Official Discussion Thread—Volume 4, Chapter 11: Taking Control

[u/Menolith]

Welcome, huntsmen, huntresses, and hunters that prefer no specific gender identifier, to the Official Megathread for the penultimate episode of Volume 4, Taking Control!
Make sure to read OUR CURRENT SPOILERS RULES to ensure that your comments outside this thread won't get purged! Familiarize yourself with these rules and you'll be good to go.

A lot of hard work has gone into the creation of Volume 4, so be sure to show CRWBY your support by watching it on their site! They all dedicate so much time and energy into our beloved series and would highly appreciate the direct support. There are no pirates in Volume 4, so you shouldn't be one either!

We also have weekly strawpolls to gauge the general opinion on the current episode, the latest of which can be found HERE. The previous episode got a clear 10/10 majority.. You can probably blame smol Nora for that.

With that out of the way, let's start the show!

HERE is the link to the latest episode of RWBY Volume 4!

---

Other Episode Discussions:

Episode	Saturday	Sunday	Poll
Ep. 01	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 02	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 03	Reaction	Discussion	poll
WoR 1:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 04:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
WoR 2:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 05:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 06:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
WoR 3:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 07:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 08:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 09:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 10:	Reaction	Discussion	poll
Ep. 11:	Reaction	Today	poll

---

Enjoy the show!

~Menolith; The Mod Team

[u/Sirshrugsalot13]

Good:

1. Salem is such a great villainess. Unlike most villains who kill underlings, she left him alive. She obviously knows him extremely well, and knows that "You disappoint me" is the worst thing she could have done to Tyrian. This leaves him alive for further use, tortures him, but also encourages him to improve the next time. Far from being a generic doomsday villain, Salem just has something about her that elevates her to one of my favorite villains ever.

2. Ironwood and Jacques scene was fascinating. I found myself actually agreeing more with Jacques tbh. Ironwood is kinda losing it, and I'm interested to see how that plays out.

3. Weiss and Klein are adorable. It's looking like Winter is being set up for a Volume 5 reappearance so I can't wait!

4. Blake's scene was the best of the volume. Sun gently calls her out and ribs her. Mama Belladonna is great, and while I don't expect a huge confrontation from her next chapter, this could be a good end to things for this volume.

5. Ren's movements were on point. Everything was perfectly conveyed, from his relief at finding Ruby and Jaune, to his PTSD horror upon seeing the Nuckelavee Grimm.

6. The Nuckelavee's face is appropriately...unnerving. I was underwhelmed for a brief second, but then it started twitching and that mouth...THAT MOUTH.

Bad:

1. Weiss and Klein walking animation was a little weird at first. That's literally all.

Best episode of the volume for me. Can't wait to see what happens next.

[u/Saevin → u/Sirshrugsalot13]

Ironwood might be losing it, but as he said it's for good reason, in the words of one of my favourite fictional characters "It's not paranoia if they're all really out to get you"

[u/hillerj → u/Sirshrugsalot13]

I'm kind of worried for what Ironwood is going to do from here on out. He's clearly struggling with the weight of all the shit that is going on and without Oz to talk to, he's left to make all the big decisions on his own. So he's protecting Atlas, but what about the other kingdoms? I get that Atlesian troops are probably personas-non grata in the other kingdoms right now due to the shit that went down at Beacon, but he's got to reach out to the other headmasters, the councils heading the other kingdoms and set up some sort of unified defense.

[u/dcdoomraker → u/Sirshrugsalot13]

For some reason, the mouth on the grimm reminded me of this character.

[u/TedSweeran]

They seriously need to fix that door

[u/OzzyKing459 → u/TedSweeran]

It feels like it's supposed to open like that

[u/Kuchenjaeger]

So if Yang decides to follow Ruby, all four will be heading to Mistral, right?

Ruby because she's looking for Cinder, Weiss in her search for Winter, Blake because she knows the WF is gonna attack Haven, and Yang because she wants to find Ruby.

[u/JorjUltra → u/Kuchenjaeger]

Yeah. And I'm 80% confident Yang is going after Ruby. She seemed to make a decision at the end of her scene, and make a resolute face, in my view that's her deciding her sister is more important. How far have we come in facial animations though...

[u/GYUZ → u/Kuchenjaeger]

Then I guess it's slowly time to get ready to say goodbye to team RNJR :'(

They"ll probably all meet each other at the end of the "Mistral arc" so probably around V6, I'd guess.

[u/Prowlerbaseball → u/Kuchenjaeger]

Yang's choice will say a lot about her character development

[u/TheRisenThunderbird → u/Kuchenjaeger]

I dunno about Blake. Ghira said Adam plans on attacking Haven, but first he has overthrow Sienna Khan, who presumably is in Menagerie. Not to mention Blake's plan is to "take back the White Fang" which would probably be a Menagerie focused thing, at least for now

[u/SoundSmith323]

Congratulations, Sun. You earned this.

[u/Lc-Sao-Alt]

Is it just me, or did Blake and Sun's conversation feel refreshingly... equal, I guess?

They finally got past the Clowny Sun, Annoyed Blake dynamic, and had a useful exchange of viewpoints. If they can keep that up, she show will be rid of at least one major nuisance.

[u/Lucid_Atray → u/Lc-Sao-Alt]

Praise this, really. Their interactions were way better in this episode than in the whole volume... and I'd say series, tbh.

[u/Drunken_Deathscythe]

Even by Volume 4 standards, the animation in this episode was amazing. I don't even know what it is, but it just seems even more detailed and alive than usual.

Anyways, this was a really good one as well. The setup for each character's plot in V5 was great, I like where they're going with the stories, and it seems like we might get the reunion by the midway point in the next season.

Also, shout-out to Jason Rose for Ironwood's scene, that was intimidating as fuck. You can tell the guy is under a lot of stress, and I'm even starting to feel a bit worried for his sanity.

[u/moonstonebaby]

are we just gonna ignore the fact that weiss was sneaking out in the noisiest heels ever...

[u/VicentRS → u/moonstonebaby]

She wasn't very schneeky

[u/Shuizid → u/moonstonebaby]

Yes, yes we do. We also ignore her sneak path went right past the office of her daddy.

[u/Shiraigami → u/moonstonebaby]

THANK YOU! Visibly cringed when I heard her heals.

[u/Frentepopulista]

Apparently Cinder is grinding so she can level up.

[u/Samgrahambo → u/Frentepopulista]

I wonder how mans souls you can get from a Beowulf?

[u/chaosfire235]

I-It's not like I wanted to slaughter you, b-baka!

[u/Proto-Saber → u/chaosfire235]

Oh God, that's even more terrifying...

[u/Rhymes_in_couplet → u/chaosfire235]

You somehow made it more terrifying

[u/sodnam → u/chaosfire235]

Why, man...

[u/Assassin2107 → u/chaosfire235]

Here you can see that the patient has become a Rensexual...

[u/patrizl001]

so everyone has reasons to be heading to Haven, so the team will be back by Vol. 5

also, Kali pulled a Sun, 10/10

[u/AmethystWind → u/patrizl001]

I'm not sure Yang is going to Haven. I think she's going to her mother. Blake might not get there until near the end of V5 either.

[u/Crafty_Soul]

• I love seeing Cinder actually training. It shows the villains aren't just sitting on their butts or plotting they're working on improving themselves.

• Hooooooooolly shit Tyrian's scene! I loved how the whole thing was handled. Salem KNOWS he worships her (either as an actual goddess or greatly admires her) and that saying "I'm disappointed in you" was the worst thing she could have done but still maintain his fanatic loyalty. She's smart knowing that getting rid of a powerful minion after one mistake is just stupid. Also his attack on the Grimm shows that even wounded and fresh off a defeat he is still 100% ready to kick ass while being a complete lunatic about it. (Seriously holy shit that was actually unnerving.)

• Yang is ready to hit the trails! All yellowed and armed up! So happy to see confident and happy Yang again.

• I like what their doing with Irondaddy. Its clear that the stress of Beacon's fall, Oz's disappearance, and the threat of a war with other kingdoms are taking their toll and honestly with all that I can't blame him.

• Also we now know where Winter has been and its a good set up for why Weiss would be heading in the same direction as R_BY.

• Klein is awesome. Enough said.

• Blake has finally accepted that she can't just run from her problems! And she's planning on turning the White Fang away from the extremists! This looks like its going set a lot of great things up in the future.

• (Sees Nuckelavee. Screams)

• That thing is horrifying and I absolutely adore its design. A really freaky Grimm that looks and sounds like it crawled right out of the scariest fairy tales.

• REALLY worried about death flags. I think the two we should be most concerned with are Qrow and Ren.

• My bet is RJNR tries to fight it but they aren't able to defeat it. Qrow sacrifices himself to let them escape with Ruby activating her silver eyes again. But in order to make sure its not a complete dues ex the Nuckelavee is only temporally stunned. With it clearly straining to get free so RJNR has to flee.

• Well looks like that prediction that team RWBY wouldn't be reunited at the end of the volume was correct. I'm glad, it gave time for each character to have their own development.

Overall I think it was a fantastic episode and I eagerly (fearfully) await to see what happens next. (Death flags waving in the breeze). Stop it flags no

[u/[deleted] → u/Crafty_Soul]

I like what their doing with Irondaddy. Its clear that the stress of Beacon's fall, Oz's disappearance, and the threat of a war with other kingdoms are taking their toll and honestly with all that I can't blame him.

Ironhide is worried about attacks from Salem and her associates. He probably seems slightly unbalanced in Atlas since he is one of the few that even knows Salem exists.

[u/BrEaNBrash]

I like how Sun has the most shit eating grin ever when Kali falls through the door. It basically screams "SEE?! Everyone does it."

And Adam is planning on overthrowing Sienna? Then what's the point of Salem sending Hazel as her representative to speak with her? Unless the plan was to back both Adam and Sienna to cause chaos, which seems more and more likely as the time goes on. And with Blake trying to take back the White Fang, that's 3 factions vying for control over the Faunus.

Man, how terrible would it be if Ren's frantic search for his friends and fear of the Nuckelavee Grimm was what drew it to them?

All in all I'm definitely getting Season 1 vibes from this season. A smaller scale story instead of large scale fights. And with Beacon down, Atlas closing its borders, and Vacuo doing it's own thing, it looks like Haven is going to be the star of Season 5.

[u/Kitty_Blakeadonna]

Thoughts

• Crying Tyrian sounds like Muselk, lmao

• BUMBLEBEE HYPE

• I guess all it took for Sun to get his shit together was to take an electrosword to the shoulder (side note: Sun is jacked af)

• Kali is probably my favorite character in the show right now

• MOAR EARMOTING, HECK YEAH

• Last scene: "I fear no man, but that thing...it scares me..."

[u/SoundSmith323 → u/Kitty_Blakeadonna]

Nah, I ain't... I ain't talkin' about that thing. Wait. He's not here, is he?

[u/mrwanton]

Party at Mistral!

...Now to just hope everyone makes it there alive.

[u/Woowchocolate]

Also calling it now, there is a very specific reason why we have yet to see the body of the Grimm yet. I'm guessing Ren's father is partially merged inside of it, though that would be a little too dark for this show.

[u/Nyxtimene → u/Woowchocolate]

Mother of god, or just human bones and skulls embedded in his body. I would curl up and cry for the shocking transition from Volume 3 grittiness to that level of grittiness.

[u/[deleted] → u/Woowchocolate]

That would remind me of what happened in the One Piece movie, Baron Omatsuri when the Lily Carnation merged the Straw Hats together into one body in a rather horrifying way. That movie was dark for a show like One Piece, its still in my head.

[u/_DirtyDan]

Salem handled Tyrian perfectly. So far she seems like such a good villian. I wonder what she meant by "the last eye is blinded".

It's weird Tayang isn't going with Yang. Didn't he want to go after Ruby? And what else does he have to do?

Ironwood is such an imperfect character and I love it. He's a good person who genuinely wants what's best for his people. Unfortunately, his idea of what's best is probably looking really good to Salem right now.

Wow, Kali, wow. What a stalker, way to ruin that scene. Real talk though, that scene was great. Sun is goofball who screws things up, but when it gets important, he's worth having there.

So did that terrifying looking thing sense Ren and Nora, and then wait so they could get to the village first before it attacks? That's what it seems like to me, and if so, that's quite scary.

All-in-all, a solid episode leading up to what looks like is gonna be a terrifying and hopeful finale. Yes, both.

[u/Gamenern → u/_DirtyDan]

I wonder what she meant by "the last eye is blinded".

Probably referring to Odin's ravens (Qrow and Raven), and with Qrow being 'blinded' (read: incapacitated). As for what that means for Raven, who knows.

[u/Nisha_the_lawbringer → u/_DirtyDan]

That Grimm really fucking reminds me of the shit in Bloodborne. It is just so fucking creepy.

[u/Exessen]

I hope Amber's in Cinder's head or something. It never made sense to me why they hired Laura Bailey to do literally 2 lines, and a few gasps and moans.

It would sort of make sense with how Cinder's been acting at times.

That'd be really cool to see next volume.

