As good as Midori no Majo-hen has been, it’s notable that we haven’t had “real” Ciel for a good chunk of it. That the show has managed to remain compelling is a testament to the rest of the cast, and the writing generally. But Ciel being Ciel is really at the core of Kuroshitsuji, so it’s good to have him back. In addition to restoring normal service, though, this episode also served as a refresher course on what Black Butler is essentially about, a side of it that’s all too easy to forget sometimes.
As we rejoin the action, John Brown is delivering Queen Victoria’s letter to Sebastian. It’s supposed to be for Ciel’s eyes only, but under the circumstances Brown has no choice but to let Sebby take a gander. What he sees clearly tells Sebastian that the time for dilly-dallying is over and done with. But truthfully, it was already pretty clear that his patience with Ciel’s act was starting to wear thin. This wasn’t the deal he signed on for, and while he’s patient as only an immortal can be, there are limits. Between the letter and the fact that the group is to be evicted the next morning, Seb has license to take matters into his own hands.
He’s certainly hard on poor Finny, but not as hard as he could have been. Ciel cowers, terrified, taking refuge in the fantasy world in his head, as his butler cites him for breach of contract and declares his intention to take his payment immediately. This pushes Ciel to a final reckoning with the others in his subconscious – and thus ultimately himself. “Other” Ciel, his parents, various casualties to his deal with the devil – all have their say. But ultimately Ciel has to confess the truth, he did this for himself. Not to avenge any of them, but the affront against his own dignity.
I won’t beat a dead horse (or John Brown’s live one) with it, but again – this all ties in to what I’ve long seen as Black Butler’s central theme. The world is composed of victims and victimizers, and Ciel’s deal was an attempt to do something almost impossible – cross from the first group to the second. Perhaps the most fascinating question here is this: was Sebastian doing all this merely to force Ciel to “wake up”, or was he willing to genuinely cash in his invoice right then and there and have an end to it? As always we can’t say for sure, but my gut says it’s the second – but with a fervent hope he wouldn’t have to.
Ciel is nothing if not extraordinarily strong of will, of that there can be no doubt. Interestingly he remembers everything from his dark patch in excruciating detail (he orders the staff to forget it, but they make no attempt to comply). This is about as humble as we’ve ever seen Ciel, in fact. His apology to his servants seems totally genuine – especially to Finny, who he knows stayed by his side through his darkest moments. He didn’t have to offer them his contrition – their loyalty is pretty much unconditional. But doing so is, ironically, tied in again to pride. Ciel knows what he’s been for the last few days, and his honor can’t allow him to shirk responsibility for it.
Now, as to Vic’s letter, the contents are still unknown. Sebby has shrewdly sent back samples for Buckingham Palace to analyze, and Ciel’s reaction suggests they’ve found a mundane cause for “the curse” (my suspicion is some sort of biological warfare agent, with the werewolf angle a cover story). The letter also contains a request for Ciel to bring “the little witch” to London for tea with the Queen – a seeming impossibility given the restraints on her existence, yet something that would grant her fondest wish. Kuroshitshuji is not about happy endings and the arc is only half-over to begin with, but that request surely can’t be granted without much tragedy paving the road.
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