Alright, here's the home stretch, my review and comments for Episodes 46 thru 50, plus Final Plus. I was mistaken in thinking there were 52 episodes, when there's really only 50. And this post is just damned long, but you all should be used to that by now.
ZAFT captures the 5 remaining Requiem beam deflection colony pieces. Durandal orders them moved to lunar orbit until they decide what to do with them, and he orders the Minerva crew to get some rest. Shinn and Rey are practicing in the ship's firing range, when Lunamaria comes to talk to Shinn, about her confusion over Meyrin and Athrun. She's still troubled, but she says not to worry about it, she knows Shinn was just following orders.
The Archangel docks at the lunar city of Copernicus. Athrun and Kira talk about Athrun's turning point, when he realized he was on the wrong path when Shinn almost killed Kira and Archangel was "shot down" by Minerva. Athrun says Shinn is a good kid just trying to make his hopes become reality.
Meer is at a private estate/resort in Copernicus, quietly singing Lacus songs, sad and bored out of her mind, and trying to not believe that Durandal would kill her. The manager/aide watchdog woman Durandal sent with her, Sarah, sees camera footage of Archangel docking at Copernicus. Later, Meer asks Sarah if there's been any word from Durandal, she says no, that he's busy right now. She also says there's a "rumor" that Archangel is at Copernicus, though she can't imagine why. Sarah also makes some very creepy comments about the "real" and "fake" Lacuses, and Meer looks like she's on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Kira, Athrun, Lacus and Meyrin leave the ship to go into the city. Neo asks Murrue if he'd like to go with her ashore as well and get some fresh air, but she says she'll stay on the ship. He asks if he can escort her around the ship, grabbing her by the waist and offering to take a bath with her! This was amusing, though a bit creepy... Murrue says that's not something Mu would've done, and I agree. I'm not happy that Mu's dramatic and important-for-Murrue's-development death has been retconned away... and though Neo acts more like Mu as time goes on, he's also still very much a different person. Yet he's hardly like the Neo we saw up to when he led the slaughter in Berlin. As soon as he was captured, it's like his brain switched to another personality. Not the original Neo, but not quite Mu. It's... just weird.
Lacus and Meyrin are shopping for clothes, with Kira and Athrun watching guard over them. In public. Where you'd think lots of people would recognize Lacus. This makes no sense, you'd think there'd be lots of admiring fans - or angry protestors - swarming her well-known face in public. Athrun notices someone following and watching them, and then Lacus's Haro is greeted by MEER'S Haro, recognized by Athrun, bearing a note for Lacus. It's a note from Meer, saying she's going to be killed and asking for help. They realize this is probably a trap, but if Meer's in trouble, they have to try to help her. Lacus would like to meet her.
They meet at an outdoor auditorium, with Sarah and a hit team hiding in the shadows. Athrun pulls a gun on Meer, though, saying he knows this is a trap, but he wants to give her one more chance. The others come out from hiding, Lacus greeting Meer. But Meer panics, saying SHE'S the real Lacus, because she's doing the right thing. Lacus tells Meer that she can have her name and her appearance, but they'll always be different people. However, Lacus gives her sympathetic words, and tells Meer that she mustn't let others use her dreams for their benefit. Birdy flies over Sarah and calls out - Athrun sees her and they all run for cover as Sarah and the hit team open fire. Meer's in a panic, and Lacus tries to keep her calm. Sarah gets injured by gunfire from Athrun and an exploding grenade, and Neo arrives on the scene in the Akatsuki to pick up Lacus and Meer and fly them back to the ship. However, Sarah is still alive and takes a shot at Lacus. Meer sees it and jumps to save her - and takes the bullet herself. Athrun guns down Sarah. As Meer dies in Lacus' arms, she asks her to remember her song and her life, and gives Lacus a picture of herself, as her real self, Meer Campbell. She tells the group that she wishes she could've met them properly, and then tells Lacus she's sorry, and dies. It's a tearful and tragic death, Athrun taking it the hardest of all.
