Gundam 00 S2 Episode 16: Prelude to Tragedy

Spoilers ahead, obv…

This is a VERY dialogue heavy episode, so since my Japanese is rubbish I can only be so useful here… Enjoy the screens at least, haha.

The episode begins with Hercules making an announcement to everyone in the orbital elevator that they are evacuating everyone not part of the coup d’etat.

Sergei’s reaction to hearing of the coup d’etat on the news is shown and it goes into a flashback of himself, his wife (who was also in the miltary), and Hercules speaking on a bench.

Note: Every fricken’ flashback is on a bench.

Shots of all of the various camps reacting to the coup d’etat. Fun stuff. About now I start wondering what the hell Setsuna and Bushido are doing…

A-Laws launches Aheads to the elevator, where they release automatons.

Sergei arrives at the orbital elevator in a repainted Tieren Taozi.

…don’t you need quantum brainwaves to control that thing?

Speaking of quantum brainwaves, the Innovators are shown talking amongst themselves in their typically non-concerned fashion. Speaking of people who can access Veda (see: Ep 15), Louse is outside talking to Andrei. A flashback is shown in which Hercules met Andrei. When Hercules complimented his father Andrei spouted the “He’s the reason my mother is dead” bit.

Sergei and Hercules are talking for quite a while. This whole time I’m STILL wondering whether or not I’m missing Graham Specials…

The automatons are shown breaking into the area full of civilians and shooting them down. Hercules and Andrei watch that on the new on Earth, they are showing parts of the automatons killing civilians but editing in ESF soldiers in the automatons place to make it look like the coup’ers are the ones doing the slaughtering.

And I’m all like, where the hell is Setsuna?

Suddenly…

OH GOD YES!!!

Wait a minute.

They replayed the entire scene from the end of the last episode starting at Setsuna doing a U-turn in the 00 Raiser to head to the elevator. Laaaame…

I CAME.

Anyhow, Masurao is just absolutely wailing on the 00 Raiser. It is shown that the 00 Raiser can make a full GN Field (that’s new). Setsuna goes Trans-Am to fight against Bushido, all the while his GN bullet wound is clearly paining him quite a bit…

The other three Gundams show up in Trans-Am and Bushido retreats. Setsuna nearly just drops out of the sky in the 00 Raiser due to an apparent combination of physical/emotional pain.

There is a massive troop movement at the bottom of the orbital elevator, but the troops are moving away from the elevator. It shows Sumeragi, Kati/Billy, and Hercules/Sergei all coming to the same conclusion at the same time…

Cut to another Memento Mori getting ready to fire at the base of the orbital elevator.

From the next episode preview:

Just some highlights…

- Setsuna is feelin’ the hurt
- Soma in tangerine pilot suit, presumably in the GN Archer
- Andrei/Sergei Raging
- Saji in a white pilot suit in what APPEARS to be the 00 Raiser
- Shot of the Memento Mori asploding
- Andrei as a kid lookin’ creepy

SHAZAM. End of ep. As I said, hugeass amount of dialogue and all just a giant cocktease to keep you watching for 00 Raiser vs Masurao. But it was awesome anyway, haha. Looking forward to the subs though.