[SuperKnuckles]

Originally Posted by 4Tran

Well, well. This may prove to be the best episode of Gundam 00 so far. It's certainly the best written, and I'm rather surprised at the quality of the choreography. The combat in this episode is possibly the best since episode 29 of Seed. It seems that the creators have stopped trying to put so much background information into each episode, and we may have finally reached some plot development. However, I can't be sure this one is still chock full of exposition. As a result, the direction still isn't very good. Still, episode 9 is a step in the right direction, and I hope that they can keep it up.

Seed Destiny had plenty of good fights in early and middle episodes.

Also, I disagree with the writing. The quality of writing has been steady. Nothing really changed in that department. It's just that they didn't need as much political jargoning this time.

- The AEU's public position on Celestial Being smacks of cowardice. It'd be equivalent of a country saying, "You attacked our country and killed our people, and we're going to let you get away with it unless you do it again!" The Union's response is the same, but they have less cause for wiping out Celestial Being. Thankfully, what the blocs are doing is probably quite different from what they say they're doing.

Both sides are playing with more tact than HRL creating an open battle operations with CB. More tact politically at least. Also, it has nothing to do with cowardice to protect your own assets and being defensive about it. They know CB reacts to their actions, so they respond accordingly. If you took note of the episode, it seems that the opinion for peace is becoming stronger and that does not go against what AEU and Union are going for right now: to stabilize and continue with status quo.

- I was hoping that someone in-universe would be able to figure out that the GN disruption effect doesn't really confer much of an advantage.

They probably realize that and AEU already made a mobile suit that can fight a Gundam, Union has its new brands of mobile suits (only a matter of finding Gundams) and HRL obviously showed a way to skirt the stealth issue.

I have no idea what you're talking about there.

- It's surprising that Ptolemaios has such a small crew; it'd make much more sense for the bridge to be manned at all times.

But it seems that it's a civilian group to begin with. No real military discipline at all.

- Sumeragi shouldn't have assumed that she was facing Sergei simply because he employed a famous tactic that he'd used years ago. If it's a noteworthy tactic, it'd be passed along to other officers as well. Also, she committed the sin of dividing her forces in the presence of the enemy even though she would be unable to communicate with them.

No, because at FIRST, Sumeragi thought it could've been anyone. The battle's flow was what led them to go into a radio-interference zone, not Sumeragi's predictions. You're not reading the ebbs and flow of the battle.

- Sergei should have targeted Ptolemaios first. It'd be much easier to capture Gundams if their mobile base is destroyed or crippled. Besides, a mobile suit that's trying to defend a target wouldn't be as capable of defending itself. In any case, Sergei is still the most impressive character in the show.

You're contradicting yourself a bit. Also, I'm pretty sure it'd be much more of a pain to just go after the ship and expect FOUR Gundams instead of two.

- What the heck was Ptolemaios doing so close to the orbital ring to begin with? If they knew that they'd be vulnerable during the overhaul, then wouldn't it make more sense to stay from enemy-controlled structures?

Propulsion = detection. In space, the GN drive works as the stealth system for the ship. So it makes sense that they'd otherwise not be worried about how far they're from a station. They got away for all this time after all.

Alternatively, the Gundams have always been on the offensive, and held the initiative. When the shoe's on the other foot, they don't perform anywhere nearly as well.

I disagree. It's just that they're vastly outnumbered and their mothership is apparently not a military craft. They're at an intrinsic disadvantage. It has NOTHING to do with the Gundams themselves but their battle situation, which is always against them. Defensively more so because they don't have a full army complementing them.