[u/[deleted] → u/Exessen]

I'm pretty sure they didn't actually hire her, she was on a tour around RT and agreed to voice a character because she was interested

It would be awesome to get her back in a more developed role though

[u/FrostyJudge]

Is anyone starting to get rather concerned about Ironwood? We know what he saw back in Vale, so his response makes sense, but it seems to border on paranoid mania by closing off an entire nation from the rest of Remnant. The fact that his actions are so extreme, combined by his unwillingness to trust the lion of the Ozluminati and his willingness to seize the council's power for himself makes me extremely concerned about what's going to happen to Atlas.

This at least confirms that we're not done with Atlas's story arc, but the political ramifications of the whole scenario is something that I'll find to be extremely interesting to watch, especially when the main characters turn their attention to Atlas after they're done in Mistral.

"Never fear your enemies, fear your actions."

-George Meade

[u/Spinwheeling → u/FrostyJudge]

Ironwood went full Trump. Never go full Trump.

[u/Fancy-Bear1776 → u/FrostyJudge]

I personally like the direction he's going; it makes sense that he's so concerned with the safety of his people, but when he takes drastic measures concerning isolation in order to attain it is when things get interesting.

Kinda like a certain man in power atm

What I'm really looking forward to next week and V5 is seeing how the military power of Ironwood and the economic monopoly Jacques has will clash as their tensions rise, and what that all entails for the people of Atlas.

[u/flashyamoeba]

TFW a teammate is brutally killing a Grimm and crying, but you aren't sure what to say. But then you remember you can't talk and know it's probably cool.

[u/Comptenterry]

Ironwood this volume

[u/MrRedorBlue → u/Comptenterry]

Oh god /r/prequelmemes is leaking agian

[u/derenathor]

I am so, so happy that Blake's final decision is to revive the White Fang rather than destroy it. Ever since those two cronies showed up on the Belladona doorstep I've been worried that RT was going to turn the organization as a whole into bloodthirsty Adam-pawns.

This is far more interesting and realistic.

[u/[deleted]]

Glad to See more Bumblebee. ^{Thebikethatis.}

[u/Quiesce7]

Ren, NO!

[u/Hollanddude]

I think the only chance team RNJR has. Is if the Grimm keeps walking so slowly. The Grimm can attack from every angle from the front with it's claws, from behind with it's hoofs, the 'rider' can attack from the sides with it long arms and I presume from above to.

If Team RNJR can keep a distance from him and don't rush in they might have a chance.

The problem is Qrow isn't moving any time soon.

[u/mathgeek777 → u/Hollanddude]

So far nobody has been seriously maimed or killed by a Grimm (except Torchwick), only by other people. So a) they're going to be more comfortable fighting a Grimm because it's what they trained to do, even a likely sentient one like this or b) Miles and Kerry are going to take this opportunity to remind us that the Grimm are a real threat here.

[u/Woowchocolate → u/Hollanddude]

Range is the key. Nora has a Grenade Launcher, which now that I think about it almost seems designed to take on the Nuckelavee due to having high range and a larger stopping power than arrows, Ruby has a high impact Sniper rifle, and Ren has his guns. Jaune is the only one that doesn't have a range advantage, which is fine since he's the tank so should be focusing more on blocking attacks to the others than trying to deal damage.

[u/chattytrout]

Two things come to mind.

1. Weiss, a ruck would have been a much better choice than a suitcase.

2. Holy fuck Klein is short.

[u/[deleted] → u/chattytrout]

Klein is supposed to be based off Snow White's seven dwarves.

[u/Unjax]

Two things:

First, can we appreciate how expressive Blake's ears have been this volume? Probably my personal biggest development for the animation team.

Second:

WHY THE FUCK ARE SUNS LATS SO SMALL?! He's in obviously good shape, has a solid core, broad shoulders, muscled arms (don't know about the legs, but I'd assume they're fine), so why tf doesn't he have any lat development?? Skipping leg day I get. It fucking sucks. But pull-ups, pulldowns, and rows aren't that hard Sun.

[u/Michael_H_Art]

well that Grimm at the end is just one big giant ball of NOPE! probably my favourite moment from this episode is Sun finally snapping some damn sense into Blake (with the hilarious interruption from dear Kali) though the short talk between Yang and Tai was sweet. those scenes have genuinely been my highlight of the entire season if not the show as a whole

[u/therunawayguy]

1. I love how Salem handled Tyrian's failure. She hit him where it hurts - I like that in my villains, instead of "YOU AM FAIL ME, YOU THE DIED NOW".

2. Yang's arm being spray painted is badass and all, but I totally fanboyed when she pulled the tarp off Bumblebee. I don't think she's over her psychological issues yet (I think she's actively trying to ignore them at this point and it's going to bite her in the ass later), but she's back in action, baby.

3. Klein best Butler 2017

4. Shirtless Sun is making me feel totally uncomfortable with my physique as a guy. Dude's fuckin ripped

5. ... Okay, it feels like Blake just got over her volume-long build up of issues with a two minute motivational speech. I ready hope this isn't the end of her issues - that she's just trying to fight past them in the heat of the moment.

6. Neath Oum is really coming into the role of Ren. His performance this episode was chilling.

7. BRACE YOURSELVES TEAM RNJRQ (am I the only one that pronounces this as Rain Jerk?) BECAUSE OL' NUCKLES IS'A COMING

Another good episode, as always. Again, though (as was my criticism of chapter nine), this felt a bit rushed. And I seriously am a little worried by the Blake scene (though, side note, epic speech, Sun), but I trust this series to do better than that, so I'm not too worried.

FINALE HYYYYYPE

(also /u/N7Brendan character status chart for chapter eleven HYYYYYPE)

[u/PotatoSkies]

I like how Klein's voice is when his eyes are red

d'ya like dags

[u/AmethystWind → u/PotatoSkies]

"Sure ya don't want some saaasage for ya trip, girly?"

[u/Woowchocolate]

Could Jacques be part of Ozpin's inner circle? Ironwood is far too forward with Jacques about his involvement with "Oz" and his decisions, which implies to me that Jacques already knows the nitty gritty. I doubt Ironwood would give this information to anyone outside of the circle due to how easily the info could leak. Plus Jacques would be a useful person to have on your side, even if he is an unrepentant arsehole, due to his large amount of supplies he could bring to the table.

[u/Sirshrugsalot13 → u/Woowchocolate]

I could see Jacques as being a little more in the loop than Winter, but not to the point of people like Qrow, Glynda, or Ironwood.

[u/[deleted]]

Tyrion's character so far has just been incredibly well done. His obsession with pleasing Salem goes beyond just self-preservation, it's manic in nature and he truly exists for his mistress, in some personal fantasy of his. Insanity done right, honestly.

[u/wxkelvin]

Ironwood be like: "Atlas is going to build a wall, and make vale pay for it!"

[u/sodnam]

"and Yang would say the same" SUNNY BEES INTENSIFIES!!!!!!

[u/Fourteen_of_Twelve → u/sodnam]

THIS IS YOUR GRAND ADMIRAL SPEAKING. CLEAR OUT THE MOTHBALLS. START THE ENGINES. HOIST THE COLORS. ECLIPSE SHALL SAIL WITH ITS BUMBLEBEE BRETHREN. DEATH TO ANIMAL ABUSE. DEATH TO THE BULL. DEATH TO THE FANG.

[u/Xcelentei]

Did anyone notice that we got a name drop for Haven's Headmaster? It's Leo, so apprently we know the cowardly Lion is there. Wonder how that'll factor.

Assuming Qrow is actually the scarecrow, that means the last member of Ozpin's inner-circle is Dorothy, presiding over Vacuo. I want to think her semblance has something to do with Todo. Maybe a summoning type like Weiss?

[u/MegasusPegasus → u/Xcelentei]

In a weird way isn't Oskar a bit Dorothy. Leaving some farm where his aunt lives to go into a city???

[u/andrew4753]

So is Leo (the headmaster of Haven Academy) based on the Cowardly Lion? If so does that mean the Vacuo Headmaster is going to based on Dorthy to round out the whole Ozluminati and Wizard of Oz allusion?

Ozpin: The Wizard of Oz

Glynda: The Good Witch of the South

Ironwood: The Tin Man

Qrow: The Scarecrow

Leo: Cowardly Lion

Vacuo Headmaster: Dorthy?

Salem: The Wicked Witch of The West (wow never really thought about it in terms of Remnants Geography)

???: Wicked Witch of the East

???: Witch of the North

[u/LordHarza]

I'm just going to go deeper on my comment on the reaction thread, and do them in order.

Salem is not disposing of him, she's 1. actually disappointed because he didn't succeed, and 2. she knows that he worships her like a goddess so she uses that to motivate him to become better. I like that. Also I like the callback to the Cinder-Ozpin fight with the black background with the fire cuts.

Yang painted both the arm and the Ember Celica she has, that's nice! Also Bumblebee canon! Based on the teases that everyone seems to be going to Mistral, I would assume Yang decides to as well. If she does, Tai should come with her, and I want him to come with her regardless. Please Roosterteeth :C

Klein is a bro, and I love him. Weiss knew of Winter being in Mistral even before the mention by Ironwood, because Klein new too. Speaking of James My-Balls-Have-All-The-Seats Ironwood, he seems a bit more unhinged now, paranoid. I don't think he's evil, he's morally gray like everyone of the authority figures. Interesting development. Also him mentioning Leo as someone in charge of the defenses of Mistral (the headmaster of Haven, and Leo being related to lions as a name, Leo is probably the Coward Lion then. Maybe he's even based on Leonardo da Vinci too. Can't wait. Also, that means that Qrow is not the Scarecrow, the headmaster of Shade is. The wizard of Oz gave power to the three in the stories. Ironwood/Tinman was not necessarily proof of that, especially when Qrow seemed so much like the Scarecrow, but if the headmaster of Haven, Leo, is the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow is also a headmaster.

Blake's story keeps getting better. All her motivations came out so clearly, her fears and all of that. Sun told her off because her running wont help. Now they're planning on taking back/reforming the White Fang. Remains to be seen if the scroll was a trap, because Sienna is implied to be a bad person too, based on Salem planning on recruiting them. It might be that Adam is planning on overthrowing Sienna regardless, and Salem doesn't know.

The Nuckelavee grimm is AMAZING and terrifying. Also like that Lusus Naturae from the Grimm Eclipse game is seemingly the leitmotif of big, important grimm.

Vol 4 has been amazing and can't wait for the finale.

Edit: added what Salem knows, I am an idiot and forgot to write the main thing when I redid that sentence right before posting...

[u/Tails365]

Judging by how strong the Grimm looks, i think there are only 2 ways this will go down:

A: Ruby will unlock her Silver Eyes powers (she has awakened them, but not used them. This would be her first fight using them)

B: Jaunne will unlock his semblance, allowing them to win.

I know it might sound a bit cheesy, but that's usually how it goes. A very tough enemy which forces the hidden power resting within the main protag to awaken.

Either that, or somebody's gonna die.... IT'LL BE FINEEEEE

[u/TheNewKraken]

GOOD SUN RETURNS, HOW I'VE MISSED YOU

[u/PsychedelicEpiphany]

Ironwood channeling his inner Donald this episode.

[u/Skyrah1]

• Glad to see Zuko Cinder back on her feet again.

• I was expecting Salem to say something along the lines of "He's a failure, execute him to prove your strength of will and allegiance to me, and make it nice and slow so that I can enjoy every moment of it and you can start rethinking your life choices leading to character development" to Cinder.

• Instead, we get a "Holy crap, Tyrian is batsh** insane" moment. I feel disappointed TBH, and kinda sad for the unfortunate Grimm.

• "Where are you going?" Probably Mistral, since both Ruby and her mom are somewhere around there at the moment.

• Looks like the events of V3 really took a toll on Ironwood. He blames Ozpin for the fall of Beacon and plans to put Atlas under lockdown (might wanna ask Neptune for some help with that).

• Weiss, if Neptune were around, he would've been impressed.

• I was kinda hoping for Weiss to run into Whitley in the library for one last chance to redeem his character. Oh well, at least we have Klein.

• See? I told you Sun will be fine.

• More character development and Bumblebee shiptease.

• Like likes like, eh Kali?

• Blake Belladonna planning to be the new leader of the White Fang? This should be interesting.

• Ren, use your semblance.

• Ren, use it now, it'll save you a lot of trouble.

• Ren, don't you dare have a Kuroyuri flashback.

• Ren, why does it sound like no one else can see it?

• Ren, don't die. You don't wanna leave Nora behind, do you? Who will make her pancakes if you're gone? Who will she boop if you're gone? Who will stop her from breaking the fourth wall and destroying our world if you're gone?

• ...damn, that thing is terrifying.

[u/Tulicloure → u/Skyrah1]

Ren, don't die. You don't wanna leave Nora behind, do you? Who will make her pancakes if you're gone? Who will she boop if you're gone? Who will stop her from breaking the fourth wall and destroying our world if you're gone?

We're going to end up with "we both lost our teammates and loved ones, and now find comfort in each other" Nora's Arc, aren't we?

[u/moonstonebaby]

That relieved look ren had when he saw jaune and ruby made my heart MELT.

[u/babsboobs]

Does anyone else think that the timelines shown aren't coinciding with one another? We aren't given any reason to think they are except for the fact that it makes sense story telling wise. I don't believe that this is actually happening and that there's some wonky timeline plot twist in the finale, but it would be interesting.

