This is a recap and review of episode 11 of Black Rock Shooter Dawn Fall, available on Hulu and Disney Plus.
In this episode, Artemsis explains her grand plan and the stage is set for the final showdown.
Spoilers to follow!
The episode begins with what might be the start of the end for the earth. Impacts are occurring, and the iron ocean is moving toward the elevator. We also learn that Artemis’ plan to bring robot soldiers to earth might not be accurate.
We are told that the iron ocean is not a repository for arche but a cradle for machine lifeforms. As such, given arche is composed of self-evolving, self-replicating nanobots, the iron ocean’s purpose is to convert matter into building materials for the machine army.
The group decides that the elevator was built to bring human matter to the moon. As they talk, they learn that the attack will commence in six hours.
Charlotte is improving, and Colonal is surprised to find she still retains her Hemiteos powers. She and Colonel have another nice moment. Empress thanks Colonel for helping her and he her. Monika arrives to say she is taking off, as she’s not a soldier. Strength, Dead Master, and Empress have a heart-to-heart as well.
With the goodbyes said, it’s time to get to battle!
The army attempts to push through the robot forces to get Empress close enough to use her coil gun on the elevator and destroy it.
Lunatic joins the fray from the other side, causing chaos. After wounding Colonel, she gloats, telling him and Empress that the iron ocean is being sent to the moon to power a nuclear fusion reactor that is designed to send chunks of the moon to earth.
In an evil villain speech, Lunatic/Artemis further explains that she was once a terra-forming A.I. who set out to gather information on Earth to learn about it so as to do her job properly. In so doing, she realized she needed data on human extinction and evolution. The best way to get that data, she surmised, was to destroy humanity and see how they evolved. She plans to do this multiple times over millions of years.
The episode ends with Artemis explaining that data collection is her biggest desire and the impetus behind all her actions.
Overall, this episode feels like the precursor to the finale. The stakes are set, the motives are clear, and the goals are in place. Now to see if Empress can take down the moon’s harsh mistress and save humanity!
(The title of the episode, “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,” is taken from Robert A. Heinlein’s 1966 sci-fi novel about a lunar colony’s revolt against absentee rule from Earth.)
The final episode airs on Jan 4, 2023, on Disney+ and Hulu.
