{"id":6913,"date":"2018-07-26T13:00:43","date_gmt":"2018-07-26T20:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=6913"},"modified":"2018-07-17T12:21:49","modified_gmt":"2018-07-17T19:21:49","slug":"mark-watches-steinsgate-episode-3-parallel-process-paranoia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2018\/07\/mark-watches-steinsgate-episode-3-parallel-process-paranoia\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Steins;Gate’: Episode 3 – Parallel Process Paranoia"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the third episode of Steins;Gate<\/i>, Okabe invites a new member to the lab, and Daru makes a significant breakthrough. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Steins;Gate<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Okay, so this is<\/i> really happening, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? There is another world line that intersected or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153erased\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the current one, and somehow, Okabe is the only person who is able to remember it. That is happening simultaneous to what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s occurring in the present time at the Future Gadget Laboratory, which is where this episode picks up. Kurisu\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s presence is shocking to Okabe and Daru, and the two of them spend more time insulting her and being sexist than actually communicating with her. I imagine that at least in the case of Okabe, he felt threatened by Kurisu, which is why he focuses so much on trying to make \u00e2\u20ac\u0153genius\u00e2\u20ac\u009d sound pejorative when he refers to her.<\/p>\n

Yet she is ultimately recruited by Okabe to be a part of this mystery, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s how I discovered how<\/i> that mysterious email was sent to the past. As I understand it, it was only while the PhoneWave was operating and<\/i> Daru\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s phone was connected to it that Okabe’s\u00c2\u00a0message about Kurisu\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s death was sent to the past, and then<\/i> the world line was altered. Was it altered because<\/i> of the message? Is that why the Doctor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s seminar was cancelled and Kusiru\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s was in its place? Maybe, but that PhoneWave does something<\/i> to their cell phones, and it allows messages to be sent five days back. As to why it turns bananas to gel… I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know. But it absolutely returned that banana to the bunch because that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s where the banana was five days ago<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It makes sense, then, that Kurisu left that lab in a panic. She just<\/i> gave a seminar on why time travel was impossible, and she witnessed proof that her theory was wrong. They sent a message five days into the past. What now???<\/p>\n

Well, now I understand that SERN is the same as CERN in our world, and that the organization\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis that who Okabe is referring to when he mentions THE Organization???\u00e2\u20ac\u201dis possibly responsible for what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s happening. I am deeply curious if we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re ever going to meet John Titor, and I imagine after their online call to talk with people, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll get to see onscreen. But Titor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s insistence that they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re trying to stop some sort of dystopia is so fascinating to me! There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s some apparent terrible future, and then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the bizarre present time mystery, and the two feel like they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to collide sooner rather than later. Is Titor responsible for the world lines changing? Are they sending stuff to the past?<\/p>\n

Anyway, more on SERN at the end. I feel slightly vindicated in finding out that Suzuha is<\/i> important to the plot because of the IBN 5100. YES. I GUESSED A THING RIGHT. I am also gonna guess now that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s going to be added as the fifth member of the lab; Moeka is probably number six at this point. She knows something, too! Her interest in the same computer that Titor needs HAS to be vital.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But one moment that I wanted to discuss in \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Parallel Process Paranoia\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is perhaps the most quiet one in the episode. Mayuri is an adorable, sweet character, and I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel like she has a cynical cell in her body. I still can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t tell if she feels an affection for Okabe beyond friendship, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clear that these two characters are undoubtedly close. The moment they share while trading food is cute, and it made me wonder about their history. I mean, we see Mayuri bring Daru and Okabe snacks during Daru\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hacking binge. How long has she supported them? It feels<\/i> like it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a long time, you know?<\/p>\n

Anyway, let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talk about that final reveal, because WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON. Apparently, humans died<\/i> during some mini-black hole experiments??? Daru doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even have admin access, so what other secrets is SERN hiding? I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m still uncertain how this connects to what is happening with Okabe, but it is a creepy and disturbing reveal regardless. John Titor is probably right, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. WHAT THE HELL.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Parallel Process Paranoia\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded here for $0.99.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– My YA contemporary debut, ANGER IS A GIFT<\/a>, is now out in the world!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"