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| Information | |
| Season | 2 |
| Episode | 20 |
| Japanese Airdate | 4 September, 2005 |
| English Airdate | 9 September, 2006 |
| Episode Guide | |
| ← Previous | Acperience 2 |
| Next → | Runaway |
Overview[]
Eureka is brought to the medical bay in the wake of nearly merging with the Scub Coral. Tensions between Renton and Holland continue to rise, and when Holland decides to go on a rescue mission for the Vodarac over Renton's insisting that he take Eureka to a "proper" hospital, a violent argument breaks out. When the rescue mission goes sour, though, Renton still goes out to help–after getting some sense slapped into him by Talho.
Synopsis[]
Renton and the kids waiting in the hallway as Eureka is being treated in the medical bay, and they are distraught to find Eureka in a semi-rock condition. Renton wanted to go into the room with her, but Holland banned him from going in. Mischa is unable to get the scub off without harming Eureka but, despite her condition, she appears alright. Talho asks Holland what they're going to tell Renton, but he ignores her and tells the kids Eureka will be alright. Renton unintentionally makes things worse when he suggests she be taken to a real hospital, and Holland orders him to be quiet. Renton lashes back at him that he is only thinking about Eureka, and Talho tells them both to stop fighting. On the bridge, Hap says they have a job to rescue a Vodarac high priest from a military prison. However, there is a deadline: the priest is scheduled to be executed in two hours and the job pays less than what they want. Jobs reports they have one LFO ready to go, and the Nirvash is out of the question. Holland says he will go, which angers Renton and he says they need to put Eureka above everything else. Holland says doctors aren't free but this doesn't satisfy Renton. The two argue to the point of Renton reminding Holland that he saved him from being killed by using his Nirvash, which angers Holland into throwing Renton head-first into the bridge railing. Holland asks him why he said the Nirvash was his and Renton said that Eureka wanted him to become the new pilot, which angers Holland into kicking him the stomach and knocking him over. Hap tries to stop the assault and reminds Holland that he's their leader and it's wrong to take his frustration out at Renton, but Holland doesn't think he's done anything wrong and calls Renton immature. This angers Renton and he berates Holland for still not caring about Eureka, and is held back by Holland who calls him a brat. In retaliation, Renton bites Holland's hand and promises to protect Eureka no matter what Holland says, and Holland kicks the boy off the bridge in a jealous rage, knocking him unconscious. Holland coldly states that he can do the mission on his own without anyone's help and walks away. All the crew mates were too afraid to get involved in the fight, but show little concern about Renton.
Later, Holland and Hap are going over the rescue plan and Hap calls on Holland for his immature behavior and unfairness towards Renton. Holland insists he's an adult and still thinks he did nothing wrong, and Talho comes by with a question. He thinks she wants to complain at him and Hap leaves in a hurry as the two start to argue. She asks if he's accepting the job because the priest can heal Eureka, which Holland brushes off. She further states that she knows that he's been using Eureka as another excuse to run away from the military and someone he can't forget about, which angers him and he denies. Holland says she is the one who is wrong, but she knows he's in denial of the truth as usual and the only thing he does to avoid the truth is to blame others. The kids throw water on Renton's face to wake him up. Renton asks them about how Eureka is, and they tell him that Holland assured them that she is alright and he has always been protecting her. This makes Renton angry because he thinks Holland lied to the kids as well and glares at him, but Holland is not deterred. Holland takes off in the 909 as the priest learns his fate is immediate. Stoner and Jobs catch Renton moping in the Nirvash because he can't hear its voice. Stoner threatens to take a picture so he can tell Holland, who warned him about the Seven Swell, but Renton says he is just sitting in the Nirvash. Holland is making his approach and Hap warns him to come back if there's any trouble. As Holland says he can do it, the prisoners watch the priest being led to the middle of the yard. He raises his hand to the sky just as the 909 comes surfing down, and leaps into the 909's hand. Holland explains to him about Eureka, and the priest agrees to help.
