Hopefully me typing my thoughts on episode 24 here will breath some life into this thread...because it is sorely underused.
I apologize in advance...because I'm about to write like an essay of my thoughts...and a lot of my thoughts overlap with previous episodes that this week's episode just cements further.
Episode 24 was pretty good, but felt a bit rushed at some points...can't really blame White Fox & the author. They only have 25 episodes locked in for the season, so they have to squish as much in for the season finale coming next week.
Speaking of things to come and things I can draw from this episode, I have a really uneasy feeling that the author is setting everyone up into a false sense of security. Everything is going TOO well for Subaru and the supporting characters in this loop...and knowing how the author is a sadist and loves to make Subaru suffer, something has to happen that sets up the next few arcs.
...The 'blank letter' is bothering me too much, and it was mentioned yet again. Guessing from the dialogue that one of Crush's attendants/subordinates was supposed to the deliver the letter to Roswaal's mansion to warn about the attack on their domain...thinking Crusch as smart as she is, being as diligent & intelligent as she is...she wouldn't dare to send a blank letter when 'she' of all people should know that could be interpreted as a declaration of war.
I have a feeling like I said in the other thread that 'Gluttony' might be involved again...as Puck called the Whale 'Gluttony', it could mean the 'erasing' ability, could be part of Gluttony's 'authority' just like Betelgeuse has his 'Unseen Hands' as his 'authority of sloth' power. So my guess, that's how they are going to introduce another Archbishop of Sin and/or Cult sect for the next arc. It would be a perfect opportunity to hype up the next season...with a new threat showing its ugly face.
Like I said...I feel very uneasy, because I feel the author might step up the ante in terms of giving the viewers more despair & give us a half-good & half bad ending + cliffhanger that sets up the next arc/season. Subaru seems to be over the worst & doesn't seem to be as afraid of dying anymore, because I feel like he knows he can just fix everything (or most of everything) through 'Return by Death'...before he was worried about feeling the pain of dying, feeling like his 'Return by Death' retries were limited & perma death was possible for him & then we had him fear that he wouldn't be able to make progress until he found a solution through acquiring the help of others... (friends & allies) ...Now I feel to step up the ante, the author is going to make us suffer the loss of something that can't be fixed, something that he needs to live with...unforeseen consequences that he won't be able to take back by simply using the old shtick 'Return by Death'.
I feel like the author is setting up a character death or something close to be just as bad, that he's prepping up in the background and by the time Subaru realizes post-killing Betelgeuse...a new checkpoint will be made after said events happen...and he won't be able to take it back...it will be a whole new level of despair for Subaru and the audience.
Because thus far, everything has gone well for Subaru if you really think about it. All the real bad things that should have been irreversible like the deaths of many of the characters have been fixed through 'Return by Death', so I think it's the perfect time for Subaru to be shown true loss...which I think it would be perfect for his character development, make him less reckless & not have in rely so much on 'Return by Death'.
I think we were given a tease/taste of said irreversible things but at a much lesser level/dose which is something he was able to fix...and by that I mean, what happened in the castle during the Maiden/King/Queen selection/election announcement & his fight with Emilia...it was a moment he couldn't take back, but made him grow from it and through a domino effect made him gain many allies from different walks of life & different sides.
I feel like towards the end of the season someone really important and/or semi-important is going to die...everyone is susceptible to this fate, except Emilia...She's like his sole purpose for doing everything he's done up to this point, a main heroine & has yet to be fleshed out...we know next to nothing about her and her past as a half-elf...so I feel like she will be completely fleshed out from here on in...while Rem is going to be pretty much shelved away for a while, since she had way more screen time than Emilia has had & I think it's about time she took a break...Well! She has already been doing that for the past few episodes after the whale was killed.
What I'm afraid about is...I'm suspecting either Rem and/or Crusch are going to die by the end of the season...or if my hunch is right, be erased from existence...although I'm leaning towards Rem, because it would give us MUCH...and MUCH MORE impact & would demoralize Subaru to the point where he would jump the gun and rely on Return By Death again just to find out...that it's too late to save her after he wakes up in his next loop. If it already happened...and the 'Blank Letter' is a clue...then it leads me to believe that Crusch is safe from being erased because she's obviously mentioned and not forgotten about, but she can still die before the end of the season...but her lack of development & importance to the election that's taking place leads me to believe that they won't shelf away the character just yet, by killing her off...at least NOT this soon, as it would just be a waste and not have much impact at all.
Another thing that's really bothering me, that leads me to believe the erasure theory is that...there has been absolutely NO MENTION of Rem at ALL! Rem should be the single most important thing to Ram and we got nothing from her...and yeah we can think all day that the conversation about Rem's whereabouts 'probably' happened off-screen...but I think 'assuming' that is part of the 'twist/reveal' that has yet to come that they're simply just building up to it.
I'm kinda of worried and at the same time anxious! ...To think the author would kill/erase from existence a character so loved by the audience like Rem is SO SADISTIC, YET SO PERFECT! I would not be TOO surprised if that ends up being the case, and would make sense that they've been giving her so much screen time & provided so much build up to the character just for this plot point... I don't know how to feel about this.
Another thing about this week's episode that I'm kind of puzzled about...how are they going to prevent Betelgeuse from possessing Subaru, if all Betelgeuse is required to do is for the host to have a high affinity of becoming a Witch Cult member...Could Julius fight off his essence/soul from within Subaru as Betelgeuse tries to possess him? Or maybe Julius fails in countering said possession so Subaru decides to utter "I can Return by Death!" for Satella to indirectly help him by expelling Betelgeuse from his body, as he's a foreign presence in his body? All we know is that Julius probably knows the solution but it probably won't be revealed until the final episode...because obviously he told Subaru off-screen.
Anyhow...Let's see what happens during the final episode. I really hope they kill Betelgeuse really early...within the first 5 mins of the episode or so...so they can squish as much time for the epilogue of the season. I do want to see some interaction between Subaru & Emilia...she's been too MIA this arc and they really need to build hype for her, if we're to care for the next arcs that might give her lots of development. Please don't be rushed. lol!
Can't believe the final episode will be here in a week...I'm nervous. Please don't get butchered...hoping for the best. Lmao!