天下制覇

We really are bankrupt creatively, aren't we?

Impressions:

An episode where I find it more interesting to think about how one could have salvaged things rather than discuss what actually happened, because what happened was Carol/Elfnein dominated the current season antagonists, and the protagonists overcame the 'unbeatable' tentacle fetus through the power of punching it once (while face-tanking every single thing that it threw at them) before we continue going backwards through previous seasons and are now going to relive the Miku brainwashing schtick from the second season. And yet, we're only at episode 8, so I can only assume that two episodes from now, Fine will also be back from the dead… again.

The core problems then, are that the antagonists have yet to be a serious threat at any point because they have not won a single skirmish onscreen against goddamned anything whatsoever, and that since pretty much the start of season 2, or I suppose more specifically when Hibiki regrew an arm out of protagonist power, there's been no consequences to anything. This episode would have been a perfect opportunity to rectify both those things. Let Carol beat up these antagonists for a bit, but then actually lose. Lose bloodily. Stabbed through the back or beheaded bloodily. But don't stop there. Protagonists lose to the monster fetus too. Lose badly there too for preference. Then some mumbo jumbo about the antagonists being able to absorb her power through their blood stuff, they can pop out for the fetus to job to them with season 2 Miku at their helm. Bam. Threat level and potential consequences at least somewhat re-established. A man can dream.