Attack on Titan S3 – Episode 12

This episode is pretty slow going for the first bit, a lot of talk and build up. A small bit of down time before what is sure to be a lot of action when we enter the arc where the scouts will head out and retake Wall Maria, find the secrets contained in the basement and start humanity on a better path.
First though, a party! The scouts get a large celebration with a rare treat for them, meat. Well as you can imagine, if you’ve desired something almost your entire life. A rare item that you almost never get to have, there is bound to be a lot of ruckus and fighting. So things get rowdy quickly, but no group is more rowdy than the Levi squad.
Bunch of problem children they are.

Sasha predictable freaks out, she is an absolute animal and tries to eat an entire thing of meat on her own. Connie tries his best to knock her out and get her off the meat but she’s not going down. The guy they recruited from the interior police is like “pfft, the scouts never get meat. how pathetic.” and gets punched in the face by Sasha.
Eventually Connie gets her down and they tie her up.
Only for Jean and Eren to start fighting. Because why not cause more trouble when you were specifically told by the higher ups to not make a bunch of rukkus? So those two have a right old brawl until both of them are about to fall over, then Levi comes in and knocks both of them in the stomach and knocks them out.
Why didn’t he just do that sooner? Levi, manage your squad!

Eren, Mikasa and Armin sit down and have a pretty sweet conversation. About the past, about the future. About how they will find out the truth about what’s outside the walls and see the ocean one day. The episode takes a really cheap emotional blow at my heart by having a guy who looks like Hannes walk by them and has them see Hannes in him.
Some things about the past are gone forever. Yet, they can get those days of peace back. We can never go back to the past exactly the way it was, but we can get the feel of it back.
I’m not crying, you’re crying!

Then, the best scene in the episode. The end scene as the scouts are on top of the roof, getting ready to head out on their mission when the entire town comes to cheer and send them off. Wishing them luck, thanking them for the things they’ve done for them.
Before it’s even said, you know. This is the first time the scouts have ever gotten this kind of cheering, the first time they’ve gotten this kind of praise. They’ve always sort of been the joke squad. Now, at least the people here respect them and appreciate them. It’s really heart warming actually. Another moment of tears burning my eyes, but instead of the sadness I felt at the memory of Hannes. It was pride, pride for how far the scouting regiment has come.
Pride to know that they’ve made progress, if only even a little. They rid off to reclaim Wall Maria and that’s where the episode ends, yet, it’s ended far too early. There is far too much time left on the bar for this…I attempt to skip the credits to see what’s at the end and…

OKAY, this isn’t fair! First off, placing the scene in the middle of the credits messed me up. You can’t tease me like this though! You can’t tease me with a bloody Levi with Mikasa holding a blade to his throat. I’m sorry! You can’t tease that kind of thing and then be play “Lol, see you in April.”
NO, this is unfair! You can’t do this. For the manga readers this might be alright, but this isn’t alright for an anime only person like me. What the hell is going on? How far ahead is that skip? What leads up to it!?
YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME ON THIS HIATUS!
Well, it can and it did. So until April we’re going to be on a break. See you guys in April.