RWBY V8 C1

## Plot

OMG yes! Sorry, it's just nice to see that the pandemic doesn't seem to be hindering them too much. I really hope the CRWBY aren't pushing themselves too hard though. Take breaks guys! Please don't get burnt out! Take care of yourselves! Anyway, we start the episode with a young girl with black hair scrubbing the floor by hand with a brush, and then we cut to Cinder making the same motion with her Grimm hand, which leaves scratch marks in Neo's seat. So, yeah, a hint at Cinder's backstory after her dialogue with Winter in the volume 7 finale finally seemed to imply something. Neo reluctantly obeys Cinder and lands their real Atlas airship in the Grimm whale. They go inside and see Salem sitting on a throne. Cinder bows down to her. She gets up and tells Cinder that when she chose her as the vessel for the Maidens' powers, she placed her trust in her. So, she trusts that she wouldn't dare return empty handed. Cinder gives her the Relic of Knowledge, and claims that she took it right from under Ironwood's nose, which angers Neo. Tyrian shows up and says that speaks more to the general's lack of intellect than her own, and she was outsmarted by the kids at Haven before that. I mean, not really? If anything, it was the other way around. Cinder just got her ass kicked by Raven. She points out that Tyrian was captured because Ironwood outsmarted him, and claims that it's a shame that Watts couldn't make it back. Tyrian says that he was a necessary sacrifice, and he hopes that "the little one" doesn't become another, which annoys Neo. Salem asks Cinder who she is, and Neo is especially upset when she's only referred to as one of many assets with useful abilities, instead of, you know, a person. It turns out that Hazel, Mercury, and Emerald are here after all, and they all have new outfits! I like them all, even if we only get a good look at the top halves instead of the bottoms. Hazel also has his hair in a "warrior's wolf tail", although you can't see it from the camera angle. Thank you Larissa Angus for the concept art! I like that his new outfit shows off more of his scars. Emerald is glad to see Cinder at first, but stops in her tracks when she tells her to be quiet. It looks like Mercury and Tyrian's talk with her in volume 6 didn't help at all. Tyrian is impressed that she's devoted to someone so incompetent though. While he and Watts were following Salem's orders and dismembering the very fabric of Atlas, Cinder was merely atoning for past failures. She admits that Dr. Polendina's creation got in the way, but now she knows that she has the Winter Maiden's power, and plans on getting it once she goes back to Atlas. I see she once again doesn't see or treat Penny as a real person. However, Salem tells her that she's given no such order. She reminds her that this game isn't hers to win. Just because she's more valuable to her than a pawn doesn't mean she's a player. Everything is already in motion. All Cinder needs to concern herself with is her ability to act when told to. Cinder says that without Salem, she's nothing. Meanwhile, Oscar is in the slums, which are filled with Faunus. An elderly man with bear or badger or mole hands gives him some soup, and he thanks him, but they all hide when an Atlas airship shows up. Oscar gets ready to fight, but luckily it's just Ruby, Weiss, and Maria. He probably either called or texted them earlier with his Scroll, or vice versa, or, since Pietro is with them, he could've used something akin to a smart phone's GPS or map function to find him. You know, if you could use that app to find other smart phones. The animators improved Weiss's braid. Oscar tells them that he was stupid to think that Ironwood would listen. Now he believes that every choice he made was the wrong one, and blames himself for everything that's happened. Ruby tells him that they all did what they thought was best. She's just glad he's alright. He blushes for a second when she puts her hand on his shoulder, but it disappears immediately, and if you don't like Rosegarden, you can just dismiss it as his cheeks being flushed from him being out in the cold or something. Joanna leads them to an abandoned bar, where the Happy Huntresses are coordinating evacuation efforts, and it's where the others are. Blake's bob has also been improved on. Nora gets up, and while Oscar is clearly expecting to be tackle hugged by her again, this time she gently hugs him, and he hugs her back. Aw! Also, Penny, Pietro, and Maria have been added to the wanted message from the previous volume, and Qrow's picture is gone. Weiss asks Oscar how he ended up in the slums. Instead of telling them anything about what Ironwood did, he just says that it's a long story. He suspects that there