AOT S4E21 - From you, 2000 years ago
I can't say this was my most articulate watch-along unfortunately.
Comments (29)
You've mentioned before that the show feels a bit heavy handed, and that intrigued me tbh, but when I looked back at those moments I noticed that even though they're pointing the obvious the moment isn't wasted but it serves the story with pacing or setting up something else, and on the other hand I think that this show has so many moments that are pretty obvious but not heavy handed that many people miss, like for example when Grisha says I killed them all but the father, I think this moment amongst many others gets overlooked way too much, but I don't know how I would feel if this was heavy handed as well
There is more to Eren’s motives that a lot of people don’t understand. And you will find it soon enough.
You will learn enough about that something
I love these reactions, the "What a sight it was", was so much better in the manga than the anime, and might give a different look at Eren. I think it's worth looking back at it when you're done with the show
Now go back and watch the Kruger Episode when he says save Mikasa and Armin and look carefully at Kruger’s Face….. 😅
The way you express yourself whilst watching a show is wonderful. Would love to see you do that for more shows.
to clarify some things in this episode without spoilers: 1. the ''thing'' is hallucigenia and the tree is the tree of life that we see Eren sleeping under in the first episode and through many flashbacks throughout the show. The hallucigenia existed 500 million years ago from bacteria in the ocean, it's a mystery fossil because for some reason it decided to live. the will to not go extinct led for it to procreate (euthanasia reference) even without any grand reason of meaning behind life. In aot, it mostly symbolizes desire to live. What is created with years of slavery and chains? someone will wish for the unjust to be just, the slave will wish for the power to be strong enough to live, to not go exctinct:Ymir. (norse mythology is also relevant here, the tree is called yggdrasil. there are a lot of references to the number 13 in the show, the only numbered page in the books are the first chapter and page 13. 13 year life span, 13 fingers pointing at ymir, 9 petals, 9 titan powers, there is A LOT like a whole world of this that you can read more about once you're done with the show but there's a lot of intention to say the least.) 2. Ymir could regenerate, but after years of being cattle even after gaining power, the realized she was still a slave and would remain so in fritz's eyes. she had hopes for it to be love in order to vope with the world and life she was living, but she accepted and gave up and created paths to escape. here she followed his demands for 2000 years and you're right, in the first episode, the title is a reference to this. remember eren waking up from a dream? she created the walls and suffered tremendously.
''aa slave has no need for 2 eyes'' remember you keep asking aboyt Eren in marley? and think about how we couldn't see Ymirs eyes either until now. but if so, who is eren a slave to? not anyone else. but what is it inside of him what has made him so violent with desire for freedom since birth? how does his mind work? remember how he always falls asleep and dreams? the show starts with him waking up from a dream. hmm. not a spoiler! :) read chapter 1 of the manga once you're finished with the show
I haven't watched AOT in a couple of years, but I believe that these subtitles are a little weaker than they should be. A lot of the lines lack the nuance that I remember, and they're also wildly mistimed. Are you watching this on Amazon Prime Video? Heard that they've started experimenting with AI subbing which could be the issue here, but I might also just be misremembering. This is also the only episode where I've noticed "weird subbing" so it might just be a one-timer. Love the vids, keep it up!
Crunchyroll has also been testing AI subs, but not sure if this would apply to AOT
I do think AOT is one of those shows where it's so tempting to binge watch (because the writer has mastered the art of cliffhangers), but binge watching may also get into the way you being able to digest the things that may have happened (or info dropped) in each of the episodes. It's one of those shows where its weekly run within a season was justified (especially S4), because of so many discussions taking place before the next one arrives. The writing takes a lot of cognitive energy to really be appreciated (closest show I can think of is Dark, since Dark heavily employs time travel as its main driver)
Now go back and watch the ending song of s2
Just wanna say, everything you’re feeling is indeed both normal and is what we expect you to be feeling at this point. In coming episodes what has taken place will marinate and blossom. Much the same way Sasha’s death has.
Ymirs backstory is heavily inspired by folklore storytelling, so it's kinda kept relatively vague and up for interpretation. But really cool and awesome, and of course her psychology is incredibly important to the plot as well. Def a lot to take in though I can agree.
Yup, but we still get to know enough about that “something “
As much as I am loving these reactions, if you ever feel the need to take your time, please do that! The show is emotionally and cognitively overwhelming at this point, and both of those together is a lot. You also don't get to have the weekly "discussion" to process it (albeit trying to avoid spoilers from the then manga readers). I appreciate being able to watch this weekly!
After this next episode, you can most definitely watch the opening song.
the most impressive part of these reaction videos is your booming social life.
😂… currently my social life is getting in the way of these episodes
Eren has seen something that tells him that he gets what he wants. And like Grisha said, “There’s no stopping Eren.” So currently, he’s just lowkey going with the flow. I don’t think he knew about needing to be in the Paths to tell/manipulate his dad into killing the Reiss family. He just happened to be there. Right time, right place… Correct me if I’m wrong guys
Eren said previously that he has seen the memory of Grisha killing the family and this memory made him lose faith in his father. My interpretation has been that when Eren kissed Historia, he saw the memory from Grisha's POV of how he hesitates to kill the family and future Eren convinces him to do it. Current Eren probably assumed that it's something he would eventually do in Paths, but didn't know how exactly it would play out. Once him and Zeke started traversing the memories and Eren saw Grisha can sense them, he started rushing Zeke until they got to the specific one Eren saw four years ago. At that point he just had to follow what he saw from Grisha's POV.
I think sometimes the weekly episode format that a lot of us experienced first watching the show almost kinda helps with these episodes which just make your brain explode with all the twists and reveals and craziness and I think even though you are overwhelmed now and have so many questions, I think that’s what makes the rewatch so enjoyable and also important and so I do encourage you to rewatch the show at some point and I think you will appreciate so many more things. To just point out something in the downtime between this episode and the next maybe rewatch the season 2 ending.
don't feel pressured to say anything, most of us got to watch it weekly, and some of us were either manga readers who got monthly chapters or were spoiled on some plot points. it's a lot to process and watching it back to back would definitely be overwhelming
Funny you were criticizing the show don’t tell rule in the show, rightfully so. Only for the writer to bring Ymir backstory as fully show don’t tell.
I think the interesting part of AOT critiques is that there are people criticising S4 for not telling enough. That they actually preferred the simplicity of the first three seasons because it was relatively straightforward. I think the critique of Gabi is the embodiment of the split within the audience (ie. those who didn't like S4 also didn't like Gabi, despite the fact that Gabi to me was written clearly and excellently)
Oufff such a good episode! Eren has always wanted freedom since the beginning, since being trapped in the walls. But because he’s inherited the power of the Attack Titan, I find it intensifies this will of his… What he fights for has always been freedom, but now at what cost?
Really excited to watch this one with you! This is personally my favorite episode in the show
Waiting for this one! Feel like I’m re-living the emotion and feeling of watching AOT for the first time vicariously through these watch alongs.
I had a feeling this was gonna fly out quickly boyyyy am I excited