[Nogitsune]

Originally Posted by Xander

It is worth mentioning we are talking about a show where a million people could dress up as Zero and ride an iceberg ship to China.

See, the creators wanted to involve only ten thousand, initially, but after some discussion they ended up deciding to go all out with the stunt. Obviously even the staff knew the idea was ridiculous and unrealistic but after the fact they simply justified it by openly saying "this would only work in anime" in the commentary track.

Why am I bringing this up? If that applies to what was probably the most logistically unrealistic event in the show, I'll let you figure out what that means for any unrealistic logistics in the finale.

I didn't know the history behind that scene. Now I'm giggling stupidly.

Also, word to the "Code Geass is not all that big on realism" thing. If I don't see the show portaying ZR as but the tragic, horrible result of Lelouch (and Suzaku) having been pushed over the edge for good, then even if I were to agree that their grand plan doesn't make the tiniest bit of sense (which is an opinion I can certainly understand and even get behind to a point), I'd still not see it that way. Come on, realistically, Lelouch would have dropped dead from exhaustion without ever stopping Damocles. Errr, I mean, look, they totally killed the realism with the stamina running gag! Get it? Running gag. Haha. ...All right, I'll shut up now.

Originally Posted by azul120

I'd say it was because Lelouch was already in too deep to turn back. Schneizel would call him on it.

That's not what he says, though, and while Lelouch knows how to lie to himself and the world, I don't see anything in that scene hinting at such a thing. I'd say it's a fair enough guess that he was just fooling himself despite that, considering the situation, but it's still a guess. He also tells C.C. that he's thought about his choice back then x times already, and I don't think that's what he usually does when he wants to delude himself, but I suppose that's debatable.

She was smiling in the end because Lelouch had given her companionship.

True, but I think she wouldn't have been so happy had she been pitying Lelouch's fate, so if he had basically just dragged a whole lot of people down with him for the sake of his death wish and C.C. knew it, they should at least have taken the crane out of the scene, which for me still strongly represents his (and Nunnally's) wish for a gentle world.