Attack on Titan Season 4 Episode 20 Review: Memories of the Future

| Jan thirty, 2022 |

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This Set on on Titan review contains spoilers.

Attack on Titan Season 4 Episode 20

"Before I save the world, I want to save you."

Last week'south "Two Brothers" is easily i of the strongest episodes of Attack on Titan that's ever been produced, which puts a lot of pressure level on any follows. Some other action-heavy installment would be the incorrect approach after this chaotic high, so the more muted and cogitating structure that'due south adopted in "Memories of the Futurity" functions as the perfect cool down flow later on watching Eren's head get blown off.

"Memories of the Hereafter" is a very patient episode and information technology'southward near entirely spent in the past, or the nebulous timeless space that is "Paths." This culminates in a huge twist regarding the Jaegers as Assault on Titan delivers its swan vocal on this tortured family. Eren and Zeke wrestle with their pasts, which turns into a gripping examination of nature versus nurture, as the sins of Grisha Jaeger get reassessed for i last time.

At that place's e'er been a schism between Eren and Zeke. These 2 siblings have lived markedly unlike lives, simply in "Memories of the Future" it's Zeke's turn to learn merely how contrasting their upbringings actually were. Eren hasn't been brainwashed and forced to view himself as a weapon at an early age. In fact, he's been showered with love, friends, and all of the fixtures of a normal existence that Zeke lacked. Information technology'southward tragic to consider that Zeke's only existent friend during his youth was Tom Ksaver, who as well had to double as a positive father effigy for the boy.

Eren and Zeke both come from dissimilar backgrounds, nonetheless they've still arrived at this same signal in their lives. What's fascinating here is that Zeke has grown into a sympathetic figure because of the destructive path he's been led down by Grisha, whereas Eren shifts into a more callous and terrifying individual considering he'due south pushed to this point of war on his own. This all grows fifty-fifty more complicated and incestuous when it comes to low-cal that Grisha isn't responsible for Eren'southward decisions, just oddly, Eren is responsible for his father'due south deportment.

"Memories of the Future" slowly morphs into a horror picture show once Eren and Zeke visit the most pivotal memory of all, Grisha'south execution of the Reiss family. This is the catalyst to the generations of war that have consumed the series since its beginning, so it's a major stupor to the organisation when Grisha chooses not to commit murder and finer doesn't draw first claret. It teases a future that won't be lost in needless mortality, simply for Eren to be the one who talks his begetter into committing these executions. Eren is responsible for all of this.

The twisted irony of this episode is that Zeke'due south aim is to convince Eren of the truth, merely for information technology to open up his own optics. Eren remains several steps ahead of his brother and he's the i who'due south been pulling the strings for generations, even if it'due south been through subconscious ripples across time. Information technology's heartbreaking that Zeke believes that he finally understands his brother and has gained an ally, only in reality they've never been more than distant. Eren transforms from victim to abuser in a affair of seconds before Zeke's eyes. It sets upwardly a rich dynamic for what's to come up as these two brothers will be forced to inevitably take each other out. Eren'south observation that Zeke remains haunted by Grisha and continues to act in response to him is also incredibly astute and demonstrates not only the dissimilar means in which trauma lingers, but also that perceived freedom tin still be a form of reactionary codependence.

These revelations hitting hard, but it's a attestation to Attack on Titan's tremendous graphic symbol evolution that a heartfelt hug between Zeke and Grisha evokes genuine desolation and becomes the episode's highlight. These are figures that the series has taught audiences to detest for years and at present it's Eren who'southward the awkward interloper who ruins this cathartic moment. The contrast between the kickoff interaction betwixt Eren and the Beast Titan, versus where they're at now, is staggering.

"Memories of the Future" is a fascinating Assail on Titan episode that recontextualizes the by in shocking ways. This accent on backstory might wear thin on those that are hungry to learn what's ahead in the War for Paradis, but it feels necessary to answer these questions and properly connect the past to the future as lines become increasingly blurred.

The overarching message in "Memories of the Hereafter," which each member of the Jaeger family unit processes in wildly different ways, is to accept your sins and to non laissez passer the blame. It's not a complicated virtue to follow, but information technology becomes impossible for someone like Eren who'due south grown blind to his mistakes. Eren and Zeke still need to fight for Founding Titan supremacy and it doesn't look similar they're going to resolve the matter with a game of baseball.