Hey, are you ready for some more Titans? Well, too bad. Despite what the show’s name suggests, you’re going to have to wait a bit more for the Titans to show up. It’s a season full of politics and humans fighting humans.
The last episode ended with Sasha hearing people come their way. The people are two that we haven’t seen since WAAAYYYYYY back in season 1, and you probably don’t remember them unless you repeatedly watched the show. They are Marlo Freudenberg and Hitch Dreyse. They don’t like being with each other, even if the sexual tension is sort of there. Marlo does question if the Scouts actually killed a civilian, since they have been fighting for humanity. Hitch reminds him how they turned Stohess into a battlefield with the Female Titan fight and all the corpses they had to take. She also reminds us that Annie roomed with her and thinks she’s dead. They know if the Scouts do disband, it won’t be good. Hitch hears some water, and they find a person. They point their guns at them, and we see it’s Armin, but he was just bait. Mikasa and Levi come in and take the two as hostage.
In Capital Mitras, Erwin is in jail and about to be interrogated. We see news people gathering info on the murder. A newbie, Peaure, wants to know the whole truth from the Interior Police, but the old guy, Roy, knows he better not mess with them and has to make the IPs look good. They won’t report on the new ODM gear either, which doesn’t affect the Titans but is good for killing Scouts. Even the IP dude thinks it might be used against them soon, since it was hidden from them. Then we have Flegel, who is running from the MPs trying to kill him. He goes to a dead end, but Hange comes from above to scoop him up. She’s aware that Flegel knows the truth of his dad’s death, and he tells her it was the IPs who did it. However, as much as she wants to make it public, Flegel knows they have control over all of this. He can’t do anything but run and hide, as his life is shit. That’s not living to Hange. She wants him to risk his life and face his enemies head on to get the truth out. Flegel is too scared though, and he does say not everyone is crazy like her. He tells her she’s doing what is best for her, which she agrees with, because it’s best for him too. She takes him, getting the owner of the house they’re on mad. He doesn’t want to be with Hange because the “Scouts are defeated,” and yet, that’s what the Scouts are known for.
Back with Levi and co., they have almost no time left to find Eren. They got their info on Hitch and Marlo and can now dispose of them. Hitch blames them, the Scouts, for all that happened in Stohess and how it affected everyone. She also notices Armin and the others and how they were also in the Southern Cadet Corps with Annie. She asks if they were friends with her but retracts that because of her “gloomy” nature. She thinks Annie got killed in the Female Titan fight. Well, Levi tells her the shocking truth, and both her and Marlo are stunned. It just makes Levi sick that no one, except the government people, know the real truth of this world.
Levi will let the two go when they leave, but Marlo decides he wants to help Levi right the injustices of this world. He begs Levi, but Levi isn’t having it with someone who hasn’t experienced what they have. However, Jean has a plan, and Levi allows him to go at it.
All tied up, Jean leads the two to a short cliffside. Marlo tells him they’ll forget everything here, and Jean agrees … because he’s going to kill them here. As Jean takes out a knife, Marlo begs for him not to kill them, but Jean can’t trust “Mr. Bowl Cut.” He lunges forward, trips, and loses his knife, which Marlo grabs. He tells Hitch to run, only to have Jean put a gun on his jaw, betting him which is faster. Marlo tries one more time to convince him, asking why Jean joined the Scouts even if they’re outmatched. Marlo knew he picked the wrong regiment, as he can see how the Scouts risk their lives. Marlo trust the Scouts fully, and he tosses his knife, making Jean feel relieved. Too bad for Jean, because Hitch ran but returned with a branch, which she uses to smack Jean upside the head.
Marlo stops her from inflicting more concussions to him, so he asks Jean why he trust them. He says it’s because they remind him of a certain idiotic guy he hates. It could be the same one that Annie talked about. Of course, they’re all idiots in their way. In any case, Marlo proved himself, so that should be enough for Levi to trust them. They meet up with Levi at a manned checkpoint which Squad Levi will attack. He thanks Marlo and Hitch before they go back to their squad. Jean, Sasha and Connie attack the checkpoint head-on with a wagon, and in the aftermath, Levi takes the mustached Interior Police guy as hostage.
