Overview
As the hunt for the demon sword rages on, Guideau and Helga find themselves captured. They then find out that Paladins have their own ulterior motives for hunting down the sword…
Our Take
Well color me surprised, an arc that isn’t fully (and awkwardly) resolved within two episodes. I admit when I saw the “Act II” in the episode title I had to do a bit of a triple take. Still a little early to properly tell, but maybe this arc will hold greater weight in the grand scheme of things? Maybe Helga will find herself joining the Holy Order? Maybe even joining our main duo? That last part might be a bit of stretch, but I’m actively more engaged compared to what came before.
My own inane speculation aside, the episode itself was quite enjoyable too. I love me a good goose chase and the first half delivered! Seeing the demon sword hop from person to person and the rapid escalation born out of the desperation to capture it– that could’ve been an episode of it’s own and I wouldn’t complain! Helga herself started growing on me a ton more as well; it’s made abundantly clear that she’s just a poor girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She faces misfortune after misfortune due to being one of the only few able to resist the demon’s sword temptation– as regular human beings immediately fight each other so they can wield it– and yet, she still perseveres.
The second half slows things down a bit as we start to settle back into the show’s usual tone. Ashaf cooly explaining the Paladins plan to frame Helga for all the murders on the sole basis of being a witch was an expected outcome, as well as the reveal that Paladins are corrupt… I’m sure these aren’t supposed to be earth-shattering reveals. The viewer is more than halfway through the show, I’m sure they know to expect that nearly all the characters operate on varying degrees of scumminess. Helga and Guideau get kidnapped for a few minutes before the latter breaks out, and then we end the episode.
First half was a fun time, but the second half left a little more to be desired. Still, probably my favorite episode in the show so far. Lean into the ridiculous more often!