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R2 DVD Reviews
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Written by maehara
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Monday, 04 August 2008 16:00 |
 While both Eureka and the Gekko are suffering the after-effects of their encounter with the Coralian, Renton's continuing success at piloting the Nirvash continues to drive a wedge between him and Eureka. A long layup for repairs may give them a chance to sort out their issues - but Holland seems to also have trouble on his mind...
16 - Opposite View
Having taken serious damage during its encounter with the Coralian, the Gekko has been forced to hide in an abandoned mining facility while repairs are carried out. There's always a chance that a military patrol could find the ship while it's unable to make a getaway, and that's making the crew jumpy - but Renton has more immediate problems on his mind: Eureka, who has barely been speaking to him since he piloted the Nirvash to such devastating effect. Meanwhile, being in the mine seems to have an adverse effect on Eureka, who soon passes out, while Renton discovers that the mine isn't as abandoned as they'd thought...
17 - Sky Rock Gate
The repairs to the Gekko are continuing - although at a pace that means it could be up to a year before the ship can fly again, unless they can somehow get outside help. That idea has two problems: first, the people they need are all likely to be under observation by the military, and second, they have very little money. Where there's a will there's a way, though, and Renton is soon assigned to a team that's sent to get the help they need. Eureka, meanwhile, remains with the Gekko - and that gives her time to think over her current feelings for Renton and the Nirvash. Could the problem be jealousy..?
18 - Ill Communication
With the reflection film they needed having been acquired, repair time for the Gekko is down to just three more days - and that's improved the mood in the mine considerably. During a break in the repair work, though, Renton's surprised to see an old man approaching the ship - and he's not at all pleased that they're there. He's been digging alone in the mine for a while now, convinced that he'll hit a rich trapar deposit any time now, and the last thing he wants is the Gekko crew interfering with his dig. The old man reminds Renton of his grandfather, though, so he makes an effort to get to know him better. Eureka, meanwhile, is still suffering from the effects of being stuck in the mine...
19 - Acperience 2
Eureka's physical condition isn't improving any, and the thought of going back to the Gekko's cave - which may well make things worse - doesn't exactly fill Eureka with joy. Renton's in a depression of his own, too - after his run-in with Holland, he's beginning to wonder what he's doing with Gekkostate - if Holland doesn't appreciate his contribution, there's only Eureka that he cares about, and she hasn't been paying him much attention lately either. But as we've already established, she has her own reasons for that, and soon her kids come to Renton, hoping he'll be able to cheer her up. But she's taken the Nirvash and gone...
20 - Substance Abuse
Eureka's in sickbay, condition: unknown - it's difficult to treat someone when you really have no idea of what's happened to her. Her body seems to be functioning correctly, but there's no apparent way to remove the substance that's covering her, and she won't regain consciousness. Renton would like to see her taken to a proper hospital, but his stock with Holland is already low, and pushing his luck only leads to further confrontation. Meanwhile, Holland has accepted a mission from the Vodarac to rescue one of their High Priests from the high-security prison - a dangerous solo mission, but one he feels he needs to do...
After the adrenaline surge brought on by the encounter with the Coralian, this volume sees the Gekko and its crew come back down to earth with a bump - both physically and emotionally, with a number of the lead characters struggling to deal with issues that the encounter has brought up. Eureka's suffering both mentally and physically, Renton's torn by the growing distance between them, and Holland's behaviour is a long way off his usual, balanced self - he's running on instinct, and the results are doind no-one any favours. While all this means that there's not a whole lot of action, other than a few scenes in the final episodes, that doesn't do the appeal of the story any harm. It gives us a whole five episodes to work on the motivations and personalities of the lead characters, and that's something I always enjoy seeing.
Along with the running Renton / Eureka / Holland story that domainates the volume, there are a few side plots as well - the continued efforts of the military to track the Gekko down, the effects on Anemone of the encounter with the Coralian (every bit as severe as they've been on Eureka), and the appearance in the apparently abandoned mine of old miner Brittany. These plots are there to stop the main story from completely taking over, and they succeed at that well, although some of the scenes down in the mine stray a little too far into the surreal for me (the effects of high trapar concentrations on the human mind being the excuse for that).
The surreality is one complaint - others could pacing, a bit too much angst on Renton's part and a few scenes that clearly echo a certain other famous young-boy-with-giant-mech series I could mention, but really that would be picking holes. If you're more action-inclined, then these episodes may well be too slow for you, but personally the added focus on the characters balances that out nicely and makes for a volume that's far more enjoyable than you might expect.
But at the end of the day, this disc is mostly a diversion. By the end of the disc, the Gekko is back in the fight and we're hopefully in a better position to get back to the main story. All told, though, it's another good volume from a series that continues to impress.
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