Attack on Titan - S1E10 - The Response/Attack on Trost, Part 6
Previously, on Attack on Titan: “Attack on Trost, Part 5”
One day, we’ll look back at Trost as just a rough patch. You know, a wrong turn of sorts. However that day is not today. Still in Trost, we get a brief recap of what happened in the final seconds of the previous episode. Eren turned into a partial titan to protect Mikasa and Armin from the cannonfire.
Elsewhere, that guy who was puking his guts out-he’s bothering Marco. Well, that’s a little harsh. Anyway, he’s experiencing a breakdown much like Armin’s. He saw his buddies get eaten and his attitude was “Better them than me!” That was until he realized that he’s been next on the menu. So he goes for his sword until Marco stops him. Everyone’s scared and you’d have to be BAT-SHIT crazy to not be afraid. He looks at Sasha and declares her an example of a soldier who holds fast in the face of overwhelming danger. Until she keels over from not fear, but hunger. And then Marco has to try and stop buddy-pal from falling on his sword. What stops them next is the sound of the cannon being fired. Everyone’s speculating what happened. A dropped shell, maybe a breach in the wall! Reiner takes off and Annie and Jean follow. He hopes that the smoke isn’t actually titan steam.
Well, it was. Mikasa’s cool as ever, Armin’s gonna lose his shit, and the entire army’s collective jaw has hit the floor. The Captain calls out an order to load the cannon again. Eren emerges from the nape of the titan and looks around. Believe it or not, he doesn’t really remember what happened. Armin’s trying to understand what happened but Mikasa tells him that Eren protected them. That’s all that matters. Eren appears on cue and tells them that they need move quickly. This giant shell is like the monsters out there. It’s going to vaporize. He also tells them that he’s finally remembered something. The key his father gave him opens the basement in his childhood home. All the answers are there, and Eren has these abilities because of his dad (who has been missing all this time, might I add) which pisses him off. If his father knew all along what was going on; why withhold that information? Something like that would be pretty beneficial to the whole of humanity right?
Before Eren gets carried away with his rant, Mikasa reminds him that there’s an entire Garrison ready to tear him to shreds. Eren decides that he’s got to get away. He’ll transform and make a break for his old home. If Mikasa and Armin don’t try to protect Eren, they’ll be spared. They’ve already risked so much, so he’ll strike out on his own. Mikasa true to form won’t let him go alone, but he won’t have to worry about her telling him what to do and vice versa.
On the other side of the smoke screen, the cannon’s loaded and the Captain says to wait for his signal. Now Armin isn’t able to transform like Eren and doesn’t have the cat-like reflexes that Mikasa has. He’s entered into a trance of self-doubt. But before he can let it sink in; Eren says he has another idea. Armin can convince the Garrison regiment that he isn’t a threat; that they could use his titan power for the benefit of the army, and then they can run with that. Armin doesn’t understand why he’s putting his stock into Armin’s lack of abilities. But Eren tells him that every time they’ve saved his ass, he’s saved theirs. In truth they owe him their lives because if he hadn’t called Hannes, the titan would have eaten Eren, Mikasa, and their mother. Then it dawns on Armin. They had never seen him as a burden but as a blessing. They trust him the most in this world. That’s when Armin stands tall and marches out of the smoke to make his case.
Before Captain Prick can gloat and threaten to fire the cannon, Armin tells them to stand down. Eren is not the enemy and he is willing to share all he knows with them. They won’t budge unless they have proof; Armin says he doesn’t need it. If they saw him emerge from a Titan, then they saw him kick titan ass. They can say Eren’s a danger and he’s guilty of treason. They can say that, but no matter how they cut it-the proof is right there in their faces. Everyone starts to lower their weapons. A Titan on their side sounds pretty good. It’s what they need-the equalizer. The Captain still doesn’t buy it-that the titans have always been beyond their understanding and still would rather kill the threat now. Armin starts to lose hope, since the Captain has lost his fucking mind. But Armin looks back at his friends who still trust him to pull them all through this.
Then Armin finally draws the line in the sand. He swore an oath that as a soldier he would give his life to bring Humanity back from the brink of extinction and if he dies while honoring that oath; so be it! But not before he argues Eren’s value as a military asset that, if combined with the remaining troops could take back Trost. Armin’s strength was never in the physical realm. It was and had always been his brain. Captain Woermann; yes, we now learn his real name.
Anyway, his subordinate thinks that his words are worth considering. Woermann, that prick silences the man and says that they’re all traitors that violate the regulations. If his insanity wasn’t already evident; it is now. Before he can drop his hand to fire the cannon, General Pixis stops him. And calls him a freakin’ pansy for being so quick to judge. He’s here after receiving a message about the situation, so he’s going to give these kids the floor to tell him what’s up.
On the top of the wall, he sips from a flask and looks at the hungry titans below. Armin gives a bit of a bio on this guy; he’s in charge of all the troops in this southern district and is a bit of a crazy sumbitch. I assume that’s what he meant when he called him a “Hardcore Eccentric.” This is shown to be true when he casually remarks that he wouldn’t mind being eaten by a knock-out lady titan. He’s heard Eren’s story and he thinks that even though there’s nothing to really confirm it, he has a hunch that he’s telling the truth. So he can guarantee their lives. He turns to Armin and asks if what he said was really a feasible plan or just something to save their asses. It was both, truth be told. But Armin noticed a giant boulder that could be used to seal the breach in the wall. Eren’s titan powers is the only thing that makes that even remotely possible. That alone would drastically change their current situation. Now he can believe that. Moment of truth yet again; Pixis asks if Eren will seal the hole, or won’t he? Eren looks at Pixis and tells him he doesn’t know if he can; but he will seal the hole in the wall.
Things are starting to look up now, but as we’ve come to learn since we’ve started to watch together, we’re still not out of the woods!
