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The Last Jump, aka The Fall of the Neo Sapien Empire part 3, is the forty-ninth episode of Exo-Squad. It backs up a bit from where the last one ended, to a briefing with Able Squad and Charlie 5 platoon. We learn that their target during the liberation of Earth is the Neo Lord breeding complex. As the squad gets ready to deploy, we see a few flashbacks and character moments, before launch. Shortly after the engagement at the Pentagon begins, Able Squad is summoned to the Resolute II to deal with the Doomsday Device situation, leaving C5 to fend for themselves, again. They try to hold out for an evac shuttle, but when it goes down they have no choice but to make a run for it. Cornered by hordes of partially developed Neo Lords, they make a stand at the remains of the Washington Monument before Wolf Bronski rescues them in the Admiral's personal shuttle. Butler get seriously injured during the evac.
What Works: The strongest moments in the episode are the characters ruminating right before the big fight. Everyone gets a brief something. Nara clutches her arm (injection sight of Dr. Ketzer's... whatever) and winces. Takagi and Torres share a look. Wolf eats. (No burping)
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The Kaz/Bronski relationship is again shown, when Kaz immediately flies down to Bronski's defense. Bronski, choking on the flames of his own crash landing, mutters "you're the man," recalling The Art of War. Bronski may be the junior partner now, but it's a comfortable relationship.
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Praetorius activating all the Neo Lords, regardless of their developmental readiness, is a fun element. Though the squealing Neo Lords aren't nearly as effective as the fully-developed ones, they certainly give the episode a horror-movie like quality. It's a pretty audacious move, sacrificing potent power tomorrow for mediocre power today, but then Praetorius has correctly judged that this is the final battle. Neo Lords in the future count for nothing.
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What Doesn't: Though there are many, many great details in this episode, as evidenced above, the overall pacing feels off. With the three flashbacks in the beginning of the episode and all of the Able Squad character development in an episode that seems to want to be about Charlie-5 platoon, the whole thing feels a bit like filler. The stakes are pretty low, just the lives of the Jump Troopers, and you don't really think the named ones are in much danger. At least, I didn't. Obviously I was wrong, as Butler does get injured, though oddly off-camera. We hear a scream but don't really see what happened.
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Wolf borrowing the Admiral's shuttle telegraphed the rescue too much, and had an awkward feel to it. You'd really think Winfield would have bigger fish to fry.
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Nara's genetic alteration, foreshadowed here, is still in play.
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Bio: Typhonus. Our last new flashback. It would have been perfect just two episodes back. Here, it's a little awkward, as neither Phaeton nor Typhonus is in the episode. On the other hand, it's new information, and Phaeton contemplating how Typhonus is his right hand, and lamenting that he can't grow a new one, is a pretty nice beat. This episode also reminds us that Phaeton can grow new generals made-to-order, which will become important next episode.
Overall: Sadly not one of the better offerings. As I noted above, there are many strong elements, but they don't build to a coherent whole the way one would hope. It's by no means bad, but mostly serves as a bridge between the prior episode and the next. I suspect you could cut it out and not miss too much of a step. I get what they're going for; this four-part series examines the war from the perspectives of the Resistance, the Jump Troopers, Able Squad, and finally Phaeton's inner sanctum. I just think this episode didn't have quite enough story, and the reused footage does little to dispel that notion.
2 comments:
Maggie wasn't wearing a space helmet during her last words with DeLeon in One Small Step, but it appears in the flashback of this episode.
Marsala's memory involved an Exofighter with THREE Neos jumping out of it, like one of those clown cars.
Tank battle totally owned the episode!
At the beginning of Exosquad episode Fall of the Neosapien Empire Part 3 , the original destroyed Resolute is seen in perfect condition near the Resolute II. Was that magic from Samantha Stephens’ because today I had a vision of her in the main control room of the Pirate Clans’ Flagship?
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