They bring Meer's body back to the Archangel. They look through her personal effects and find a disc. It's her diary, detailing her life from when she was recruited and began her cosmetic and acting transformation into an impersonation of Lacus, her enthusiasm and her sincere belief that she's doing the right thing. Oh, and her crush on Athrun, of course, being his "fiancée." As they read her diary, Athrun gets troubled and leaves. They continue reading, and Meer writes about when Athrun defected from ZAFT, and she can't understand why he would. She believed that what she and Durandal were doing was right, but she got confused, scared, unsure of what to do except keep playing her role. Athrun feels guilty for not speaking up, telling Durandal that using Meer like that was wrong. The four of them return to Meer's body, and Lacus cries for her, the girl who tried to follow her dream and do what she thought was right, only to lose it all, including her life, in tragedy and murder. Lacus vows that she will always remember Meer.
Durandal broadcasts a speech around the Earth Sphere, talking about all the death and tragedy that's happened, that they "tried" to avoid. But the people responsible for it all, Logos, are now destroyed. Durandal announces that now they must fight another enemy, the one that has always been with humanity, the true source of its conflicts and suffering: its own ignorance and selfish ambitions, sewing the seeds of conflict in pursuit of endless desires. The public is shocked and confused, including Talia. He says the answer to all their problems is now in their hands, has been with humanity all along. He declares the initiation of the Destiny Plan, to ultimately transform the way the human race exists.
The Destiny Plan is activated, which apparently involves a computerized genome database. A scary computerized voice explains the Destiny Plan in a video presentation to the public (complete with cutesy SD cartoons of Durandal replacing Djibril behind an office desk), that the most advanced genetic engineering developed by the Coordinators will be used to enhance and improve the human condition to its fullest potential. Shinn's taken aback by this, and Rey says he shouldn't be surprised that this is the kind of world Durandal wants. Shinn says he doesn't think the world is ready for this yet. Rey says that it will happen, and it's their job to protect it. That's why Shinn was chosen to be the Destiny Gundam's pilot because he's stronger than anyone and has a powerful desire for the Chairman's desired world. Sounds to me like the Destiny will be used to destroy rebels and dissenters who refuse to take part in Durandel's new genetic world order. And, big surprise, we see Rey suffering from the same cloning defect health problems that Rau Le Creuset did, taking the same pills.
Meanwhile, Orb and the Kingdom of Scandinavia are the only nations that have rejected the Destiny Plan, but most of the other nations still haven't made a decision on it. Because of the anti-Logos conflicts, nearly every government on Earth is currently unstable. Cagalli thinks it was part of Durandal's plan. She vows to oppose Durandal and stand on Orb's principals of freedom and independence, that it will be the key to stopping this and saving humanity.
The Archangel and Eternal crews discuss their next move, and say Orb's military is on the defensive, knowing they'll be attacked for rejecting the Destiny Plan, and will have to fight back if it's forced on them. Durandal's plan will try to destroy people like them who want to pursue their own dreams and desires, so they agree they will have to fight to defend themselves.
So the Requiem at Daedalus Base is still operational... and ZAFT is moving the beam deflection colony sections into new positions. Durandal orders the Requiem charged up for firing.
The Atlantic Federation President Copland, who has been holed up with most of the remaining Earth Forces fleet at Arzachel Base, has requested to speak with Durandal. Durandal decides they'll fire Requiem at Arzachel first, and then take care of Orb next. Durandal says anyone who rejects the Destiny Plan is the enemy of humanity itself. Gotta love that "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality.
The Earth Forces' fleet launches from Arzachel, and Minerva and the ZAFT fleet are ordered to intercept them. Rey and Shinn have a talk. Well, Rey does most of the talking. He tells Shinn to believe in the Chairman. And believe in the Chairman. Oh, and believe in the Chairman, too. He also says he won't be around much longer, because he was born with short telomeres (which I had to look up on the intrawebs to find out it basically means Rey's cellular chromosones are screwed) because he's a clone! GASP! Really?!?! I had no idea! Oh wait, yes I did.
