This was a very emotionally charged episode, which once again hammers in the reality of war and the harshness of it without crossing too many lines. I think however, the most striking part of the episode, maybe the part that is the hardest to swallow is the beginning of it. When Steve, the solider that they have been trying so hard to save for the past two episodes dies.
When he wakes up disoriented and believes that he’s still in battle. He wanders out of the medical ward, out into the fields and as he slowly begins to realize that he’s not in danger. Hearing Bob and going to return to him, talking about what he’d like to do when he returns to the states.
He steps on a bomb and gets blown up.
Wow, I just…I don’t really know how to feel here. In most circumstances, I’d be pissed off to see a character that our main characters fought so hard to save be killed off in such a way. However, I feel like this is almost realistic. A sad and sickening reminder that life isn’t always so kind, especially during times of war.
While this is shocking and hard to deal with, it’s Bob and his reaction to this that really fuel the episode. The hard part is how you should feel about him.
It’s hard to lose your men in combat. It’s even harder when you see their life get saved, only to have it taken away again in the blink of an eye.
The psychological trauma he goes through is rough. He loses grip with reality, so much that he stuffs the remains of his friend into a bag and is speaking to it like it’s alive. Even on the off chance that he got out of the jungle alive after calling the air raids on the village. He would have to live the rest of his life in an insane asylum most likely or at least in intense psychiatric care at a hospital.
I would say calling an air strike on the village is a villainous act however, he was delusional. He was seeing enemies where there were none. I mean, they did just agree to help one of the men who had captured them, even if he was the one that had helped them escape. Having lost even the support of the United states medic, of course someone already off their rocker would react poorly.
This brings me to what Hazama and the Doctor, who’s name we learn at the end of the episode is Kiriko are up too this episode. Anh, the guy who helped them escape from being tortured was found out and beaten and shot as a result of it. The doctors are all set on the idea of saving him.
Even when Bob calls down the air strike and it’s up to the reporter and the girl Phan to evacuate the village. Kiriko and Hazama continue to operate. With Yabu there helping them, he thinks that he sees two of the surgeons that will change the medical world as he knows it.
Even thought you know that they’re going to get out of there safely. It’s still sort of nerve wracking, not so much for if Hazama, Yabu and Kiriko will live but to see if Anh will live. As far as I know, he doesn’t have the benefit of being in the sequel series to assure us that he will make it through this episode.
I’m glad that he survives though and at the end of the episode we see the doctors heading their separate ways. Yabu staying in Vietnam to help people, Hazama going back to Japan and Kiriko treating patients at a medical facility for the United States. His name is the big reveal of the episode, seeing as even our main characters are like.
“Wait, did he ever say it?”
I feel as if that name carries some importance to a character that shows up in the older Black Jack series. It doesn’t mean much to anyone who is using Young Black Jack as their introduction to the series.
Oh next episode is going to be awkward….that’s all I have to say about that.
~Midnight