Knights Of Sidonia S1 E6: Salutations

"Once upon a time this ship had a hero defending it.

I'd like you to become a Knight of Sidonia."

-Captain Kobayashi-

Nagate Tanikaze and Shizuka Hoshijiro are rescued and returned to Sidonia.




It is there that news rings out across the vast seed ship declaring Tanikaze as something of a hero.

Utilizing the Tsugumori, a Garde used in the legendary Fourth Guana assault, he has destroyed "single-handedly" a Guana. It is perceived he may be the "second coming of the Knight Of Sidonia."

The mythology grows in Knights Of Sidonia, Season One, Episode 6, Salutations.

Kobayashi visits the Immortal Ship Committee for guidance.

These moments continue to reveal details concerning the world of seed ship Sidonia.



Hiroki Saito mentored Tanikaze. Tanikaze is the late Hiroki's successor. Captain Kobayashi acts as Tanikaze's guardian. But Kobayashi knows that Nagate's piloting skills are essential as Sidonia reaches deep into Guana territory.

The consultation between Kobayashi and the Committee suggests the group wants the best for Sidonia and her survival. The immortals see Nagate as nothing more than a means to an end. Should the boy become a problem the suggestion by the group is that Kobayashi will "cut him loose." A heart is not required to live forever.

What's most fascinating about Knights Of Sidonia is the microcosm of humanity's trials and tribulations as presented within the great seed ship.



There is joy and celebration amongst the population over the return of Nagate and Hoshijiro yet there are also violent anti-military protests on the flips side.

Sidonia presents all of the beauty and flaws and suffering of our own civilization within its own walls and, relatively speaking, small universe. The story tells us no matter how far we come or how far we go or no matter our efforts just to simply survive out in the cosmos humanity will never find true peace in the universe or with each other.



There is no place in the universe that will quiet our DNA to fight or to struggle. All we can hope for is to find those that choose to live and love and share values while clearly others prefer chaos and conflict. Social unrest and upheavel will endure. We can only hope to contain all others who seek strife or at least find some common ground, but the battles will exist within our own lives as much as they might against the monsters around us. The fact is the monsters are among us now and they won't be going away anytime soon. What a timely story reminding us that some things never change and have the potential to worsen.



Even as Sidonia fights a mortal enemy from outer space people within Sidonia fight their own in protest against the war effort. These same battles face fellow countrymen today. There are those that would wish us wiped off the map and yet we must fight one another to wage that fight for survival.

As a result of their success Tankiaze and Hoshijiro are promoted from cadets to full-fledged Garde pilots. They will be joining Norio Kunato and En Honoka.

Kobayashi even informs Tanikaze she would like to essentially knight him as a Knight Of Sidonia, a protector of the realm.



Salutations builds upon what was first established in Adrift between Tanikaze and Hoshijiro---a love connection. The feelings the two have for one another transcend all that swirls around them. They are indeed linked by the heart and Salutations deepens their warmth toward one another. Most of all Salutations is the episode that cements Tanikaze's love for Hoshijiro.

Salutations also enjoys exploring life back upon Sidonia and concludes on a unique note and cliffhanger.

Following a night spent in each other's company, Tanikaze and Hoshijiro are deployed to fight another Guana with their team.



Instead of the heat of battle, Salutations cuts to Tanikaze wounded and waking following his return to Sidonia only to learn he had fallen unconscious in battling the multi-segmented creature.

More horrifying and cutting Tanikaze to his own core is learning that the girl in which he is falling in love with has been killed in the fight. Shizuka Hoshijiro he learns is dead. She has perished in the fight. Hello, greetings and salutations Tanikaze and welcome back from battle.

Knights Of Sidonia continues to flesh out character and enjoy building on the mythology of Sidonia herself and breaking from expected anime conventions as she goes steadily into the dark of space. It does so steadily and breathes as it goes along with some beautiful animation. It's a rare space yarn especially as anime goes.

 

LOST S1 E22: Born To Run

"Don't open it. Don't open it Mr. Locke.

Don't open that thing.

Just don't open it."

-Walt-

Season One of LOST continues to be an absolute joy to watch. That's no small task for a season running 25 episodes in length.

This writer kept asking himself why it is so much fun to watch. It's clear to me it is the combination of character, casting, location shooting coupled with the danger elements of its crashed-on-an-island-a-long-way-from-home-mystery premise that made it so compelling. The series just captures the imagination and taps into a kind of primal reality.



