Attack on Titan - S1E14 - Eve of the Counter Offensive, Part 1
Previously, on Attack on Titan: “Attack on Trost, Part 9”
Hey! New Opening! New tune, same Titan-Killing action! Doesn’t this make you want to fight Man-Eating giants? No? Oh well. More for me. Let’s get right into it!
There’s no rest for the wicked in this week’s episode! The breach has been sealed thanks to Eren’s Titan powers. In face of heavy military casualties they suffered, things could have been much worse. But the rumor about Eren and the Titan that sided with Humanity has spread like wildfire. The panicked masses are in desperate need of savior, and those two things are the only choices.
Well, that’s the opinion of the Wall Rose inhabitants. Wall Sina however either calls it bullshit or are worried that the refugees will pour in here or that the Titan will team up with them to take over their territory. It’s safe to say that everyone is a little out of sorts with what happened. Including the military. The Military Police don’t want to turn Eren over to the Scout Regiment. The obvious reason being that they don’t want him being used to overthrow the king. They stow the chatter and salute the Commander-in-Chief.
Faster than it takes to ask who that guy is, General Pixis and Commander Erwin are having a casual stroll on the wall. The Commander-in-Chief is none other than Darius Zacklay and has been ordered to preside over the military tribunal to determine Eren’s fate. This man has authority over the Military Policy, the Garrison Regiment, and the Scout Regiment. Commander Zacklay makes his judgment based on a simple principle; Benefit versus Detriment. If Eren’s seen as a detriment then he’ll be executed on the spot. So the general asks Erwin if they have a shot at keeping Eren alive. He replies they don’t, but he’s got a proposal ready. This plan requires that they all play it by ear. Erwin says improvising is a skill in the Scout Regiment. I mean, they venture outside of the walls. General Pixis lets out a laugh. Well, what do you know? Straight Edge Erwin has a sense of humor.
In the mess hall, Mikasa and Armin quietly discuss Eren’s hearing. Armin confirms to Mikasa what we already know. Before she can go rip-shit-riot, an MP with two guards enter and order the two to come with them. They’re to appear as witnesses at the hearing.
Eren sits in the dungeon. He asks to pinch a loaf, guard one tells him he just went. Asks guard two for a drink of water and he replies with a sharp; “Mind your place, monster.” Eren understands why they’re treating him like that. Hell, he’s lucky they haven’t killed him yet. Still, he doesn’t fully understand what’s going on and why they’ve clapped him in irons and thrown him in the dungeon. He remembers Erwin telling him to hang in there a little longer. This will be settled soon. But how long has he been there? Eren starts to go into a Shawshank Redemption reflection until that crazy scientist shows up. That chick is way too excited to meet him. But, she’s the only one that’s shown any kind of concern for him. Answering his prayers; she’s come to take him out of his cell.
She introduces herself; Hanzi Zoe, a squad leader in the Scout Regiment. With her is Mike Zacharius, another squad leader. Don’t mind him though, he smells everyone he meets for the first time. Then sneers at it. Zoe doesn’t think anything of it though; he does have the skill to lead a squad. Before she turns him over to the court she tells him that they’re risking it all on him. So good luck! And the doors slam shut. He’s overwhelmed by the fact he was being held in a cell under the courthouse. This place is packed with bodies and tension. The MPs order him to kneel and they lock him down.
Commander Zacklay sits down and speaks very plainly to Eren. This is a military tribunal. Ordinary laws don’t apply here because it’s not an ordinary case. What makes this case so exceptional is that they have to address his existence and how to address it. As such he’s been given total authority to determine if Eren lives or dies. That depends on which branch gets him. The Military Police or the Scout Regiment. Nial Dwak, Commander of the MPs has the floor first. His proposal is simple. Study Eren’s body and then destroy the remains. But his existence is causing waves. You know, the revolutionary kind. So they need to pull every shred of data from every fiber of his being before they martyr him for those that died in battle.
