[Vicious108]

I'm always wary of participating in the discussion of episodes that leave as many questions and mysteries as this one, but I guess I'll give the novel readers the benefit of doubt here.

The placement for Kiritsugu's flashback does make more sense now. Maiya raised quite a few death flags throughout this episode, so it wasn't entirely surprising to see her go (and it really seems like we won't go a single episode without somebody dying in Season 2), but the scene was still effective in displaying how Kiritsugu's stoic endurance is just barely hanging on by a thread at this point. But before we get into that...

The Iri and Maiya talk may have gone on for a little too long, but it was a fitting final scene for the two together in the end. They were polar opposites and each represented the two sides of Kiritsugu (even the color schemes of their designs highlighted this), so at first they were only able to see that one side of him (the Magus Killer for Maiya and the childish man who dreams of saving the world for Irisviel), but through their mutual understanding they were able to get a clearer picture of him, which Maiya showed in her final words to him. Like Iri had done when she met him, Maiya realizes how weak and vulnerable Kiritsugu actually is underneath it all, which is why he suppresses he emotions so vehemently. And now that he's lost her and will probably soon lose Iri, it really does seem like a foregone conclusion that he will break down throughout the course of the war. The best he can hope for is that happens later rather than sooner, so that he might still have the strength necessary to win the war and claim his prize.

Yet the quite apparent massive scheme on the part of his foes has now made his situation more grim than ever...

Originally Posted by Swithin

I haven't read the novel to be 100% sure, but I think we can safely say it wasn't Rider at the end of the episode. First, he and Waver were to be resting until nightfall - the abduction happened while there was still daylight outside. Second, he said that he'd have to use his chariot for flight, and as we saw at the end the kidnapper was flying unassisted (which is a bit weird... some kind of long-jump? I didn't think Servants could just superman about like that.)

Anyway, the whole direction of the event (not showing his face, not hearing his voice, making him an impersonal threat,) means that I don't think the viewer is even supposed to suspect that it was actually Rider, just to be pissed off that Archer would frame the lovable goof.

Anyway, I think the title (Return of the Assassin) pulls more work than just talking about Kiritsugu's mentality - which, honestly, has evolved a bit. His concern over Irisviel, using a command seal to send Saber, even after she's effectively exited the Grail War shows that. The absolutely emotionless "assassin" aspect of his personality returned in full when he went off to kill Tokiomi (according to Maiya,) but that didn't actually last very long. He can't keep it up anymore. Kirei, on the other hand, has recently returned to actual assassinations and Assassin was the original Servant he summoned. It makes sense if he has some part in this episode, which has checked in on all the other surviving Masters... and if it comes as a faceless and sudden attack, well all the better to make the title apply to him as well.

Agreed with everything. To me this definitely seems like a massive Xanatos Gambit on the part of the newly formed Kirei and Gilgamesh team in order to turn all of their opponents against each other. Now I have no idea how they caused the Rider attack or how exactly they plan to follow up on it, but it really does seem like the only possible explanation.

I suppose one way they could have done it would be to cut off Waver's arm, attain control of his Command Spells and force Rider to do the things he did, but it's hard to believe they would be able to accomplish that so quickly and easily.

But who knows. I won't bother speculating any further (partially because I don't want to prompt any overeager novel reader into carelessly spoiling the answer) and will simply enjoy the mystery while it lasts. And by enjoy I mean suffer in agony for the next week.

I do gotta wonder just how large in scale this likely scheme is, since the preview made it seem like even Kariya and Aoi will be involved. And speaking of the former, I loved the scene with Berserker. It was great to finally see him non-CG and actually forming coherent speech. I doubt we'll get that much more characterization for him, but I really enjoyed what we got here. He's exactly the type of man I'd imagined him to be, bitter and resentful, and what he said about himself only further confirmed how fitting for one another the Master and Servant are once again. Much like Berserker, Kariya has been "cursing those who shine brilliantly" (the Magi, particularly Tokiomi, of course) for quite a while now, so it's rather ironic that Berserker would feed on one that is going through the exact same suffering as him. I expect (and hope) that eventually, though, the mad dog will see the similarities in their plight and will feel true loyalty for his poor Master.

Originally Posted by Swithin

About the word assassin fitting Kiritsugu or Kirei better, keep in mind that Kirei was also an assassin for the church (Burial Order) before the start of the show, so it's not just Emiya in that line of work.

Yeah, it was likely very much intentional for the title to be applicable to both. The Kiritsugu and Kirei parallels have been a constant since the very beginning of the show. It's part of what makes their dichotomy so good even though they haven't even met each other yet.

Originally Posted by HandofFate

Anywhere with a good list of the tv/BD comparisons? How much extra footage was there?

There is a thread made exactly for that question, but there was definitely enough new footage for at least one entirely new episode. The episodes which were most expanded on were probably 11 and 12.

Originally Posted by EssTEss

I think if Kariya would have died if he didn't get the mana he needed from the worm. The worms inside him would rip his body apart trying to get mana for berserker.

Yeah, that's what I surmised too. You can probably look at it like a "power up" for Kariya, so to speak, in order for him to be able to fight still. But of course Zouken couldn't resist the urge to offer it in the cruelest possible manner. Old bastard really hasn't taken it well that Kariya abandoned the family's bloodline magic.