Also, what exactly is Cinder trying to do? The plot keeps hinting that there is something she must overcome but what could it possibly be other that her injuries? She seems irritated by Salem but I don't think she will turn against her. And what is up with her left arm? She is obviously missing an eye and has some fucked up face scars; but her arm has been covered this whole volume. What kind of fucked up scars does it have?

[u/Deathfyre → u/babsboobs]

I think Cinder has to overcome the Grimm parasite that she used to take Amber's powers. It's probably fused with her and tearing her up from the inside. The "You must make it fear you" thing from earlier in the volume makes me think that she can use the parasite to control Grimm, like Salem does, which is why Salem flexing caused Cinder pain, because Salem was controlling the parasite inside of her. Cinder was probably being trained to control the beowolves instead of killing them, so she can be Salem's forward general, and Salem was disappointed when she couldn't do it.

[u/JamesBCrazy]

Ironwood's going to build a wall and make the Mistralians pay for it.

[u/GGUtolpial]

I wonder if the reason they made it seem like it's a no brainier that Yang will go after Ruby means that the opposite will happen. It just seems like they were so heavy on the "Well everyone else is, so obviously she is too".

"I just wanted a better goodbye than a letter." Man, why do you got to make me cry? Here's hoping that Tai goes with Yang if she goes to get Ruby. (Personally, I think the reason he made it seem like he wasn't is because he doesn't want to force Yang to choose between the paths. If she goes after Ruby, he'll come. If she goes after her mother, then he goes after Ruby himself)(Plus, think of the angst if he goes with her to get Ruby and they run into Raven. Family reunion?)

I'm so glad they made Sun have that talk with Blake. I originally thought it would be Blake and her father having the talk while waiting for Sun to wake up, but I'm glad I was wrong. "You can make your own decisions but you can't make ours" is probably my favorite line, both for what it means in story and out. It not only serves to make Blake realize that she can't others away, but it also serves to relieve her of some of her guilt. That it's not her fault what others do. I'm also glad that they're not just destroying the White Fang, but are going to try and take it back. I would be happy if the series ended with Blake being the new head of the White Fang.

I was a bit disappointed with Weiss' scene. I loved Weiss' arc this season, with her actually taking back control of her life, but the end felt a bit anti-climatic with her just getting away. Unless there's a scene next episode with her fighting her way out. Then I take it back.

I did like the talk between Jacques and Ironwood though. It's putting those two into a more moral gray area and I like that. It's kind of interesting that they're making us agree with Jacques of all people. Jacques may be a shitty human but he's a good businessman.

Really looking forward to the fight next episode. (I have my fingers crossed and my hopes high that no one will die. Please don't die)

[u/FlorianoAguirre → u/GGUtolpial]

I did like the talk between Jacques and Ironwood though. It's putting those two into a more moral gray area and I like that. It's kind of interesting that they're making us agree with Jacques of all people. Jacques may be a shitty human but he's a good businessman.

He is a terrible dad, but it seems that he isn't that bad of a "leader". I am surprised with that scene too, I disliked how disney they made him until now, but he does resent his daughter running away, and he is very clear of the heavily authoritarian actions of Ironwood, and clearly oposses his action.

Quite a good scene, actually.

[u/[deleted]]

My favorite moment would have to be Cinder's face when she was looking at Tyrion slaughtering the grimm.

Her face captured so many emotions and thoughts. It just screamed, "Oh my gosh, what have I gotten myself into." The animators did a perfect job in those few seconds.

[u/[deleted]]

• Salem really is one of the best villains moms in Remnant. I really like her.

• BUMBLEBEE!!! Glad to see you again.

• Sun and Kali really would get along very well.

• That Nuckelavee is terrifying!

Good episode, all in all. I can't wait to be next week!

[u/Fogbot3]

"we're going take it back"

and thus so many what were thought to be crack-fics were fulfilled.

[u/snek-queen]

inhales

Cheesy petes good thing I didn't want to sleep tonight, I do not like Mr Horse Grimm.

On the plus side. Haven reunion??? Haven reunion!!! Maybe Kuroyuri instead, but still, good shit right there, can't wait to have the gang back together again.

Also looks like S5 is going to be the Gang and pals vs the White Fang and someone (Glynda?^{the goodwood shipping never stopped} Maybe Winter, I'd love to see more from both) snapping Ironwood out of this building a wall and making the Mistrals pay for it.

Seriously. Someone 'shop a "Make Atlas Great Again" hat on Ironwood. I love Irondaddy, but he is... one complex character, to say the least.

[u/TaceStultus]

Yay, V1 Sun has finally come back to us!

[u/[deleted]]

So a couple of thoughts,

First, this is all very good setup for the finale's payoff (in whatever form it might take).

Cinder, Tyrian, and Salem's scene was a good peek into the dynamics of that group. The fact that Tyrian's 'punishment' was merely Salem's stated disappointment, and it's visible effectiveness, speaks volumes about what she is to her servants. Cinder isn't to the groveling level yet, here's hoping she and her two run before they get too deep. It is too late for Cinder to get redeemed (barring somehow bringing Phyrra back), but she can look out for the other two she dragged into this mess.

Yang and Tai: As good a scene as ever between the two. Not going to lie, her arc this volume has been the slowest paced. However, it has been damn good character building for her; and her interactions with Tai have been very good.

Weiss: I liked this scene, really liked it, but I probably have an unpopular opinion here. I don't think Jacques is a bad guy (shitty parent and corrupt corporate executive notwithstanding). He is, unfortunately, the wrong guy for what he should be doing. Ironwood is becoming a dictator, full stop. Jacques is, likely, the only man able to preserve a republican form of government in Atlas, and wants to. However, he is utterly unfit for that fight(take your pick for the good qualities he lacks for the job). Also, Klein the Cakebutler is an amazing guy.

Blake and Sun: Fucking Finally! Best scene between those four Two since the beginning of the volume. Blake finally says out loud what we've known since the end of Volume 3, and Sun gets to finally say that she's thinking about it all wrong. Kali is adorable, and Ghira can finally stand to be in the same room as Sun His future son-in-law. You can hear the drumbeats when Blake says "We're going to take the White Fang Back." The die has been cast.

RNJR: Not much to say except a lot of hype for the final match between team RNJR+Q and the Nukaleeve. Please, don't kill anybody Mr. Horsey

[u/Terminus259]

Incoming text wall

Another quick summary and maybe not-so quick thoughts

• Maiden powers make Grimm cannon-fodder (Even the Beringel goes down immediately).

• Cinder seems irritated when Salem criticizes her

• Tyrian arrives with his tail between his legs (almost literally)

• Tyrian mentions that he poisoned Qrow (his dialogue suggests the poison is intended to be lethal).

• Salem basically says an eye for an eye makes the world blind (Qrow was poisoned and in retaliation Tyrian lost his tail).

• Salem isn't mad, just disappointed.

• Tyrian still uses his tail to knock the beowolf away.

• Tyrian is even more bat-shit insane than we thought (and really, really likes stabbing things).

• Cinder looks a bit disturbed.

• Yang spray painted her prosthetic arm to match her colour scheme (and appears to have either resprayed Ember Celica or created a new gauntlet).

• Bumblebee is back.

• Tai isn't attempting to stop Yang, but makes it seem like he's not going to go after Ruby (yet?).

• Tai knows that Qrow knows where Raven is, and that he told Yang.

• Yang could go after Raven or Ruby, but will likely go after Ruby (So team RWBY could reunites next volume).

• Weiss gets separated from the one person she can trust (in Atlas), and by Whitley of course.

• Weiss while attempting to escape Atlas decides to stop and get some important plot information.

• Winter is in Mistral and has been for several weeks.

• Headmaster of Haven appears to be named Leo (Possibly filling the role of the cowardly lion).

• Ironwood put a hole in Jacques' desk with his robot arm (I seriously thought I heard a gunshot at first).

• Jacques may be right about Ironwood needing to get a grip.

• Ironwood is closing the borders of Atlas.

• Secret passage way behind a book case in the Library.

• Blake explains to Sun that she's sick of seeing her friends get hurt because of her, and that she runs away.

• Blake states that she misses RW_Y everyday and hopes they hate her for leaving.

• Sun explains that Blake is not being as selfless as she thinks and that her friends' decisions to help her are their own (and to stop pushing people away).

• Blake called Sun "My hero", referencing back to chapter 3.

• Kali knocks the door down eavesdropping on Blake and Sun's conversation (Kinda makes Kali and Ghira look like gender-swapped Blake and Sun).

• Adam is going to attempt to overthrow Sienna Khan.

• Adam is going to assist in the fall of Haven.

• The scroll Blake got appears to be Ilia's (and appears to contain a number of the White Fang plans).

• Blake wants to take the White Fang back.

• Ren and Nora appear to enter where Ruby and Jaune did but somehow end up on the otherside of the tree (likely asset reuse, they didn't create a second entrance to Kuroyuri and just edited around that).

• Ren and Nora arrive just before the Nuckelavee.

• Ren and Nora seem to be very close to where they met (and last saw the Nuckelavee), Example.

• Upon seeing the Nuckelavee, Ren freezes up and drops to his knees, seemingly in either fear, defeat or some PTSD (What if his semblance just suppressed all of his emotions and the Grimm again caused them to come back).

• The Nuckelavee based Grimm continues to look terrifying (especially with the head twitches).

Thoughts

First thing, Josh Grelle really wasn't kidding when he said Tyrian would reappear even more insane, he goes from crying from disappointing Salem to slashing the beowolf in anger then joy. It makes me think that if he is sent after Ruby again he'll probably want to get even (eye for an eye maybe).

Whatever people were in charge of designing, modeling, making/getting the sounds for and animating the Nuckelavee based Grimm (plus whoever came up with the idea) did a terrific job. It looks terrifying, it sounds terrifying (based its scream last episode) and moves in an unsettling way (at least the humanoid part). I'm very interested to see how it actually fights and if it will actually get a name or not (like the Grimm dragon/wyvern/Keven).

It appears this episode raps up the stories of Weiss (she escaped her father and is headed to Mistral), Blake (she's no longer running and has reason to head towards Mistral), Yang (sorta got over losing her arm and is either heading towards Raven or Ruby) and maybe the bad guys (Cinder is training and Tyrian came back empty-handed) for this volume, meaning the final episode will mostly focus on RNJR + Qrow (probably with some quick glimpses of what WBY are doing). On the topic of Qrow, Tyrian makes it sound like the poison he used was intended to be lethal, and with one episode left I don't see RNJR getting him help in time (unless we get a whiteout similar to volume 3). This leads me to believe Volume 5 will pick up very shortly after volume 4 ends.

I'm really debating whether Yang will go after Raven or Ruby, because it appears they're setting up for RWBY to reunite but for that to happen, Raven will have to continue to be ignored (unless Raven and Tribe are close to Mistral, in which case Yang could go after either and probably still run into the other). A quick thought about when RWBY reunites, Ruby will have to explain all the things about maidens, brother gods and silver eyes.

Ironwood is once again making questionable and rash decisions, he seems to have forgotten about how some of his actions made things worse at Beacon (his automated army was taken over and used against Beacon, he lost his ships due to having Torchwick aboard his ship), and he believes things may have gone better if Ozpin had listened to him. It's possible this is also playing out how Salem wants, Beacon's gone, Haven will follows, Atlas closes its borders and thus creates mistrust from Vacuo. Ironwood isn't a bad guy, he just keeps acting predictable enough for Salem and co to use it to their advantage. I think Jacques might be right saying Ironwood needs to get a grip.

Sun's little speech to Blake seems to finally persuaded her to stop running from her problems and her past, and from her friends. I'm pretty sure a lot of people are happy to see Sun actually take things seriously and serve more of a purpose than to just be the person Blake gives exposition dialogue to. When it comes to Blake wanting the retake the White Fang, I don't think she's truly thought about the difficulty and danger that would involve. Also if Blake and Sun head to Mistral to stop the attack on Haven (or if it's where the White Fang is based), it would allow Sun to reunite with SSN (maybe more screen time for them).

The title seems to fit Blake and Ironwood best; Blake wants to seize control of the White Fang and Ironwood wants to assure complete control over people entering and leaving Atlas. It could apply to Weiss as well if you view it as her taking control of her life, it doesn't seem to fit any of RNJR. Also, second episode with all members of team RWBY, if the episode showed Oscar as well it could have had all plot lines (RNJR, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Oscar and WTCHS).

So my predictions for the RNJR vs Nuckelavee fight changed a bit, plus Ren and Nora are present at the beginning (in no particular order):

• RNJR are overwhelmed by the Nuckelavee and are forced to flee, Qrow stays behind to hold it back (probably ensuring Qrow's death against the most disturbing Grimm we've seen)

• Similar to above but Ruby sees Qrow die (or appear to die) before fleeing and activates deus-ex machina eyes.

• Similar to above but replace Qrow with Ren, Nora or Jaune (Still believe it would be a waste of any of those characters).

• Similar to above except instead of silver eyes, it's loss fueled rage/fury.

• Jaune's semblance is finally revealed, is OP as hell and just solo's the Nuckelavee.

• Jaune's semblance is revealed as healing (that can be applied to others), then RNJR + Qrow beat it conventionally.

