and shell shock starting to kick in. It gets to the point where some are driven to suicide as they feel there's nothing left.
We also see some of the forces retreating behind the third and final wall. There are characters that still talk as if this is some privilege, but does it really matter? The titans have taken down two walls already, what's a third going to do? For that matter, the innermost city was the safest because it had those two outer walls to act as a buffer. Said buffer no longer exists, so really, the perceived safety at this point is a sheer myth. While it is never directly stated, it's possible that many of the characters know this and that it feeds the sense of hopelessness that permeates this episode.
Yeah, this is something of a down note episode. There are moments of hope, such as when Mikasa rallies the remaining troops in another charge...by insulting them? It starts strong, but things go downhill quick.
The episode is incredibly light on overall plot progression. A lot of it is devoted to more introspective matters. It's all fairly well done, so even if it seems like things aren't moving, the emotional power makes up for it and keeps you engaged in what's happening. Armin is hit with survivor's guilt and even Mikasa's resolve is shown to be a thin cover for her fear and grief.
With the latter, it culminates when Mikasa decides to just throw in the towel let the titans eat her, only to find that she instinctively keeps fighting. Even she notes that she has no idea why she's doing it, as she herself admits that she had given up. You'd think that this would be basic self preservation driving her, but it's somehow tied to Eren, I don't know.
There is one intriguing plot development in the episode's closing scenes, as a new titan emerges. Unlike the others, this one is fixated on brutally killing other titans. It was rather cool to see. Its arrival makes for an effective "big darn hero" moment, keeping the titan off Mikasa long enough for Armin to swoop in and grab her, but also gives both the viewers and the characters a healthy dose of "what the hell?" The fact that said titan seems to employ more sophisticated fighting styles and poses only adds more to the mystery.
The fact that this episode operated on a very broad stroke approach actually worked in my favor. You don't really need a firm grasp of who is who and even if it has been well over a month since you watched the last episode, you can still watch this and still feel the emotional resonance. I don't know if I'd say it's an enjoyable watch, as it was quite bleak, but it does what it does well. As such, you can still mark it as a strong episode.
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