A new day, a new planet, a new life intersected and upset. Once upon a time, Spike may have been part of the biggest crime syndicate in the solar system, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t others scattered around. And that they want power and resources as much as anyone, regardless of the lives they’re stepping on.
Warning, spoilers for both this session and potentially previous sessions as well.
1. What a Twist
Something weird happens in “Waltz for Venus:” the Bebop crew actually manage to nab their bounty! And in the opening moments no less. The group of terrorists — quickly and expertly taken out in the opening moments of the session — mostly serve to get the Bebop crew over to Venus, where the real plot kicks in, involving young criminal, Roco, and a mysterious vegetable.
2. Zen Master
So much of Spike’s attitude and life is easy-going, laid back, and reactionary. In many of the sessions before this, we’ve watched him get up and sort of intervene only when he’s truly backed into a corner or his collar’s about to get away. This frustrates people like Faye, far more boisterous, far more willing to take matters into her own hand. “Waltz for Venus” introduces us to the exuberant and excitable Roco, who watches Spike dispatch the opening terrorists with a few well-rounded kicks and is now convinced he must become Spike’s apprentice.
So much of the session revolves around Watanabe and company juxtaposing the two characters. There’s a scene in the first act where Roco’s in the middle of some martial arts poses, complete with sound effects, and Spike watches in borderline shock.
A little later, Roco gets flipped over. “It means becoming like clear water. Water can take any form: it drifts without effort one moment and then pounds down in a torrent the very next,” Spike says.
“Maybe I get it,” Roco says. “But then again, maybe I don’t.”
Even at the end of the session, after that climactic shoot out, it’s not clear if Roco really gets what Spike’s talking about. The session continues to give us a guy who’s trying to make good, to disastrous results, while Spike calmly and stoically watches and reacts.
3. Grasping for Everything
By this point, no one should be surprised that the story takes a turn for the tragic: as others have pointed out, there’s a distinct melancholic attitude to the whole series. Yet, Roco’s fate feels more . . . cheap than anything. Him getting gunned down in that gunfight where he expected glory is pretty much the Cowboy Bebop M.O. As Watanabe and crew develop his relationship with Spike, as we watch Spike inexplicably grow to actually like this kid, enough that he goes to visit their homestead, we know Roco’s not going to run off into the sunset.
I think it’s all in that speech from Roco’s sister, Stella. “I know everyone says bad things about him and I know he hangs out with some bad people too but Roco has a good heart. . . . Both you and Roco have something beautiful. I can see it. That’s why I’m offering you tea like this,” she says. Unlike other fates, other deaths, it feel like Watanabe and company are really reaching when it comes to this session, like they desperately want you to feel this connection and therefore force their hand. The theme is hammered down too hard and that midpoint desert visit is more eye rolling than empathetic.
That being said, there’s a lot to like in “Waltz for Venus.” Roco is frankly an endearing character. Someone like him is difficult to fully present because if you go too far, he’s annoying and irritable. Don’t go far enough, there won’t be any connection between us and his actions. His wants are clearly outlined, his personality is clearly defined and he’s a more optimistic character in a series filled with beaten down and dour people.
4. Not That Big a Deal
One of the most memorable bits of the session is Faye doing some investigative work. She busts into a hotel room where two guys are getting intimate. She laughs off her mistake and goes away. What makes this scene so great is that the guys aren’t getting shunned. Faye’s embarrassed because she just stumbled in on two people getting busy. The guys are never ridiculed, shunned, or even seen again. It’s a one-off gag, progressive for the time period, and handled with the same delivery and sense of humor as the rest of the series.
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5. Letting People In
I also think his presence makes it easier for Spike to let someone else in. By eventually letting Roco into his life, Spike’s defenses get battered, leaving the way open to deepen his relationship with Faye and allowing some like Ed to come in.
That’s right, space cowboys. Next week introduces the last member of the Bebop crew. Stay tuned so we can start “Jammin’ with Edward.” In the meantime, let us know your thoughts and reactions in the comments. How does a character like Roco stand out in the broader swatches of Cowboy Bebop? How is the show overly reliant on the Western genre and how does it manage to break the mold?