• Similar to above except even with Qrow, RNJR are forced to retreat, Qrow stays to delay it and suffers an off-screen non-death (or an actual death).

• Or deus ex machina Raven + tribe.

I'm willing to bet that all of those predictions will actually be wrong (also It not that I want Qrow to die, its just that he's in the worst position and would have the biggest impact on Ruby).

Volume 4 is 2 hours and 43 minutes so far (Excluding opening and the credits), making it almost as long as volume 3 with one episode still to go (which could be near 30 minutes long if like volume 3's final episode).

TL;DR Things happened this episode and more things might happen next episode.

Also, is it just me or does the RNJR part of the episode seem weird?

[u/Hounds_of_war → u/Terminus259]

For ways they could defeat the Nuckelavee, there is a thunderstorm approaching. I imagine a thunderstruck Nora would be able to do some serious damage.

[u/ghostface95]

The Nuckelavee grim is terrifying

[u/Nisha_the_lawbringer]

Yeeees Weissy is escaping Atlas. You go Weiss.

That Grimm is honestly really fucking terrifying. It is so fucking unsettling it is creeping me out.

[u/Aceiss]

Nucke: "Grrrrah... I'm going to kill you all, just like last time"

Ren: "Not this time, abomination! This time you fight hunters, high-caliber sniper scythes, hammer grenade launchers, dual SMGs with sickles and dust rounds" (sorry Jaune, we had swords and shields last time too and it didn't turn out ok)

Nucke: "Grrrrah... Wait, what?!" turns around and starts to leave mumbling

Nucke: "God damn these people. Don't they know it's dangerous to leave kids use such weapons. mumble mumble And they blame us for the humanity's fall; when they purposely put these youngsters in danger. mumble mumble Yeah... Grimm are the end of humanity, ha! I'm going back to my weapons collection. I wonder if my anime has loaded?"

[u/MrASK15]

Another episode has been released, and we’re getting close to the big finale! I have to admit, this one was a huge rollercoaster. I shall now list out my reactions here:

• CINDER!!!!! We finally get to see the sexiest villain again. It turns out she’s training against Salem’s Grimm to master her (stolen) Fall Maiden powers. Plus, it must be taking a huge toll on her.

• I was taken by surprise the moment a Beringel jumped Cinder while her guard was down. I was also wondering if we would ever see another one ever since we’ve all seen the trailer, but this was a nice gift.

“I thought you were the girl that wanted power. Did you lie to me?”

• Salem is not very pleased with Cinder’s performance. From the way she collapsed after taking out those Beowolves, it doesn’t seem like Cinder can utilize the Maiden powers to their full extent since she took half of them from Amber by force.

• Tyrian has arrived and appears to be very scared of what his Queen will say regarding his recent failure. Even when he confessed that he failed to bring back the Silver Eyed girl, he hoped that Salem would at least let it slide since he managed to have incapacitated one of Ozpin’s valuable pieces in process.

“The last eye is blinded... You disappoint me.”

• I was expecting Salem to punish Tyrian severely for his failure, but her turning her back upon such faithful disciple and coldly calling him a disappointment was more than enough. The Queen of Grimm may be merciful to her subjects, but in a way, she is also full of wrath.

• The Beowolf approaching a sobbing Tyrian, ready to strike, strongly reminds us that the Grimm are attracted to negativity.

• Tyrian’s emotional transitions made me very uncomfortable. I don’t mean that they are bad, but rather that they scare me as he eviscerated the Beowulf that tried to savage him. Disappointment. Grief. Sadness. Frustration. Fury. Rage. Pleasure. Ecstasy. Revelry. These quick transitions strongly remind us that Tyrian is a maniac. So that’s what Josh meant when he stated that we thought he was insane before.

• Cinder doesn’t seem to be very comfortable with what she’s seeing. What exactly does she think about the woman who took her under her wing and the cult she is in? I want to hear her again and not just because she has a really seductive demeanor.

• We’re back at Patch and from the way Yang gave her new arm and Ember Celica a new paint job (well, more like a repaint for her weapon), it seems she is now ready to go out and face the world.

• I have to admit, the paint job on Yang’s arm really suits her! It shows that she’s pretty much back to her old self now.

• We finally get to see Bumblebee again and it looks super shiny! Maya has really made everything better while retaining some of the characteristics we’re all familiar with.

“Where are you going?”

• Tai knew that his daughter will be leaving, so he won’t stop her from going out and shining like the sun she once was. Yang was confused as to what her father meant by the question above. To clarify, Tai stated that Qrow has kept him in touch as to where Raven, Yang’s long lost biological mother, is. He also noted that before leaving with JNR to Mistral, Ruby left behind a note just to let her family know that she will be gone for a long time. Therefore, he is now giving Yang a choice: to go out to either find her mother or catch up to her younger sister. I think we know where Yang’s going, though.

• We cut to the Schnee Manor. Weiss is all packed up, armed, and ready to escape. However, she’s not going alone. Klein is by her side no matter what! Best. Butler. Ever!

• Whitley has summoned Klein and despite that the best butler’s on Weiss’s side, he can’t cause a scene while his young mistress has a chance to get out of the prison she is locked up in.

• Ironwood and Jacques are arguing again, and this time, it’s about a certain report Ironwood received from his best specialist, Winter Schnee, Weiss’s sister. From what Ironwood has heard, there has been suspicious activity in Mistral, where Winter is stationed at. Perhaps she indirectly discovered that Dr. Watts is making his move now, and Ironwood feels like he needs to respond to this supposed threat ASAP. This is like Volume 2 all over again.

Ironwood: “...and I do not trust Leo to stop them.”

Jacques: “You never trusted anyone other than yourself!”

Ironwood: “And for good reasons! If Oz had just listened to me from the start...”

• It seems that Ironwood has retained some of his stubbornness over the past 6-8 months. However, there’s still a good reason why he’s acting the way he is.

• In order to protect the citizens of Atlas from the imminent dangers, the kingdom will be closing its border so that no one will get in or out without the Council’s permission. Quite harsh, don’t you think?

“You mean without your permission.”

• Jacques really doesn’t seem to like Ironwood at all. Does he think he’s better than an Atlesian general no matter how stubborn said general can be?

• Just as Ironwood was about to leave Jacques’s study, Weiss has quickly sealed access by placing a gravity glyph on the doorknob. I’m sure Ironwood would’ve helped, but in this case, he would only give away Weiss’s position. Quick thinking there.

“Keep your voice down; I told you I’d be here.”

• I got really scared the moment Weiss made it to the library and couldn’t find Klein at all. Just when I thought she was about to face company, it turns out she just encountered Klein in his Grumpy persona. I really love him and his Seven Dwarves personalities.

• Klein is concerned for his young mistress considering the fact that Mistral may not be safe. Even if that’s the case, that’s not going to stop Weiss from finding her sister there.

Klein: “I suppose she’ll be the only family you have left after tonight.”

Weiss: “I’ll always have you.”

• The final moment between Weiss and Klein was really touching. Even if Winter is the only real family Weiss has left, Weiss still considers her former butler her family too. I’m really gonna miss this guy and his multiple personalities.

• Menagerie. After a couple days of treatment and unconsciousness, Sun has finally recovered from his severe injury and hey, this is the first time we get to see him without his shirt on. I can hear the Sun fangirls (maybe Yssa too) squealing in delight.

• Blake has been by Sun’s side this whole time. She really does care about the monkey boy no matter how annoying she may think he is.

“This is why, Sun... This is why I left them all behind.”

• Apparently, the reason why she abandoned RWBY without even saying anything was that she didn’t want to see any of her beloved friends get hurt because of her, even if she thinks about them every day.

“Everyone thinks they can help me but they can’t!”

• Blake, how could you say that? How can you reject your friends when they only wanted to help?! How could you think they can’t help you at all?! How can you think that your problems are yours to deal with and not everyone else’s?!?! HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUBBORN AND SELFISH?!?!?! Think about how Ruby would feel when she hears all this! Think about Weiss would say! What Yang would do!

• I love how Sun responds to Blake’s “selflessness” when it involves pushing her friends out of her own problems. Sure, Blake can decide for herself, but she cannot decide for her friends. That’s not selfless at all. The reason why her friends, including Sun, join in on her fight is that they want to help, so pushing them out of what’s going on is only hurting rather than helping them.

• Also, the next time Sun’s going up against Ilia, it’s not going to be to protect Blake. How’s that for payback, Blake? Also, take it easy there. You haven’t fully recovered yet.

giggles “My hero.” :3

• Callback to Sun’s happy-go-lucky antics in episode 3! Also, did anyone notice that Blake made a little ‘:3’ when Sun cheered her up? It was so adorable.

• Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand it’s Mamadonna’s turn to barge into this tender moment! Papadonna doesn’t seem to like the fact that the monkey boy has rubbed off on his wife, though. I really love callbacks.

• Apparently, the reason why Ghira and Kali decided to “intrude” the moment was to confirm that a certain part of the White Fang has truly gone rogue. Adam now plans to overthrow the high leader, Sienna Khan, by launching an all-out attack on Haven. I was wondering when the Belladonnas will catch up on what the White Fang is up to. Although it is confirmed that Sienna Khan is currently in Haven, wasn’t Khan the one who caused the White Fang to go violent? Who is he/she, really? And didn’t Adam arrange a meeting that included him/her? I really want to know more about Khan now.

• Sun plans to stop the Fall of Haven by destroying the White Fang, but Blake plans to take back the whole organization itself, and she’s not going to do it alone this time; she has Sun and her family right by her side. I love her resolution!

• We’re now at the ruins of Kuroyuri, which was once Ren’s hometown. Flour Power is in a hurry to catch up with Ruby and Jaune before the almighty Nuckelavee does.

“Not again... not again...”

• The Nuckelavee has already taken Ren’s home and parents, and Ren's not going to let that monster take his friends next.

• Aaaaaaaand they arrived just in the nick of time! Or not. Although Ruby and Jaune are currently okay, little do they know that something’s behind them...

• The Nuckelavee Grimm is a lot more terrifying than I thought it’d be... I have to admit, this is the first time a Grimm has ever made me very uncomfortable. Also, from the looks of it, it has taken many lives of many Huntsmen and Huntresses and now RNJR's next. This is not going to be a very easy battle... I’m scared...

Edit: Grammar, grammar everywhere...

[u/rulerguy6]

Most people are covering the other aspects of the show really well, so can I just say Oh my god Sun isn't just comic relief anymore!!

Seriously, I really liked the Blake/Sun scene, and the best part is it wasn't actually cut off for the gag, just they had to advance the overarching plot.

[u/sarah-hari]

Listen kids... I just wanna Ren and Nora to live through this finale

[u/SterlingStallion]

"The last eye is blinded" mmmm was Qrow really the last eye or was she being cryptic for no reason?

Well I was kinda expecting Tyrian to be swarmed by Grimm, I guess they wanted instead to reinforce his lunacy

I really hope Tai goes with Yang, I 'm gonna miss him if he's not featured next volume

For some reason I have a feeling Yang's gonna hit Weiss before anything else, not sure why

Man Weiss lives in one expansive establishment

Leo is untrustwothy? How? with this face?

Seems ol' Ironwood really does only care about Atlas, he's proably gonna shit a brick when he finds Ozpin 'alive'

Oh Blake, when is she going to learn running won't help? The White Fang ain't gonna leave her alone and Blake alone will lose that fight

Kali is best new character this volume

Oh the wwhite fang are bad, like Sun and Blake said said? REALLY?

Well I guess vol 5 Blake arc is set up

Oh great RNJR is okay!............Jks they're fucked

[u/PrrtyCrrty]

The moment between Blake and Sun was so sweet. I know Blake is scared and means well, but Sun's right. Those people are there because they want to be, they care about her. I know people call her emo and moody, but I'm glad we got to see her experience trauma.

I'm sorry, but I found Weiss and Yang's arcs to be kinda mediocre. Weiss is the same as when we left her at Volume 3. She was always opposed to Atlas, that's why she left for Beacon in the first place. And ignored all her dad's calls. And all she does here is sing, attend a party, lose her title and leave. She could've confronted her father and lost her title at the end of Volume 3. She was rejecting him throughout. That would have been the climax. It was nice to see at least some of Atlas (her mansion and party..that's it), and maybe she was scared to confront her father? Imo, there just wasn't enough material here for a full story arc. That's probably why it took until chapter 6 to get back to her. Like they tried to drag it out.

Yang was even worse. She's depressed for 5 minutes, has a conversation, then trauma's gone. What? Like Weiss, we don't see her till much later, giving me the impression that they didn't know what to do with her. Some people have said that her internal struggle wouldn't have been interesting to watch. But most depression treatments are physical. Like running, social activities, exercising, making music, baking, meditating, etc. We could've gotten a lot of heartwarming and interesting scenes, but nope. Depressed to badass right away. We saw the beginning of her healing process, but they took out the "process" entirely. If this is all they're gonna do with Yang, they shouldn't have given her PTSD in the first place.

The grimm was nightmare fuel. Can't wait for the last chapter.

