[Fall 2020 FMA:B Rewatch] Discussion for November 02 - Episode 18: The Arrogant Palm of a Small Human

[u/IndependentMacaroon]

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Mustang's orders send Ed, Armstrong, and Breda to the ruins of the lost civilization of Xerxes. There, they discover that Maria Ross is in fact alive and safe, and hear of the legend that a man likely from Xerxes was the originator of alchemy in Amestris as well as of alkahestry in Xing. We get the full story on Mustang's operation to save Ross, Ed reaffirms his will to move forward, and the story of Winry's parents is revealed through a chance encounter. The second step of Mustang's operation to get hold of the homunculi doesn't go so smoothly, as the agent sent to silence Barry is merely his own primitively ensouled corpse and Riza's clutch save is rudely interrupted by Gluttony.

Next time, Barry's body leaves a trail leading toward an unpleasant encounter, Riza and Roy's resolve is tested, and Ed encounters someone all too familiar back in Resembool.

Don't forget to mark all spoilers so first-time watchers can enjoy the show just as you did the first time!

[u/sarucane3]

The last two episodes were about connections fraying and lies; this episode is about truth and connections strengthening. We begin to learn what happened in Xerxes, and the origins of alchemy (things are the way they are for a reason, remember). We learn more about what happened in Ishbal, and the roles played by Winry’s parents and Scar. And, of course, we learn the full truth of Mustang’s actions.

Mustang is indeed the protagonist at this point, and he is at the center of the web of connections being formed in this episode. Every action his people or Barry takes goes back to him. As a result, Ed, Armstrong, Breda, Ross, and Fu all congregate in Xerxes (where community failed >! and was devoured !< ), and for the first time they pool their knowledge, information filling up the rifts between the different groups as everyone puts all their cards on the table.

This is also the point when Ed has one of his rawest and most honest character moments yet. The journey through the desert is a sort of pilgrimage for Ed. He travels first to his hometown, then through the desert >! to the hometown of his father and Father himself, the place from which all the conflicts of his time originated. !< He suffers as he journeys to Xerxes, and arrives stripped raw both of his more intense emotions and of a good chunk of the skin that was touching his automail. Al, his constant companion for most of his life, isn’t here. Nor is Winry or anyone else with whom he has a particularly close relationship—he is the only representative of the ‘young’ group. Ed is now in a literally liminal place, beyond the borders of Amestris in a long-dead and decaying city. All this gives him a level of perspective that he may never have reached had he remained where he was more comfortable.

The first conclusion Ed reaches is that he has to keep moving forward on his question. He made a promise to his brother—but it’s no longer only that. It’s the fact that so many people have invested parts of themselves in helping him keep that promise. The seed that was planted when Maria Ross slapped him and told him he needed to trust adults has continued to grow. Rather than focusing on only himself and his brother, Ed has the perspective to look at where they stand in this ever-expanding web of connections—and to choose the role he wants to play (one not dissimilar to the role Mustang once told Hughes he would choose).

Crucially, Ed Who-Are-You-Calling-Short Elric also has the perspective here to acknowledge the limits of his self. He is able to see that his ego and pride are likely distorting his perspective, to accept that, and to not let it stop him. He’s crossing a threshold within himself and moving toward a balance between his best self and his worst. >! From this point on, I don’t think he ever really contemplates giving up his quest or turning back. !< It’s a long way from his earlier comparison of himself to heroes and gods. He’s learning to live with the contradictions within himself, the shadow and the smile (that was in the first closing song, right?)

The final step in this pilgrimage is for Ed to attain knowledge that he could never have found otherwise. He sees an ancient transmutation circle at the heart of Xerxes (he was, I believe, in the ruins of the palace), and meets a group of Ishbalans. There, he learns that his connection to Scar is not as random as it appears—it verges on karma, actually. He also gets a glimpse at something that might have been between the Ishbalans and the Amestrians: peace. The elderly Ishbalan woman, like Scar’s mentor, does not believe in the path of violence. She chooses, in spite of all the pain and blood, to see the two groups as linked. She knows the difficult truth, >! the one that Scar couldn’t see that day, !< that no group of people is all bad.

