Synopsis of 2×06: The garrison regiment regroups along the crown of Wall Rose before a staggering reveal confirms their suspicions and leaves them feeling more betrayed than ever. It’s a titan eat titan world out there.
Christa, or should I say Historia, is pleading with Hange for Ymir’s sake. She turned into a titan to save us, she says. Ymir’s loyalty is to humanity, she says. Rather than pegging Ymir as a distrustful enemy in disguise, Hange answers Historia’s bid with a stoic, “I see.” Hange wants to maintain a friendly relationship between Ymir and humanity. As for Historia’s real name, Hange gives her a normal “nice to meet you,” rather than whatever reaction Historia braced herself for. But, hold on a second. Let’s address the elephant in the room.
Although Christa’s real name is Historia, you can’t deny how weird it feels to call her by it. It’s similar to having a friend you’ve known for years and suddenly having to refer to her by a different name in third person. So for the rest of our time together, I request your permission to refer to her by the name we all know and love. No? Okay, I’ll just grit my teeth and bare through it.
Meanwhile, Reiner’s experiencing a little PTSD over his near-death at the jaws of the titan at Castle Utgard. Eren brushes it off too nonchalantly, so Reiner has to remind him that this is the second time! This is the second time, he’s been just mere seconds from death.
Reiner delivers a mini monologue that gets pretty real. They may have each signed up for this fate, but each time they escape death it brings them closer to mental and spiritual decay. Their bodies may escape unscathed, but the same can not always be said for their mental and emotional states. Still, Reiner pulls himself together and essentially shelves his mental breakdown for a time after they’ve plugged the hole in the wall.
The garrison advanced squad arrives to inform everyone of the hole’s location in the wall. Of course we already know there’s no hole. Hannes claims that the wall is fine between Trost and Krolva district. To be honest, this essentially means squat to me. I just want to know, is there a hole in the wall or isn’t there? Of course, Attack on Titan specializes in vague statements, so should I be surprised? I guess not, that’s on me. Somehow, from this information, everyone else gathers that the wall is entirely intact.
Everyone’s returning to Trost district under Hange’s orders. Reiner pulls Eren to the side to drop some pretty groundbreaking news. Can we just pause to comment on how impossibly lax Reiner is as he reveals to Eren that he is the very reason titan hell originally broke loose? Way too casually, Reiner reveals his status as the armored titan and Bertholdt’s status as the colossal titan.
WTF?!!
This whole time, the enemies behind the resurgence of the titans five years ago, and the destruction that has ensued, have been fighting alongside humanity. For Pete’s sake, Reiner saved Connie and lifted a smaller titan to throw it out a window! For two giant villains against humanity, these are two of the most realistically unassuming guys you could imagine.
Reiner offers Eren the chance to end the war on humanity if he leaves with them at this very moment. Eren’s taking this information really well. Through the whole explanation, there hasn’t been a single dramatic gasp or grunt (if you didn’t know any better, that’s how people in the anime world convey shock or bridled frustration).
This is why…
By way of flashback, we learn that everyone knew the likelihood of Reiner and Bertholdt being titans in disguise. Before heading to Castle Utgard, Hange had received Annie’s background report. Only two other recruits came from the same area. Take a guess as to whom. During the long range scouting mission in the past, their unit received false information.
Then, Sasha remembered something important! She heard through the grapevine, that Annie liked sweets even though she was grouchy! Who knew? The nerve of the dastardly fiend.
On the other hand, Armin remembers something that’s legitimately important. During the scouting mission, Reiner was overly interested in Eren’s location and it was immediately after he escaped from the female titan’s hand that she changed directions. This leads Armin and the others to believe that Reiner sliced a message, concerning Eren’s position into the titan’s hand when he burst out. Hange orders everyone to act without suspicion just in case the notion may be true.
In Present Time
You know that moment that usually happens during a standoff, when both sides are frozen and a random sound or otherwise sets everyone off? That’s essentially what we see here, alongside Reiner’s realization that his time among humans has made him soft.
He starts to transform and Mikasa’s almost too quick for it. She wounds him and almost takes Bertholdt’s head off, but she fails since no one else helps. The transformation blows everyone back. The armored titan grabs Eren and slides down the wall. Eren looks back on all the moments he looked up to Reiner and Bertholdt like older brothers, before transforming into a titan himself.
End scene.
What did you think? Can Eren and the rest of the regiment find a way to defeat the most powerful titans they’ve ever faced? Leave a comment and let us know, we’d love to hear it.
English