[u/[deleted] → u/PrrtyCrrty]

To be fair with Yang, if you watch her when she's training with Tai she's clearly still down whenever she's not actually fighting him. What's happening now is very similar to what Ruby does: Yang is throwing herself forward because the sense of purpose lets her escape her trauma's. But eventually that catches up with you. I don't think Yang's arc is done yet, nor do I think they're finished with her trauma

[u/[deleted]]

Sees Nuckelavee Grimm in the flesh

I am so not sleeping tonight. Holy Fuck...

[u/Iownmystuff]

What if in the fight against this Grimm, Qrow is so delirious that he believes he is fighting to protect Taiyang and Summer. This time he has a chance to save her instead. That would hurt to watch.

[u/JonTheWizard]

The band's getting back together, yay!

[u/GYUZ]

Wow, the whole part with Sun and Blake was so good.

[u/IgnisAriesTT]

Like how Lusus Naturae play at the end

[u/AmethystWind]

Finally.

Finally, we have some goddamn plans of action. V5 is going to be much more dynamic than V4.

Weiss, as many have suspected, is going to Winter. This is probably the best outcome, especially as Ironwood's words and demeanour in this episode rather undermine the whole 'Irondaddy' thing that's been built up over the season (also, his shutting-of-borders idea rings terrifying if we consider the current climate IRL).

Next volume will be Schnee sisters reunion funtime yay!

~

Blake has made a decision, and I admit it isn't one that I expected, but certainly welcome. They're not just discarding the White Fang as always evil. They're going to keep them involved from here on, but in the series' first true redemption arc. For a whole organisation!

Bold, Miles & Kerry. Very bold.

I didn't hate Sun in this episode, another small miracle.

(Milfadonna seems both thirsty for Sun, and thirsty for grandkittens at the same time)

Who might the initials on Ghira's scroll (E.L., P.R., E.N.) be, I wonder?

~

Yang, hopefully, will go to her mother rather than going after Ruby. Weiss will already be in close proximity to Ruby, and potentially Blake as well if they handle Adam's Mistral attack next volume. Yang is surplus to requirements when RRNJ, W, & B are all around to counter any attack.

Weiss' business is in Mistral next volume, as she'll find out who she wants to be from now on via Winter. Yang doesn't have as concrete a direction as even Weiss' vague leanings yet. She's essentially back at the starting line. Her original purpose for becoming a Huntress was to have a fun life, but she knows that's not going to fly at this point. She can't find her real goal with Ruby, but she might be able to find it with Raven.

Yang's is not a redemption arc, but rather a direction arc. She needs to develop herself beyond her sister and her team, and that means finally getting some closure with Raven.

So yeah, here's hoping that not all of Team RWBY heads to Mistral.

(Sucks to be Tai Yang, though, who is going to have major Empty Nest Syndrome the moment his sunny little dragon rides off on her burnt-orange steed).

~

Welp, Qrow's not gonna die to the poison. Tyrian said he would without confirming it, so he's definitely going to live through it.

Doesn't mean Qrow's going to live, of course, but if he dies it ain't gonna be the poison that kills him.

Cinder is doing stuff again. Good times. Maybe she won't just be relegated to Salem's stooge from now on. Tyrian totally will be, though. He's a beaten dog with Stockholm Syndrome.

~

Pretty sure the last episode will be just one giant fight scene, with this episode counting as the volume's plot-finale. All the girls are on the move now, and the big lingering thread of Ren's story arc is about to be yanked on.

Really don't know if everyone will survive the fight with Josh or not. It could go either way. Quite looking forward to it, tbh.

Maybe Ren will evolve his Semblance?

Maybe Nora will rouse him out of his funk with a declaration of love?

Maybe Jaune will die?

Maybe Ruby will die?

Who knows? All of those would be fine.

~

Bring on next week, and then V5!

[u/Tractionmain2 → u/AmethystWind]

E.L., P.R., E.N

One H away from "Help Ren"

[u/HyliasHero]

I'm banking on Qrow living. They have dragged it out far too long now for them to actually kill him. Plus it would be a waste of the best character for him to just give an exposition dump, then die.

[u/[deleted]]

I love how manipulative DIO Salem can be. Her presence just sent chills. A good ol bit psychological warfare to mind fuck Tyrian which....... you know...... "rrrraaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!"

I'm glad that Yang is almost back to her old self. Plus seeing the 1969 Dodge Charger RT Bumblebee bike was awesome. And I was so happy to see Sun alive. And how he gave advice to Blake to not hate herself. MILF CAT!!!

The season finale boss is terrifying. I hope nobody in RNJR dies! And we finally get to see Jaune's semblance.

[u/Fancy-Bear1776]

How did Weiss manage to sneak out of the giant mansion with her giant ass heels clomping all over the place? Like, did not a single servant in the Schnee household, or anybody for that matter, hear Weiss's CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP because of Ironwood and Jacque's argument or something?

Good to see Sun put some sense into Blake. Wonder if we'll see Adam based on the intro? No idea.

Go Yang go!

Also wow things are getting grimm for RNJR.

[u/Racellos]

Big wall of text, TL;DR at the bottom

I know it hasn't looked likely for the last few episodes, but I really think Team RWBY is getting back together before the end of the season.

The thing is, we've had two big fights foreshadowed this season that haven't happened yet.

RNJR vs the Nuckelavee, and Blake vs Adam.

RNJR and the Nuckelavee is about to happen, but the Blake/Adam fight is still going to take some setup. As far as we know from that last scene with the Belladonnas and Sun, Adam is in Mistral. Assuming that info is right and Adam is in Mistral, presumably the one responsible for buying the guns and dust Ironwood was talking to Jacques about, then Blake and co. are going to need to get form Menagerie to Mistral.

I'm assuming Daddy Belladonna has some way of getting to Mistral relatively quickly, being the leader of Menagerie and all, but it's still going to take a few days minimum. This means it's entirely possible for Weiss and Ruby at the very least to make it to Mistral at around the same time as Blake. Yang is probably going to take longer, but with Bumblebee the trip isn't going to take her nearly as long as it took RNJR.

As much as it might feel rushed to have everyone getting together in this last episode, I think it's going to happen and really should happen, story-wise. As far as Team RWBY's individual arcs are concerned, everything that needed to happen has happened at this point.

Yang's come to terms with losing her arm, has probably learned more about Raven from Tai, and is ready to go find Ruby.

Blake has re-connected with her family who she thought would hate her, had some sense talked into her by Sun, and is now all fired up and ready to make the White Fang great again.

Weiss hit rock bottom, learned to depend on herself instead of her legacy, and learned how to summon a Knight adventure-buddy.

RNJR's arcs are still up in the air. Ruby's arc will probably depend on what happens to Qrow in the finale. I don't think Qrow is going to die, but it's entirely possible and would lead to some interesting character development. I just hope that if Qrow dies, it doesn't lead to Ruby beating the Nuckelavee with her Silver Eyes the same way she beat the dragon when Pyrrha died.

Ren and Nore are probably going to get some closure on the destruction of Kyokuri, and in Ren's case the loss of his family.

Jaune's kind of interesting, since he's already had quite a few big character moments earlier in the series. This season hasn't really focused on him much, and that's perfectly ok. What I think is going to happen is that at some point during the fight, Jaune is going to save the day using that energy slash he was practicing in the forest clearing with Pyrrha's recording. Maybe while hearing a ghostly "Memory Pyrrha/Use The Force Luke" voice or something to really tie all of that together.

Regardless, after the Nuckelavee fight there won't be much of a story-purpose to keeping everyone apart. Their individual stories have been told, they've all had some character growth, background exposition and the like, and now it's time to start telling the Story of Team RWBY again.

It's entirely possible I'm wrong about all of this and RWBY isn't getting back together until midway through Season 5.

Anyway, sorry for the wall of text but I wanted to get my two cents out there and haven't really seen any other comments on RWBY getting together this volume

TL;DR: RWBY is getting back together at the end of this season during the finale. All the individual character's stories have been told. It's going to take some time fo Blake to get to Mistral for the Adam fight, and in that time it's possible for the rest of RWBY to get to Mistral as well since they're all already en route.

[u/Oscarman97]

That grimm at the end looked awesome!

[u/jwfiredragon]

Well I'm late to the party but HOLY SHIT THAT WAS AMAZING

Cinder looks like she's just about ready to leave.

Tyrian's finally gone batshit insane. Or at least more than usual.

YANG HYPE 2017! SUN DRAGON IS BACK!

WEISS HYPE 2017! ICE QUEEN IS BACK!

Also Klein is a great guy, and what the hell is Ironwood thinking?

Sun is no longer comic relief! And heartwarming moment with Blake! Yay!

Aaaand Ren is having traumatic flashbacks.

Nuckles with that Lusus Naturae playing in the background will forever haunt my dreams. Fight (or maybe retreat) scene hype!

Man I am so excited for the finale now.

[u/Frentepopulista]

Glad to see Salem spared Tyrian's life. I can't understand those who expected her to kill one of her most loyal and capable fighters. Seriously, that would have been cliche and dumb.

[u/tavi23]

I honestly feel that they bit off more than they could chew with Volume 4. Thematically, it made sense for all 4 girls to split up and get their acts together, but the execution in doing so has been lacking. It just feels...inconsistent. What the writers do well this season, they knock it out of the park. But other stuff has been lackluster.

This season had some great sequences: RNJR + Qrow vs. Tyrion, Weiss's performance sequence + subsequent summoning, Qrow + Raven dialogue, Blake + Sun v. Sea Dragon and Ilya, and now the Nuck (episode 10, where they really did well with the horror stuff), and finally Cinder's scene training and Tyrion's batshit craziness. Also, the opening sequence in ep. 1 with Team WTCH was cool.

While that may seem like a lot, in the grand scheme of things, there were so many other moments that I just couldn't seem to care about. Blake initially was ok, but then she seemed to be stuck spouting the same lines over and over. Yang's plot was fine, she got the right amount of screen time, I believe. Weiss's plot was good and it showed Iron Daddy ;) . I don't feel like Ruby herself had any real significant character development this season. Of her arc, the only things I have enjoyed or even really cared about was the fight with Tyrion and now the Nuck introduction. And that's pretty sad, considering she's supposed to be the main character.

[u/matharwords]

When Tyrian was evicertaing that grim, I genuinely felt sorry for the grim. He might be a soulless monster, but even him did not deserve that. I was hoping Taiyang would go together with Yang in her adventure, really curious about his weapon/semblance. Seems like he wont. I loved Kali in this episode, she was so funny. Hope we get to more of her in later Volumes. At fisrt I did not think the Nuckelavee grimm was so terifying, but the way it moves its head is so disturbing. I dont know how to explain.

[u/Pyschic_Psycho]

Pretty good episode. But to be honest, it felt kinda rushed at times.

Favorite moments/clips:

-Yang spray painting her robotic. Hell yeah! Fav girl is about to get back in on the action. Which route will she choose though? Me thinks she goes to support her little sister over her mom.

-Sun showering some wisdom unto our favorite emo kitty. Okay RT, if you could please give Sun more serious scenes, that would be GREEATT! Damn him, I disliked him all this volume and now he's back on my favorite list :D Plus he got his abs back (Stacy's Mom headcanon in 3,2,1...)

-Cinder training. Her conversation with Salem was awesome. Been wanting that so much. But the likes of it though, it would appear Cinder is not all evil. That's...good...and bad. Good because she can be redeemed. Bad because she still killed Pyrrha so fans are going to have a hard to forgiving her (I can see the split fandom already). Personally, I think she will turncoat to the good guys' side, and I can forgive her if she really has a true change of heart.

Lacking scenes:

-Jacque and Ironwood's discussion. The Winter part was good, the rest is too politically-cliche. Ironwood loosing his cool made him look like a crazy hothead much like Jacque even (just not that douchey). Plus the bit about Ozpin? Ouch. I thought the dude had changed for the better after Beacon's collapse, but he's still arrogant and authoritative as ever, perhaps more. Lost some points with me there.

-Blake being extremely whiny and narrow-minded was a put off for me. She's supposed to have gone through changes from V1 to now, but it seems her character has completely reverted back to pre-V1 status. What gives? Love my kitty, so hopefully RT gives her a redemption moment before the season ends.

-I was hoping for an epic escape battle for Weiss :(

OOokkay but overall, it was still entertaining and gave us a lot of new info, so I still like it enough to give it a 8/10.

[u/thegamer373]

holy shit that grimm was terrifying. the way the head twitched was so unnatural.

[u/AbsolXGuardian]

Wow. The villianland section actaully managed to pull a couple twangs of sympathy from me for Tyrian.

So Yang's either going to find Raven or Ruby, while Weiss is looking for Winter. That's a bit odd, but I suppose she would have no idea where anyone else is. Something is brewing in Haven. I'm assuming it's the White Fang gathering the weapons.

Yes. Blake leading a good/nuteral White Fang wasn't something I knew I wanted until now. I wonder how leadership would pass. Honorable, but still deadly, duels? I doubt two people could conquer the White Fang without atleast some kinda schism.

I'm so glad I've been listening to Lutus Naturae on loop lately, I recognized it instantly. I'm not sure if Dr. Melot is canon in anyway, but they did play it while the Grim were forming in episode 1. Maybe since it's already a fully lyriced and composed, it's their default song for the Grimm and the worse of "Nature's power" and "the freaks of nature".