have been a few of those tonight, as everyone looks at Penny. Ozpin is surprised that he's not going to tell them that he's back, and Oscar mentally tells him that they're not done talking yet. Besides, they've got bigger things to deal with than their anger at him. Oscar notices that Qrow isn't there. No one knows where he is. The last thing they heard was that he was with Robyn, but no one knows where she is either. Joanna asks them if they're ready to work now that Oscar is back. It's time to help the people in Mantle, because they don't have heat *or* military protection. Ren asks how they can help. Ironwood has stopped all evacuations to Atlas, and they can't leave the city with Salem's forces surrounding them. Joanna says they can evacuate everyone to the crater beneath Atlas. It's not safe, but it's warm, and with everyone in one place, they can better protect them. May can send them where they're needed most. They've got to evacuate everyone before nightfall. They might have a chance in the slums. Weiss lampshades their lack of rest for the past two volumes by saying that they're never going to sleep again. Joanna tells her that they're either helping, or they're baggage. Probably unintentional, but now I can't stop thinking of all of Weiss's literal baggage when we first met her. I wonder if that was planned or coincidental symbolism for her emotional baggage? Seriously, intentional or not, these callbacks are one of the few sources of heartwarming or levity filled material in this whole premiere. Yang wants to do what she can for Mantle, as we fade to the future, where she hides from some Grimm and steps on a watch. There's a nearby suitcase with clothes and a photo, most likely belonging to a deceased civilian. I wouldn't be surprised if Yang thinks like this because she and her little sister would've been killed by Grimm as kids if it hadn't been for Qrow. Parallels! However, Ruby wants to launch Amity, call for help, and warn everyone about Salem. Blake agrees with her. The Happy Huntresses are handling the evacuation better than they can, and there's a bigger picture to think about. Yang points out that Amity isn't even finished. Ruby asks Pietro what he'd need to launch Amity now. The construction and fuel parts are manageable, but Amity was designed so that it couldn't launch without getting clearance from Ironwood's terminal first. Yang points out that after everything that's happened, there's no way Ironwood will cooperate with them. Ruby points out that they just need the green light from his terminal… which is in his office, back at the academy, in Atlas. However, Pietro says that there is another terminal… in the main Atlesian military compound at the base of the city. Yang says it can't be done and it's pointless. Even if they managed to launch Amity, there's no guarantee that help would come. Ruby says it's not pointless. Atlas is only Salem's current target, and once she's done here, she'll move onto the rest of Remnant. They need to warn everyone. Yang tells Ruby that when they first got here, they said they would follow her lead, but things haven't exactly worked out. That's basically a "nice" way of calling her a poor leader, which is heartbreaking when you remember how proud Yang was of Ruby in volume 1. And yes, I think Yang is being a bit hypocritical here too, and I'd love for someone to call her out on it sooner rather than later, but we the audience are the ones with all of the information, not the characters. Maybe she'll have an epiphany on her own or something. Plus, the new intro has assured me on that front for now. And literally only that one, because I personally think that this is one of the darkest intros and songs in RWBY's history. Basically, Yang is being a cynic, or a pessimist, or a nihilist, like her mom and uncle, whereas Ruby is being optimistic, or idealistic, or anti-nihilist as usual, like her mom. I wouldn't be surprised if a fight like this between Raven and Summer was part of what led to team STRQ breaking up. Anyway, Ruby herself, Weiss, Nora, Oscar, and Penny have noticeable reactions to Yang's statement. Ren interrupts her and says there are people here who need them right now. This is something they can actually do. I know this might seem like a contradiction to his position in volume 7, but I wouldn't be surprised if Mantle's current situation reminds him of what happened to Kuroyuri, and now, like Yang, he can actually do something about it. Plus, I imagine he's rather shaken after what Ironwood did when he was the most loyal to him, as well as in his ability to actually be a Huntsman after… everything. He's going after something that he believes is attainable instead of what seems like an impossible goal, like destroying