A lot of the action in this episode is focused outside of the wall, with Levi, Erwin and the recruits. The most that happens inside the wall is that Armin has something of a mental breakdown and shifts control of the situation to Jean. Mikasa fails to send Thunder Spears into the nape of the colossal Titan and Eren gets kicked like a football into the top of the wall and lays unconscious for the remainder of the episode. Oh, and as if this isn’t enough for things to be looking grim. The armored Titan is back up and functioning as well.
Though if things are looking grim inside the wall, that’s nothing compared to how grim things are looking outside.
The Beast Titan has started picking up and crumbling large boulders, so he can throw the stones at the city and take out the scouting forces stationed there. In only a short amount of time, the only people left standing are Captain Levi, Commander Erwin and the new scouting unit recruits that were stationed at the very back protecting the horses. Rather then up and fighting against the smaller Titan’s that were besieging the city.
Things are so hopeless, they aren’t looking good on either side of the wall and it’s extremely unlikely that any of them are going to get out of this situation alive. So what do you do? Do you sit down and die? Do you sit and wait for your death or do you go out in a blaze of glory? Do you keep fighting to the bitter end and give your life so others can keep living?
These are the things that these new recruits have to think about and face.
I have to say, in this episode alone. I really came to love Erwin, as he faces the idea that he may need to charge into his death head on without any hope of achieving his dream. When he has to be brutally honest with these recruits as they are about to charge to their death.
All for a slim chance, all for the idea that maybe the Beast Titan can be taken down by Levi.
He gives a dramatic speech to the soldiers and rallies them into action and they mount the horses and go for what the Beast Titan refers to as a ‘suicide’ charge.
Meanwhile, Levi uses the wall of Titan’s lined up on either side of the Beast Titan to mount an attack. Taking them out in the process as he moves along the line to attack the prime objective.
In the way of action, not a lot goes down this week. This is still an amazingly engaging episode though, Erwin’s thoughts are fascinating and his charisma is undeniable. The absolutely cold way that Levi says that he is making the final call on what they should do and tells Erwin to give his life and the lives of their men on a change to take out the Beast Titan.
I have to give Hiroshi Kamiya the credit he deserves for the delivery of that line. I could feel a chill go down my spine during that moment.
Things are looking grim for humanity, but there is still a small glimmer of hope. We’ll see how things pan out in the next episode, next episode “Hero.”