{"id":2988,"date":"2013-11-06T08:00:16","date_gmt":"2013-11-06T16:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=2988"},"modified":"2013-11-22T15:52:24","modified_gmt":"2013-11-22T23:52:24","slug":"mark-watches-fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-episode-59","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2013\/11\/mark-watches-fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood-episode-59\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’: Episode 59"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the fifty-ninth episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood<\/i>, two characters are forced to make shocking decisions. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch FMA:B<\/i>.<\/p>\n

I fell for it.<\/p>\n

\n
That should be a sub-motto for this site. Like, welcome to Mark Watches! You are not prepared. (Also, I fell for it.) Because goddamn it, I have slipped comfortably into every narrative sleight of hand that this show has given me like they were one of those expensive bath robes you find at nice hotels. Oh, yes, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d love to be toasty warm after a show. Oh shit, you betrayed me<\/i>.<\/li>\n
At least in this case, the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153trick\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is actually quite positive. Of course<\/i> I should have guessed that Mustang had seen a message in Riza\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve spoken silently to one another, which is a sign that they are meant to be<\/i> as far as I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m concerned.<\/li>\n
No, look, okay, I know my shipping comments can be totally ridiculous sometimes (please see: the Armstrongs and the Curtises), but I actually think a lot of what we see in the first half of this episode relies on canon interpretations of the dynamic between Mustang and Riza. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more than just the promise or idea of a romantic relationship. (Though I fully admit that this is totally all over the text as well.) Just purely in terms of a military partnership, Riza and Mustang are often precisely on the same page as one another, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why we saw their fighting synchronize organically in the episode before. It also explains how they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re able to communicate with one another through a facial expression. <\/i>That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a huge deal, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m happy that the show is able to explore this through CONSTANT EMOTIONAL DEVASTATION.<\/li>\n
Dr. Gold-Tooth is so fucked up. He genuinely believes that what he did for the F\u00c3\u00bchrer candidates was charitable<\/i>. You are a creepy dude, and I feel no sympathy for your death.<\/li>\n
HOW GREAT IS THE APPEARANCE OF JERSO AND MAY AND ZAMPANO.<\/li>\n
IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S REALLY GREAT<\/i>.<\/li>\n
I really do think that this speaks to what Bradley will later complain about: These humans constantly prove to be unpredictable. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of the great things about humanity within this world. Humans are clever. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re resourceful. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re genuine. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a neat portrait of what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like our<\/i> world to be, you know?<\/li>\n
May. MAY. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what her character\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s endgame is (meaning that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to return home to satisfy her clan after all this), but I love that she makes such a deliberate decision to help someone else instead of doing what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s best for her. Truthfully, we haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seen much of her alkahestry used specifically to heal, so it was also exciting to see this onscreen. PLUS, RIZA WAS SAVED. THANK YOU, MAY CHANG<\/i>.<\/li>\n
FUCK YOU, F\u00c3\u0153HRER BRADLEY.<\/li>\n
I LITERALLY PREDICTED THAT HE WOULD SHOW UP AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME.<\/li>\n
WOW, WAY TO BE PREPARED, MARK.<\/li>\n
UGH<\/li>\n
Except that Bradley isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t healing<\/i>. Oh shit<\/i>, his Philosopher\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Stone is wearing down!!!<\/li>\n
Oh god, I just kept screaming for Mustang to light Bradley on fire. JUST DO IT AND MAKE HIM GO AWAY. But guess what? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not who Mustang is anymore. <\/i>His character development through this series has been leading to this very point, and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been incredible to watch. Mustang would have committed that taboo months earlier, but not this<\/i> version of himself. I love that he says he has friends who will stop him right as the camera pans to show Scar and Riza. I just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 friendship<\/i>.<\/li>\n
NO.<\/li>\n
GO AWAY PRIDE. GO AWAY<\/i>.<\/li>\n