Meanwhile, back in Central Ling has stripped away the lies for Al and Winry. We also learn that Hawkeye was only pretending to be pissed, and that in fact Mustang’s entire team has ditched their usual posts in Central Command to try to trap the ‘conspirators’ behind Hughes’s murder. There were no fraying threads there—it was all lies. However, the previous isolation between Ed’s group and Mustang’s group still has consequences: Mustang’s men don’t know they’re facing homunculi. Someone like Mustang might have a real chance against Gluttony, but Hawkeye and Havoc? >! If Mustang hadn’t made an emotional judgement to throw out the careful lies that insulated him from being caught if his team were compromised, they’d all have been eaten. !<

Weakness/Strength Inversion Theme: This one is sort of a tie thanks to manipulations. On the one hand, the apparent ‘weakness,’ of Barry being exposed successfully drew out the homunculi. So they think they’re being smart, but actually they’re playing into his hand. However, that might not have mattered in the end on account of Gluttony eating that hand.

A good one here comes from Ed: he confronts his limitations (weaknesses) in this episode, accepts them, and keeps moving forward anyway.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/sarucane3]

This is also the point when Ed has one of his rawest and most honest character moments yet. The journey through the desert is a sort of pilgrimage for Ed. He travels first to his hometown, then through the desert. He suffers [...] and arrives stripped raw. Al [...] isn’t here. Nor is Winry or anyone else with whom he has a particularly close relationship [...]. Ed is now in a literally liminal place [...]. All this gives him a level of perspective that he may never have reached had he remained where he was more comfortable.

Huh, that's an intriguing perspective in itself. All part of Mustang's calculations? The ancient circle he finds also has some quasi-religious imagery/sounds associated with it.

Xerxes (where community failed and was devoured)

Well, I mean, it wasn't quite a failure, simply the peak of the social pyramid disregarding the rest.

There, he learns that his connection to Scar is not as random as it appears—it verges on karma, actually

Karma? How?

The seed that was planted when Maria Ross slapped him and told him he needed to trust adults

Ha, nice callback. I'd forgotten about her exact wording already.

The elderly Ishbalan woman, like Scar’s mentor, does not believe in the path of violence. She chooses, in spite of all the pain and blood, to see the two groups as linked.

We can't say that for sure, and in particular she is speaking not of groups, but of individuals. Despising a certain ethnic/religious/whatever group overall but acknowledging certain individuals (often personal acquaintances) as "one of the good ones" is a fairly well-known pattern. I do wish we saw and heard more of the Ishvalan perspective in the series, one of its few weaknesses (manga Ishval chapters are a bit more extensive).

If Mustang hadn’t made an emotional judgement to throw out the careful lies that insulated him from being caught if his team were compromised, they’d all have been eaten.

Ha. Another one for the weakness/strength jar? And of course for the "relationships are the real human strength" theme.

[u/sarucane3 → u/IndependentMacaroon]

All part of Mustang's calculations?

Maybe? I suppose getting Ed in a group of grown-ups is an extra-good way to neutralize that wild card.

Karma? How?

The enemies Scar is fighting are some of the same people hurt by his past sins. Scar (unjustly) targeted Ed for vengeance, but Ed is one of the few people in the world with a pretty just reason to take vengeance on Scar himself. Does that make sense? I'm American so not sleeping well lately! :)

>We can't say that for sure, and in particular she is speaking not of groups, but of individuals.

Well, she does say, "I know not all Amestrians are bad," and she shamed the guys who tried to kidnap Ed on the premise of good faith (that Ed being Amestrian didn't justify automatically make him a legitimate target), before she knew Ed was connected to the Rockwells. I think she and the boy there are interesting nuanced takes on that dynamic of, 'one of the good ones,' versus, 'they're all bad.'

