Cowboy Bebop - Session 6
The past comes back to haunt each of the characters in the sixth  installment of the popular noir sci-fi adventure. In "Brain Scratch," Faye is  drawn into an eerie cult that promises electronic immortality and an end to  worldly cares. Director Shinichiro Watanabe juxtaposes flashy television  graphics with gritty, gray reality, as Ed hacks a path to the truth. Next, Faye  and Ed confront different yet linked pasts in "Hard Luck Woman." Ed (who turns  out to be a girl) finds her long-lost father; Faye learns she can't go back to  the world she knew before a devastating accident. The two-part epsiode "Real  Folk Blues" returns to the saga of Julia, the woman Spike once loved, who  appeared in "Jupiter Jazz" (episodes 12 and 13). The icy Vicious's attempt to  take over the Red Dragon mob draws Spike and Julia into a deadly web of revenge."Real Folk Blues" marks the end ofCowboy Bebop, arguably the most  stylish and sophisticated anime series in recent years. This last adventure will  leave viewers with the same sense of loss they experienced when the firstStar Warstrilogy ended. Although no further television episodes are  planned, a feature is in the works. Fans can look forward to seeing their  favorite Space Cowboy in the not-too-distant future.Not rated: suitable for ages 13 and up for nudity, violence, adult situations,  and unflattering ethnic characterizations.--Charles Solomon