"I hate kids and pets! They're all a royal pain in the butt!" -Spike Spiegel
While the pseudoscience used to explain certain developments in this episode isn't extraordinarily convincing, the meat of the episode explores some really interesting themes and gives our main cast some deeper characterization and chemistry. I felt first and foremost that it explored pride and loyalty in the context of the male psyche. We also witness a harrowing expression of lost innocence through the antagonist of this episode. The final scene is really effective, with the visual parallels to the opening scene and a poignant lesson being illustrated. Nobody can run from their past. Desperately evading consequences and perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop will tear you apart and potentially affect those closest to you. Acceptance of these things will set you free. Carry that weight. It's truly the crux of the show and Spike as a character, and seeing it all laid bare before him in that final scene is immensely powerful. It's poetic, beautiful, tragic, and undeniably Bebop.
While the pseudoscience used to explain certain developments in this episode isn't extraordinarily convincing, the meat of the episode explores some really interesting themes and gives our main cast some deeper characterization and chemistry. I felt first and foremost that it explored pride and loyalty in the context of the male psyche. We also witness a harrowing expression of lost innocence through the antagonist of this episode. The final scene is really effective, with the visual parallels to the opening scene and a poignant lesson being illustrated. Nobody can run from their past. Desperately evading consequences and perpetually waiting for the other shoe to drop will tear you apart and potentially affect those closest to you. Acceptance of these things will set you free. Carry that weight. It's truly the crux of the show and Spike as a character, and seeing it all laid bare before him in that final scene is immensely powerful. It's poetic, beautiful, tragic, and undeniably Bebop.
