Attack on Titan 2×08 Review: The Hunters

After all the action of the past few episodes, it’s nice to have a bit of a break. “The Hunters” uses the opportunity to give us a little bit of backstory and fill the rest of the Survey Corps in on the developments at the wall.

“The Hunters” spends much of the episode on character development, using flashbacks to solidify the relationship between Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and even Hannes. Hannes’ speech to Mikasa and Armin, to bolster their spirits and fire them up, was nicely done. He’s been a constant in their lives for a very long time and a father-figure for all three of them, and it’s nice to see him finally taking a bigger role.

Wow. Mikasa and Armin really liked those field rations. Dramatic eating intensifies.

I’m a little upset that I missed Connie first learning of the fact that Reiner and Bertolt are Titans. At the end of the episode, he’s aware of it and obviously at a much-feared point beyond anger, but I really would have liked to see his reaction when he first heard the news. Jean, at least, got the benefit of a reaction scene, even if he didn’t know who exactly the shifters were when we saw him.

Also, yay for seeing Jean, Levi, and Erwin again! I missed you guys.

This is clearly the calm before the storm — or perhaps more accurately the eye of the storm. “The Hunters” uses the brief break in action to gather all the necessary characters together; the Survey Corps is reunited (minus the four members of the 104th who turn into Titans), and even the Military Police has joined the cause. Thanks to Hange’s knowledge and intuition, they have a plan to ambush Reiner and Bertolt while they’re recovering their strength. I must say, that shot of the Corps on the wall was pretty badass. It made me really excited for next week’s episode.

Also, it turns out that Bertolt ate that random guy just to steal his maneuver gear. Poor guy.

What did you guys think of “The Hunters”? These episodes go by so fast; they’re 24 minutes long but it feels like 5. We’re more than halfway through the season already!

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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