R2 Turn 17 Discussion: Fragile lives, shattered dreams

[nayami.livejournal.com]

Yeah I took a break for 15 and 16 mostly, but hell if I'm missing 17! Rules rules oh yes, no character-bashing and no commenting with speculations/spoilers. This includes the magazine spoilers. This post is about 17 and back, NO FORWARD. But seriously, we need more studies into this one. Side note, this is ALLLL about the boys, but feel free to chime in with other important mentions.



Yes, I did think "The Kids Aren't All Right" is a nice way to sum up this episode. Moving along since I want this discussion to zero home in on emotions and motivations, I think we shall start with Suzaku. I love all the "waaaah. Suzaku stepped on his head" moaning from fangirls. How easily we forget that the very first time the boys met, Suzaku PUNCHED HIM IN THE FACE. Suzaku has ever been a violent and impulsive boy; he just learned how to squelch it beneath his lies. Hell, he's being most honest with himself when he's beating the crap out of someone. And how do we know Suzaku is being honest while he's being as vicious as possible? Throughout the scene, he is an emotional wreck. Think back to his actions, tone and hysteria in Stage 25 and Turn 2. In Turn 17, he's crying, clutching onto his connection to the past -- once a watch and now an emblem -- and throwing everything he's got at Lelouch verbally, even to the point of constant pronoun switching as someone caught. I also want to point out he's demanding Lelouch to bring back Euphie and screaming at him for wanting forgiveness now. This goes back to both Stage 25, where Suzaku sneers at Lelouch's request for a partnership to save Nunnally after Lelouch kills Euphie, previously refusing Suzaku's request for a similar partnership to help Euphie and Japan. How dare Lelouch ask him for forgiveness now? How dare he? Suzaku is truly miserable; he tells himself and Lelouch he's there solely so he no longer has to lie, especially to Nunnally, but so many of his questions are focused on why Lelouch or rather Zero saved his life so many times. He screams at Lelouch that he's horrible and that he betrayed their friendship, but it's clear he too is unwilling to so easily let it go. We've seen this in 13, when Lelouch is the only person who manages to get a true smile out of Lelouch. And again in this episode, where we learn Suzaku has been keeping pictures of both Kallen and Lelouch in a photo album. Happy pictures. Suzaku cherishes his memories because Suzaku is ever trapped in the past, even as Lelouch urges him to move on, to stare forward.

And for once, Suzaku is ready to do so. He proves that he understands Lelouch even more than Lelouch understands him because he has carried his guilt and self-hatred for so long. He catches Lelouch in his lies. He knows Lelouch is feeding him half-truths. We'll get to Lelouch's side of this in a moment. But what does Suzaku tell him? To make his lies a reality. To become an ally of justice. To use his power and his lies for good. Yeah yeah you could argue that Suzaku also brings up the "atone for your sin" aspects, which harkens back to a focus on the past. But he's not exactly telling Lelouch to stop being Zero either. On the contrary, he is telling him ONLY Zero can save the world. But he is urging him to think of the right methods. Is this Suzaku reversing his stance? No. This is him looking for a way to balance the two. A few episodes back, Suzaku realized how dangerously close to Zero he actually is (with the Refrain incident, its one saving grace), and while he doesn't want to be like Zero, he's realized that being the POLAR OPPOSITE will not solve things either.

So of course, it's a major kick in the ass that DIABOLOS EX MACHINA intervenes just when he's ready to try. And thanks to the manipulations of a very devious Kanon and Schneizel, Suzaku, who was struggling so hard to find himself, has his very self questioned once more. Literally. Is he Euphemia's knight? A Knight of the Rounds? Lelouch's friend? Son of Kururugi Genbu? The devils use Suzaku's crisis to get what they want from him (possibly about Geass) and try to guilt-trip him into being their little Weapon of Destruction. I should point out that I am not sure whether anyone understands the true potential of Freya. Suzaku's fear is not endangering many others but attacking Japan. Suzaku is no longer sure he wants to fight, but he has been made to think that his refusal to tell about Zero and Geass perpetuated the war, and now he must atone for it again. And we know how Suzaku loves to atone. Schneizel and Kanon suck. :(