The MPs finally catch up with Flegel in a “deserted dump.” The bald MP is thankful, as he gives an Oscar-worthy cry on his knees because he thought losing Flegel would be the end for him, but now they can shoot him to death. With guns drawn, Flegel asks why his dad was killed. The MP tells him that Reeves deserved it for siding with the Scouts, as he betrayed the Interior Police. They made him kidnap Eren and Krista, and even if Reeves refused, they would still kill him because of the info he had. Flegel tells them what his dad last said about merchants using their noses. He used it here to avenge his father. Hange and Molbit come from above and take out the other two MPs. Baldy tries to shoot Hange, but she dodges and delivers a big punch on the dude that hurts her hand.
She asks if everyone heard, as the guy sees the building wasn’t abandoned. There were many people living there, and they heard all he spilled. He tries his best to threaten them, but Flegel literally sits on the dude’s face to shut him up. He tells them he’ll take over as the Boss of the Reeves Company and protect the city. Everyone claps, and Hange congratulates him. Also helping things, the two newspaper dudes from earlier got all the info as well.
Levi is beating up the IP dude, asking where Eren and Krista are, but he isn’t giving it away. The checkpoint wasn’t much and calls them out for it. Levi agrees with him, and then sticks his shoe forcibly in the guy’s mouth. He wants him to talk until he can’t anymore, so he asks again where they are. The dude still won’t, as he tells Levi the MPs will get him and hang the Scouts, starting with Erwin, but this doesn’t faze Levi. In fact, because he didn’t answer Levi’s question, Levi breaks his arm, and so he asks again. The guy spills it, saying he doesn’t know because “Kenny Ackerman” is too cautious to spill that. That last name gets to Levi, as he didn’t know Kenny’s last name. He does know Kenny doesn’t say a lot, especially important stuff. He does believe that the dude knows more than he’s letting on, as he has more bones in him to break. The dude tells Levi that he’s insane. Levi’s response?
Sasha sees some people coming towards them, and they all get down. The IP dude thinks it’s all over for them.
Erwin is badly beaten down in jail as Nile comes to visit him. He tells him the King will have an appointment with him, to not only disband the Scouts, but to give Erwin’s final sentence. Since Erwin knows Nile’s family lives in Stohess on the Eastern Part of Wall Rose, he asks how his wife and kids are. Why ask this? Erwin entrusted something to Pixis. When it comes, it’s up to Niles and others to decide. The King’s committee still doesn’t have anything from Erwin that he knows, but they do have him tied up and ready to execute. When they do, they’ll keep the wall’s secrets safe and keep the peace within the walls. They ask Erwin if he has any last words.
Overall, I’m going to be honest and keep this short. This was probably the most boring of the first 4 episodes. Some upcoming episodes will feel this way, as there is going to be politics and more in them before we get to some more Titan fights. Yes, they’re coming, but you’re going to have to be patient. This episode did have some good stuff. The animation was pretty solid throughout. Levi being Levi to the one jerk was fun, as was Hange kicking ass. Hange kicking ass is always good. Then there’s Jean who, as much as he can, tries to act big and scary, and bless his heart too. Too bad he’s one of the most non-frightening characters in this show. He tried his best, and his best got him whacked in the noggin. Maybe it’s best for our Horse-faced friend to act as the voice of reason and start fights with Eren than try to act as Mr. Bad Guy. Even so, it was a pretty funny moment, and it did get the job done. Plus, don’t forget Kenny’s last name that was addressed. A certain two, crazy people have said last name, and it will be a focus later on. As I said, this wasn’t the most action packed episode, as some of them will not have much action, but it was still pretty okay, as the fight with the government moves on to the climax.
Attack on Titan Season 3 is licensed by Funimation. New episodes can be seen on Crunchyroll and Funimation at 2 PM ET Sundays. The dub version is premiering on Toonami on August 18th.