I've not enjoyed an anime episode so much in a long time. This was beautiful from many angles. The verbal duel/dance/courting between Horo and Lawrence is just flipping fabulous. I agree with Snuffle -- a level of romantic maturity not often seen in anime (or live-action tv for that matter).
The "scam" (gold smuggling) plan and using Nora while simultaneously giving her a way out of her doom-destined "witches test" is seriously high-stakes (Cytrus's post was a very apt description -- the longer she succeeds, the more likely Nora will be proclaimed a witch and burned to death). But otherwise, Lawrence might as well be dead (mines, oarsman slavery), Noro will either die from attack or being declared a witch, and Horo will left with her worst fear again, being alone possibly forever (or dying in loneliness).
The history of the Church in "real life" during this period is not good --- highly aggressive, dominating, insinuating control over governments, leeching off of all aspects of the economy, making examples of anyone to keep the rest in line. Basically, the worst of an intermingling of "church and state".
As far as Lawrence's long term situation (becoming wealthy, revenge on people who treated him poorly, etc) ... it seems to me that in a way Lawrence is "burning bridges" subtly as he moves north at the same time he is doing well with certain trading companies. If I were to guess ... by the time he "gets north", he may not come back this way (and may end up acting as a northern agent for the trading companies as they expand).
Historically, it was several hundred more years before the Church lost its deathgrip on society in Europe - so in the world of Lawrence and Horo, working around them and quietly sticking it to the Church is about all they can hope for.
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As for our MercFH who gave the episode a "1" ... looking over his posts he seems to be almost exclusively a
Rosario to Vampire fan with some
Rental Magica fandom thrown in. He's certainly allowed to give whatever rating he wants - but people might be less likely to dismiss him as a troll if he'd provide a post with some rationale for his vote. Sometimes people throw a "1" because they misunderstand what is meant by "painful" (that happened on a few tragic series when an episode was very good -- but made the men cry).
Then again, there's the "people love this series therefore I shall be contrarian troll" motive ....
