What a horrible two week wait!

Right off the bat, I have to warn the audience that this episode is kind of a slow one filled with a lot of back-story. We pick up from the break where Scar has supposedly kidnapped Winry and is using her as a hostage. This tactic, however, was suggested by none other than Miles, as explained in more detail later on, who is just another name to add to the list of people who hate the Crimson alchemist. As angry as Winry still is – and understandably so – about Scar murdering her parents, the episode illustrates a softer side to the tortured character while he answers some hard questions.  Despite all this, Winry is portrayed as none other than her usual merciful self.

In order to get Scar out safely without Kimblee’s knowledge, it is dire that the group work together to pull off their plan. With the incoming snowstorm, they utilize the atrocious weather in their favor in order to escape. This is also the first time we get to see Al’s withered body; long-nailed and malnourished. It quickly disappears and Al returns to consciousness out in the vicious blizzard. I won’t go into too much detail since you should have watched the episode already, but it is an interesting little addition to the plot

This episode also comes bearing a new opening and ending theme, both of which are (ducks the flying boots) extremely blazé and uninspiring. I don’t quite like either of them, as you can plainly see, but that is just my opinion. For those of you who do, it is a nice little gift.

If a new OP and ED wasn’t enough, there is also a bit of an Easter egg.  For those of you who didn’t notice, there is a particular scene with some hat trickery. I didn’t notice it at first myself when I watched the raw, but the second time around it caught my attention.

As Ed is stopping Kimblee from using his alchemy on Scar (and unfortunately Winry as well), his hat flies off in the wind. We all assume it’s gone because the gusts out there look to be pretty strong, but that is apparently not the case. In the next shot, Scar is seen using his alchemy and the camera pans down to where Kimblee is standing with his hat back on. But in the very next shot, when he is looking up at the roof, the hat is gone again!

Just one little thing to watch out for.

I am excited, though, because this means we’re leading up to Hoenheim’s story. Unlike the first series, we didn’t get to learn much about where Hoenheim came from or how he got to be the way he is. It’s gonna be one hell of a ride!

~Blogged by Dee