The River is the fifth episode of Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance [1].
Synopsis[]
Captain Solari’s convoy ambushes an EFF vehicle, but a Zeon patrol jeopardizes the mission before they can reach the outpost [1].
Events[]
In the previous episode, Major General Yuri Kellerne ordered the Red Wolves to steal a RGM-79 GM from a Federation base in Romania, and provided them with two command keys to activate the GMs.
The Red Wolves, aided by Zeon forces from the scrapyard, intercept a small Federation convoy driving at night. They capture several Federation soldiers, three motorcycles with sidecars, and a small six-wheeled armored vehicle. Iria Solari, Hailey Arhun, Ander Heaton and Alfee Zydos board the vehicle and drive off into the woods.
Alfee states that he's been cooped up in the recycling center so long, it's good to get out for a drive, even though it's into Federation-controlled territory. Iria expresses regret at dragging him into this operation; he expresses enthusiasm for learning more about the Feds' mobile suits.
Their stolen Federation vehicle is attacked by two MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom from the Midnighters Squadron, under Lieutenant Loft. Iria tries to contact them by radio, but the Goufs continue their attack. Alfee takes the vehicle offroading, through the woods. It crashes into a tree; the Goufs move on. The vehicle is disabled, so they don Federation uniforms, and continue their journey on foot. Iria cautions the group against "unnecessary chatter"; she doesn't want their Zeon accents overheard.
As they walk through farmland, Hayley reminisces about her youth, stealing ele-cars. Alfee says that stealing a mobile suit won't be much harder, because Iria has Newtype abilities. Heaton asks what a Newtype is. "That Spacenoids are evolving beyond humans," says Alfee.
Alfee clarifies: He thinks Iria is clairvoyant. Iria denies that Newtype ability is anything magical. Her ability is due to extensive training. She asks the group to move on.
The federation base contains two parked GMs, a third propping up a bridge damaged by Zeon bombs, and a fourth on a trailer. Iria sends Alfee and Heaton to steal the trailer, giving Heaton a flare gun in case of trouble. Iria and Hayley go to steal the parked GMs.
They cross the base's wall with a rug thrown over the barbed-wire fence.
In the Federation base's ready room, three pilots banter over a game of chess. The fourth pilot, "the kid", plays a game on a Nintendo Switch. Without looking up from his game, the kid recommends a move, allowing one pilot Carl to instantly win the chess game against Shaun. The kid looks up from his game to see Iria and Hayley walk past the building.
Pleasant banter gets Alfee and Heaton past a guard, and they board the GM's trailer. Heaton encounters a napping soldier in the driver's cab of the trailer, and Heaton orders the soldier to head to "Ops". The soldier blearily complies. Alfee boards the GM; the command key he carries activates it without trouble. Heaton is unable to find the keys to start the transport trailer, and a group of Federation soldiers swiftly arrive. He threatens them with his gun; they shoot back. The gunfire alerts the base.
Hearing gunfire and sirens, Iria decides to abandon the parked GMs. She and Hayley make for an exit, but they run into the group of pilots from the ready room. Iria collides with the kid, and both are knocked to the ground. Iria uses her stolen lieutenant's uniform's rank to order the pilots to their hanger, but the kid asks her to wait a moment: She dropped her watch, which is engraved with an emblem of Zeon. "Quite the souvenir," he says. "Yes, it is," she says. He hands her the watch, and in the momentary contact of their hands they share the vision from episode three: Iria's son reaching out from the flames, the Gundam reaching for Iria.
The three older pilots run off. The kid lingers, staring at Iria, before running off. Iria and Haylee make for the bridge.
Federation soldiers continue to shoot at Heaton in the cab of the transport trailer. Alfee stands the GM up from its trailer, and stumbles around, blaming the auto-balancers. He draws the GM's beam pistol and attacks the two parked GMs. Other Federation forces prepare to engage. Iria boards the GM supporting the bridge, and activates it, with Hayley riding on a shoulder. A M61A5 MBT arrives at the bridge and shoots at the GM; she dodges the shot and destroys the tank with a thrown girder.
Alfee and Iria link up. Alfee prepares to shoot another Federation tank, when the Gundam appears from a hangar behind him, and shoots his GM in the back. With Alfee down, the Gundam holsters its beam rifle and draws a beam saber. Iria draws her GM's beam saber and blocks the Gundam from attacking Alfee's GM. As the beam sabers contact, she has a flash of insight: the pilot of the Gundam is the kid. Their swordfighting begins to wreck the base. Again the Gundam removes her mobile suit's right arm.
Alfee exits the cockpit of the damaged GM; Heaton arrives and helps Alfee escape. Heaton fires the flare gun. In the light of the flare, the Gundam removes Iria's GM's left arm and head. She staggers backwards, falling onto the shore of the river. The Gundam draws its beam rifle.
LeSean charges into the base with his scrap Zaku. The tank-tread armor on his shield deflects a shot from the beam rifle, melting instantly. LeSean orders Iria to leave; she cries out. His Zaku's machine gun destroys one of the Gundam's eyes. The Gundam's beam rifle kills LeSean.
Iria swims to the other side of the river from the base, and mourns LeSean on the shore for a moment, until Federation pursuit parties force her back into the river. As she drifts, visions of the dead Red Wolves pass before her.
Stats[]
Release[]
- Netflix: 2024-10-17
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It's Zeon Deikun's idea. Because humanity moved to space, we've acquired abilities we've never needed before. We're evolving into a species that can understand the true intent behind actions.—Iria Solari, to Ander Heaton
Notes & Trivia[]
- The episode's title refers to the Olt, a river in central Romania where the E.F.G.F's mobile suit base is located.
- The Zeon soldiers undercover as E.F.F. are cautious about their "Zeon accents", this references when Flanagan Boone told a fellow spy not to speak because of his strong Zeon accent in Mobile Suit Gundam Episode 28, Across the Atlantic Ocean.
- Similarly, when Bernard Wiseman disguised as an E.F.F. soldier he faked an Australian accent during the infiltration to the G-Factory.[2] However, he was foiled not by his accent, but by the false information on Australia when talking to E.F.F. soldiers.