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FMA: BH ep 8 - The Fifth Laboratory
This episode was Ed fighting Slicer inside the lab, and Al fighting Barry outside of the lab, with just a little bit of Roy, Hughs, Ross, Bosh, Lust and Envy thrown in.
Let's start with Al, because this was the best part. I love Al. A lot. All of his reactions to Barry were fantastic. There's this maturity and innocence about him that's hard to describe. Part of the maturity has to do with the fact that because of his body, he can never change expression--so he seems less childish than he really is. Still, his total lack of surprise that Barry didn't have a body was awesome.
Barry himself was a bit of a mixed bag. The art as he told his back story was delightful, but the backstory itself isn't that interesting. Most of the things he said didn't seem that bright, and yet the way he instantly started manipulating Al seems to me quite masterful.
And whoa boy, how he started manipulating Al--suggesting to Al that he isn't a real person. I never would have guessed that was something we would be talking about in this show. Of course we should be, because if you don't have a body--who are you really? What is a soul? Is this show going to explore that? BtVS never established very well what it actually is, and that's important when you're binding souls to things like machines and vampires. I want to see it explored, and Al--poor Al. I'm really glad that Ed's comment about wanting to tell Al something came back. I assume we're going to find out what it is.
I also loved Al refusing to leave when the building explodes, because Ed is in there. The bond between the brothers that they are gradually revealing is really lovely.
Okay, so Ed! The other best part of this episode. Having each of the brothers fight someone like Al--someone whose body is gone but whose soul is tied to armor--allows both brothers to talk about what Al really is. My favorite part of the Ed scenes was Ed refusing to kill the armor guys. I really didn't expect that. We've already established that Ed respects human life, but the idea that he won't kill someone who was trying to kill him takes that to another level. I'm glad we went to that level, because while I can accept that in fantasy laws about killing bad guys can be different, it's less interesting than the idea that all life has value anywhere, even in fantasy settings. And the fact that Ed still thinks there's value in something that might not even be called human, that he accepts that value because that's what Al is--that was really touching.
I also liked the part where he talks about how he can't defeat Al. I also liked the part where he called out to Al even though Al wasn't there, and used that to get the jump on Slicer.
Mustang and Hughes spend a lot of time on the phone this ep. Hughes talks excitedly about his daughter again, and I still don't have this guy figured out. Seems like a real family man, but made jokes about alchemists; why does he want Ed and Al to stay with him so much? And he was definitely all up in Mustang's business. Maybe he's just a gossip.
Anyway, the most important part of this seemed to be the tag, in which he tells Mustang that a position is opening up in Central. Mustang is interested, and says he's already prepared to have enemies. So there's that ambition again. I did find it interesting the way he's very alone in his office, which Hughes natters on about his kid--in a place where there are obviously other people. I mean, it shows that Hughes isn't very professional, but it also juxtaposes happy!family!guy with lonely!career!man. Hughes tells Mustang to get a wife, which drives the point home. (Mustang is very upset. I haven't decided whether this is interesting.)
Meanwhile Envy saves Ed, and Lust says he's an important sacrifices. She also kills Slicer, which is unsurprising, and blows up the building, which has some symbols on it. The symbols are the drawings from the intro to each episode. Lust talks about how Ed is part of the "plan," which is cool. I'll assume we find out what this is. I'll also assume that unlike the Cyclons, the Sins really do have a plan.
I think Bosh (Brosh?) called Envy "he," which was confusing. I thought it was a girl's body, but that obviously doesn't mean Envy is a girl. They were originally Father Cornello, who presented as male. I'll go with 'they' for now. I mean, it's completely possible that the Sins don't gender identify, but I sort of which they'd go into it now.
At the end, they show the prison beside the fifth laboratory. A guy inside knows that a building is blowing up. Obviously, he's felt it before. He has symbols on his hands that were on the building. He's seems like a delighted scary person who's supposed to be creepy. His mouth reminds me of the Crimson Terror. I remember seeing someone whom I thought looked like the Crimson Terror during a clip of the Ishvalan War. I don't think this guy's eyes were red? Anyway, I can be patient, just trying to put pieces together.
Much better than last episode, and I'm looking forward to exploring Alphonse's self doubt, now.
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I'm fascinated by your thoughts, as I did not like the Al's-existential-angst plot the very first time I encountered it and for me it hasn't improved with time. But it's true that the general idea of exploring the philosophy and implications of Al's situation is important.
Also, Brosh; confusingly to me, his colleague is Ross.
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Mustang and Hughes spend a lot of time on the phone this ep
Something I will always love.