Salem, or getting a communications tower in the sky with no governmental or military support or oversight. Plus, if you think about it, he's always thought about the smaller picture. Helping out villages, taking missions in Mantle to help out where he can and presumably keep his skills as sharp as possible, etc. However, Nora agrees with Ruby and says this is about more than just Atlas. It's about all of Remnant. They need to warn everyone so they can prepare for what's coming. Unlike Ren, she still thinks she's ready to be a Huntress, she didn't want to train all the time, she liked Robyn more than Ironwood, etc. Again, this seems like a reversal of their positions, but Nora has always thought about the big picture, which is probably due to her being alone as a child. She always had to worry about getting food, sleeping somewhere safe, etc. She *had* to worry about the "small things" everyday in order to survive, the things other people tend to take for granted, until a situation comes along that makes them lose it, whether it's access to food, water, heat, shelter, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if Ren and Nora tried to cope with that growing up by taking things in the complete opposite direction, but they were okay because, until recently, they almost always balanced each other out because they were always together and agreed on almost everything, sort of like Flora and Helia in Winx Club having a ridiculously stable, balanced, and healthy romantic relationship. Now though, Ren and Nora are in separate groups with different opinions about what to do next. In the present, Jaune calms everyone down and says they can do both things. One group will get Amity up and running while the other one evacuates Mantle. However, Ruby wants to stick together. Salem got this far by dividing them. Also, side note, I love the title of this episode. Oscar says that what Salem wants is to turn them against each other, like they're doing right now. Jaune is right. They can work separately and still be united. Penny presents a third option. Unlike the usual trope though, it's by far the worst one: Turn herself and the Staff of Creation over to Salem, and hope she calls off her attack on the kingdom. Oscar says they can't trust Salem to do that, and the moment she uses the staff to create anything else, Atlas will fall onto Mantle, killing everyone anyways. The one thing they can all agree on is that they're not turning Penny over to anyone. Oh god, the foreshadowing was staring us in the face the whole time. The predictions and theories were right! Again! How do they keep doing that? It's like they're secretly psychic, like my sister. Ruby asks Pietro if he can help them get to Ironwood's terminal. They need someone to bypass security. Penny says she'll go, and activates her maiden eyes when her father tries to tell her that they can't risk it. Yeah, Penny's had it rough since A Night Off. Before Yang leaves, Pietro gives her the keys to his pharmacy. He was working on some new tools for them before all this happened. It's revealed that the full groups are Yang, Ren, Jaune, and Oscar in Mantle, and Ruby, Nora, Blake, Weiss, and Penny in Atlas. My personal theory is that Oscar is going with Yang and Jaune because they were the most upset at Ozpin, so he's going to try and convince them to let go of their anger towards him, at least for now. Nora tells Ren that she's going with Ruby, and when he asks about Mantle, she responds that she's *saving* Mantle, because she actually believes they can do this. Blake puts her hand on Ruby's shoulder and tries to assure her that they're still united, but Ruby doesn't seem convinced and just says that she hopes that's true. Interaction! Granted, it's literally only seven words between the two of them, but I'll take what I can get at this point. Maria is taking Pietro to Amity to repair it. Weiss has an idea to get them up to Atlas, but before she can do it, they hear a Scroll ring. It's Penny's. Ironwood is calling her, and she answers it. He knows that she's the new Winter Maiden, so Winter probably told him everything. His voice is eerily calm and monotone. He claims that he's worried about her safety. He wants to know where she is, and he'll have her picked up right away. Dude, she can fly. If you're gonna lie, at least be less obvious about it. Atlas needs her. Salem is here. Penny doesn't say anything, and Ruby tells Ironwood that she's not going anywhere until he changes his mind about Mantle. He tells them that Remnant is doomed. Salem will destroy Atlas and any hope humanity has left, unless they leave. They need to think about the future. I actually think that's what Ruby and her team are doing as well, by focusing on Amity, whereas Yang's