Murder is on the table in this episode of Overlord. I instantly became giddy once the episode got into its focus because there is nothing more amazing in this show than cutting away the bullshit and actively showing us the underbelly of this otaku turned overlord. Ains literally starts by walking into the room in a robe, blocking all his magic, basically acting like a bachelor who has slept two hours and was woken up by stray cats. “I swear to god Albedo these cats keep messing up my sleep I will neuter them so hard-” But these intruders are not innocent cats- they are intruders.
And they will pay.
Their real mistake is one of them bluffed, trying to say they were given permission. This gave Ains a momentary 
hope that one of his friends from his world might be there. What we see once he confirms they have no idea who he really is . . .is nothing short of spectacular. Inside Ains there is Momonga, lost in his thoughts about his friends, and then furious beyond measure as he realizes his friends are not there at all. It seems as though his disconnect with this world and the reality of his own world further allows him to commit atrocities. To him, these people are really not ‘people’. They’re not from his everyday life and so, it’s a game to destroy them. That’s what I love about the progression of this show: how slowly, Ains becomes an evil overlord even as his mind seems to be intact. He just believes these aren’t ‘real’ people and behaves as such.
Yes Ains, continue your descent into this world’s true devil. As long as this reality remains the only one you belong to, this means your true nature becomes that Overlord. No longer is it a roleplay! I am awaiting the realization this will eventually lead to.
Probably the most uneasy moment for me was when one of the characters tried to escape into the ‘forest’- when in reality we all knew they were underground. We see the character being chased down by Shalltear, and then we see the little sisters waiting for the mage back at her home. One of the themes of the show definitely contributes to the idea that Momonga is still seeing the characters as NPCs and not as ‘humans’ while the viewer is seeing the characters all through a lens: to us, Momonga is in the same universe as these characters. He is just as real as they are, and so we have an interesting way to view them.
And thus, we get to watch this decay in Momonga’s personality and actions in a very fun way. Slaughter them all and become the Overlord, I’m gonna meme all over this! The episode ends with us learning that they use all the parts of the intruders as effectively as possible, down to their voice boxes…or it seems, until after the credits. Our Dark Elf twins arrive in Not-Quite-Gilgamesh’s courtyard on a dragon and declare “Unless someone comes to apologize, we will destroy this Kingdom!” and they start with the courtyard.
Such is the price when one defies Ains Ooal Gown.
Oki
I felt like I was watching an adaptation of Dark Souls
I think this is the best description of Ains’ mental descent that I’ve read! I was so busy being distracted by the Pleiades Battle Maids that I glossed over those character details. Thanks for clarifying that!