Recap: The BETA have infiltrated the base but Yui remains determined to destroy the Type 99. She makes up her mind to stick with her decision, no matter what the cost.

Jel’s Thoughts: Maybe I’m just starved for any positives with this show, but I have to admit this was a pretty solid episode. It was another good example of Total Eclipse’s ability to build tension and intensity around the encounters with the BETA. We all knew Forklift Guy was gonna get chomped, but we spend just enough enough time with him to feel bad it. And as the BETA closed in on Yui, they had me thinking for a tiny fraction of a second that maybe, maybe her Plot Armor is not as thick as I think it is.

Of course no amount of decent directing can change the fact that events continue to pan out exactly as expected. Yuuya still swooped in at the last second to save Yui, the Soviets are still evil, and Italian dude condemned someone to death when he pulled the “I have a bad feeling about this…” card. Given where the episode left off I fear for Norwegian girl, which is too bad. She was the least annoying member of the team.

One thing that did get me thinking was Forklift Guy’s whole speech about wanting to die protecting a woman. His desire to save Yui primarily because she is a woman seemed like a really old fashioned sentiment. Yui even acknowledged it’s strange he would still think of her that way, even though she was his commanding officer, designed this incredible weapon they were working on, and just shot up a BETA to save his life. It added a sense of irony to the way he died, making him far more pitiable than your average red shirt death.

I find it hard sometimes to tell when Total Eclipse is playing up to its setting or when it’s actually tossing in hints of racism/sexism. I think it was pretty intentional in this case, and just barely scratches the surface of what this series is capable of. The notion of a modern world that never had a chance to socially evolve beyond pre-World War II values could really make for a fascinating story. Unfortunately, Total Eclipse barely has the chops to raise the questions, let alone give any kind of answers or commentary. If you dig around hard enough though, those elements are there. I just don’t have much confidence the writers know how to use them.