team is focused on the present and the time they have left before nightfall. Neither mindset is a bad one to have, you just shouldn't sacrifice one to focus solely on the other. Ironwood says that if Salem makes it through their defenses, then everything that follows will be on *their* hands, which clearly horrifies Penny. Personally, I'm just mad at Ironwood for putting all the blame for any potential carnage on them, when he's the one who wants to abandon the rest of Remnant, sort of like the gods did. It's people like him, like Adam, like Leo, like Raven, like the villains, that make you wonder if humanity as a whole is really worth saving if we're all capable of abandoning innocent people to their deaths, cold blooded murder, terrorism, betrayal, abandoning and betraying our spouse or child, etc. While we all have the capacity to do things like that, most of us won't, thankfully. Penny and Ruby hug. Meanwhile, the other Ace Ops are looking at Clover's corpse. You can tell that Marrow is upset and Harriet is angry. It's hard to tell how Elm, and especially how Vine feel about it. Ironwood's injured arm has already been replaced by a black cybernetic one. He's in the room across from the Ace Ops, where Winter is being treated. Someone comes in and tells him that the prisoners have arrived and are being processed. Winter confirms to us that it's Qrow and Robyn. Ironwood asks the people treating her to leave the room. She says she'll be fine, but she's clearly still in pain and can't fully clench her right hand. I hope she's ambidextrous. Ironwood thanks her and says he doesn't know what he would do without her. No one has ever seen a Grimm force this large before. The city's hard light shields will hold, but not forever. Winter asks him what he'll do. Just then, Camila and Sleet try to get in and talk to him about what he thinks he's doing, due to declaring martial law. Harriet exits the other room when she hears them. Ironwood tells Winter that he'll do everything he can to protect Atlas, no matter the cost. And then he leaves the room and shoots Sleet *in the head*, killing him in cold blood, instead of just calling for his arrest like he did with all of the other people that opposed him, most of whom are trained fighters with weapons. Winter, Harriet, Elm, and Marrow are horrified and troubled by this, Vine looks the same, Camila is terrified, and no one voices any objections as the general leaves. The message is clear: You're either with me, or against me, and if you're against me, your life is ruined and you're thrown in prison… or worse. This is how a dictator rules: Through fear, through the military, through an unhealthy amount of blind faith and devotion in said military. The episode ends as Salem has a bloodhound like Grimm sniff the lamp to bring Ozpin to her, since he knows how the relics actually work. I love the intro, both visually and sonically. It's like they blended the intros of volumes 3 and 7 together. The reason I'm not worried about Yang and Ruby's relationship is because they smile at each other near the end. The intro definitely makes me worried about everything else though. The song is called "For Every Life". *We said goodbye To all the things we loved Gave up our lives Just to find that it was not enough (Not enough, not enough) We leapt in faith Left our solitude, our carefree peace What we thought would change the world Was just a childish dream We failed to stop our own demise The tragic end's before our eyes Hope has no place here Maybe the path that leads our way home will finally clear Maybe the end we tried to avoid is already here Some roses will never bloom Some dreams will rot on the vine Some lives will end much too soon Some evil will never ever die Some wars will not end in peace Some heroes choose the wrong side Sometimes it's worth it all to risk the fall And fight for every life* Things we see and hear in this intro bring up things that we've seen and heard in past intros and episodes: Our heroes standing against a huge Grimm horde (V1, V3), our main quartet's progression being shown through their outfits (V7), the girls falling into darkness again (V3), much like how Salem fell into the God of Light's pool and then let herself fall into the God of Darkness's pool, the Schnee family (V4); the sisters in particular (V7), etc. Literally the only hopeful line is this: *Sometimes it's worth it all To risk the fall And fight for every life* The question on everyone's minds though, both the characters' and the audience's, isn't answered: Is this one of those times? I love the sort of sketchy line art style they went with at the very end, and the fairy tale words being replaced by scratched out ones. Happy Ever After becomes Happy? Never Again.