Well. Spoilers much, episode title? Guess that means this was an easy week. See you nex-okay, fine! Let’s talk about the episode!
1. Rachel, the Hero
As we approach the end, things are speeding up real good. We start with Rachel’s rescue of not only Mrs. Berium and her daughter Mary, but Nice from the Lemures. We also learn why Rachel is playing the hero, despite her job as information broker. Her father was a railroad engineer and had such a fondness for them. So Rachel couldn’t bear to see to see anyone get hurt on the train. It’s a nice motive, and, considering all the mad people in this show, it is always nice when someone is doing the right thing because it’s the right thing.
2. Czes, Trust, and Miria and Isaac
Czeslaw has had some bad things happen to him. The things Fermet did to him after they gained their immortality were beyond abusive. It does manage to garner some sympathy for Czes, even as we watch (in flashback) him devour Fermet and the things he tried to pull in the present. Now, he is left on the bottom of a train car, arm flailing near the rolling tracks. He’s at the end of his rope, mentally, unable to trust anyone now. Fear has ruled him and he looks a lot more human than he has this whole show. So, who should show up to try and rescue him but Isaac and Miria. Isaac desperately tries to reach down to grab the not-kid’s hand, only to have Isaac cut his arm on a nail… and Czes gets to watch the wound seal right back up, confirming that Isaac and Miria and immortals. Naturally… Czes doesn’t take this well…
3. “This World is Completely Mine”
Rachel wasn’t the only one we got to take a look into the mind of. As Ladd and Claire confront each other, we find out a little bit beyond the assassin called “Vino” and how he sees the world. It’s not a God Complex. It’s actually kind of the opposite? To Claire, this world is completely because, to him, he is the only thing that’s real. And that when he dies, this world will just fade away as nothing but his imagination. What doesn’t help is that whenever anyone (currently Ladd), tries to prove him wrong they fail. Miserably. It’s an extreme form of solipsism… and it weirdly makes Claire entertaining. What I’ll just say is to remember this for next time, because it’s going to be important when we talk about Claire and Chane.
4. A Symphony of Ruckus
The term “baccano” is a play on the Italian for “turmoil” or “ruckus”. In short, a cavalcade of people, actions, personalities and anachronisms all smashed together and that kind of has been what this show has been, as evidenced by my increasing difficulty to boil these episodes down to five points. But now, the last sevenish minutes of the episode sets off the finale, with Claire tricking Ladd to jumping off the train to save his fiance Lua, Isaac and Miria trying to rescue Czes, Jacuzzi’s gang trying to finish the Lemures, and Jacuzzi himself vs. Goose on top of the train, Jacuzzi with a tommy gun and Goose with a flamethrower. To someone just reading these, it sounds chaotic. And it is. And it works! Everything flows so wonderfully off one another and we see moments we weren’t expecting, like Isaac, Miria and Czes flying over the roof of the train, holding desperately onto a rope, nearly tripping Goose and Jacuzzi, Claire having a fun moment with Donny, and the passengers saving themselves. None of this should work. And yet, it did!
5. That Cliffhanger
Then we come to the last scene, back at the Alviare at the darkest point. Dallas and his goons have shot up Firo, Luck, Keith and Berga. Szilard has Maiza on his knees, ready to be devoured. And Szilard gives Ennis the order to kill Isaac and Miria. And that’s where it leaves off. Now, foregone conclusions are obviously in play, we know who survives this. It’s the how they do and the fallout of it that creates the tension and will bring us back. Just two more episodes, everyone!
