Little character moments from the triumvirate here. Syr’Nj manages to find compassion even for those raining explosive death down on her and on innocent civilians. Even at this juncture, she needs to understand. She always will. Byron’s quicker to condemn, using a phrase (“not distinguishing between friend and foe”) that could just as easily describe a berserker…except that Taro’s regime chose to be one. Penk stands outside it all, feeling ever more justified in his choices as both his allies stumble. Even as they turned against Gastonia, they never thought its leadership could get this inhumane. Penk never expected anything else.

Meanwhile, Mich and Franz find a new wrinkle in their prisoner’s dilemma. If they both attacked Taro, the odds are very good that one of them could overcome him, but the one who attacked first has too great a risk of dying for either of them to initiate it. But if there’s a chance they can escape their current hell by staying silent, they’re sure gonna take it.

Taro’s prepubescent “o-face” is as disturbing as it should be.

(Thought about putting Pocahontas’ “Savages” with this one, but I just couldn’t bring myself. Talk about a Disney song that hasn’t aged well.)