Review: Gabi steals another solid episode of Attack on Titan

Once again, Gabi gets the most powerful emotional moment of the latest Attack on Titan episode, “Sneak Attack.” This time, it’s after she has finally been reunited with Falco courtesy of a Paradis commander who pitied this young kid stranded far from home. Hiding in the hopes that they can flee the island, Gabi overhears Sasha’s siblings — the ones who treated her so kindly before they knew she killed their sister — angry with her. It hurts, her eyes well up with tears, and she finally realizes the truth. “There weren’t any devils. On this island…there were just people.”

Gabi was introduced to this story late in the day, but she’s very important to understanding the perspective of the Eldians on Marley, and to understanding the show in general. Way too many of the characters on Attack on Titan are radicalized. The Marleyans want to grind the Paradis Islanders under their boot forever, Yelena and Zeke want to sterilize the Eldians, and Eren…well, what he wants is a matter of debate. But Gabi made a breakthrough and realized that the combatants on both sides are ultimately going through the motions, repeating a cycle of violence with no end. It’s a powerful moment that could pave the way for a better future.

And Falco telling Gabi he loves her is also great. These two…I want the best for these two.

Eren slouches towards a turning point in “Sneak Attack”

Spotlighting character turns like this is one way that individual Attack on Titan episodes can stand out even though little usually happens at a time. Elsewhere, Armin and the cadets decide to help Eren, although we don’t know if they’ll actually go through with it; there’s a bizarre moment where Yelena looks at Armin with suspicion — her face is drawn with incredibly stark, harsh lines — but she seems to buy it for now. Also I don’t know what to make of this line from Commander Pixis: “I haven’t lost my marbles yet. Though I do have a little drinking problem.” Kay.

Meanwhile, Reiner and Eren continue to go at it, although Eren gains the upper hand courtesy of Zeke, who shows up and starts lobbying rocks at the Marleyans forces. It’s all beautifully rendered — there’s a terrific shot of Yelena spreading her hands wide in religious ecstasy as the Marleyan zeppelins go down — but we don’t get to any inflection point yet; that will only happen when Eren and Zeke make contact, granting Eren access to the power of the Founding Titan, whatever that means.

I did like the twist with Pieck faking her death so a Marleyan gunner could blast Zeke in the nape; Pieck is another character introduced late into the story who has quickly become one of my favorites, mainly on account of how clever she is. The show has done a really good job of getting us to like characters who are supposed to be “the bad guys.”

And of course, it’s done that while turning Eren, the protagonist, into a villain…or is it? What does Eren plan to do when he has control of the Founding Titan? Sterilize the Eldians, as Zeke wants? Start the Rumbling on behalf of Paradis Island, as Armin suspects? The final season rolls on…

Episode: B+

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