The Requiem is fired at Arzachael and destroys the base, killing President Copland. Everyone sees it and is shocked. Murrue says with that shot, the Earth Alliance's remaining military power has been effectively wiped out. Lacus orders Murrue to warn Orb, and to link up with the Eternal. "If we don't comply, we face death. In any case, as it is, this world is doomed. There's nowhere to run." Well, if you're doomed, might as well go down fighting.
Durandal orders Shinn and Rey to come to Daedalus Base with their Gundams. Rey explains to Shinn that firing the Requiem was necessary, because there will be opposition to the Destiny Plan. They know Archangel will come for them, so they have to destroy it this time.
Eternal launches to join up with Archangel... and it has a sizeable little fleet with it! Basically the original Three Ships Alliance is back together, backed up by a fleet of Orb and Clyne Faction ZAFT ships. Archangel and Eternal move ahead to take out the first beam deflection colony section.
Durandal orders the Minerva and half the ZAFT lunar fleet to defend the 1st deflection colony section, called "Station 1," while the rest of the fleet defends Daedalus Base. Archangel and Eternal approach Station 1, deploy the METEORs for Kira & Athrun, and Lacus makes a broadcast announcement. She says they're going to destroy the useless weapon of mass destruction, and asks the ZAFT forces that if they have any pride left in their uniforms, they'll stay out of the way.
The ZAFT forces are temporarily confused - they don't know which Lacus is speaking to them. But the fleet commander says they're the remnants of Logos, so they open fire. The Archangel and Eternal fight their way through, and soon the Minerva and Yzak's team show up as well. Whose side will Yzak be on...?
Durandal talks to Rey and Shinn, and asks them to put an end to the current world. Rey agrees, saying all the right things, because he believes in the Chairman. Oh, did you know Rey also believes in the Chairman? Durandal asks Shinn if he also feels the same way.
Flashbacks as Rey explains his origin to Shinn. Rey, like Rau Le Creuset, is a clone of Mu La Flaga's father, created under contract so Dr. Whats-His-Name would have the funds to work on his Ultimate Coordinator Project, which created Kira Yamato. The older, earlier clone Rau cursed the fate of his short telomeres and failing health, and fought to destroy everything as he himself would be destroyed. Rey says that they're both products of the world they live in - people who fight and kill, because of the tragedies, like Shinn, have suffered - so they must end the current one and create a new one, where people like them won't be created, and that's why Shinn has to protect that future. Back to the present, Shinn says yes, he feels the same. *sigh*
Archangel launches its Murasames and Neo in the Akatsuki, the Eternal launches the DOM Trio (perhaps I should call them the Black Star trio
). Yzak decides to go out in his MS to join the battle. Talia orders the Impulse launched, and to engage the Archangel. For, y'know, the honor of ZAFT. 'Cause it's honorable to protect weapons of mass destruction, it would seem. *roll my eyes*
Lunamaria in the Impulse moves to attack Eternal, but she's seriously that doubting she's doing the right thing. Meyrin, aboard the Eternal, calls out for her to stop. Meyrin asks why she's fighting, but then Luna is attacked by the DOM trio. The Minerva arms its Tannhausen BFG to fire at Archangel. Murrue realizes if they move, Eternal will be hit so she doesn't order an evasion... the Minerva fires... and in a repeat of the Archangel vs. Dominion showdown from SEED, Neo arrives in the beam-deflecting-armored Akatsuki just in time to absorb the Minerva's shot! And this time, he survives! And it looks like he also gets more of his Mu memories back in this dramatic moment. He shoots and takes out the Minerva's Tannhausen. He calls the Archangel and tells Murrue he's never leaving her again, and when this is over, let's go home together. Murrue is happy. I kind of am too, despite my dislike of the whole Neo thing...