As for Lelouch, who is once, twice, INFINITY TIMES the liar, some may wonder why, even now, he cannot be honest with Suzaku. Personally, when I first heard spoilers of this episode, I wondered how Lelouch would be honest. Lelouch's lies are his protection, his protection for others. If he lied to Nunnally, there was less a chance she would be involved. If he lied to Suzaku, there was less a chance Suzaku would question his principles and risk Britannia's anger. If he lied to his Knights, there was more a chance they would believe in his miracles and not make dangerous second-guesses. Now I'm not saying, there was not a selfish aspect to these lies as well because there was. As I said earlier, Lelouch tells half-truths. And these are what he presents to Suzaku. Another friend said Lelouch gives Suzaku what he wants to hear to make Suzaku focus all his hate on Lelouch and keep Nunnally completely innocent. I like this idea as well. And Suzaku knows Lelouch's lies are his protection. As he says, they are eyes you use when you're hiding something and taking the blame. I, being a fangirl, take particular delight in the lie about geassing Suzaku because it justifies my theory that Lelouch's action was not planned or self-preservational but simply the only thing that came to mind: saving his friend. Speaking of that, going back to young Suzaku's declaration "You don't have to have a reason for saving someone." So it is for Lelouch.

A few more things to take note in this scene are Lelouch's reactions. For Suzaku's most difficult questions, he turns away before answering. When Suzaku snaps at him for daring to show himself, Lelouch is shocked by the way Suzaku cuts into his usual logic rhetoric about numbers. He panics when Suzaku demands he use his miracles to reverse the past. Even though, Suzaku is lying himself bare, Lelouch cannot allow himself to do the same. And this makes the few times he does all the more noticeable. No wonder Suzaku gets so pissed at him. And though Suzaku cannot control his tears throughout, Lelouch remains with his mask, only letting it slip when he's truly caught off guard. His realizing Suzaku sees through his lies and his true hope that maybe he can save Nunnally, maybe he can have his friend back. A friend that despite everything, he still trusts to protect his sister. Not to say Lelouch was so trusting of Suzaku; he did have his random Guilford contingency plan. But again in Turn 7, he was willing to let Nunnally stay with Suzaku. He still refused to fatally target Suzaku. And at a time when Lelouch has lost everything else -- C.C., Kallen, Nunnally, Ashford -- Suzaku is all he has left. So it makes sense that he totally loses it when that's proven "false." The mask breaks, and Lelouch is left with pain, tears and rage. I do love how Lelouch is still crying even while readying for his final battle, even while making his usual speech about throwing away emotions. Lelouch is broken. This is the only way I can justify him relying on Rolo, ROLO FOR HELL'S SAKE, to save Nunnally. wtg lulu. Also, I take this last moment to giggle at Schneizel wanting to know what was up with Suzaku's weird relationship with Zero.

I suppose I should also spotlight Gino, who is awesome with perception and knowing a bit of why Suzaku is so messed up. I really want Gino and Kallen to run away together, even though I don't want actual defection. I want to see her reaction to that last quip. Oh wait, I liked the battling lolis versus the Knights of the Round too. Bismark vs. Kaguya was special. I wouldn't have minded more from their side and less from OMG I'M GOING TO THROW A BATTLESHIP AT YOU Luciano.

Disliked things: Bismark, Luciano (you better die in 18), C.C. being a moeblob and Villetta under house arrest. How the hell did they survive that fall anyway, Geass? Is it just that unimportant? Oh and the continuous picking on Guilford. Yeesh, Geass, was did the glasses bishi ever do to you?

I would go into the Order disputes, the random battles, Schneizel being a dick, but who am I kidding? This episode was about the boys. And now we can all whine about how Japan still, rightfully, holds grudges and how much Turn 18 is going to hurt us.

ETA: I forgot that I love the EPIC readying for showdown music.

Comments

[aoi-rein.livejournal.com]

Am I too late for this? Well, I read your every post about Code Geass R2 episodes, and the reason why I keep it on I think its too clear that I no need to mention here.

What you said in this post I'm totally agree with you. These two boys are agonizing enough because of their friendship. Sometimes, I hope they not even know each other from the beginning. But it's also true that because they are friends so that they can do things the ways they are doing now.

About understanding, I believe they can understand each other well. Because when we do care for others, we will try to know and understand that person as far as we could. Lelouch & Suzaku are always doing the same thing. They strive to understand each other. But one thing we always miss, that is no matter how hard we try to understand, there's always has limitation as except our ownself, no one can understand us better.

Ps: Sometimes I scared to reply your post since I guess you don't quite like me/ my words & ignore my message. Sorry, just wanna say out my feeling.