Suisei no Gargantia - 12

'The Decisive Moment'

Outward appearances count for nought, with contention quietly bubbling beneath. Though Pinion started the episode smiling like a fool, seemingly won over by Kugel's offer of power, my extreme dislike towards him began to change after I realized he was harboring disapproval in his heart. Not only did he see the errors of his own ways, he decided to set things right, despite lacking the capability to incite a successful revolution. However, the wind blows favourably, with Ledo beginning to see the flaws, and cracks within his commander's tyrannical, autocratic administration.

Doubt had always been a major force in Ledo's reckoning, and what many events in this episode swirled together, allowing him to make a conscious decision himself that was free of his imposed, militaristic education. No matter how hard Ledo begged Kugel to spare the Gargantia, his pleas fell on a robotic heart, with Kugel insisting that people must be sacrificed for the greater good. Just happens that these planned sacrifices are the people Ledo has grown to love, and care about.

After the reappearance of a flying squirrel, Ledo remember Grace, which in turn causes him to reminisce his memories of the Gargantia, and most importantly, his time with Amy. The rain added a human quality, setting a contrast between the Gargantians, who are united as a community in order to harvest the water, while on the other ship, Ledo witnesses the nonchalant tossing overboard of people who have no further role in bringing 'greater good'. We knew that thanks to his new experiences, there was no way Ledo would stand for any of this. Bring out the big guns, and bring on the Mecha fight!

But first, Ledo needs to find out whether Chambers will side with him on the matter, or not. Instead of going full HAL mode, we find an unwitting ally in Chambers, and he finally gets his brobot act together. Pinion overhears Ledo's conversation, and offers out  a conditional alliance, knowing that finally plans can be set into motion. Obviously, there's no way the rebels can take on the entire fleet, so a coup d'etat is planned. Melty is relied upon for relaying the message to the Gargantia. She undergoes a hang glider flight, which I must point out is actually very exhausting, probably more so than one would imagine. However, I must criticize Production I.G. for not making it look exhausting enough, and I wouldn't blame people if they were confused that Melty suddenly fell off for no apparent reason. Anyway, Melty gets the important message to the Gargantia, and stirs up a debate. In short, Amy wants everyone to assist Ledo, while the elder crew members are slightly skeptic. However, Dr Oldham reveals that now is the time in which the 'Key' can be used. This opens up various questions, and may play a key role in the final episode. I mean, why suddenly introduce this key in the second last episode? It would be utterly pointless otherwise.

Before they strike the Gargantia, the coup initiates, and Chambers confronts Striker. The Cult rushes to Striker's aid, but the rebel fighters ambush them, and pave the way for a Machine vs Machine duel. Despite possessing the superior technology, and even gaining the upper hand for the majority of the fight, Pinion's aid, and Chambers overclock bring down Striker. What came next was a moment I had predicted from Kugel's return. Upon opening the cockpit, Ledo discovered Kugel was...... long dead, meaning Striker was behind everything.

All well that ends well, and what's left for next episode is to wrap things up. I'd like to see Ledo, and Amy reunite, hopefully with the former deciding to stay on Earth, and spend the rest of his life with Amy. I mean, despite being apart for a very long time, they could only think of each other.  Maybe a second season is in order, as I feel Production I.G. have only touched the surface of what could potentially be a large universe in need of exploration. Needless to say, it's still too early to speculate, though it would offer something to fill the emptiness I'll feel from Gargantia's impending conclusion.