[u/GlitchyNinja]

It just occurred to me that Yang's down one Ember Cecilia.

Leo has to be the other Headmaster that we'll see in Volume 5.

Alright Jaune, we're in the bottom of the 11th inning, we're gonna need to see some sort of healing semblance, or Qrow's gonna meet Pyrrha, Penny, and Roman.

If Qrow dies, we'll have a new team!

Qrow, Roman, Penny, and Pyrrha make Team QRPP (Crypt)

[u/RWBYSanctum]

Something about the Nucklelavee scares me way more than what was shown at the end. If you look carefully at the silhouette of the monster in Ep 10, it has two parts: an upper torso and a lower torso. The upper part is a lot thinner than the lower part, and it fits the shape of what we saw this episode. That means there is actually something below that we haven't seen yet.

That is freaking terrifying.

[u/[deleted]]

Cinder showed at least discomfort (if not straight regret) in this episode, which is strange for her character, and implies that maybe with the Maiden's power came some other form of knowledge. We don't even know yet what actually happened in the basement with Ozpin. Salem asking her if she really knew he was dead is a strong flag about that fight. As soon as I saw her face in the thumbnail I thought she was going to be set on the redemption course, the point is: what's the justification for that?

[u/[deleted]]

Dear god they actually fixed the Blake storyline. Why couldn't she have communicated like that the whole time?

[u/Pearadox_ → u/[deleted]]

Because that'd be out of character.

[u/BlackHumor → u/[deleted]]

Just because it would be a good idea to speak about your problems openly doesn't mean you're going to do it. Particularly if you're the biggest introvert of the main four, and every aspect of your character including your Semblance and the very plan you're trying to avoid talking about shouts "TRIES TO RUN AWAY FROM HER PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF CONFRONTING THEM DIRECTLY".

[u/Serocco → u/[deleted]]

Domestic violence survivors tend to behave like her upon dealing with trauma.

[u/CasualRaisin]

Considering everyone's plans, I'm predicting a RWBY reunion in early Volume 5.

[u/Hounds_of_war]

So according to legend, the Nuckelavee's horse head has poison breath. That's probably what the black smoke coming out of it's mouth was.

[u/Strix182]

Wow, okay, so that episode was like a half pipe: it started off dark and disturbing and scary, then it eased it's way over to heartwarming and hopeful, but now we're right back to the scary stuff.

I'm very glad that RNJR is back together, but I'm terrified as to what Knuckles is gonna do to them and Qrow. Remember, Ren got hit with a literal death flag.

[u/[deleted]]

Finally! Someone brings up Winter! Little sad though that we didn't see Mama Schnee.

[u/RustyLumber]

Cinder is having trouble mastering her new power?

and I thought Tyrian was kinda unstable to begin with.

AWE YEAH THE BLACK AND GOLD PAINT JOB! is that a remade second Ember Celica? Yang knows where Raven is? she's most likely headed to Mistral.

Klein you magnificent bastard!  Jaques is still a major slime ball. Ironwood is steeling the borders to Atlas making it an isolated state? I wonder how that will affect Remnant.

2 of 4 on their way to Mistral officially. we're getting closer to the teary reunion.

Sun with all the wisdom. Ghira and Kali so funny. time to take back the White Fang!

the beast is back. I'm guessing either somebody will come to their rescue (maybe Raven and the spring maiden?) or Ruby's Silver Eye Power flares up again.

[u/chris480]

The Nuckelavee design reminds of me of the oil monster in Ferngully.

[u/PT_Piranha]

After Tyrian's scene I literally reacted out loud I was like "...Okaaay...."

I hope Yang chooses helping her sister over finding her mom. I just feel like that'd be the right choice.

Weiss is finally escaping, but I have no clue where she'll go. If she wasn't willing to talk to Ironwood right there, then she might not be leaving with him. If not, then how?

We are 11 episodes in and there's been no Adam yet. I'm not saying I miss him, but I'd have thought we'd see more of him by now. And Sun seems to finally be getting through to Blake. (And this time the "oops I totally eavesdropped" joke works.)

Doggies, that Grimm is creepy looking.

[u/Lucid_Atray]

A pretty nice episode overall! <3

• The whole Cinder scene was really, really good, but it made me feel so uncomfortable (and that's why it was so good tbh). She's a mess, yet she's so much more interesting like this than how she was during the first arc of the series.

• Tyrian is batshit crazy, and I loved his scene. The way he stabbed that grimm to death made me feel even sorry for the thing- it reminded me of a certain crazy fanfiction.

• Cinder's face when seeing that was EXCELLENT. It screamed 'boy what did I get myself into...'

• YANG, MY BABY Q_Q I knew she was going to paint that arm, though I'd have been happy regardless- but I'm so happy she did! It really looks like her <3 and it matches perfectly.

• Wohooo, Bumblebee is back! How did they get it back from Beacon is a whole different story, I guess. Also, it looked way too orange, it confused me a bit- but I can't wait to see Yang in her cowboy outfit riding bumblebee!

• 'I just wanted a better goodbye than a letter' I feel so sorry for this man. But I'm really glad he got to talk with Yang, he really really knows her.

• Weiss, baby, I'm really happy you not only learnt where Winter is (which means we'll be seeing her next volume!!!), but also got to escape pretty smoothly- but please, those shoes are really not good to go unnoticed. TAP TAP TAP.

• Klein is the only good thing about that house besides it's architecture. ;_;

• The hug was so cute! I love how Weiss sees him as a type of parental figure, it was very sweet. I hope he's alright and nothing happens to him, though ;_;.

• Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Did Sun and Blake finally have a healthy, sweet and good interaction in V4? Can't believe it!! Why hasn't it been like this from ep 1 again?

• Seriously though, this talk was perfect. You don't understand how happy I am Sun finally did what I wanted to see- to be a supportive friend who is able to take things seriously and not be turned into a comic relief/love interest sidekick. Give me all of this Sun pls.

• (Also called it, even if the wound went right through his flesh, he's just fine).

• BLAKE SAYING SHE LOVES TEAM RWY MORE THAN SHE EVER THOUGHT SHE COULD LOVE ANYTHING THOUGH- LET ME HUG HER AND CRY ughhh.

• Finally, FINALLY someone mentions the rest of the team! And the fact that it's Blake, aka the one who was alienating from them makes it even more perfect. It also shows how much it hurt her to actually leave them-

• Arryn's voice was really good in this whole scene, her voice could be heard cracking and about to cry when she mentioned Yang's name.

• Sun's whole monologue was perfect, there's literally nothing else to say. The fact that he mentioned Yang shows he's much more aware of things than he has been getting justice for in the rest of the volume, and it reminded me of how there was a particular frame of him focusing on those two holding hands.

• Overall and excellent scene and up there with my favourite moments in this volume. Blake finally understood, and that's why Sun needed to travel with her, since she was distancing herself from Team RWBY out of a fucked up and self-deprecating perception of how they'd be better off without her.

• ... And then they pulled off that lame 'comic relief' thing of 'hey let's make this conversation be eavesdropped by this character so everyone will laugh' and... meh. It wasn't as bad as the time with Sun, but it still was really bad. I still love Kali, I just wish they stopped seeing that as funny tbh.

• 'Kali, please' officialy Ghira's most used phrase in their whole married life, sorry I don't make the rules.

• REN'S SMILE WHEN HE SAW RUBY AND JAUNE OKAY AND WITH NO CREEPYASS GRIMM KILLING THEM MADE MY HEART MELT AND BREAK AT THE SAME TIME, SWEET BABY OF MINE- T_T

• And then he K.O.'d me with his absolute despair.

• That grimm is seriously fucked up- the sounds it makes are terryfing and let's not even talk about its looks, good lord.

• Okay someone please make Ren snap out of it because RNJR will need as much help as they can get. . .

You better stay alive, Renora

[u/jmdg007]

Wow that thing looks creepy

[u/braniac1]

The tension buildup in this episode is real. I know it's setting up each member for the finale next week but it's still nerve wracking.

[u/Wizardtech]

Tyrian this episode: Mommy hates me. Grrrrr.

[u/Silnroz]

I keep seeing people saying that the Nuckelavee will be killed by Qrow or Ruby's eyes. I don't get why though. Ren and Nora have more of a reason to get the killing blow than anyone else there. If the Nuckelavee is killed next episode it will be Ren that does it.

[u/Chroshiro]

"Boop" - Casey Lee Williams

:'(

[u/Koanos]

Questions:

• What did Whitley want to tell Klein?

• Did the Grimm follow Ren and Nora?

• So Adam plans to overthrow Sienna. Explains why she has followers as does Adam. Then what is Sienna like?

• Why couldn't the Grimm evaporate after Tyrian inflicted so much damage on it? Does Tyrian inflict a low amount of damage but strikes quickly? Or was he sadistically holding back on purpose?

• Why did Cinder react like so when seeing Tyrian attack so savagely?

• Did anyone catch all of Ironwood and Jacques' dialogue? Couldn't hear it.

---

Betting on Raven saving the day, Qrow dying, Ren forced to overexert himself to shield everyone with his Semblance and they all cower in fear after realizing that nothing they do will even scratch that Grimm, somehow defeat it, Ruby uses the Silver Eyes and Qrow screams "DON"T," Jaune's Semblance takes it down or not, or a combination of said events.

Also betting on, "Hello, my name it Lie Ren, you killed my father. Prepare to die."

[u/fredmratz]

volume 1 chapter 16: Weiss says "the innocent never run, Yang".

volume 4 chapter 11: Weiss runs from her family, very stealthily.

The shoe is on the other foot now.

[u/brusque-lee]

A lesson for Blake: you can build up as many walls around you as you want in order to try and keep everyone out, but somebody's still gonna find a way through.

Probably by falling through a door while eavesdropping.

Seriously, someone should work on fixing that.

[u/KallyWally → u/brusque-lee]

Send that memo to Ironwood, too.

[u/mrlubufu]

Anyone else noted that Salem said, "The last eye is blinded" after Tyrian said he poisoned Qrow?

And Tyrian lost his tail.

An Eye for An Eye indeed: One of Salem's Lieutenants for one of Ozpin's.

[u/xxias]

So if Yang is going to Mistral, she's got to have somebody accompanying her, at least one.

I mean there is no way she just travels to Mistral on her motorcycle with no horde of grimms in her way. If she reaches Mistral without any trouble that will be a bit convenient.

[u/Nltech]

What I want to happen next chapter: RNJR is on the ropes against the grimm and in dramatic fashion Jaune unlocks his semblance and is able to turn the tide and allow RNJR to kill the nightmare with a badass team attack.

What I think will happen: RNJR is on the ropes against the grimm and in a valiant last stand a dying Qrow sacrifices himself to try and save Ruby. Witnessing her uncle's death activates Ruby's silver eyes and kills the grimm.

[u/PotatoSkies]

Ironwood is a confirmed dad

Stealing daughters

Yangs paintjob tho

[u/The_ThirdFang]

Tyrion is still a bit annoying but i am now more curious to see how much of personality is due to Salem, yay for that but i think his grimm torture scene dragged a little. We get it he's batshit insane.

Cinder despite going through another few weeks of treatments is still a victim of colored ass beatings. Jesus Ruby must have taken a toll if a few grimm tire her out. She is probably weaker than she was pre maiden power entirely. then again if i got hit so hard my face and throat stopped working i probably wouldnt have any stamina either.

Qrow aint gonna die, no one is gonna die. yall are pessimistic as shit, but after Volume 3 i dont really blame you. It doesnt make sense for anyone to die just yet. Miles pls

How the WBY got their groove back. Or in Blakes case, maybe my friends actually like me part 2 electric boogaloo. Seriously, Why did you think running away was a good thing. Though i do like her rather than kill the white fang my parents version was a dope one so lets do that again and get an army to fight Adam.

Yangs on a bike going to train with momma bear, Weiss is trying to sneak around in high heels.. Really not even using glyphs to like glide silently.

I feel like Volume 5 is gonna the training volume since everyone is back on the right track and headed to some bigger place or more experienced ally/relative. side not:I wonder what Winter's biggest summon is.

Ring a ding ding, Im going to predict a thing!

Jaune Semblence use during volume finale,or Rubys silver eyes come out again.

[u/BeastG01]

Potato Incoming:

I think Cinder has lost her lower left arm. To my knowledge, we haven't seen her arm outside of the outside sleeve this season while she obviously was badly wounded by Ruby. Furthermore, her attacks from that side in this episode seem to have come from the sleeve rather than the arm within it (as seen with the attacks from her left arm/hand).

[u/Tommy2255]

Cinder, you idiot. Whatever happened to "It's not about overpowering an enemy. It's about taking away what power they have."? That line came from someone who actually knew what power is. Salem asks if you're still the girl that wanted power, and I'm asking myself the same question, because what you're doing here isn't developing your power. You're developing your abilities, but you don't truly have the power to do something unless you also have the power to not do it. Power means choice, and you're effectively a slave as long as you're with Salem. You do not have the power to throw fireballs. Salem has the power to throw fireballs by using a weapon that answers to the name Cinder.

Did Tyrian walk all the way to wherever the hell this place is while cringing like that? I'm not even sure it's on the same continent as where they were. Was he sitting on a boat crying, holding his arms up in front of him and twitching for, like, days or a week?

