{"id":5353,"date":"2016-02-18T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2016-02-18T16:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=5353"},"modified":"2016-02-05T15:48:30","modified_gmt":"2016-02-05T23:48:30","slug":"mark-watches-death-note-episode-9-encounter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2016\/02\/mark-watches-death-note-episode-9-encounter\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Death Note’: Episode 9 – Encounter"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the ninth episode of\u00c2\u00a0Death Note<\/i>, THIS SHOW IS ETERNALLY MESSED UP. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch\u00c2\u00a0Death Note<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Well, I did wonder very loudly in my last review what path this show might take, AND THE UNIVERSE ANSWERED THAT QUERY WITH\u00c2\u00a0THIS EPISODE<\/i>. I was worried going into “Encounter” because it opened with L shifting the bulk of his suspicion away from Light. No! Go back! You were right! Who else could he go after? The other police officer’s surveillance didn’t help at all, and there’s still the mystery of Naomi’s disappearance to solve. (Will<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0we ever get back to that? Or is that all there is to her show?)<\/p>\n

I maintained some hope that while L had to admit that his surveillance of Light provided no real evidence, he wasn’t willing to abandon his suspicion. That’s a smart technique, first of all, because it means that he can still cover his bases as the investigation continues. However, I figured that Light’s misdirection had worked so well that Light would now have the chance to\u00c2\u00a0really<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0build up his alibi. That’s where this story seemed to be going, didn’t it? Light was on his way to take his entrance exams. He was plotting out what he could do with all the free time he’d have once college started. He was prepared to settle in a new routine.<\/p>\n

AND THEN L ENDS UP SITTING A FEW SEATS BEHIND LIGHT IN THE EXAMS.<\/p>\n

My initial thought:<\/p>\n

No<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Then:<\/p>\n

That’s impossible<\/i>.<\/p>\n

Then:<\/p>\n

What the fuck is wrong with this show?<\/i><\/p>\n

This show is most certainly about the game between L and Light, and Light even vocalizes it at the end of “Encounter.” But this specific moment \u00e2\u20ac\u201c where L boldly appears in Light’s exam room and, later on, onstage with him during opening remarks for college \u00e2\u20ac\u201c is a monumental shift in the narrative for\u00c2\u00a0Death Note<\/i>. I honestly thought that L and Light wouldn’t meet until well past the halfway mark because\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, that’s why all the tension existed! Neither of them were ever in the same physical space, and they were exacting a war against each other\u00c2\u00a0from a distance<\/i>.<\/p>\n

That’s why L’s actions are so fucking flagrant and brilliant. No one expected this. Not me, not Light, PROBABLY NOT ANY OF YOU. But showing up isn’t enough; initially, Light just thought he was weird. The audience knows it must mean something, though. There’s no other reason for L to be there unless he was trying to force Light’s hand. It’s not until the ceremony that L’s trap comes to light, and what a brilliant thing it is. L had mentioned earlier that all his attempts at nudging Kira into identifying themselves weren’t working, and thus, this plan was born.<\/p>\n

It’s such a complicated trap, too! L\u00c2\u00a0literally tells Light that he is L<\/i>, though he uses an alias shared by a very famous pop idol. Let’s examine what happens if Light does\u00c2\u00a0anything<\/i>\u00c2\u00a0in response to this:<\/p>\n