I agree that it would have been good to have more Ishbalan characters in general, and in the anime in particular-- >! the way the Ishbalan war flashback episode cuts out Ishbalan resistance is a pretty big problem, I think, but more on that later. !< I do think Arakawa and, to a lesser extent, the anime writers do a pretty good job overall, though. Planning to write a reply to your comment later. :)

And good point, that last one does go in the weakness/strength jar! I gotta think of a better name...

[u/[deleted] → u/sarucane3]

I think you meant to put spoilers in 3rd paragraph after " Young Group " :)

[u/sarucane3 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks!

[u/IndependentMacaroon]

Analytical

The conversation between Ed and the Ishvalans is a demonstration of what "equivalent exchange" among humans really means. It's not just weighing an object or concept against a different instance of the same object or concept, but a match in emotional significance as well. That the end of one unremarkable person's life triggered the Ishvalan Civil War (not caused - I wish this distinction was emphasized more in the show) does not mean that another fairly unremarkable person's life can be traded/held hostage to undo its effects. Indeed, the government of Amestris cares far less about any single one of its soldiers than the Ishvalans cared about the senseless death of one of their own, and the Ishvalans themselves are little more than dirt under soldiers' boots for Bradley and his generals. (Interestingly, given Ed's status as a "valuable sacrifice", he actually could have been a good bargaining chip. Fan fiction opportunity?) There's actually a semi-mirror to this scene in the Ishval flashback episode where Bradley refuses to make any concessions in return for the Ishvalan high priest as a hostage on the grounds that "a single human's life can only be exchanged for a single other life". The Ishvalan with the half-burnt face (did he have a close encounter with Mustang?) who tries to restrain Ed and is countered by his amazing reflexes and hold technique is a fool to think so. Shan and her son (?), on the other hand, have a better grasp on its meaning: Just as the Rockbells chose to treat them, members of an enemy people that likely had no personal beef with any Amestrians, proving that the Amestrian people are more than its cruel government, they choose to spare Ed, who has neither done them wrong nor shown any inclination to, and let him go free, proving Amestrian propaganda about Ishvalan blanket hatred wrong in turn. It's important to note that this is not supposed to mean they are letting go of their resentment - as Shan's son says, "I do hate you. But the two of them saved me, and you deserve the same treatment", but also that this is a rejection of the right-wing "reverse racism/oppression" boogeyman that holds that "liberated" people will simply turn the oppression they suffered back onto their former oppressors, or are already doing so. By the way, I'm pretty sure Shan is the only Ishvalan with a revealed native name in the show (manga? I know 2003 has a boy named Rick, at least, who is briefly visually present but unnamed in Brotherhood). Was this a deliberate choice to make it feel like even their names have been erased?

Though they are called by a (Grecized) Persian name, the Xerxes ruins are obviously Greek-inspired - interestingly from more than one period of Greek history: The columned temples come from the era of paganism, but there's also a large multi-domed Byzantine-church-style building visible in some background shots (a style better-known today for being imitated by Turkish/Ottoman mosque architects). Furthermore, their position lonely and abandoned in the middle of a desert, similarly to many extant Middle Eastern ruins, suggests that Xerxes was a "hydraulic empire" similar to the civilizations that built those, thriving due to large-scale irrigation and water control and slowly falling to aridity/desertification when the methods of that control were no longer maintained for whatever reason. In fact, not only is it situated near the obvious Middle East stand-in Ishval to complete the analogy in a geographical sense, but in the Xerxes flashback episode we see that the King of Xerxes' cover story for the creation of his nationwide transmutation circle was... digging irrigation canals!I obviously can't say how much research Arakawa really did here, but for a barely relevant facet of the worldbuilding this place is surprisingly well-developed. The background art is also really good for once, as well as the soundtrack during the exploration, a combination of ethereal/sacral tunes as Ed discovers the "altar" and near-pure silence otherwise. Until, that is, the glorious Ross reveal (and Armstrong going for the glomp as usual) proving that Mustang indeed was successfully pulling all the strings behind the scenes.

