Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2

Episode 85

“Someone has to do it. Someone has to be the one to stain their hands with blood.”

The question that is ringing in everyone's mind this week on Attack on Titan is a deceptively simple one: “Why did it come to this?” As Mikasa escapes the inferno that Flock set to try and burn the Azumabito alive; as Annie and Reiner crush the doomed Jeagerists in their fists and underneath their feet; as Connie and Armin are forced look their old friends in the eyes and watch them die; as Onyakopon and the kids gaze upon the carnage from a distance. “Why did it come to this?”

From the minute that Hange's Scouts and Magath's Titans made their pact, it was inevitable that Armin and the other Scouts would end up in conflict with Floch and the Jeagerists, and there was never any way that such conflict would end without blood being spilled. Armin even acknowledges as much when he refuses to take Magath's well-intentioned offer to stand off on the sidelines and let his group handle the dirty work of taking back the dock. The old commander has finally come around to empathizing with his former enemies, to understanding that he had become just as evil as Marley in hating the Eldians so much, and it's an incredibly powerful moment to see him fully recognize how horrible the current situation is for the natives of Paradis. It's equally powerful, then, when Armin also recognizes the simple facts of the situation: If they can't get ahold of the Azumabito's “flying boat” and intercept Eren, then the world is doomed. If the Scouts have to get their hands dirty to save all of existence, then that's what they have to do. It's their duty.

It's one thing to say you're all in, though, and another thing entirely to pull the trigger. What makes “Traitor” such a gripping episode of Attack on Titan is how the show once again forces its characters to confront the grim realities of war and refuses to pull any of its punches. Armin, the optimist that he is, refuses to believe that a peaceful solution isn't still possible, however improbable it may be, and for a minute there you almost think—or, at the very least, you hope—that they've pulled the wool over Floch's eyes. I'll admit that I didn't exactly remember who Daz and Samuel were right away, but the core principle of Connie and Armin's tense ruse remains easy enough to grasp: These two really do not want to have to kill their friends if they don't have to, and they might just manage to get their hands on the plane they need if Floch doesn't stop to think too hard about Armin's improvised distraction.

Floch does stop to think too hard, of course, because if we've learned anything from Attack on Titan: The Final Season, it's that Floch will ruin literally everything and anything around him so long as he is given the opportunity, because Floch fucking sucks. This leads to one of those situations where the show's strong production values are something of a mixed blessing, because on the one hand, it is objectively good that “Traitor” looks and feels much more polished than the last couple of episodes; it really needs that extra oomph in its visuals and direction. On the other hand, the events that are being so well-produced are kind of awful to watch, so I can't exactly say I had “fun” seeing the gang's plan go straight to hell in a handbasket.

(Alright, fine, I'll admit that it was a little badass to see Annie make her grand return to the stage as the Female Titan and, alongside Reiner, goomba-stomp the ever-loving hell out of those Jeagerists.)

More than anything, the episode's script and searing direction are in service of driving home the utter horror that our heroes experience in having to commit such horrible acts in the name of “saving the world”. Armin does everything he possibly can to avoid killing Daz and Samuel, and he gets a faceful of bulletholes for his trouble. Connie, with tears streaming down his face, promises that he really is an ally to the Eldians, right before he blows Sam and Daz's brains out.

Across the sea, we are told, the Colossal Titans have likely already made landfall, and every second wasted is another city that will be crushed in Eren's Rumbling. Why did it come to this? It's hard to say, even now, but one thing is for sure: The blood is just going to keep on flowing until this war is over. The one thing left to decide—the only—thing is whether or not Eren or the rest of humanity stand as the victors, in the end.

Rating:

Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on Twitter, his blog, and his podcast.