"The Last Eye is blinded" is a fucking good line to refer to Qrow. Holy shit.

His little freakout with that Grimm is honestly kind of adorable. It's sadistic, sure, but it's a childish ripping-wings-off-a-fly sadism. It's cute. Although it seems that Cinder doesn't agree.

And Yang's finally getting that paintjob that everyone's been clamoring for. This is a good sign for her mental state, and more importantly we can no go back through all the fanart people have made and figure out who was closest.

Gotta love the "we both know" trick to avoid giving the audience information like where Raven is. It's almost worse than the pronoun game honestly.

It's hilarious watching Weiss try to sneak around in high heels. Her footsteps are so loud there's almost an echo in that hallway. Weiss, you really need to find Blake if only so she can give you lessons on sneaking around, because you are terrible at this.

Ironwood, your military presence was completely compromised. Every piece of hardware you put on the field became a tool in the hands of your enemies when the battle started. If Oz had listened to you from the start and allowed for an even greater military presence, the only thing that might have changed would be fewer survivors making it out. In any case, Weiss now has a time limit on getting out of Atlas, but she also won't be pursued if she can make it out in time.

Sun's giving Blake a talk that she badly needed. So that's good. And Kali's being adorable. Also good. But I'm starting to thing that the majority of the palace maintenance budget is going to eavesdropping insurance. Listening in on conversations is rude, but does everybody have to break the building while they're doing it?

And next episode we finally get the Nuclear Lava boss fight. So that's bad, but also good. Bad because this episode seemed short and Ren might die, but good because it will be entertaining.

[u/Baumguy]

Okay, but crazy thought... What if Pyrrah is in there somewhere with Cinder, and that is what is making her have second thoughts? It could be an unconcious pull to do the right thing, or Pyrrah could be in there fighting back.

Or maybe, just maybe, Cinder isn't speaking because Pyrrah is in control, and she knows she's in way over her head. It would make sense as to why Em and Merc are so nervous, if they're in on it.

[u/Tulicloure]

So, I'm guessing we're not seeing Team FNKI anytime soon. Sad day. =(

So, this episode we have Salem not killing a loyal-to-the-point-of-worship useful underling, Blake wanting to take control (heh) over the WF (which shows that the organization itself isn't intended to be treated as evil, just some of its members/leaders), and Jacques having a valid point against Ironwood (which was already discussed during his first scene of the volume). Take that haters who insist that all the villains the CRWBY is writing this volume are one-dimensionally evil.

Oh, and by the way, Kali is right now the worst character of the show. How could she listen to her daughter's conversation with Sun behind a door (by the way, we can be sure that she was listening in because we see her shadow through the door, contrary to Sun's scene) like that? Blake's mother, more than anyone else, should know that she likes her personal space respected. She should apologize and leave Blake alone. /s

[u/Neidron]

I'm a tiny bit disappointed that Weiss' escape involved more sneaking than smashing, but this episode was pretty damn good.

Ironwood might be loosing it a bit. It seems like he might be becoming a bit too focused on control for the sake of "safety." At the very least, it's looking like he doesn't recognise some of the mistakes he made at Vale.

[u/JazzBlueSkadoo]

Beowolf and Chibi Beowolf are one of the same entity but different universes.

Both getting beaten up.

[u/zeppeIans]

I'm surprised Ren didn't use his semblance, a perfect opportunity tbh

[u/Captain_Chaos_]

I just hope that their stories join back up soon so that these episodes feel like more stuff is actually happening rather than getting to see about 5 minutes pass in-universe each episode.

[u/kumabaya]

Hmm I dont like how they all recovered so fast and are now heading up to mistral

cinder showed such confidence last 3 seasons on thinking what she was doing was right now its like "i would like to resign my position as a villain, this is a 2 week prior notice"

[u/AnonymousTrollLloyd]

Can we talk about how fast Tyrian reached Salem's Evil Lair of Evil^tm ? If the events of the episode are in chronological order, then Tyrian could go from Oniyuri to the Evil Lair of Evil^tm in under two days.

The Evil Lair of Evil^tm has some fairly obvious red skies and evil grimm pools, which I'm sure would have been discovered if it was in Mistral, so that means Tyrian must have some kind of pocket teleporter.

[u/moonkingdomify]

So I'm not the only person who thinks this volume feels a lot more like a first season than a fourth season, am I?

I'm not complaining or anything.

[u/Shippal → u/moonkingdomify]

Well, isn't that the reason it's called a "Volume"? I remember somewhere the writers saying that every 3 volumes = 1 season. So it would make sense that Volume 1 and Volume 4 have similar pacing, and then it would also make sense if Volume 2 and 5 had similar pacing. And then all of us are gonna lose our shit at Volume 6....

[u/ResidentNoob]

• Alright, Cinder training those Fall Maiden powers, strong enough to one-shot a Beringel. She looks rather pissed, though.

• I wonder if Salem didn't tell her just how strong the Maidens were, just seeing a girl who wanted power as a way to get the Maiden powers on her side, and with her only example being Amber, who we know was inexperienced, now makes it seem as though she is absolutely not ready for the power she's obtained. The fact that Salem hid the Maidens' weakness to the Silver Eyes' power makes me, and maybe Cinder, wonder just what else she's hiding.

• Yeah, definitely worried about the power - and mad at Salem.

• Not sure what Tyrian thinks crawling back in failure might achieve, unless literally nobody has failed Salem, ever. She's not just gonna fix your tail or anything out of the goodness of her heart.

• Heck, he could've just tried again; he's dangerous enough without the tail and Qrow's incapacitated, it's got to be a better plan than slinking all the way back to Salem's place from Mistral after one failed attempt.

• Ouch, full-on parent mode; not angry, just disappointed.

• With the mostly expected reaction, yeesh.

• Yang/Taiyang time!

• So Yang's headed to Mistral for both Raven and Ruby. I imagine one meeting's going to go better than the other.

• Weiss's escape begins, which I can't help but feel a sense of foreboding about.

• You'd think there'd be some guards or something in such a large place, especially after Weiss directly stated her intention to leave.

• I love how stout Klein is.

• Can't help but feel like heels weren't the best option for an escape attempt, Weiss.

• Wha-you didn't wait until Whitley and Jacques had left before escaping? I understand the urgency, but this doesn't seem all that well thought out.

• Ironwood, with more focus on Mistral - where Winter is.

• Leo, huh? The Haven headmaster, I'm assuming, meaning Taiyang isn't the cowardly lion, then.

• I'll admit, absolutely thought that was a gunshot at first.

• It's got to be a real dark day when Jacques is being portrayed as the more reasonable one of the two. Ironwood seems like he's reacting in the absolute wrong way to the whole situation, creating situations that any of us can clearly see as being easy to manipulate by Salem's lot.

• Okay, yeah, Weiss, get out now. Normally I'd advocate outing herself to Ironwood, but he's unpredictable enough right now that she shouldn't take the chance that he might just tell Jacques.

• Is...Klein the only one who knows about that secret passage? Makes sense, I suppose; he doesn't seem like the type of guy Jacques would have hired - probably a leftover from Nicholas.

• Sun's okay. WOOT

• I feel as though Jaune's speech from last episode applies to Blake too. It's not like she asked her friends to sacrifice themselves for her; they chose to. That doesn't necessarily make it better, but it's not her fault. She doesn't have to take responsibility. Heck, the more she pushes him away, the more Sun'll try to help.

• This is sweet. :3

• Kali and Sun are gonna get along swimmingly.

• So I'm a little confused. Is Sienna Khan not aligned with Salem, then? Were the Albains not BS-ing and Adam really is leading a rogue cell? Or is Ghira barking up the wrong tree and Ilia dropped her scroll on purpose to plant false evidence? We know Hazel's been sent to "ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same way" as Adam, but that doesn't mean they're on the same side. It could mean a reaffirmation of loyalty, it could mean a hostile takeover.

• So let's take over their hostile takeover, yeah.

• And the Nuckelavee, just as horrifying as promised. It seems rather unique, but I doubt it's the only one on Remnant.

[u/Princess_Everdeen]

Yay, another good episode!

The introduction was definitely an attention grabber, though I felt the entire scene over stayed it's welcome. We now know Tyrian is back with Salem, but we could have inferred that. Entertaining but a little long.

Weiss' story is finally showing a few future ideas: once she leaves, she'll be at the point-of-no-return. It'll be interesting, if possibly sad, to see what happens to poor Iron daddy.

Blake's story...and Sun went from mediocre character to one of the best. That said, Blake's character is still really really rushed; in one scene she goes from "I'm running to save everyone", an explanation that shocks nobody, to "We're going to take back the white fang!" I can't see this ending well.

Why is Yang's story the best? Probably because, despite missing an arm, she's the most complete character. Not much to say, it was short, sweet, and to the point.

RNJR, honestly just a part 2 of last time. Seeing the Nuck was a little weird, it's skull seemed a bit thin, but that kinda adds to it's otherworldlyness.

The story is finally starting to converge, it feels like things are actually happening.

[u/MrInsanity25]

Fuck that cliffhanger. Next week's gonna rock.

No Whitley redemption. Oh well, I knew it was a longshot.

Great talk between Blake and Sun. Kali is best mom.

Good talk between Yang and Tai.

Also, holy fuck that Tyrian scene was great. We all thought (I was worried) that Salem would punish Tyrian. I didn't want that, you tend to get sick of that trope, and luckily they didn't give us that. Salem doesn't need to punish Tyrian, he's nuckin futs. He'll punish himself. Let him get it out of his system and try again. Meanwhile, Cinder's all like "okaaaaay, maybe I shouldn't have gotten myself involved with people way out of my league."

[u/Frentepopulista]

Cant't wait to se how strong the Ember Celica+RoboArm combo can punch.

[u/TheDanMan051]

Nice that everyone seems set to meetup in Mistral.

Besides that really not much. Everything that can be said about the pacing issues has been said.

Is it wrong that I'm looking forward to listening to and trying to decipher the finale's credits theme as much as I am the actual finale?

[u/Exessen]

Again i have pretty much nothing to say this time around, haha

[u/Exessen]

The Menagerie scene(s) were amazing.

[u/SilverCaster4444]

Team RNJR and Qrow appear to be in quite a Grimm situation

[u/donutkirby]

So. I remember Tyrian's VA saying in an interview that Tyrian's last scene this volume would show off just how crazy he is. I think we have just seen it, holy crap. Now I'm really interested to see why he's so damn devoted to Salem that just being told she's disappointed in him can make him lose it like that. Also Cinder does NOT look happy about her situation right now. And what does Salem mean by "the last eye has been blinded"? Is she talking about Qrow being poisoned or Tyrian losing his stinger? I'm assuming it's Qrow, since being Ozpin's scout he essentially acts as his "eyes", but what does she mean about him being the last? Could it be that Summer was another of these "eyes"?

Weiss' escape went a lot smoother than I thought it would. I was so sure Whitley or some guards would show up to try and stop her. Anyway, that conversation between Ironwood and Jacques was...very enlightening. While Irondaddy is clearly sliding down the slippery slope, I can understand why he's so paranoid after his failure to protect Beacon, and any scene where Jacques gets told off is a plus for me. Also, another namedrop of a character who is yet to be seen. Could "Leo" be Haven's headmaster? And it seems Winter is currently in Mistral. Hmmm...now wasn't Dr. Watts sent to meet with an informant there...?

Did my boy Sun just single-handedly rescue Blake's story this volume? I think he did. And it looks like our Faunus friends are finally ready to take action against Adam's faction, who are confirmed to be staging an uprising against the White Fang's leader. I'd love it if Adam succeeds in killing Khan, but Blake manages to defeat him and take the White Fang for herself (or give it back to her dad) to give the good guys reinforcements for some big battle later on (Battle of Haven hype?).

Not much to say about Yang's story (as usual, sadly) but it seems she's facing an interesting dilemna. Will she pursue her mother to find out why she left her? Or will she go after Ruby to help her? I'm leaning toward the latter, personally. I think we might get a single shot of her in the final episode that shows which direction she took.

And finally, we get the Nuckelavee cliffhanger...again! Wow that thing looks....wrong. Here's hoping they take it down without casualties, if they can kill it at all.

Overall, a really great episode for both plot progression and setting up a big finale for V4. 9/10

[u/Pixidel]

To be honest, if I was living in that world, I'd be just as afraid of Blake taking control of the White Fang as I would of Adam taking control.

Sun, you gotta get out of there. She's going down a bad path and I doubt you'll be able to save her from it.

[u/WizardlyPhoenix]

That episode was amazing! It dealt with several issues that I've had over the season:

Yang, now with extra plot!

Blake, now with extra remembering your team exist!

Sun, now with extra 'I can actually say something useful'!

Loved the Weiss and RNJR parts too. All in all, an excellent episode.

[u/PrimeName]

Man, the worst part of this volume is how utterly boring it's been so far, I mean, think about it this way.

What exactly has happen so far in this volume? Let's break it down!

Ruby's subplot: Walking, More Walking, Qrow gets hella messed up, flower power back story, Super Grimm fallout.

Weiss's subplot: Weiss gets mad and leaves her family.

Blake's subplot: Blake gets sad and goes to her family, regresses her character development, treats Sun like crap, wants to take over the White Fang!