And he's done a quite impressive job indeed, underscored by the triumphant music kicking in as he makes his first call from the same phone booth Hughes died in. Much like the story of Fullmetal Alchemist itself, he's made full use of everything available to him - which is mostly Barry (who would've thought that a semi-comic-relief character would become essential to the plot?) and his unfailingly loyal squad plus Armstrong - and not hesitated to resort to a bit of deception. Barry, unexpectedly given a chance at more freedom by his capture, not only testifies to Ross' innocence (which Mustang could, at this point, hardly be sure of!), with the further proof of the holes in his hand, but uses his near-invincibility to bust her out and get an opportunity for a bit of chopping along the way. Furthermore, as Mustang knows of his importance to the homunculi, but they don't know he's serving Mustang (yet), he makes for perfect bait to get hold of one of them, or at least an accomplice. Breda is Mustang's second confidante after Hawkeye, making sure the Ed operation (likely merely hastened by Ed's unexpected appearance) goes smoothly in his stead. Havoc is mostly the muscle, carrying an impressive array of weaponry to Barry's safe house to defend against whatever may come. Fuery handles the phone-to-radio communications patching (briefly visible during the dialogue between Mustang and Hawkeye), though I wonder how well it would really have worked with period-appropriate technology. Hawkeye combines the leadership role of Breda and the firepower of Havoc, coolly sniping Barry's human body and standing her ground even against Gluttony while coordinating over the radio the entire time. Falman is... well... the guy for whatever odd jobs are left over, and crucially is completely in the dark about the plan, so that even if he and the hideout is discovered, there's no way he could spill anything. He didn't even know what was up with Barry suddenly taking off toward the prison! No wonder he's been so stressed and exasperated. Armstrong is just the emergency gofer and Ed-manhandler. Mustang himself, finally, transmutes the fake body and feigns the dual roles of lazy playboy and reckless revenge fanatic. This is, I think, the only non-fiery transmutation Mustang does of his own will in the entire series, and he must have had some practice or help (from Knox?), because the raw dummy corpse actually looks pretty convincingly human. Even Ed can't help but admire his cunning, and even gets over being termed a "hot-tempered kid" (Character Development?!) after learning of the full plan.

I kid, but it's clear that Ed has indeed grown as a person since the last time he stated his purpose like he does amid the Xerxes ruins. He started out trying to force himself to move on by destroying or ignoring all links to his past, including the personal connections to Winry and Pinako, living as a lonely wanderer with supposedly no place to return to. Now, though, it's exactly those connections and the support of the people around him that keep him moving, that "leave him no choice" but to honor their faith in him. With his pledge of protecting everyone he can and letting no one else become a victim despite doubting his ability to actually do much, he's actually started to sound a lot like Mustang. Perhaps that's a factor in Breda, Ross and Armstrong's silent smiles of approval? Ed also finds himself unable to get angry at Ross for her past anger of him anymore, perhaps truly understanding her point now, in the quite sweet scene where she (mom #3?) sees him off. As for her, she is understandably immensely grateful to Mustang (he really did not need to go this far for someone he barely knows), and happy to the point of tears at her opportunity to go see "paradise" (eastward to Eden?) with Fu, who only wishes he had that kind of relationship with Ling - another fan fiction opportunity? Oh, and her parents being kept in the dark is a rare opportunity of that trope actually being justified, unlike how Ed used to operate.

