Steins Gate 0 spent much of its fourteenth episode pondering the impact that choices have upon our lives. After its disappointing thirteenth episode, this one may mark a shift in the overall tone of the series.
Final Decision?
Make no mistake: there were some high-stakes choices in this episode. Reaching for a knife or a figurine? Building a time machine or leaving it forever? Telling Okabe or not? However, some of them were less consequential, at least at first glance. Take for instance, Maho’s decision to work with Daru. It’s an easy choice, but one with major impact upon the fate of the world.
This is what Steins Gate has always been about: the butterfly effect. Further, the series of binary choices made in this episode make it ripe for revisiting. Given that the time machine is now in development, we just might see things play out differently in the episodes to come.
Kagari Returns
After months of absence, Kagari returned to the lab on a mission to retrieve her Upa figure. It turns out that absence doesn’t necessarily make the heart grow fonder, however, as she’s still a grating presence, even when she’s dressed up like an assassin. We did get to see the lengths she’d go to in order to complete her mission, though, and it’s further than you might think.
It looks as though finding the people who brainwashed Kagari is going to be a main priority in the rest of the season. To be fair, this show is usually pretty good at tying plotlines up, so we hope this arc isn’t ended on a cliff-hanger to justify a third season. So far, the series has been pretty underwhelming, and it’s still unclear whether it’s Steins Gate-level good or Chaos Head-level bad.
Plot Movement
It seems like we’ll see some time travel after all. Suzuha has an inkling as to who’s responsible, and we know the brainwashing happened years ago. Could we see a still breathing Makise Kurisu? Who knows!
What’s more interesting is how Okabe will react. He’s unlikely to blindly accept time travel right under his nose, after all. It’s possible he’ll even chase Suzuha to try and right any paradoxes she creates. There’s a lot of potential here, we just hope the show makes the most of it.
We’re glad that the plot’s moving forward at least. That said, at the rate it’s been going, we’ve still got a couple of filler episodes before the season ends. Readers, I’m in this for the long haul, but please, if the cast start talking about a beach trip, don’t feel obligated to watch. As ever, you can check back here for an episode summary.
