BEATLESS

Episode 7

Episode 6 was not covered separately because it proved to be a pure recap episode with no new animation or material. What concerns me is that it was titled “Intermission 001,” which suggests that it isn't the only recap episode this series will feature. At best, perhaps these will be split evenly through the franchise's two-cour run?

But that has nothing to do with this episode. Arato and Lacia only appear in the episode's first post-opener scene, which seems like a frivolous matter concerning donuts at first, but gradually, Arato contemplates the ramifications of legally owning an hIE, especially in light of Snowdrop almost certainly causing a human's death (the helicopter pilot) in episode 5. That's good to see, since it supports legal responsibility being a significant theme of the series, which you rarely see even brought up in other shows featuring android characters. That also becomes an issue with Methode, the Lacia-class hIE who apparently returned on her own after the incident at the beginning of the series. The board of the company who produced them doesn't want to take legal responsibility for her actions, which is why Dr. Watarai is her owner.

That's probably the lightest implication of an episode remarkably dense in both plot turns and new concepts. Since the Lacia-class are walking repositories for the data that maintains them, and their first assigned priority is to protect that data, can their actions – including the failure of most to return to home base – be viewed as self-preservation? This line of thinking seems to unnerve those in the meeting, but it is supported by Methode's actions. She's apparently capable of registering multiple owners, and she now seeks a second one as insurance against having to follow orders she might see as problematic. Interestingly, the person she approaches is Yuka's friend (and Ryo's sister) Shiori, who is being maneuvered into a political marriage to shore up her standing within the company. She's incredulous about Methode's offer, but her feelings of powerlessness over the potential marriage give her the motivation to at least consider the pact. (This makes me wonder if that isn't specifically why Methode approached her.) We already knew that Arato's friends were much deeper into matters involving Lacia than was initially apparent, and now it appears that Yuka's friends will be too.

There's also the conversation between Dr. Watarai and Arato's friend Ryo, which goes in highly philosophical directions. I'm not exactly sure where this is going yet, other than to establish that Ryo and Wararai are like minds, but these discussions about identity don't seem like idle rambling. A cloaked individual, who might be Saturnus, the fifth and final of the Lacia-class hIEs, also briefly appears foreboding some future involvement. I also find it interesting that those in power are fully aware of Lacia's location and ownership but have not done anything about it yet. There's also a rising mystery surrounding this Higgins project (which the episode is named after), though the ominous music suggests that this will be a major reveal.

In other words, there's a lot of meat here, with only a small dose of Yuka's mindless frivolity this time. If the series is setting up for its next major plot arc then it's doing a pretty good job of laying an intriguing foundation.

Rating: B

BEATLESS is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.