First Impressions: Gundam SEED Destiny – 36

We pick up where we left off last week, with Gilbert giving Shinn and Athrun their new gundams. Athrun is really angry at what Gilbert is doing and questions the war and the chairman’s actions. He gets even more worked up when he looks at Meer. Gilbert justifies the attack on the ArchAngel by saying that they were too powerful.

Elsewhere, Jilbril is apparently still alive and in the protection of the EA. Rey visits Gilbert and they start to talk. Meer almost walks in on the conversation, but stops herself. She notices a photo on the floor, one of Athrun when he met with Kira, Cagalli, and Miriallia.

Athrun is staring out a window in the dark when Meer comes in and shows him the photo. She tells him that Rey doesn’t think very highly of him and that Gilbert basically agrees that Athrun is a problem. Knocking on the door by ZAFT troops confirms that Athrun is now a wanted man.

After taking out the guards, Athrun pulls Meer down the fire escape, but she pauses and stops. Meer remembers her fame and realizes that she doesn’t want to give it up. In fact, when Athrun calls her Meer, she vehemently denies it and insists on Lacus. With no choice, Athrun leaves her there.

Meyrin is working at her computer when Athrun shows up. She’s startled at first, but agrees to help him when the troops show up at her door. She takes him into the bathroom, strips down to her underwear, wets herself down, and then walks out as if they had interrupted her in the shower. Lunamaria joins in the commotion but leaves with the soldiers after she falls for Meyrin’s ploy. Athrun covers her with a bathrobe and starts to leave, but she stops him. Through her computer, she raises an alarm elsewhere in the base to divert attention. She and Athrun then escape in a car.

Their car passes Rey and he notices her driving. Meyrin and Athrun arrive in the hanger of a Gouf Ignited. As they are about to board, Rey arrives and starts to shoot at them. Athrun manages to shoot the gun out of Rey’s hand and then takes the opportunity to enter the Gouf with Meyrin. Meyrin asks where Athrun is going now and Athrun replies that he’s going to look for the ArchAngel. Meanwhile, Rey calls up Shinn and the two board Legend and Destiny, respectively. Shinn is very shocked to learn that the person they’re after is Athrun.

This is how you make a star out of a character. Seriously, Meyrin is now one of my favorite characters and I’m sure a lot people feel the same way. I hope that she doesn’t have to die though. It would really suck for them to kill her off, though I do think that one of the Hawke sisters will die by the end of the series. Meer is also getting fleshed out a bit more; they even showed what she used to look like. I’m surprised that her hair didn’t start to change colors in the rain. -_-;; As for her survival, I don’t think she has a very good chance of making it to the end. The more she wants to be Lacus, the more likely she’ll end up dead. Speaking of characters though, Rey and Gilbert are really becoming the bad guys now. Makes me wonder what role Jilbril will play. Maybe they’re keeping him around so that ZAFT has someone to fight.
This episode would have been absolutely awesome if the first half hadn’t been full of flashbacks. They wasted so much time they could have used to show more Meyrin. >.>
Next episode shows Shinn and Rey chasing and facing off against the Gouf Ignited. I’ve read the spoilers and I suspect that it will end in a cliffhanger, but we’ll see.

As a side note, Blogger now allows image hosting for up to 300MB for free. I’m not sure if there are any bandwidth restraints, but I’m going to play around with this option for the next few days (maybe try it later tonight in the Tsubasa blog).