Rating: A-
In all heroic stories where things go bad, there is a turning point. In the case of this arc, that “point” is the entirety of episode 8. No action in this episode can single-handedly carry that distinction, but taken together numerous actions set the path forward for climbing out of the hole that Freya Familia has dug.
The first issue is that, for as all-encompassing as Freya’s charm seems to be, there are gaps beyond just Hestia and Eina’s incident a couple of episode back. Freya knows it, and so does her upper echelon, and so they’re starting to sweat Bell’s continued resistance, even if it is flagging in the face of training even some Freya members are starting to acknowledge is going overboard. The Xenos are too deep to be influenced, and so is a Loki Familia expedition to deep levels headed by Riveria. (What, exactly, this expedition is for has not, to my knowledge, been revealed in the novels, either – or at least the ones published so far in English anyway – as Sword Oratoria’s novel 12 happens between seasons 3 and 4.) How someone as powerful as Riveria might influence the situation is a legitimate worry, enough so that reassignments in anticipation of her group’s eventual return passes the smell test with the Freya rank and file. But that’s not the last suggestion this episode that Hedin is definitely up to something. He seems to be both pushing Bell and giving him opportunities.
The second factor is Mia. Although novel readers knew this for a while at this point, the anime version has only suggested that she is a retired Freya Familia member. This episode confirms both that and that Mia did, indeed, have some kind of agreement to stay out of what Freya was doing. But she’s also clearly shown as far back as the first season that she doesn’t tolerate crap, and the stunt Freya is pulling here is a big heaping load of it. Her tolerance only goes so far, and so she gives Bell the words he needs to hear, even if he’s too much in depression to realize it immediately.
The third factor, unsurprisingly, is Ais. We knew from previous episodes that she was affected, but maybe not completely; she is, after all, both part spirit and emotionally stunted, and had a connection to Bell maybe even as strong as Hestia’s (if in a different way). Even so, an Ais who has only vague impressions of her established connections to Bell is enough. Would this encounter have happened if Freya Familia members were still tailing Bell? Probably, because nothing short of Freya personally being present could have stopped the encounter, and even familia elites (other than maybe Ottarl) couldn’t have taken on a trio of level 6s without consequences. Still, them not being around meant that Bell could collect himself without anyone being the wiser – and my, Hedin seemed at least a little happy about that, didn’t he? That’s the nail in the coffin that he’s not as fully committed to this scheme as everyone else, though why is the lingering mystery when his devotion to Freya doesn’t seem to be any less than that of the others.
And then, of course, there’s Hermes, who, other than Ouranous and Hestia, is the most problematic of the gods. Even under the charm, Hermes is too clever to not notice that things are off (with Asfi not being present, and him not knowing where she is, being the biggest clue), and he’s clever enough to figure out a way to leave breadcrumbs that even the charm can’t negate when it inevitably interferes with his memory when he gets too close to the truth. How do you fight a charm like this without being aware that you’re fighting it? Put yourself in a situation where you’re being told what to do without knowing the reason why. Honestly, it’s a brilliant plan, especially given the limitations he’s operating under.
And it’s even more brilliant when you consider that the note he left Hestia, which he had to come up with on very short notice and hastily scribbled out, fits perfectly into that resistance. Current Hermes may not know why it’s important to turn all of Orario into one big hearth, but he knows himself, he knows Hestia, and he knows that’s her domain. If something is affecting his memories, and Hestia can resist it, then the key is to find a way to transfer that resistance to the city as a whole. The particulars may be murky at this point, but the firewood deliveries Hermes Familia have been tasked with almost certainly have everything do do with that scheme. Gotta give a few more creds to Ouranos at this point!
And lastly, in a way, Syr is a factor here, too. Getting into a relationship with Bell as Syr may have been something Freya deeply wished for, but it’s looking more and more like trying to corner Bell as Syr was the biggest mistake she could have made. as Bell’s memory of her is the final barrier when he’s on the brink of giving up. But that, combined with all the other factors, allows Bell to collect himself in true heroic fashion. It’s now looking a lot less promising that Freya Familia can keep things together, especially with one of their own seeming to very subtly sabotage them. And don’t forget that Ryu is locked away somewhere, too, even if we didn’t see her this episode.
Finally, kudos to the musical score for this episode. This franchise has a long-standing and well-earned representation for superlative use of its musical themes, but this episode enforces how effective it can be outside of major battle scenes, too. This also feels like the best the series has ever looked artistically. Given next episode’s title – “Vesta,” which is Hestia’s counterpart in Roman mythology – a major reversal may be looming, and I can’t wait to see it play out.
USA Anime 