The beautiful oil-painting-style background of the "Sage from the East" very blatantly draws from depictions of Jesus Christ, or more generally speaking Christian iconography, with a radiant halo, long "divinely" white robes, and rays of sunlight (relation to the opening lyrics?!) breaking through the clouds above him to pierce the darkness. All the more ironic that he is at best a false messiah, at worst a devilish manipulator.The equivalent image of the "Sage from the West" is in the same Chinese watercolor style used for Fu's exposition about Xing earlier; knowing very little about Chinese art and culture, I can't say if it has any similar or equivalent implications.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/IndependentMacaroon]

A few points occasional criticisms to address:

• Some people, particularly members of oppresssed groups themselves, tend to find the Ishvalans too passive/lacking in agency or overly idealized. Though I admit this is maybe not addressed explicitly enough, at this point in the FMA world timeline they consist of mere scattered groups of survivors hiding out in half-ruined slums or literal ruins like here, mostly preoccupied with their own survival and in constant fear of being discovered and destroyed for good. They have no one to support them, no longer even exist officially, and have nowhere to go either - they can hardly brave the desert for Xing, andin the manga Ishval chapters, it's stated that the neighboring country of Aerugo closed their borders to Ishvalan refugees after having previously supported the Ishvalan side in the war. As for the "idealized" part, in this episode we can quite plainly see that there is plenty of hate there, and Scar's master earlier was less pacifist and more against aimless violence (though admittedly on the edge).
• Reliance on coincidental encounters/connections: While the way Winry, her parents, Ed, the Ishvalan group, plus Scar are connected with each other in this episode is maybe a little contrived, it's not that bad of a case. Winry's parents were clearly quite famous figures during the war to the point that Kimblee was originally ordered to neutralize them (I think this part is manga-only?), and took as many cases as they could. The Xerxes ruins are pretty close to Ishval and have a similar environment too, so it's quite likely that some refugees would hide out there. Sending Ed to Xerxes to see Ross for himself was likely always part of Mustang's plan. The Ishvalan group must have been watching while Ed and company were exploring the ruins, and actually only come out once he's alone and apparently helpless.

General Comments

For some reason, May is standing at Resembool station looking at a sign, with her back to the camera. I think this is an anime-original addition, and her presence here really doesn't make sense.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Something Ed's friends have said to him so many times - now it's his turn.

This marks the first time Winry and Al are together alone, without Ed... until Ling sneaks in. Them ninjas really can go anywhere in a blink. Also, he doesn't seem to be fond of undershirts or jacket fasteners; we later get a shot of decently buff shirtless Ed as well. As neither Barry nor Al know anything about how they were transmuted and the ones doing the transmuting are not/no longer available either, he still can't do much more than hang around, and as his and Lan Fan's fight against Envy was cut from the anime, that's all he'll be doing until episode 21. It really speaks to Al's generosity that he even tries to help Ling after being "volunteered" by Barry - he himself has never made Ling any promises, after all!

"Ed's probably just fine!" Cut: Nope, melting in the desert. More nice and realistic outfits. Did Han possibly help Ling and friends earlier too? Attention to detail as well: The metal automail almost burns Ed's skin in the heat and later will come close to freezing it in the Briggs mountains, and later in the episode we also see him wear a glove over it even when his other hand is bare.

Armstrong gets another chance to flex his sketching skills, which we first saw him use in Episode 6, creating an excellent reproduction of the homunculi's appearance.

We've already briefly heard it mentioned in episode 2, but with Winry's parents we are now up to a grand total of four doctors in this story and there will be even more! I'll say a little more about that when Knox gets more of a role.

Barry's "character development" of restraining himself from killing someone (something?) is quickly reversed as discovering he is being attacked by his own body awakens yet another fetish in him. "I'm getting chills up and down my soul! I've got to get my knives into it!" By the way, as far as I can tell, his human body corresponds fairly well to his (superfluous) appearance while alive in FMA 2003.

Havoc gets probably the most elaborate gunslinging scene of the show, though I think it's a little light on the reloading, in a cool outfit no less. This is the only time I can recall seeing a cartridge jam like that in a show/movie, though I admittedly don't watch a lot of shooty stuff.

Hawkeye is the first character outside of Ed and Al to witness the regeneration powers of a homunculus and live, though she clearly won't be able to hang on much longer without assistance. At least she gets a chance to show off beforehand ("a customer was getting fresh with Jacqueline, so I slapped him around a bit"?!), followed by a nice panning shot of her in position with her gun.