This is the worst father-son reunion of all time. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s terrifying, but of course, it only gets worse when Bradley uses his swords to PIN MUSTANG TO THE GROUND INSIDE OF A TRANSMUTATION CIRCLE<\/li>\n
I CANNOT FATHOM HOW FUCKED UP IT IS THAT THEY FORCED MUSTANG TO USE HUMAN TRANSMUTATION. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS WRONG AND AWFUL AND UNSETTLING.<\/li>\n
oh my god LOOK AT WHAT THE DOCTOR TURNED INTO.<\/li>\n
WHY MUST THIS SHOW DO THIS TO ME<\/li>\n
I CAN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T DEAL WITH THE DESPAIR AND TERROR IN RIZA\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S VOICE<\/li>\n
I am so upset I AM SO UPSET.<\/li>\n
I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even feel that much better once Darius realizes that Father is directly below them. I mean, cool! They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to find everyone soon, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so messed up<\/i>.<\/li>\n
Can I also say that I love that I finally understand where<\/i> the sacrifices are? We get to see Mustang pass through the Gate and meet Truth, and then he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s deposited in Father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lair. I admit that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get how<\/i> Mustang ends up there precisely, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not terribly important for me to know this. I love the idea that Mustang, Izumi, Ed, and Al aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t going to be alone in their fight against Father. Truthfully, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to need all the help they can get.<\/li>\n
Because THE GATE TOOK MUSTANG\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S EYESIGHT.<\/li>\n
!!!!!!!!!!!!!<\/li>\n
WAIT A SECOND, WHY DID PRIDE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S FACE START DISINTEGRATING.\u00c2\u00a0<\/i><\/li>\n
And can we talk about the horrifying hypocrisy of Father? He starts ruminating on the tolls that the sacrifices paid for their attempts to become a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153god,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d but he purposely ignores the fact that Hohenheim and<\/i> Mustang don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fit his logic at all. Even worse, ISN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T FATHER TRYING TO BECOME A GOD, TOO??? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so glad that Edward rejects Father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disgusting logic.<\/li>\n
Nooooo, a direct parallel between Scar and Bradley, too many emotions, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all<\/i>. Reminder: Bradley is actually Wrath, and Scar once was basically the human personification of wrath back when he was consumed with hatred and a desire for revenge. Oh god, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so much character development in this episode<\/i>.<\/li>\n
BUT Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ALL. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ALL<\/i>. There is no bigger moment in this episode (and perhaps this whole fucking series) than the scene where Alphonse comes upon his body. Yes, it had happened before, but this time, his body is ready to join with him and return to the physical world.<\/li>\n
AND THEN ALPHONSE ELRIC TURNS HIM DOWN.<\/li>\n
HE REFUSES TO GET THE ONE THING HE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BEEN FIGHTING FOR THIS WHOLE TIME BECAUSE IT MIGHT MEAN THAT HE CANNOT HELP HIS FAMILY AND HIS FRIENDS<\/li>\n
ARE YOU CRYING BECAUSE I AM<\/i>.<\/li>\n
I am convinced that there are few moments in FMA:B<\/i> more heartbreaking than Al\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s body telling his soul that he won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop him from returning. I cannot do this.<\/li>\n
He asks his body to wait just a little bit longer, and my heart shrivels a little bit more. Oh, Alphonse, I care about you so much.<\/li>\n
I am perpetually in awe at what this show can do to me, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. Holy shit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The video commission for this episode is now archived in my store for just $0.99! You can purchase the entire show at once for only $49.99 for 64 videos!<\/a><\/p>\n
Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n
– If you would like to support this website and keep Mark Does Stuff running, I’ve put up a detailed post explaining how you can!<\/a>
\n– Please check out the MarkDoesStuff.com<\/a>. All Mark Watches videos for past shows\/season are now archived there!
\n– I will be traveling for many events! Check the Tour Dates\/Appearances page<\/a> for up-to-date tour events.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the fifty-ninth episode of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, two characters are forced to make shocking decisions. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch FMA:B.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[554],"tags":[555],"class_list":["post-2988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fullmetal-alchemist-brotherhood","tag-mark-watches-fmab"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2988\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}