The title of this episode, "Anguille Fumée," is interesting. It can mean a smokey environment and also is a French smoked eel dish.
This is my least favorite episode of the show so far. It starts out with excitement, witty commentary, and action. However, as events with Archie the dog progress, the remaining portion of the episode is slow going.
We begin with a flashback to Humility attending university in France, disguised as a male and calling herself Marchand. She wears a fake mustache! We learn a bit more about Loti’s role in her life. I love how Loti describes herself as “a devil in a dress.” We are also introduced to Humility’s mother, who arranged the marriage with Pitt.
Back in the present, the Nautilus is struggling with the gigantic electric eel wound around its hull. The huge eye staring into the view window is a bit creepy. Nemo wants to leave the ship again, but the entry/exit ports are sealed by the eel’s body.
Humility furiously works at a solution, using her teachings and calculations from college. She decides the best action is to hit the electric eel with more electricity. It’s dangerous because it could electrocute everyone inside the Nautilus if unsuccessful. Nemo, of course, orders it done.
That's when Archie comes in. The dog picked up a filament spore from the last island. It affects him and spreads in the air when he shakes. As the crew race to apply more electric charge, they are being infected. Blaster finds some crates containing blasting materials.
The charge doesn’t work at first. The eel might just be enjoying the jolt. Then Humility lies so they will push the voltage. It works but the jolt rattles the ship, flinging the characters around amidst showers of sparks. Now the Nautilus is dead underwater with the eel still wrapped around it.
Review: Nautilus Episode 5, "Anguille Fumée"
Over on the Dreadnought, the crew identifies some electric surges, giving them an idea of the location of the Nautilus. Crowley interrogates Jagadish about the Nautilus’ heading. He believes Jagadish’s lie that Nemo intends to sell the Nautilus to the Dutch. But the lie is immediately debunked and he orders the Dreadnought to the coordinates of the electrical pulses. He then orders that Jagadish be shot.
As the Nautilus slowly descends, the eel prepares to shock them again. Benoit and Nemo confront Humility about her deceit. Arguments plague the crew while they’re overwhelmed with the situation.
As this happens, the Nautilus crew are slowly overtaken by the spores, which render them lethargic and disconnected. Many are hallucinating.
The eel suddenly releases the Nautilus. As it moves off, a red glow reveals why: the ship is sinking towards the ring of fire, a volcanic area at the bottom of the sea. The crew struggles unsuccessfully to pull away as the heat level rises. And remember: this is all happening as the spores take effect. It’s a really bad time for the crew to zone out.
Blaster reports that the explosive he discovered is made of cotton soaked in nitroglycerin. It's beginning to smoke. Kai helps Blaster move the unstable explosives to a cooler area.
In the Dreadnought, Millais goes to Jagadish’s cell. They converse about their experiences with Nemo. Then he tells Jagadish he will pay the price for Nemo’s recklessness.
Humility finally breaks through her lethargy. After racing around the ship to find anyone not incapacitated, she eventually finds Kai. However, he succumbs to the spore infection, leaving her to save everyone.
Half out of her mind, Humility dons one of the diving suits and goes outside. She fights the hallucinations and manages to free the jam preventing the Nautilus from maneuvering. On her way back inside, she loses her grip. This episode ends with Humility free floating while the Nautilus floats away.
Other Nautilus reviews:
- Episode 1, "Anahata"
- Episode 2, "Tick Tick Boom"
- Episode 3, "What Lies Benearth"
- Episode 4, "Slippery When Wet"
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