Episode 24: Sin

Review by Dale

September 17, 2000

After barely surviving his encounter with Nicholas, Chapel goes back to Knives' headquarters. He draws his gun after Legato taunts him about killing Nicholas. Legato tells him his role is over, and begins to twist him into a contorted mess. Knives enters and asks Chapel why he came back. Chapel replies that he has no where else to go. Knives compares him to an animal who acts only on his instincts. He activates some sort of machine, and Chapel dissolves into nothing. Meanwhile, In LR Town, Vash tries to comfort himself with doughnuts. He is unable to hide his sadness and soon throws them on the floor and breaks down into tears. In a flashback, it is shown that Vash revealed his past to Meryl and Milly before departing. In the present, Meryl suggests that they leave Vash alone and head home. Milly is persistent, saying if they don't go now, they may never see him again. Some kids ask Vash why he is crying, and it soon becomes obvious that Legato is speaking through them. They tell Vash he is responsible for Wolfwood's death. The townspeople all fall into a comatose state, and Legato appears. He dares Vash to draw his gun and continues to taunt him, saying that he is also responsible for the death of the Gung-Ho-Guns. He departs and tells Vash to meet him on the mountain top

Vash is not alone, as another Gung-Ho-Gun, Midvalley the Hornfreak, waits for Vash in a doorway. He offers to play him a song. This isn't normal music, but sound waves powerful enough to knock down buildings. When Vash asks why Midvalley isn't aiming directly at him, Midvalley replies that Knives ordered that he be kept alive. Legato takes control of three townspeople and sends them right into the line of fire. Vash tries to jump in front of each one before the sound waves, taking a severe impact each time. The agents are close by and stumble across a man under mind control. When Vash can no longer stand, he tries to shoot Midvalley with his arm cannon. Midvalley steps on his gun, deflecting the fire. Vash is able to aim the gun just enough to ricochet bullets off the wall and into Midvalley's saxophone. Now defenseless, Midvalley activates a bomb in his instrument and kills himself, despite pleas from Vash. On top of the mountain, Legato thinks to himself how the humans should have died when they landed, and that is still isn't too late. Vash comes up to meet him and fires several shots that graze him. He then aims the gun at his head. Legato reminds Vash he isn't human and activates his arm cannon, but Vash is able to close it this time. The townspeople come from behind and begin to fire at him. Legato encourages Vash to kill him and stop the madness. He tells Vash to take his place as Knives' right hand man. He further ups the stakes by revealing Meryl and Milly are hostages. When it becomes apparent that they will die within seconds if he doesn't act now, he caves in in shoots Legato in the head. Knives laughs out loud in the distance.

This episode was full of surprises. For one, I didn't think Chapel survived the encounter with Nicholas. I was also surprised by the appearance of Knives, who has been seen very rarely throughout the series, and mostly in flashbacks up to this point. The real shocker came at the end. Legato told Vash over and over that his peaceful ways don't work, and Nicholas is proof of that. After being taunted throughout the episode and faced with choosing between the death of the agents or Legato, he snapped and broke his beliefs for the first time ever. This was all part of Knives' plan to turn him over to evil, and for now, Knives definitely has the upper hand.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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