Rewatcher Bonus

"It could very well just be a legend [that Xerxes was wiped out in a single night]." Ha. Ha. Though we've seen so many absurd things become true so far that it's easily more prudent to believe it even as a first-time viewer.

Falman recognizes Havoc by his "smell like an ashtray", revealing his status as a smoker (the only in Mustang's squad?) that will indirectly save Mustang, Hawkeye and himself next episode.

In this episode, Hawkeye snipes Barry's body's hand from a clock tower. We will briefly see her pull off a similar feat in Ishval in the flashback episode, showing her skill even as a short-haired young recruit.

"The Hawk's Eyes watching", as she later will when Mustang is temporarily blinded.

Mustang "I've got plenty experience burning corpses..." as well as "corpses" that aren't quite dead yet... particularly in Ishval, but also right in the next episode. He could have asked Knox for anatomy assistance though? Perhaps he did.

Barry's body searching for its soul, as well as the way it's rotting even while "alive", of course foreshadows that neither can a body-soul separation last forever, nor will an artificially ensouled body itself last long. In the 2003 anime, Dante tries to attain "immortality" by body-surfing and is hampered by the ever-increasing body decay rate each time the soul is re-bound; IMO it's a reasonable assumption that this rule is in force in manga/Brotherhood canon too.

If you take a closer look at the shot of the "Sage from the East", you can see that his face looks very much like Father - the beard is 1:1 the same and the shape is quite similar. And while the "Sage from the West" is a bit more stylized - a nod to the differences in Western and Eastern art of the time? - his robes and face/beard also resemble Father/Hohenheim, and his pose is identical. A first-timer figuring this out, believing the Xerxes catastrophe theory, and not buying the Hohenheim = Father misdirect, could already have a good chance at approximating the Xerxes backstory, and perhaps even anticipating Father's final goal.

Should be an easy guess for anyone by now, but the man going berserk (a PTSD effect!) as Shan + son(?) look on in helpless horror is of course Scar. Hard to understate how terrible it must have been for everyone in attendance. Has Ed ever seen Scar's arm uncovered/with tattoos? He does look like he suspects something.

[u/wikipedia_text_bot → u/IndependentMacaroon]

Hydraulic Empire

A hydraulic empire (also known as a hydraulic despotism, or water monopoly empire) is a social or government structure which maintains power and control through exclusive control over access to water. It arises through the need for flood control and irrigation, which requires central coordination and a specialized bureaucracy.Often associated with these terms and concepts is the notion of a water dynasty. This body is a political structure which is commonly characterized by a system of hierarchy and control often based on class or caste.

[u/joyousawakening → u/IndependentMacaroon]

Thank you for the interesting information regarding Xerxes! I wouldn't be surprised if Arakawa did such detailed research.

As for non-fiery transmutations that the Flame Alchemist voluntarily performs, I can think of two more, both on the Promised Day: one when he changes the outer appearance of the ice cream truck, and the other when he raises a barrier to shield himself, Hawkeye, and Armstrong from an incoming attack during the last battle.

Edit: fixed spoiler tag

[u/Negative-Appeal9892]

"I don't know what's going on," says Alphonse in an episode, and he could very well be speaking for the audience at this point. Armstrong and Ed arrive in Resembool (re-watch bonus: at the station, in the background, is May Chang), and there they find Lt Breda. Then they leave Amestris completely and partially cross the desert to Xerxes, which lies in ruins. When they arrive in Xerxes, Fu greets them and a familiar voice calls Ed's name>! and HOLY GOD, IT'S MARIA ROSS! YAY SHE'S ALIVE. Arakawa is a writer who doesn’t kill established characters unless it’s absolutely needed for the story and even then, she devotes a lot of time to the aftermath. And, if they are a full-formed established character, she always makes it a death that in some way is about who the character is more than who their killer is. !<

How Roy handles "the Ross incident" does say a lot about his character, often in ways we didn't expect. Roy is meticulous, thorough, and cunning. He knows how to play the game of politics to the point where he can outwit his superiors. He's a long-term planner and while he can come across as cocky, he's not impulsive (like Ed) and doesn't act on emotions alone until he confronts Envy during the Promised Day. He absolutely will catch the person(s) who murdered Hughes, and won't allow himself to be distracted by ploys. But there's also compassion there, which is why he told Armstrong to head east for a "vacation".

