86

Episode 8

The final season of Game of Thrones was generally regarded to be kind of a wreck. However, most would agree that the best episode was the calm before the storm, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”. It was a way of reflecting on character relationships and both the meaning and anxiety of the hopeless battle ahead. 86 attempts something similar this week, but it has had kind of the opposite effect, presenting one of the show's weakest episodes thus far.

That's not to say that it's not still good – you'll find a decent score at the end of this review – but the interactions between Lena and both her uncle and best friend weren't really the compelling climaxes we were hoping for. The back-to-back shouty rants about the hopelessness of everything with a visual direction that doesn't match the quality of the rest of the show were kind of disappointing. We've spent a lot of time watching Lena struggle to deal with the oppression she participates in, but it's already been at a fever pitch for a long time now. Henrietta shouting her life story with an evil-looking face doesn't really add anything beyond, “Oh, she's just an awful person, not an ignorant one.”

The “evil-looking faces” in particular is somewhat of a played-out trope within animation. A character will say awful things for weeks, but so many storyboard artists and directors will still demand the use of an “evil-looking face” so that we can be sure who the baddies are. In a way, it feels a little insulting. Lena's cohorts in San Magnolia have already made it quite clear that they have no intention of helping her at all, but Episode 8 just made everything too blatant, topped off with her uncle's “Genocide is a good idea” rant.

Contrasted with this coldness is once again the warmth of those within Spearhead Squadron. Based on the opening, a lot more people have died, yet they've found a certain contentedness in going to join them. I can't help but wish we got more of this. Most episodes of 86 have been more-or-less 50-50 when it comes to spending time with each group, but I feel we could've heard a bit more from each of the members of Spearhead Squadron. Of course, this is a two cour show – most of them will be fine. But it would've been nice to pretend a bit longer with those that remain.

I've been down on the episode so far, but it does little to dampen my anticipation for the confrontation to come. We spend a little time with Shin's brother after the credits, including an incredibly violent choking scene (anime is severely lacking in content warnings) and so it'll be neat to see Shin attempt to put that trauma to rest. But what I'm really interested in is what happens after they survive. It's hard to believe that the entire show is just about them fighting big mech bosses. I'm currently playing Mass Effect – I don't need another show about Man vs Machine. The really interesting question is what happens when the suicide squad refuses to die? And how will Lena transform from a passive protagonist into someone who can actually help them?

This was far from the best week of 86, but I'm still looking forward to a brighter future.

Rating:

86 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Callum is the host and creator of the YouTube channel The Canipa Effect where he explores topics within the anime industry. He also serves as Video Editor at OTAQUEST, discussing the art and creation of Japanese pop culture. You can also find him talking nonsense on Twitter.