For the sake of time and because of my rather unexpectedly hectic schedule in the last week, this review is going to incorporate episodes 41 and 42.

We are well into the plot now, with plenty of content, character and story development; however, episode 41 was somewhat of a disappointment and here is why. When I say disappointment, I mean to say in comparison to some of the others. I get a little antsy when we’re stuck in one place and focusing on the same objective in an anime like this, although there is a very grave turn of event. It’s taken a few episodes for Ed and Kimblee to finally face off; their confrontation is a short one, but even so, it proves to be an almost lethal one for our hero. Edward is left for dead while the Crimson alchemist makes his escape.

This brings us to the scene where Ed has been caught up in the debris left by the hole that Kimblee has made, and the shocking discovery that he’s been run through by a sizable steel girder. There is a moment when he seems to have lost consciousness, taking his brother with him as they are linked by the bond of blood and soul, but this is anime and the good guy [almost always] wins.

Much to his luck, the two Chimera who were once subordinates of Kimblee have now changed their outlook when they too are caught in the rubble and left for dead.  They are free to do as they please, helping Ed to get out of the mess of rubble Kimblee has left behind and picking up a Philosopher’s stone as well.

The next episode, 42, leaves us without our protagonist. Much of what occurs in the beginning is moving the plot along; the gang running from Kimblee has found a hiding spot in a rickety old building in the middle of the mountains. There, they attempt to uncover the secrets of Scar’s brother’s notes, and they eventually do, much to their surprise. Not only are they in trouble having discovered the true plans of Kimblee and the Homunculi, but Briggs is being targeted as well. And can you believe it? Sloth has finally finished the job linking those tunnels. Father puts it best, “The fated day is almost here.”

There is a bit of comic relief in this episode provided by Hoenheim, of course. He ends up dragging himself, literally on his face in the sand into Lior where we first met Rose, begging for a bit of food to eat. But food isn’t the only thing he is after. He is quite interested in finding the pathway that leads underground where he will find the shadow Pride, along with some long-awaited answers.

With the impending showdown between Hoenheim and Father in our midst, the episode leaves off with Drachma attacking the Briggs fortress. And thus, bringing us to episode 43…