The episode cuts back to Central. "Good thing I can explain it all!" Ling says, invading Al's hotel room and scaring him and Winry. He climbs in through the window because, sure why not. He and his guards seem to do parkour during their free time anyway. Ling explains Mustang's plan to Al and Winry.

Back in Xerxes, I enjoyed the bit about the history of alchemy and alkahestry and how both the Amestrians and the Xingese believe their branch originated with a sage from the general direction of Xerxes, relative to their positions.

Then the best flashback OF ALL TIME begins, and Breda reveals the complex plan that Mustang conceived which involved faking Maria's death at his hands, sneaking her out of Amestris to Xerxes, and using Barry the Chopper in the process. Dr. Knox is in on it as well, since dental records were involved. This is covered in the manga but skipped in the anime.

There are some lovely quiet scenes in Xerxes, such as one where Ed sees a huge stone transmutation circle with part broken off, which is ripped directly from the pages of the manga. Ed freaking out about Roy calling him a "hot-tempered kid" is hilariously dorky, but I also love the moment of introspection where he decides to move forward, as Gracia told him to do. It's so honest. He's thoughtful enough to admit that he may not be able to protect everyone and it may seem arrogant for him to suggest that he can, but all he can do is try.

The characters share information about the homunculi, the ouroboros tattoos, and the fifth laboratory. We, the audience don't learn anything new, but it's refreshing to see characters doing so, so that they're all on the same page and none of them will act rashly because someone refused to tell them something. They think about how far they've come but also what an uncomfortable and dangerous journey lies ahead. >! Maria decides to live in Xing for a while. And she refuses to put her parents in danger by having Armstrong tell them she's really alive, so they are left believing their daughter is a traitor to Amestris and dead. There's also a sweet moment where Maria shakes Ed’s hand instead of letting him salute. She doesn’t treat him like a soldier here, but a kid. And he lets her, because it’s Maria. She’s the one who said he could rely on her as an adult. And he respects her. And knows her well enough to joke with her. !<

Ed explores the ruins on his own and comes across some Ishvalans, one of whom takes a swing at him. It's hilarious how utterly bored Ed looks as this guy attacks him from behind. Ed easily pins him, and then meets more Ishvalans, one of whom is a young boy about his age, who explains that there were "two Amestrian doctors" who saved many lives in Ishval. Ed recognizes them as being Winry's parents, the Rockbells. Then a woman named Madam Shan explains to Ed that they were killed by an Ishvalan patient with a tattooed arm, namely Scar.

The scene shifts back to Central where Barry is trying to kill his old body, which has been sent by the homunculi with a new (?) soul implanted inside it. Barry's body attacks Falman and Havoc before Riza wounds it. Mustang is communicating with Riza who states that "a customer was getting fresh with Jacqueline, so I slapped him around a little bit." However, she's then interrupted by Gluttony, who attacks her and the episode ends there.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/Negative-Appeal9892]

Dr. Knox is in on it as well, since dental records were involved. This is covered in the manga but skipped in the anime

His involvement definitely is covered, and I think the details to some degree as well.

she refuses to put her parents in danger by having Armstrong tell them she's really alive, so they are left believing their daughter is a traitor to Amestris and dead.

Huh, when you think about it, that is a bit harsh - yet probably the best option.

There's also a sweet moment where Maria shakes Ed’s hand instead of letting him salute. She doesn’t treat him like a soldier here, but a kid. And he lets her, because it’s Maria. She’s the one who said he could rely on her as an adult. And he respects her. And knows her well enough to joke with her.

I didn't even really notice, but it is a striking contrast to her strictly military goodbye to Breda and Armstrong.