Before anyone gets another word in, a preacher says that it won’t be necessary for that. This isn’t any normal preacher. This one represents the Church of the Wall. Five years ago, no one paid any attention to him. Now he’s here calling Eren a trickster that needs to be put down quickly. Thankfully, blind faith doesn’t run over reason and Commander Zacklay tells him to settle down. Now it’s time for the Scout Regiment to state their proposal.
Erwin’s proposal is a little more daring if not short. They want Eren as a member of the Scout Regiment to reclaim Wall Maria. That’s it. That’s been the priority for the Scouts. Go out there and reclaim their territory and with Eren it’ll be that much easier. With the gate in Trost sealed, they’ll have to leave from the eastern gate and move along the wall to Shigashishina. The people in this courtroom are rude as hell because a merchant gets the bright idea that they should seal all the gates. The Colossal Titan only targets those areas, so by eliminating them they’ll be safe, right? A member of the Scouts tells him to shut up; that they can reclaim Wall Maria with Eren. Another Merchant says that they’re tired of the Scouts playing hero which provokes a response from Levi.
He calls them out on their bullshit. They’re not concerned at all about everyone’s safety. Just their friends that keep them fat and contented. Like cattle, am I right? There’s also no garuentee that the Titans are just going to let them seal the gates. They don’t notice that there isn’t a lot of land to support the population. People still go hungry after losing 20 percent of the population. When the Merchant tries to explain the thought behind that idea and the Preacher flies into a rant. This is why it took so long to mount weapons on the wall. Because people like him saw the walls as a gift from God instead of an engineering marvel.
Zacklay calls for order and arguments are silenced. The question now is; can Eren still serve his duties as a soldier and remain loyal to Humanity? In the report filed by one of the Elite in the Garrison Regiment, Eren lost control and attacked Mikasa. That’s news to Eren. Mikasa asks that they take into account her first hand account of the two times Eren protected her and Armin. Commander Dwak says while that may be true, but her testimony is flawed. They dug up their past. The kidnapping and their brutal retaliation makes them questionable. Can they trust him enough to commit their limited resources? And what if Mikasa’s a Titan too? The fear starts to grip everyone in the courtroom which finally pushes Eren to react.
Mikasa was never involved with his transformation. Everyone is carrying on with the same fears that’s been easy for them to have. Eren says they shouldn’t be so afraid of Titans considering they live on the inside, away from all of the dangers that everyone else faces. He gives a passionate speech calling them cowards and to give him a chance. They decide not to risk that and a guard takes aim. Before Eren bites the dust, Levi feeds him some of his boot. And then proceeds to beat Eren senseless, knocking a tooth out in the process. Levi has his own philosophy pertaining to punishment. Pain’s the most effective, and right now action is what’s needed, not words. Levi continues on with the beating because, well, Eren on his knees makes for an easy target. When asked to stop out of fear that he could be angry and turn into a Titan, Levi replies in a way that’s closest to a laugh for him.
He grabs a fist full of hair and yanks Eren’s head back. This kid killed 20 titans before he exhausted his powers, so the rumor goes. As Titans and the dangers they represent goes, one with intelligence would be a dangerous enemy. But not Levi’s enemy. However, the people that are calling for blood are Eren’s enemy. They should think wisely before they start demanding such crazy things. Can they really kill Eren if it got to that point? Erwin proposes a new idea; Eren’s a wild card with his Titan powers. The Scout Regiment will take Eren out to see if they can tame his powers and Levi will be responsible for him. Commander Zacklay asks if Levi can handle this. Levi simply replies that he can kill him, easy. The problem is that there’s no half assign it. He looks over at Mikasa who is ready to send his head rolling. Zacklay says he’s made up his mind.
Cut to a room where Hanzi is cleaning Eren up and Erwin explains why that it was worth beating him to shit. They released Eren into their custody. Erwin extends his hand out, looking forward to working with Eren. Levi sits down next to him and asks two things; does he hate Levi for what he did and was it preferable to being dissected? No and yes. Hanzi asks to see the inside of Eren’s mouth to see where the tooth is supposed to go and finds that it’s already growing back. Roll credits!