Yzak and Dearka face Athrun, but it's clear Dearka wants to help Athrun destroy Station 1. Hahaha, go Dearka! We've missed you buddy, and it's good to see you back fighting with the good guys.
Athrun and Kira use their METEORs to slice up Station 1, and the Messiah is floating over the lunar surface, approaching Daedalus Base. Archangel and Eternal turn to go attack Daedalus Base and the Requiem, theMinerva and ZAFT fleet in pursuit. Meanwhile, the Orb/Clyne Faction fleet is also en route to Daedalus. Rey tells Shinn that they have to destroy that fleet, if Orb destroys Requiem, the world will be divided again. Shinn asks about Orb, and Rey says he'll have to save Orb, as well as every other nation, that that's what it all boils down to. Question is.... will Shinn do it? He's had a grudge and even a desire to destroy Orb for a long time now...
The Messiah intercepts the Orb fleet... and arms its Neo-Genesis. Okay, seriously, what -is- it with one big scary superweapon after another in this series? SEED gave us a couple, but Destiny, true to the form it seems to have taken, beats tropes like a dead horse. Oh well... Durandel orders the Messiah's Neo-Genesis to fire on the Orb fleet, and it wipes out a lot of its ships. He then orders Destiny and Legend to be launched. They rush to intercept the Archangel and Eternal. It's Kira/Strike Freedom & Athrun/Infinite Justice vs. Shinn/Destiny and Rey/Legend all over again. (And, um, when did Durandal, and Shinn and Rey, move from Daedalus to Messiah? Must've been completely off-screen.)
Kira and Athrun want to go after Messiah to keep it from sinking the Archangel and Eternal, but Lacus says their priority should be destroying the Requiem, so it won't destroy Orb, that the world will be lost if Orb is destroyed. Yzak makes his decision and decides to guard the Eternal! Go Yzak!
Rey orders Shinn to join up with the Minerva and go after Athrun and the Archangel. Rey's got a jonesing for wanting to kill Kira. Kira can sense a "reflection," I guess, of Rau Le Creuset in Rey. Rey, for his part, seems to have partially taken on Rau's personality, maybe anger at his messed-up existence, which is partly related to Kira's existence? I don't know... Rey's attitude towards Kira is rather baffling.
Lunamaria runs into Athrun and they fight, and she wants to know why he took Meyrin with him. Athrun starts to put the hurt on Luna's Impulse, when Shinn arrives to protect her. Now it's Athrun vs. Shinn, Kira vs. Rey. Rey says he's Rau Le Creuset. Then we see a flashback of Rey asking Durandal where Rau is. Durandal says Rau is gone.... but Rey is -also- Rau - that it's his destiny. Huh?! Kira says we all only get one life, and that Rey's life is his own, not Rau's. Rey is stunned by these words, then Kira beam-spams and trashes the Legend.
Athrun tells Shinn to stop fighting with his mind stuck in the past, that no matter what he does, nothing is going to come back. This is the single smartest thing Athrun's ever said to him. Shinn loses it, and tries to go for the kill on Athrun, but Luna moves between them, telling them to stop fighting. Shinn starts to do his "shining finger" move - against Luna?! Well, he IS a whackjob... but Athrun blocks him. Athrun then slices off the Destiny's arms.
The Minerva is taking a serious pounding now, out-maneuvered by the Archangel, which takes down many of its weapons, and Athrun plows the Justice's flight pack thingie right through the Minerva's engines, and the ship crash-lands on the lunar surface.
The Messiah is about ready to fire its Neo-Genesis again at the Orb fleet attacking beam deflection Station 2. They've lost signals from both the Destiny and Legend. We see Rey in his cockpit, still alive. He flies his wreck of a Legend towards Messiah. Yzak gets a signal from Messiah and warns the Eternal to get their forces out of the line of fire. The Clyne Faction/Orb ships manage to get out of the way, but many of the ZAFT ships are blown up by the Neo-Genesis. Talia is outraged.