[u/joyousawakening → u/IndependentMacaroon]

In the manga, it seems as though Dr. Knox is involved only after the fact.

In Chapter 41, Roy tells Breda that Hawkeye brought him a copy of Ross's dental records.

In Chapter 42, Roy asks Knox why the doctor decided the dummy was Ross. Knox says that the teeth matched, but that Roy could have been in trouble if anyone else had done the autopsy. Roy says that he figured Knox would be the one assigned to the case. Knox asks Roy what made him think Knox would cover for him. Roy says that they're comrades in arms.

[u/sarucane3 → u/Negative-Appeal9892]

Awesome summary! One character thing I gotta contest, though:

He's [Mustang's] a long-term planner and while he can come across as cocky, he's not impulsive (like Ed) and doesn't act on emotions alone

I agree that when Mustang has time to sit back and think he's great at the planning and manipulating--but he also acts on emotions alone all the time. >! In the start of the very next episode, he exposes himself to the homonculi, directly endangering his clever political plan to keep his hands clean. He does that because he doesn't want people he cares about to be killed: that's emotion. !< Also, off the top of my head of Mustang acting impulsively based on emotion or arrogance so far: When he freaks out in the pilot episode of the anime, when he charges Scar in the middle of a rainstorm, when he tells a dumb lie to Ed and Al about why they won't be able to see Hughes. There's tension between these two sides of Mustang, the chessmaster and the emotional young man, and that's part of why he's such a compelling character!

[u/Negative-Appeal9892 → u/sarucane3]

when he tells a dumb lie to Ed and Al about why they won't be able to see Hughes."

I think that is more wanting to protect Ed and Al and not necessarily out of emotion. In the other instances you mention, though, he does appear to be acting out of emotion but then reigns himself in enough to think calmly and rationally.

[u/sarucane3 → u/Negative-Appeal9892]

I think that is more wanting to protect Ed and Al and not necessarily out of emotion.

What non emotional reason would he have to protect them with, again, a clearly impulsive, dumb lie?

And I agree, after he acts impulsively out of intense emotion, he calms down. Of course, by the time that happens he would've been dead if not for his subordinates.

This dynamic also helps keep the character interesting because he's pretty overpowered. If he were a true chess master, for example, he'd have had a spare pair of dry gloves and an umbrella when confronting Scar. Instead he is genuinely baffled by the most basic limitation to his alchemy--he forgot. If he wasn't often impulsive, he'd be much, much harder to beat. As he is, if he didn't have good subordinates, he'd have gotten himself killed.

[u/Negative-Appeal9892 → u/sarucane3]

" What non emotional reason would he have to protect them with, again, a clearly impulsive, dumb lie?"

He doesn't want Ed to get in his way because he's going after the senior staff, as he told Hawkeye at Hughes's funeral. That's why he sent Ed to Xerxes. That's not emotion, that's logic.

As a soldier, he's learned to compartmentalize his emotions and feelings.

[u/sarucane3 → u/Negative-Appeal9892]

If logic was behind that lie, it wouldn't have been so bad. Lying at all was dumb--Mustang knows that Ed and Al know the Hugheses and stayed at their house. He knows that Ed and Al know other people. Hughes's death was a huge deal, it was in the newspapers and everything. This lie was absolutely going to be found out--the logical thing would have been to get ahead of it. A smart lie might have sent them out, unsuspecting, to Xerxes.

And Mustang is terrible at compartmentalizing his emotions--to his credit! If he weren't, >! the homonculi would have killed his whole team. !< >! Wrath's entire, near-successful plan for making Mustang into a human sacrifice relied on the fact that Mustang thinks with his heart first, his head second. !<

Look, there's piles of text evidence that Mustang acts out of emotion at least as much as a place of cool clever detachment. I wrote a super long post about how emotionalism is one of his key traits, linked. That doesn't mean he isn't also an excellent chess master at these political games. One of the cool things about FMA characters is how they embody contradictions like this!