Ah, what a wonderful episode. At last, the spoilers are lifted. I am as a man in the desert who gets a drink of water.
So, brilliant ep. Really liked how it was executed, including the the flow, the music, the fight... it was a lot more exciting than the LN version. Probably because you get the whole package.
To the asuki poster who speculated, months ago, that Kayaba was Heathcliff, you get internets. Sorry, forgot who you were.
Props to Kirito's seiyuu - he seems to be a younger less experienced guy, but he really hit it outta the ballpark this ep.
All in all solid ep, and I'd second Churchill's quote: This is the end of the beginning, and there's still more to come in the next eleven episodes.
The only thing that I do wish had been done in these 14 episodes was a scene that was removed from the light novel version of Murder Case:
On the other hand, in a more amusing note, the crappy taste of ramen in that place, due to the lack of soy sauce, is what
really spurred Asuna to begin her project of recreating soy sauce.
That said, at the end of all this: Really, Kayaba. You wanted to create your own world, so you made a death game. Seriously? *sighs*