| Episode 17: White Snow |
| Review Team White Snow has just about made their point in terms of cheating. The beginning of this episode only exemplifies their power. Zanak activates the ‘Puppeteer’ and we see White Snow’ s mechs slightly transform and latch onto Team Satomi. Liz is the first victim as she punches Takeshi. But it’s not her doing it-Team White Snow is now controlling their mechs. Everybody is confused and doesn’t know what to do. It’s not completely unexpected after what Team White Snow did last episodes, but it is nonetheless overwhelming. But what is completely unexpected is what happens next. Just when you thought you had Team White Snow figured out, they pull Takeshi into the air and launch him down with extreme momentum. Max lets go of Amy right where Takeshi falls and he crashes into Amy blowing her mech into half. My mouth dropped. There’s been a ton of surprises throughout the series, but this episode is definitely the one that pulls it off best. As Amy’s mech comes to a stop, Takeshi is still in shock. Team White Snow advances toward the finish line, but Takeshi goes back to Amy and tries to talk to her, but no answer. Andrei reminds him that the race is not over yet. Andrei can’t even figure out why he’s staying there. It’s because we see Takeshi showing some compassion; something Andrei may not portray. Of course, that was genuine compassion. Judy from White Snow tries to hide it when she asks about Amy’s condition. But my eye is on Max, who is still as quiet as ever. She even looks a little sad about what happened, but she is still speechless. Her silence is golden, in my opinion. It really portrays her character in a mysterious way, which leaves her open for development. Takeshi and Liz are fighting over the loss, while the superiors are trying to figure out what to do. Takeshi is then seen in his room as puzzled as ever, playing with his own puzzle he got from Yuri at the beginning of the season. That puzzle represents a lot in his life, and it’s appropriately used here. When Takeshi visits Amy’s hospital room, Jesse is worried that Liz and Takeshi will start fighting. When Liz reacts by yelling, she finally notices and then asks if they are okay. Well, they play it off that way. Meanwhile, Miss Satomi is discussing forfeiting, and Jesse steps in to say that Team Satomi is not a team that quits. She then apologizes for getting overexcited, but it allows Andrei to get an idea. This line marks the turning point of the series, along with the fact that Amy is not racing. “The only pilot that can replace Amy is me”. My mouth dropped…again. Now I’m sold. Two plot twists in one episode, and the episode isn’t even halfway through! Of course, Benjamin Bright rolls with this piece of news and it makes the rest of that part feel very smooth. Liz can’t believe it at all. Andrei even admits to not being a great coach, but he thinks he’s a great pilot. I guess, at this point, that’s all that matters. Andrei isn’t very ‘suited’ for the job, at least physically. He’s got a long way to go to get back in shape. The scene with Takeshi and Fantine at a pool reveal how they can’t believe he’s the legendary Rocket G. Benjamin is covering the story like he remembers the days of The Rocket well. Sir Hamgra had his own comments against Andrei, and so did Andrei. His personality shines in this episode. And that translates back to his somewhat quiet side when he talks to Takeshi about his past. He mentions his wife and daughter leaving him, and how Jesse reminded him of his daughter. Of course, it was just a “sob story”, but Andrei seemed to at least say something that sounded genuine… The race with Velshtein is about to begin, and in one episode we go from one race to another- without feeling rushed. Takeshi still remembers The Rocket’s words about going beyond one’s own limitations. This is also a reference to when Andrei mentioned The Rocket back in Episode 11, before anyone knew that he was The Rocket. A conversation takes place during the race between Takeshi and Andrei. Jesse interjects how she thinks that Andrei may not be in his best shape. Andrei agrees. What’s interesting is that his humility shines here, too. He’s willing to race, even though he hasn’t in over 10 years, in order for the team not to forfeit. That takes some guts, to say the least. He even exudes confidence in knowing that he is good and can win. And looking at this episode, it is very well-rounded. We have plot twists, character development, and just about everything else that makes this show so good. It’s possibly the best episode in Season 2, and certainly one of the best episodes of the series. |
| Team White Snow is looking for a win, and their teamwork might be Team Satomi's downfall. |
| The race heats up when Team White Snow attempts some attacks. |
| Liz and Takeshi are still at each other. |
| Additional Pictures |
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| USA original air date: June 10th, 2006 |
| Japan original air date: February 15th, 2006 |
| Original Japanese Title: White Snow |
| Summary Team White Snow is determined to win this race against Team Satomi. The race is still far from over, and if Team Satomi can't figure this team out, it may mean a loss. Team White Snow isn't done with their tricks. White Snow has already pulled a lot of tricks out, so any more may cause Team Satomi to lose. Will Team Satomi be strong enough to overcome the remaining unpredicted challenges of this race? This episode features a few plot twists that cannot be revealed in the summary without spoiling the episode. |
| OVERALL SCORE: 9 out of 10 |
| Additional Information |
| Toonami Version Differences No changes/cuts are made. |