The Requiem is about to fire at Station 2 but Athrun and Neo manage to get past the beam barriers protecting it and fire away, blowing up the weapon. Yay!
Meanwhile, Shinn has a naked Newtype ghost communion moment with Stella. Stella says some weird, obscure stuff about "tomorrow" and she's been "given a yesterday" that makes absolutely no sense to me (maybe she's got memories of her pre-Extended life in the afterlife now?). But then Shinn wakes up in Luna's lap, their Gundams having crash-landed on the lunar surface. Luna is happy to see Shinn's alive. He sees the pillar of energy from the Requiem exploding and asks about it. Luna tells him the Requiem was taken out, and Orb wasn't hit. Shinn breaks down crying in Luna's arms. Is he crying because Durandal's plans have failed? Because he's failed? And now he's not going to get his long-sought revenge against Orb?
Kira takes the Freedom+METEOR past Messiah's barriers and starts damaging it heavily, taking down its millions of beam barriers. Archangel and Eternal show up and start firing on and damaging Messiah as well. Kira gets inside, and blasts away, causing explosions inside the Messiah control/throne room. Elsewhere, Talia orders her crew to abandon the werecked Minerva, that the battle is over. Murrue salutes the Minerva as the Archangel flies by it. Talia asks Arthur to look after the crew for her. She has to go do something.
Kira enters the wrecked Messiah control room and faces Durandal, who's somehow still alive, calmly sitting in his Emperor's throne. Kira and Durandal pull guns on each other, facing each other down. Durandal says if Kira kills him, the world will fall back into chaos. Kira says maybe, but it doesn't have to if they -choose- not to let it, because they live in a world where choices are allowed. He says people can learn to understand and change things. Rey has snuck in behind Kira but seems surprised by these words from Kira. Durandal accuses Kira of being arrogant, but Kira says he's the arrogant one, Kira is nothing more than a single human being, Ultimate Coordinator or not. He's no different from Lacus or anyone else. Then Talia comes into the room as well, also brandishing a gun. Durandal asks what will happen if he kills him and the world is thrown back into chaos. Kira says he will fight. Then a gunshot... and Durandal drops with a hole in his chest... shot by Rey! Rey then breaks down crying. I guess in the very end, he figured out that he could be himself, not Rau Le Creuset or whatever Durandal wanted him to be, and that the world Kira wants... is really the one Rey wants too? Talia is at Durandal's side, and she tells Kira to go... and tell Captain Ramius that she has a son, and asks that she visit him sometime. Kira leaves, and Durandal apologizes to Talia, but says he's happy. Talia says it can't be helped - it was destiny, for her and him. Talia calls Rey over, hugs him and tells him he did a good job. Rey calls her Mother.... Huh?!?! Mother??? And then the room blows up and they die. (Or so we believe.
) Kira escapes from Messiah in the Freedom and it blows up and falls to the lunar surface as the Orb/Lacus Clyne fleet, and Yzak & Dearka, and Shinn & Luna watch.
And... that's the end of Episode 50. Like SEED, Destiny ended rather abruptly. Unlike SEED, this ending... frankly left me cold. "Boom! Yay bad guys dead, we win! The end." Not any real emotional impact at all, unlike Kira's last words, "It's our world..." at the end of SEED left me in tears.
Well, never fear, for we also have FINAL PLUS!
I rather like the opening credits for Final Plus. A nice mix of previous material and some new stuff, with a pretty good song. The battle stuff has extra little bits added here and there, and some added bits of Durandal "talking to Rau le Creuset's ghost" across his chess board. And what was with that "ghost image" of Shinn when Athrun damaged the Destiny? I noticed they added a little bit of other stuff too to that scene, nothing major, but that particular thing really jumped out at me.
