From, One Hand To Another
We begin episode 4 of Attack On Titan Season 4 with Falco running past Reiner moments after talking to our mysterious stranger. He’s tasked the boy with sending this letter by hand, especially given the internment zone officials would be checking letters and he wants to stay under he radar. Who is this mysterious stranger? Well, we find out by the end of this episode and trust me, it’s quite the reveal! Anyway, Willy Tybur, the head of the Tybur Family, arrives to meet Commander Magath and the rest of the officials. Willy senses that the War Hammer Titan is among them but quite who that is, remains a mystery for now. However, war is certainly coming and Willy is determined to use this to his advantage. He wants to position himself into the spotlight as the “savior” for this war to come. Reiner discusses tactics with the rest of the soldiers as they contemplate the best way to attack Paradis Island. Right now, they’re contemplating attacking from the South. While all this is going on, the kids competing over the Armored Titan spot continue to train while awaiting the upcoming festival. This truly is the calm before the storm as Falco returns to speak to this mysterious stranger at the hospital. He reveals that when the festival’s over, he’s heading back to his hometown. For now though, he thanks Falco for sending the letters on as the kid leaves. A man named Jaeger arrives and sits next to his stranger on his bench, who introduces himself as Kruger. The man warns Kruger against getting Falco involved with his schemes before suddenly losing his composure. Flashes from the past blend together as he lets out a blood-curdling scream. Apologetic nurses then arrive to take him away. That evening, tensions are high at the ball as the Mid-Eastern officials arrive and grit their teeth in the wake of their defeat. While Commander Magath is uneasy and clearly out of his comfort zone, charismatic Willy is not. He manages to command this crowd and have them marching to the beat of the same drum. As everyone raises a glass to toast their glorious future, this small action paves way for the bustling festival to commence. There’s thriving stalls, delicious food and lots of drink. Everything seems to be going well but as we know, war is on the horizon and that will almost certainly change everything. During the post-credit scene, Falco encourages Reiner to follow him away from the bustling theatre down to the basement where our mysterious stranger happens to be. “It’s been 4 years, Reiner.” He says, as Reiner stares on, wide-eyed, realizing that none other than Eren is staring back at him!
The Episode Review
Attack On Titan’s latest episode really does play out like the calm before the storm. You can sense something big is brewing and given this is the trajectory last season took too, I’m sure we’re in for quite the ride to come. Interestingly, these moments of calm and political intrigue juxtapose the way last season began too. Whereas season 3 started to show the evil and backstabbing nature of those in charge at the Wall, season 4 lends a more sympathetic eye to those on the front lines – and in particular Reiner. The ending to this episode will almost certainly leave many fans shocked (myself included!) and raises lots of questions around exactly how Eren escaped and managed to wind up with the Marleyans. With the show taking a New Year’s break, we’ll have to wait until January 10th for the next episode and that wait is all the more agonizing given the ending we receive. In the meantime, Attack On Titan bows out with a decent episode to bow out 2020 with and certainly sets itself up to becoming a contender for next year’s best TV show if it can nail this final season!
