The previous Princess Principal film ended on the mother of all cliffhangers. While Mary was saved, Prince Richard captured and all of our heroes were as well, with even Princess Charlotte revealed as a traitor to the crown. All this left us wondering for over two years how our heroes would get out of this one. The answer is more than a bit anticlimactic. They are simply let go—told that they are now double agents and if they don't play ball, Charlotte will be punished in their stead.

Thus, despite everything being completely overturned, we somehow return to the status quo with a mission that feels insanely low-stakes given the events of the previous film. Unsure of whether the team has been compromised or not, our heroes are tasked by Control to infiltrate a factory and investigate a man who is making plates to counterfeit Commonwealth currency.

While all our heroes are present for this mission, this film is centered around Beatrice and the almost father-daughter relationship that forms between her and the counterfeiter. It quickly becomes clear that he is a good man being forced to do bad things, which is hard for Beatrice, the purest of the team, to deal with. Worst still, neither side—the Kingdom nor the Commonwealth—cares about his happiness, only his usefulness or lack thereof.

While the counterfeiter plot is rather predictable and low-stakes, it is well-told. But more importantly, it is a vehicle designed to show the cracks forming in the team thanks to their new situation. The team is walking on a razor's edge—and each of them has different loyalties when it comes down to it. On a personal level, all the girls want to save the counterfeiter—he's a good person, after all. And while they all wish to protect each other, even the team is ultimately second in their eyes.

Dorothy is loyal to the Commonwealth, even if she is willing to lie to them about the situation while the team struggles to find a way out. Chise is likewise loyal to the Japanese government, while Beatrice is loyal to Charlotte personally. The real issue is Ange, who is loyal not to a person, a government, or the team. She is loyal to a goal, willing to do anything to keep Charlotte safe, no matter who she has to betray or kill to do so.

Thus, the climax of this film is surprisingly tense as Beatrice, Chise, and Dorothy attempt to find the perfect path where everyone gets a happy ending, while Ange steels herself to do what must be done for Charlotte's protection, the moment things seem untenable. And even as things resolve in a manner all involved can accept (even if it's far from a happy ending), it's made very clear that our heroes were lucky this time—that their next mission could very well spell the end for the team, their friendships, and even their lives.

When it comes to the presentation of the film, it continues to live up to the high standards of its predecessors. The locations and backgrounds are excellent, bringing the grittiness of an industrial, turn-of-the-century factory district to life. Likewise, the action, while limited in this chapter, has more than a few memorable shots—and doesn't shy away from the graphic, violent choice made at the film's climax, either. Meanwhile, music continues to be exactly what you'd expect from Princess Principal with its somber notes in the film's emotional moments and a big band score when the action strikes.

In the end, Princess Principal: Crown Handler Chapter 4 feels like it squanders the tension it gained in the previous installment with a return to the status quo. It feels like our heroes are on a side mission, only tangentially related to the overall plot. Luckily, the climax of the film in large part makes up for this, showing that while things may look the same on the surface, everything has shifted on a fundamental level for the girls, and an inevitable reckoning is looming on the horizon. While the team may have the illusion of freedom, they are still as trapped by the Duke of Normandy as they were at the end of the previous film.