[TheKage]

Best point of action: Don't compare the race episodes or the series until it finishes airing. Watch Fam and then decide how well it rates compared to the first series. We've all had time to watch and finish the original Last Exile well before Fam is finished or even half-way through airing.

On its own, the episode worked well. The race episodes served different purposes so we're not supposed to be comparing them. The first series' race was an endurance race after all, of course it wouldn't last one episode.

Fam's episode does these things:

Spoiler:

Let's us know that there's some Anatoray presence on Earth other than the Silvius and Claus' place.
Introduce possible Navi-Pilot issues.
Introduce the non-trivial aristocrat who is surely to appear once more.
Introduced some of the inner-workings in the Ades Federation and some Luscinia information (how he started, a lot don't like him, etc)
You completely missed Fam and Gisey scoping the layout of the race course. They didn't fly and race blindly. We've seen how well-adapted they are in terms of flying before. Or rather, Gisey's skills in telling Fam what to do.

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Teddy, or Millia?

Millia. Or both! But Millia before Teddy.