Lazarus Ep 3 Review
The hunt for Dr. Skinner has begun, yet so far, there are no leads as to where he could be hiding. Right when Lazarus thought they had a clue, it turned out to be a dead-end. However, with the fate of the human race in the balance, this ragtag band of misfits can’t afford to give up! Whether by fate or dumb luck, they manage to get their hands on another possible lead to Skinner…and it has to do with a delicious, Turkish pastry.
Firstly, though, it feels important to talk about how each episode starts off with a speech about the effects of Hapna, seemingly given by each member of Lazarus. They talk about their thoughts on the “miracle” drug and how it managed to change the world. This week, it appears to be Chris speaking, talking about how Hapna seemingly solved the pain that comes with living, but also questions if that pain is an integral part of life. It’s very philosophical, and it doesn’t always make sense. Yet it does bring up an intriguing question about life.
Never Underestimate a MacGuffin
At the end of the last episode, Lazarus’ resident hacker, Eleina, managed to locate Skinner using facial recognition technology. However, it would seem the Doctor thought ahead, paying someone to replicate his face on thousands of individuals. It seems brilliant, but as Doug points out, it all but eliminates the possibility that he’s disguising himself. In addition, Eleina is able to deduce that, besides herself, only two other hackers are capable of this feat. If they find the hacker, they can use them to track down Skinner.
Once again, the team splits into two pairs. Chris and Leland head to Skinner’s home to find any clues the authorities missed, while Axel and Doug look for Doug’s old mentor, who once worked with Skinner.
The searching of Skinner’s home might not seem that important, but upon closer inspection, there were a few things that stand out. The first is the sheer number of hardy plants he has, such as cacti. It may not seem like much, but the fact that he preferred plants know for surviving harsh conditions could help build a better psychological profile of the Doctor. If you know how a subject thinks, you can guess what they’ll do. The second is that Chris finds a small, orange pill that the authorities overlooked. It may seem insignificant now, but there’s a good chance it could wind up being important macguffin down the line.
Good on anime for the Transgender Woman
The real focus of the episode, though, is on Axel and Doug’s search for Doug’s old college professor. This takes them to a homeless shelter led by a friend from Axel’s prison days. And a quick sidebar: good on the show for deciding to make this person a transgender woman. Not everyone will approve of this, but including it demonstrates how society is working to become more accepting of such things. Plus, Jill also gives some insight into Axel and his ability to adapt to any environment yet never get too close to others.
Also, it might just be my imagination, but did one of those homeless people happen to look like Dr. Skinner? Was that a goof, or possible foreshadowing?
I now Want Baklava
Either way, while Doug’s mentor doesn’t know where Skinner is, he does give Lazarus their first concrete clue, mentioning the Doctor’s only known relative. As a result, Axel and Leland head for Istanbul in search of this relative, Grandma Belinda. The resulting chase and fight sequence provides another example of how Watanabe is able to craft attention-grabbing action without being overtly flashy. Plus, it was funny to hear the two get out of trouble by saying they wanted to try some of Grandma Belinda’s baklava.
There really is nothing better to eat in this world than the cooking made by one’s family. And once she opens up to them, Belinda is rather willing to help them find her wayward grandson. At the very least, she shows them a video he sent her three years earlier, possibly around the time he was getting ready to introduce Hapna to the world. Plus, Axel does find a hidden camera, presumably left by Skinner himself. And that ended up leading to the hacker making their move and falling right into Eleina’s trap.
Twenty-six days remain before Hapna starts to turn fatal, and Lazarus has its first real lead. The hunt is only going to escalate from this point forward. This is shaping up to be quite the globetrotting mystery!
