Lazarus Ep 12 Review
We are reaching the climax of the story of Lazarus, and things are coming down to the wire. The team has a solid lead on Dr. Skinner’s location (and you won’t believe where he’s hiding), but rogue government agents threaten to ruin everything. Eleina’s collapsed with a fever. Doug’s been captured by INSCOM agents working for the deplorable Schneider, who has also taken Hersch captive. And to top it off, Axel’s clinging to life after a near-death experience fighting the mysterious Soryu. But when you hit rock bottom and survive, the only way to go is up. Now it’s time for Lazarus to make their counterattack, find Skinner, and save the world!
Popcorn Wizard is So Nice
Despite how dire things looked for several members of Lazarus, luck/plot armor has ensured that all of them has weathered the worst of the storm. Thanks to Popcorn Wizard, Eleina safely recovers from her fever until it breaks. The fact that she even recovers from what should be a fatal Hapna fever is even lampshaded by the fellow hacker, who jokes how she might be immortal. That might not be the case, but more likely, Eleina might have an immunity to Hapna. More importantly, Popcorn Wizard, AKA Lin, admits that she’s working to keep Skinner safe. And the reasons are rather heartwarming.
Who would have thought that Popcorn Wizard was one of the islanders with analgesia? Since Skinner enabled her people to move away from their doomed islands, though, her gratitude makes sense. Skinner isn’t an inherently bad person, just one fed up with the self-centered people in the world. Given how Schneider is almost certainly the reason behind the attack that led to Skinner’s crash out, though, one cannot blame him. In fact, this episode makes us hate Schneider even more now.
The Ego on Schneider is Ridiculous
As it turns out, there’s a reason why Schneider chose to go after Lazarus in the first place. Somehow, he got it into his head that there was another purpose behind the team’s formation beyond finding Skinner. He thought that they were secretly attempting to gather blackmail information on the government, namely him. Given how his crimes include using Hapna for illegal experiments on prisoners and covering up a botched seizure as a terrorist attack, he must have thought finding Skinner would expose him somehow.
…Yeah, me and Aaron both agree that Schneider is dumb as freak. He thought that exposing his crimes was more important than preventing the end of the world? Whatever he has done doesn’t matter if the majority of mankind wouldn’t be around to see judgement passed on him. Furthermore, Lazarus may have never thought to look into his dealings until he decided to get in their way. He brought on a self-fufilling prophecy, and almost doomed the world in the process. And while he has yet to face justice, his back is already against the wall. Abel of the NSA was able to convince the President (who’s dying from taking Hapna in the clinical trials) to sign an Executive Order to move on Schneider. The man can only keep INSCOM in the dark for so long. And once Lazarus finds Skinner, he’ll either die or rot in jail forever.
I KNEW THAT WAS SKINNER!
やっぱコレだったんじゃん…#LAZARUS pic.twitter.com/N7UITGgG5v
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In the meantime, thanks to some help from Popcorn Wizard, Doug and Eleina turn the tables on their pursuers and elude them. Even better, Lin gives them what they were looking for: Dr. Skinner’s location. Remember back in the third episode, when Axel and Doug went to that homeless camp and I thought I saw a background character who looked like Skinner? As it turns out, I WAS RIGHT! Skinner has been hiding out with the homeless the whole time right under Lazarus’ noses! Thanks to some fast-travel, though, Eleina, Doug, and Chris start to converge on Skinner’s location, and without a moment to spare.
So, What About Soryu?
#Lazarus #Toonami pic.twitter.com/MPBP4cKR6w
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That just leaves one last problem: Soryu. After Abel’s assistant bails Dr. 909 out of jail to help them, they manage to confirm Soryu’s identity: he’s the same man that Schneider was speaking to pretending to be Soryu’s handler. In reality, Soryu has a split personality brought on by trauma of something called the “Hundun Project.” It’s not made clear what it is, but it sounds like an illegal government assassin program. And having lost his quarry the first time, Soryu is determined to finish the job. Not for the money, but for the love of the game. The good news is that Axel is still alive and in the care of Skinner’s doctor. The bad news is that the preview for the series finale reveals that he’s headed to a final confrontation with Soryu. Worse, it looks as though the doctor he was sent to find is already dead.
The end is finally in sight for Lazarus, but the stakes are at their highest. If they don’t find Skinner in time, or Axel dies, then they could trip at the finish line, and billions will die. I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see how this story ends! It’s had its ups and downs at times, but the past month (in-show) has been a heck of a ride. Let’s hoping the finale proves worthwhile.
SERIES FINALE PROMO!#Lazarus #Toonami pic.twitter.com/OUi0zhfQXD
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