Renton opens the door to Eureka's room and is surprised to find Talho there. She teases him about planning to do something to Eureka while she is sleeping. She jokes that she thought about killing her but admits that she hates that Eureka gets all the attention from everyone and says competing with another woman is one thing, but when you're up against Eureka, you're up against the world. Hap alerts the ship that they've found Holland, who runs right into a KLF that shoots his board out from under him. Renton says Holland brought all this on himself and accuses him of not caring for Eureka at all. Angered, Talho slaps him across the cheek and shouts at him that Holland always cared about Eureka and he did this job not for the money but because only the priest can heal Eureka. Ken-Goh says they need another LFO to help and Renton rushes to the Nirvash in order to repay Holland for thinking about Eureka. Holland is under heavy fire as the KLFs move in. He snatches a KLF's gun and uses it on the others. Hap picks up panicky chatter over the military's band and they're screaming the Nirvash is coming towards them. Talho smiles as they hear Renton made it, and even Holland seems impressed. However, Renton is angry that he doesn't know anything and he realizes just how much he hates Holland. He takes his frustrations out on the KLFs and easily destroys them one by one. He has a hallucination of a scub pulling itself out of the cavern wall and grining at Renton with his own face, further increasing his rage. Holland realizes that Renton is suffering from the Rider's High and tries to get the boy to calm down. After all of the KLFs are destroyed, Renton starts to calm down and wonder what he had done, and mangles through the remains of a KLF. A bloody, severed arm drops out of the KLF Renton destroyed, and upon seeing the hand's wedding ring, he realizes that he has been killing people every time he destroys a KLF and becomes physically sick.
Major Events[]
- It is revealed only a Vodarac priest can heal Eureka's injuries.
- In a state of rage, Renton discovers that he has killed dozens of people every time he destroyed a KLF.
Trivia[]
- The name of this episode is a reference to "Substance Abuse" by F.U.S.E.
- When Renton tries to sneak in to visit the comatose Eureka in the infirmary, Talho says, "I bet you were going to do something to her while she was asleep". This is a possible reference to the intensive care unit scene with Shinji and a comatose Asuka at the beginning of End of Evangelion.
- Holland decides to rescue a Vodarac high priest not for money but because the priest is the only one that can remove the scub off of Eureka.
- Holland's anger reaches its climax with Renton, whom he beats into unconsciousness. While only Talho and Hap condemn Holland for how badly he treats Renton, the rest of the crew shows little to no concern for the boy out of blind loyalty or fear towards Holland.
- Holland constantly abusing him is what makes Renton so homicidally angry; getting hurt and blamed for things Holland needs a scapegoat for.
- Holland tries to turn the crew against Renton by blaming Renton for Eureka's problems, despite that none of it is his fault and being confronted by Talho for his hypocrisy (severally punishing Renton for every mistake that occurs and trying to do what he thinks is right while Holland is running away from his own problems and blaming others for them).
- Talho tells Holland that his abuse towards Renton is motivated by his desire to escape from the military and the person who is similar to Renton. She also lashes out at him for using Eureka as an excuse to get away from the military as well, but he denies all of this.
- Rather than explain why he is going to rescue the priest, Holland refused to tell Renton the whole story and didn't want any of the crew to tell him. This may be due to him no longer considering Renton as part of the Gekkostate and/or out of hatred towards the boy.
- Because of no one telling him the truth, Renton assumes that Holland is more interested in getting money for the rescue mission rather than helping Eureka and deserves to be ambushed by the military. This angers Talho into hitting him and screaming at him (which was unjustified; as she also didn't tell him the truth until that moment) that Eureka is so important to Holland that he will give up his own life for.
- In this episode, Talho finally admits her resentment towards Eureka because she thinks Eureka is the most important person to Holland, to the point where she cries as she screams about this to Renton. Renton is overcome with anger about everyone not telling him the truth and yet lashing out at him for not knowing anything.
- The pilot of the KLF Renton killed was married; he had a ring on his finger.
- The Nirvash's eyes glow red while Renton, in a state called "riders high", is destroying the KLFs attacking Holland in the 606. This symbolizes the deep anger and hatred he felt towards Holland and his initial homicidal thoughts towards those he felt betrayed him.
- The note on the medical room Eureka was held in says "KEEP OUT".
- This is the last time Renton throws up while in an LFO/KLF during the rest of the series, due to his shock and horror at seeing the dismembered arm of the KLF pilot he just killed.
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