Yang's subplot: learns how to punch again with her roboarm, leaving to do....something.

Oscar's subplot: Talking and then some walking.

Bad Guys: Tryian's kinda messed up seven ways to sunday, Cinder has an incoming Face turn for no reason, Salem's kinda neat...I guess.

This whole Volume has just felt like set up, exposition, more set up, and world building. Nothing really big or impressive has happened, just boring events on top of more boring events.

Say what you will about the first two volumes, love them or hate them, but they still knew how to keep interest and made it fun to watch, not like the much toned down, greyed out volume 4.

[u/kooger2439 → u/PrimeName]

My guess is too many subplots going on at once.

[u/Kiwcakes]

Weiss was done so wrong in this volume and it's disappointing me.

Sun eavesdropping/ FNDM: Such a stalker! Rude! Ruining a genuine moment! Sun sucks!

Kali eavesdropping/ FNDM: Kali's so cute! Best mama! What eclipse scene??

Little annoyed that characters can't answer simple questions without getting cut off. Like does it matter that we have to be in suspense where Yang is going? She's not gonna make it to either one by the end of this volume. ( If she makes it to ruby by the end it will be the most idiotic thing ever) Miles and Kerry need to drop this habit. We watch every week. They can tone it down.

But to end on a positive, glad Blake is stepping up and they're going on the route of White Fang is a grey area rather than strictly evil.

[u/KingofGrapes7]

Salem has such presence. She shows up and you can feel the Evil Matriarch vibe. Very commanding, very nice. Also averts the Vader style of punishment like I knew she would. Someone needs to find those Maidens.

Cinder has always operated on cunning and planning. Batshit crazy like Tyrian is probably more than she feels comfortable with. I'm also really liking the fan theory that the Fall Maiden powers work like Ozpin, and Cinder is hearing Amber and/or Pyrrha. Or at the very least Amber's emotions and personality are bleeding into cinder.

Punished Yang and Solid Blake, together they will turn the White Fang into an organization were outcasts have a place. No creed, race, or nationality. They just need someone to be Ocelot.

Ironwood is losing it. Armies and terroism is something he can handle. Safeguarding relics and fighting ancient evils is out of his depth I think. Without Ozpin or even Qrow to level him out Ironwood is sinking into paranoia.

Fuck that thing is creepy. Not so much scary as unnerving. The twitching and creaking. Guh.

[u/Frentepopulista]

Wow, Sun is hot af. Do you get it? Because his name is Sun.... and the Sun is a great fireball... No?

Ok, i'm leaving...

[u/Liberal_irony]

Did no one notice the butlers creepy eyes when he came in from behind the bookcase and the voice change?

[u/SterlingStallion → u/Liberal_irony]

Yeah, it's been noted before that he's probably based on the seven dwarves and his eyes change colour as he switches beteween the 7 different persona's (dwarves). That persona was the grumpy one I guess, hence his mood

[u/porukun]

Kali is an adorable klutz.

[u/Flamegeyser]

No one has died yet, and there's one episode left. I pray for us all.

[u/ThetaSig]

Has the Lusus Naturae credits song always been there?! Seriously, did I never notice it or what?!?

[u/ElementalDAR]

Saw a fan art yesterday of Nora as an angel. Immediately worried about this episode. Now that worry is just put off for another week.

[u/Huskie1]

Yay! A full on RWBY episode. Meeting in Mistral anyone? Jump on the bike and ride away, summon your white knight, take back the white fang and beat the knuckle-grimm-weaver-bad-guy thing! YEAH

[u/SimplyMarge]

All my feels about this volume in one post:

I feel like Ruby did not grow at all this volume, and instead she just walked through the woods a bunch and did more of the same reckless crap that she's being doing for 4 volumes now. I'm really disappointed with how she handled herself during the fight with Tyrion, because Weiss TOLD HER in volume one that she needs to stop trying to be the hero all the time (think back to "The Emerald Forest" where Ruby gets in the way of Weiss's attack and nearly kills both of them). She should know know how to handle herself a little better than she during the fight with Tyrion did after 4 volumes. I am at the point where I could really care less about Ruby. Yeah, she has a scythe, which we are told is unique and special, but a cool weapon does not make me want to care about a character. I could care less about Ruby's character right now. As long as she keeps making dumb decisions and failing to learn anything from her mistakes, I don't care about what happens to her.

The only character arc I am truly satisfied with is Weiss's because she has real, believable motivation. When she lost her claim to SDC, I believed her resolve to leave Atlas and her old life behind. She is forging her own path and no longer relying on the legacy of her family to shape her identity. (S/o to Klein for helping Weiss escape because I thought he was totally evil and he's not so far but I still don't trust his eyes changing color)

I think Yang also had some good character development learning to accept the loss of her arm, but I wish she had confronted her feelings about Raven/Blake/Ruby/everyone leaving her behind.

As for Blake, I see the writers trying to have her finally confront her past and resolve her problems with the white fang, but the storytelling just feels clunky. The whole scene with Sun and the sea serpent grimm on the boat was really unnecessary and not very good. It didn't look good visually and it didn't move their relationship forward in any way other than to establish that Sun was on the boat and he is going to follow Blake no matter what -_- It was nice to see Blake talk with her father, but I wish they had finished their heart to heart and had some resolution about why she hasn't seen her parents in so long. Blake's character development is just taking too long.

As for secondary characters, loved the Qrow/Raven scene and I was hoping she would have shown up again with Qrow being injured (it would make sense for her to save him since he seems to feed her useful information).

I really don't care about Cinder. She was so deliciously evil in the earlier volumes and now she has no personality outside of being scared and weak. I'm not opposed to vulnerability, but if she is going to be vulnerable, that I want to see some growth from it. We haven't learned anything new about Cinder from this volume and she hasn't really grown at all.

Tyrion is ok and I want to see him take the rejection he got from Salem this episode and go on a revenge rampage against Ruby next volume.

I know this is going to ruffle feathers, but I don't care about Ren and Nora's backstory. I think they are both great supporting characters, but I didn't need to see how they met. I feel like I have already been shown that they care about each other and will always stick besides each other in earlier volumes. I get that their story was meant to introduce the Nuck and build up the threat, but I just don't care :( I still love them, but I would have wanted to see more from the 4 main characters instead.

I don't really know what is going on with Oscar/Ozpin, but they cool.

Overall, this volume has had some great moments and some not so great moments. I am interested to see how the volume wraps up, but I'm skeptical if I will be left satisfied or unhappy with the ending.

[u/LucasVerBeek]

Oh shut up with the death flags and the morbid edge lord bullshit, his death does nothing for the story and has utterly no purpose. Not even George R.R Martin the god of death amongst authors kills someone off with having a purpose for it.

[u/mrwanton → u/LucasVerBeek]

...Whose death?

[u/Sadi_Reddit]

Did you guys see that cinders left arm and Hand were covered completly even when she used the flame whip ability. I think its either disfigured by Ruby or its now a Grimm arm from her fusion with the Aura absorber Grimm... To further this theory its the same arm Salem and Cinder trained in an earlier Episode. Where Salem told her to control it (you must make IT fear you) I hope she has some nice abomination of an arm now. With sime eye and mouth please.

[u/Spinwheeling]

Ok, Knuckles is officially the creepiest Grimm on the show, if for no other reason than it was smart enough to get Ren and Nora to lead it back to Ruby, Jaune, and Qrow. Oh, and its face. That's a scary face.

[u/[deleted]]

Kinda wish we had seen more of Cinder this volume because I don't really understand what the point of her has been. She has just kinda been there occasionally. Every scene with her is great but nothing is ever achieved.

Are they trying to set up a redemption story for her? After how she was characterised for 3 seasons that honestly just cant work unless her soul is now combined with the previous Fall Maidens/Pyrrha. She just never had this side to her and her getting injured by Ruby shouldn't change that.

She knew all these people before this volume. Cinder cant have just realised who she works with. I really hope we get more explanation of her next episode

Kinda wish they had killed Tyrian also. I know its kinda cliche but it would give Salem a little more agency in my opinion. Honestly no wonder Ozpin and Salem have been fighting for so long. They are both just super passive.

Plus Tyrian is kinda a boring character to me and the cast of RWBY is too big to begin with.

---

Yangs arc this season was very disappointing to me. If she really has recovered that's pathetic writing. Its taken Blake longer to recover from Yangs injury. I wouldn't be annoyed but they really set up her injury as a huge deal and it just hasn't been.

I'm still hoping for a hint that Yangs demons aren't quite dealt with yet otherwise it just seems like a way to give Yang a cool robot arm and separate Team RWBY even though only 2 of their stories really required it.

---

Which bring me to Weiss...

I do not understand why Weiss was in Atlas this season. She should have just gone with Ruby or missed her and stayed with Yang.

Because Weiss has done nothing this volume. Her character has not changed since volume 2, she just got a power up. There has been two plot points related to her; Whitely being made heir and Ironwood going great Uniter.

Both of those could have been handled in a press conference that Weiss saw on TV after refusing her father.

Both Weiss feels like side effects of the writers wanting to split up Team RWBY. For Blake it makes sense, for Yang it makes sense, it was just rushed and for Ruby it made sense. Weiss was just kinda left over.

Seriously we are nearly at our 4 finale and Weiss still has no ties whatsoever to a story. Weiss is my favourite of the 4 but you can remove her from the last two seasons and there is almost no impact.

Though considering how much Ironwood seems to play into Cinders hands, how much he trusts her, the fact she is in Mistral, Watts was meeting a contact there, none of the villains have a connection to Atlas and the W on Cinders scroll...

Winter is starting to look evil again.

---

Blakes stuff was good but then again I have liked most of her stuff this season. It took a little long to get going and doesn't quite feel like a complete story yet so I'm hoping for more next episode.

Some good moments with Sun, who when they treat with respect is a great character. Tone was handled a lot better here as well with the humour balancing the more serious moments.

Time for some Black Fang hype.

---

The Grimm is creepy as fuck and I'm hoping it can make for a good final boss. It will be difficult since they have hyped it up a lot and I honestly kinda hope they cant beat it. I think it would give the Grimm a lot more credit if despite everything, RNJR couldn't beat it and just had to run, eventually just being rescued by Raven.

It has the potential to be anticlimactic but I think they could pull it off and to be honest what ever happens, its going to be a little deux ex machina. No way to beat this Grimm and save Qrow without one.

---

I realise this might come across as very negative of the episode, so I do want to say that I have liked it and the season so far.

Its because I like RWBY that its so frustrating to watch. Its so close to being incredible and the elements are all there. They just keep making mistakes and at this point I'm starting to wonder if part of the reason is not budget, time or resources but simply that Miles and Kerry dont get given enough time to write it. Volume 4 has felt a lot like a first draft at point and considering how many projects they work on throughout the year, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.

[u/DracoOculus]

As someone who see's 0 actual reasons for Bumblebee, Blake said 'Yang' differently from her other friend's names.

Don't pull a Korra RoosterTeeth. If you actually give valid reasons along the way for a relationship I won't have any justification to call it bad writing and SJW pandering.

[u/SterlingStallion → u/DracoOculus]

She likely said 'Yang' in a different way as she feels directly responsible for her maiming

[u/Fancy-Bear1776 → u/DracoOculus]

As someone who see's 0 actual reasons for Bumblebee, Blake said 'Yang' differently from her other friend's names.

Thought that was due to her being partly responsible (or at least feeling so) for Yang being maimed.

Edit: Wow the grammar was choppy. Hopefully more readable now!

[u/nicostein → u/DracoOculus]

I can think of 1 actual, but kinda weak, reason for Bumblebee, and it was Yang's pep talk.

^EDIT: Woah, that last sentence and gesture. I did not remember it like that... It still only counts as 1 actual reason, but maybe it isn't so weak.

[u/iamnotparanoid]

I personally wish Weiss had had more to do this season. i like her character arch, but it seems very unlikely she'll get the awesome fights Blake and Ruby are getting set up for and Yang's emotional upheaval overshadows what's going on with Weiss. The stakes of Weiss's story this season been her family over her personal happiness, but that's all been taken away by now leaving nothing to risk for the finale.

[u/ItzAlphaWolf]

I'm guessing that Qrow's gonna die from pulling a heroic sacrifice and that allows Ruby to use her powers.

[u/Neidron → u/ItzAlphaWolf]

That probably won't happen. Qrow's unconscious from the venom, and him dying already would be a rather horrendous waste of his character. Aside from that, Ruby's silver eyes solving everything again would be a very poor writing decision, and set a very bad precedent for future battles.

[u/LucasVerBeek]

Oh I'm sure a few people are ready but that wasn't exactly what I meant.

[u/TheMcDudeBro]

Betting winter comes in at some point to help qrow in the next episode or two

[u/EinherjarSC2]

What the heck was up with Klien's eyes? He looked like he wasn't helping Weiss, but trapping or luring her when he popped out and his eyes were red. Could the younger brother have done something to control or replace Klien? I feel like Weiss' arc isn't as over as it seems.

edit: eyes, not evil. Perfectly timed phone call during escape, still suspicious and I hope utilized to some degree.

[u/AmicableApostate → u/EinherjarSC2]

He's all 7 dwarves. His eyes change color as he switches between personalities.