Every episode of 91 Days reveals a new element of the show that makes it better than what it seemed it would be. A story of revenge is not quite enough to explain what makes 91 Days a superb example of storywriting and character growth. Normally when one declares there is character growth they mean it in the sense of positive: it is very rarely we see the silent madness of characters like Angelo. Furthermore, characters who have a downfall are typically given monologues. Lelouch was polarizing and morally grey, so what happened to him? We heard most of his thoughts and felt his final emotions. We were there the entire time to watch Light descend into the rabbit hole. But what do we feel with Angelo Lagusa? Cold, calculation, no thoughts and empty scenes with no words. We see him motion to knives, think of times people died, but we never hear the things he is thinking of doing. Angelo is an unreadable human just like any other in our daily world: and he is more terrifying than any anti hero has ever been.
Angelo spends much of this episode in confliction without ever voicing it for us. Corteo has been discovered to be a traitor, even though he killed Fango and made the entire territory essentially Nero’s, and furthermore his reasons behind it seemed to be more or less revenge of his own. This puts Angelo’s position in the Vanetti family in a precarious position: he is friends with Corteo and therefore seems he could be an accomplice. This would make any loyal member of the Vanettis sweat, but Corteo knows the truth about Angelo and what he really wants. He carries a knife with him and nears where Corteo is being held but we never know: would he really kill him? Is his intention to free him? We don’t know. Corteo is ‘freed’ and we learn that he is captured, his captors demanding he kill Nero.
The rest of the episode is wholly psychological until one insane plot twist is revealed: We find out who the fourth member of the Lagusa execution was and the story bursts wide open for me. I sat speechless as I realized how much this episode and this identity meant: and wondered what was going on. Did this person hate Nero for what he had done? Was he using Angelo to take over the Vanettis? Did he truly feel remorse? We’re likely to get a lot of answers next episode but I feel wholly numb to it all. Angelo’s quest is continuing at the cost of everyone and he is getting closer to whatever resolution this could have.
And I have no idea what is going to happen. This show is incredible and I can’t possibly begin to react to this episode efficiently without knowing what lies ahead. On top of it all, Nero became the new Don and the episode just. . . the atmosphere of this show grows more intense and filled with succinct and powerful despair. I must know what happens but I am terrified to know at the same time.
Oki