Fitzgerald Rising was an episode I went into with no idea what to expect. Fitzgerald was probably one of my least favorite members of The Guild, next to Steinbeck and I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy seeing his character in this episode. However, I kind of ended up loving this episode.
I genuinely felt sorry for him as it’s implied that his wife gave him and their marriage up as he was falling from the Moby Dick. His wedding ring vanished and through his ability, saved his life. He was a man with nothing now and he was perfectly willing to turn and accept that. If it wasn’t for Louisa begging him and coming to him to ask to hear and grant her wish. Her wish to have her boss back, her wish to receive orders from him once again.
So with what little money and resources they have, they start trying to work their way back up from the very bottom. Using Louisa’s special ability, they make plans and lock onto a genius inventor named T. J. Eckleberg. Who created facial recognition software for a security system. However, it seems that Eckleberg has been accused of murdering one of his co-workers in an intoxicated rage.
However, Eckleberg insists it wasn’t him. Despite being caught on camera with the same facial recognition software that he helped program named ‘The eyes of God’. Fitzgerald sees him as innocent and asks Poe to subtly approach Ranpo to solve the case for them. So Poe slides in and issues the case as a riddle, though Ranpo is greatly disappointed that it’s not Poe’s new novel. Which, me too Ranpo, God, Edger Allen Poe was such an amazing author in reality and he also seems to be pretty good in universe too.
Ranpo solves the case and points them in the direction of the companies CEO, who had a backdoor created to Eyes of God that could replace the image of the person on the screen and then killed the person who created it to silence him. Framing Eckleberg for the crime using the backdoor.
Francis gets a check filled out for a good sum of money to ‘buy his silence’ by threatening the CEO. However, he does not remain silent in the slightest and plays a recording of the conversation between the two of them to the court and presents the check as evidence. (while bursting in, pointing and screaming ‘objection’ Phoenix Wright style) However, both of them are inadmissible in court so it doesn’t matter. However, the companies stocks tank and Francis uses the money from the check to buy them up and obtain the company for himself. As well as getting Eckelberg off from his murder charges and doubling his pay and obtaining Eyes of Heaven for himself.
The best part about this episode though is watching Fitzgerald as he discovers what it’s like to shop as a poor person. What deals are like and how to take advantage of them, immensely hopping for dumb shit like pans on a 3 for 1 deal or the voice recorder that he used against the CEO. Also on a three for one deal and just how absolutely proud of himself he is for discovering this kind of thing. He had no concept before of even how to shop, he would just buy the entire store for something he liked.
So watching him have to learn how to handle this as someone without a ton of money was kind of hysterical.
This episode didn’t entirely revolve around Fitzgerald though. We did get a brief moment with Fyodor, bleeding into a cup and talking to someone or perhaps himself. Things are falling into place and everything is going to begin soon. I’m interested to see what part if any that this newly established Guild will be playing in the upcoming events.
Fun fact – TJ Eckleberg is a literary symbol from the original Great Gatsby novel, not an actual character.