Spacerguy put it quite succinctly in a comment "Fresh, young, exciting with an element of danger and so totally lost." That is about as perfect a from the gut assessment if ever there was one.

LOST, Season One, Episode 22, Born To Run, keeps the proceedings moving fleet a foot with more thrills a minute than a dance between a snake and a mongoose named Riki Tiki Tavi.

Well, maybe not that exciting in this one, but the episode jockeys nicely between those interested in digging deeper into the island via John Locke's discovery of the handle-less hatch and those looking to run from the island via Michael's raft boat. The juxtaposition of those two threads is intriguing. Flight or fight. One wants to flee the island while the other thread wants to probe and dig deeper into its mysteries. Both are equally thrilling.



Highlight: There are not a lot of moments that spoke to me in Born To Run.

Walt's exchange with Locke regarding the dangers of the hatch which would inform so much of Season Two is likely one of the most intriguing elements. Locke's exchange with Jack over the hatch also rates.

Sawyer calling out Kate from usurping his spot on the raft may be a close second as reasonably tense scenes go.



Nevertheless, the squaring off between Jack and Locke becomes seemingly more pronounced here in Born To Run as sides appear to be more defined. The contrast between the styles of the two men takes even greater form giving us a glimpse of the shape of things to come.

Born to Run sees the story of the various castaways move ever so slightly.

"Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run" (Bruce Springsteen). The Kate flashback, which predates Whatever The Case May Be (E12), was either not compelling enough for this writer or sleep was getting the better of me. As a result, Born To Run, like The Greater Good is a slightly weaker entry than normal in the series, but things are about to propel to a head for the denizens of LOST.



Flashback: Kate.
Writer: Javier Grillo-Marxuach/ Edward Kitsis/ Adam Horowitz.
Director: Tucker Gates (The X-Files, Carnivale).

LOST S1 E21: The Greater Good

"Storm coming." -John Locke-




Boone Carlyle's funeral (Michael Giacchino's score is titled Booneral) takes place here in LOST, Season One, Episode 21, The Greater Good.

Following Boone's relatively unexpected death in Do No Harm after an untimely fall in Deus Ex Machina it all becomes rather apparent and sobering that LOST as a series is certainly more than willing to terminate one of its primary ensemble cast members when the story calls for it. It makes sense that one wouldn't survive such a fall. If this were the 1980s and The A-Team we might experience a completely different outcome. Given the large ensemble cast the episode makes it very clear others will die.



One of the aspects to LOST that this writer appreciated is when the series slowed things down for a touch of reality as it does here to pay respects to Boone and capture the genuine sadness of the castaways who somehow find a little solidarity in looking at their loss. If you're one of a select few survivors and one of you dies things tend to realistically hit home a bit and there is a genuine sense of loss portrayed in the entry.

The passing of Boone is handled with the kind of care given the birth of Claire's baby in Do No Harm. These are emotionally true moments that strike a cord and are executed with credibility throughout the series.



Though The Greater Good would refer to people working together for a common cause or a greater good, the episode highlights a theme of picking sides or pitting one side against another. The Greater Good is also known as Sides in fan circles.



Highlight: The moment John Locke informs Sayid he was the one who struck Sayid from behind with a stick while he was attempting to triangulate the signal. This event occurred in Episode 7, The Moth. It's another LOST question answered. More importantly, those character dynamics are in full play with Locke at gunpoint by Sayid whom Shannon is hoping will kill Locke believing he was responsible for Boone's death.

It's the final moments tied to this dynamic between Locke and Sayid that resonate. Locke thanks Sayid for believing him, for choosing his side. Sayid admits he allowed Locke to survive because he senses he may be the key to their survival on the island. He also proves that he was not played by Locke and demands to be taken to the real hatch.



Sayid the interrogator works his magic while we learn a little more about the former Iraqi Republic Guard in likely one of the least compelling flashbacks of Season One.

For a lighter moment it's hard to beat Sawyer lulling a baby with his accent.

The irony of The Greater Good is that everyone on the island isn't working for that and all have competing agendas. That kind of conflict generally makes for terrific drama. Unfortunately, The Greater Good isn't the greatest of the season, but still good enough.



Flashback: Sayid.

Writer: Leonard Dick (The Good Wife). Director: David Grossman (Desperate Housewives).