Otherwise, the stuff from most of the last episode or more is otherwise intact, though they added Athrun to the Mexican standoff scene in Durandal's throne room. All he does is burst in at the same time Rey is about to shoot Durandal. Athrun just says, "Rey," but doesn't say another word during the scene. It's otherwise completely unchanged, except that Athrun is also there and leaves with Kira. It's kind of a pointless change, but I guess it makes sense that Athrun would come in after Kira to back him up. Oh and Rey has a vision of Rau before the place blows up.
And we have about 10 minutes of new good stuff after the otherwise abrupt and unsatisfying end of Episode 50! Lacus calls the ZAFT fleet and asks for a cease-fire. All the ships sending up their "cease fire/retreat" flares at once is kinda pretty. Shinn is still crying in Luna's arms on the moon's surface, but then Athrun stops by to give them a lift in the Justice's hand.
The Orb Union and the PLANTs begin formal negotiations to end the war. At the request of the PLANTs Council, Lacus Clyne returns home to the PLANTs. Shinn, Athrun, Luna and Meyrin visit the cenotaph memorial site at Orb. Shinn lays a bouquet of flowers on the cenotaph - maybe now he believes they won't be blown away by someone else. Shinn says he hates this place even more (which doesn't make much sense to me). Then Kira and Lacus arrive as well to leave flowers. Athrun formally introduces Kira to Shinn. Shinn's surprised.. and Kira offers his hand in greetings. Shinn takes it. He's unsure of what to say, but Kira says no matter how bad things get, they can always plant more flowers. Athrun says that is the battle they will fight. Kira asks Shinn to come fight with them. Tearfully, Shinn agrees. The three couples (are Athrun and Meyrin a couple now...? I find that hard to believe) leave and go their separate ways.
Cagalli enters the Orb council chamber... and Lacus enters the PLANTs council chamber (perhaps as their new chairwoman?).
And life goes on... hopefully without so much death now.
I'm glad they made Final Plus, it's a -much- more satisfying end and gives a lot of closure to the main characters. And the two instances referring to flowers, when Shinn laid them on the cenotaph and I knew the significance of that, and when Kira said they can always plant more flowers, both those bits left me in tears. I'm not sure why, it just really hit me hard, emotionally. Yes, I cry at good movies and endings and scenes, I'm not ashamed to admit it.
A few miscellaneous items for the last round of episodes:
The Messiah control room, with Durandal's "throne" chair, and the shape of the big round viewscreen "window" behind it looks like a very deliberate nod to the Emperor's throne room on the Death Star in Return of the Jedi.
Neo/Mu does a Nu Gundam-style fin funnel omni-directional beam barrier thing with his DRAGOONs to protect both the Archangel and the Eternal! Pretty neat!
We get ONE more Murrue Ramius Stock Footage Bridge Battle Boobie Bounce!
And I like how the METEORs double as gun turrets on the Eternal.
Whew... well, it's been a heck of a ride, plowing through 100 (and change) episodes of Cosmic Era Gundam animation that I've never watched before. I've already praised SEED to no end in my other thread, and as for Destiny...
I'll just repeat what I was thinking and feeling in yesterday's review post. I think overall, Destiny is a good show, it's entertaining, and a worthy sequel to SEED. But ultimately, it's not as good as SEED, though I admire its ambitious story and the grand, epic stuff they really did with this. My complaints are mainly about the whacky characterization, especially later in the series, and the rather disjointed pacing of the plot at times. I think SEED is good, but in execution, it could've been better. With a more polished rewrite it might have even surpassed SEED in excellence. But... it doesn't quite cut it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the series, even if I did get annoyed or pissed off at times. And I'll probably be watching it again fairly soon in dubbed English.
I'll be back to reply to some of you folks' replies and probably give some more detailed closing thoughts about Destiny over the next day or two. I'm also going to watch CE 73 Stargazer, and stick my nose in the various Astray manga and give you all my feedback on those as well - probably here in this thread, or I may start a different one for those, I'm not sure. (Opinions, mods?)
Until then...